tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61447942275556401912024-02-20T09:23:42.970-08:00Right NowI want this blog to help me be more accepting of myself and others. I want whatever I write to not be too constricted by a perceived need to have it be well-planned, thought out or brilliant. And as I enter the next stage of my life I want my writing to help me connect with guiding forces which will help me through the "tricky end game." It'd be nice if it was also entertaining, enlightening and inspiring.Ferd Haverlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03556888760144563785noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144794227555640191.post-29823618052699160032024-01-01T08:17:00.000-08:002024-01-01T08:32:12.741-08:00Great art is wonderful so is your heartfelt song<p><span style="font-size: large;">I wish I had given a nod to great art in my prior post. Of course there are, and have been, people who produce art of incredible quality. A quality that goes beyond fashion and technique and that sublimely connects us to something greater than ourselves. Experiencing their work is. one of the wonderful blessings of life. Por ejemplo</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Vermeer's painting "Girl with the Pearl Earring"</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhA8erU8wvvwKjq7P5q2J8qpxE4AOW8jLTZlUvduHuv0VWDoYBNHS5hIgf-NrjqninR2SFdyUQl15FDzA47Zy3JhjTIaTQK0qECXOM44lceQnn8C97TdnLNk5Jm2z6PHBl_aM5MkEND9BRy8wUhClEC99aWvfFmUnNvSHE5MliK4LwbaK3h3a0FOLcW" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="405" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhA8erU8wvvwKjq7P5q2J8qpxE4AOW8jLTZlUvduHuv0VWDoYBNHS5hIgf-NrjqninR2SFdyUQl15FDzA47Zy3JhjTIaTQK0qECXOM44lceQnn8C97TdnLNk5Jm2z6PHBl_aM5MkEND9BRy8wUhClEC99aWvfFmUnNvSHE5MliK4LwbaK3h3a0FOLcW" width="203" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;">Making a comprehensive list of all the great art in the world is way beyond my pay grade and capacity. Do you have a favorite piece or artist? (The comments section below awaits your selection.)</span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">My list would definitely include a lot of singer/songwriters including John Price, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">This is crazy. There's so many people whose exceptional art has enriched our lives. My point in the previous post was that I believe that we all have something important to share.. A creative voice that longs to sing and, perhaps, be heard. It doesn't have to be some great piece of art to be important. <br /></span><p> </p></div>Ferd Haverlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03556888760144563785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144794227555640191.post-84834982170599612652023-11-14T08:51:00.000-08:002024-01-01T07:52:55.797-08:00Sing Your Song!<p><span style="font-size: large;">Each morning, for many years, Dorothy and I have our Morning Meeting where we talk about our plans for the day and share a reading or two, usually some poetry. We both look forward to this time to connect. During the past year I've added a new wrinkle to the festivities - on most days I write a short "poem" just before the meeting starts and then share it with D. This is basically a "stream of consciousness" process that has captured my imagination. It seems the less I try to control what I write the more fun and interesting it is.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I'm trying to stay above judgement and let some creative juices find their way through my. coagulated synapses. This is the same way I feell about all "art." I think we all have a creative side but often let it lay unattended and unexpressed because we're intimidated by judgement and "professionals". </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I remember the pure joy of my kindergarten finger painting. Wouldn't it be great if each one of us mature adults could feel free enough to let our soul find its wings through art?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Here's to your song! May you sing. it loud and strong.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">These are a few of my recent morning words</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">11/11/2023</span></p><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Encounter</span></b></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">The buck freezes staring towards the back of the yard</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">He’s facing away from me but I can feel the intensity of his eyes</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">The polished sharpness of his antlers magnifies his focused stillness</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">Suddenly a grey fox runs across the opening at the edge of the woods</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">I can feel the deer’s energy exploding in the air around him</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">but he remains perfectly still’'</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">Then</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"> just as suddenly</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"> its over</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">’</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">The fox is gone and the buck ambles quietly away</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">11/12/2023</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">Norway maple resisting leaf loss</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">last of the trees to surrrender to barreness</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">it too will have to accept</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">it must get naked to survive</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">11/13/2023</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">Leaves falling gently to the ground</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">curved golden acrobats in the warm morning light</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">finding solace nestled among their fallen comrades</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">May your soul and spirit fly</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">Keep in touch!</span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Ferd Haverlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03556888760144563785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144794227555640191.post-77911888336546420472023-11-11T05:33:00.001-08:002024-01-01T07:46:20.192-08:00Holy Hunger and Parkinson's<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Hello out there!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I started this Holy Hunger post several years ago and think its about time I get back on this unruly horse of introspection. Here's what I wrote then...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>What do I want at this tail end of living? Who cares? Why is it always about me? Shouldn't I be asking bigger questions like - What can I/we do to tackle systemic racism? Hunger? Inequality? Trumpism? etc. etc.... Yeah, I probably should but its just not where my head and heart are nowadays. </i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>What I'm most interested in and want the most, (besides the health and happiness of the people I love, which is a given), is, hold your hats, to be closer to God. </i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>The "hold your hats" comment is a defensive qualifier springing from a deep discomfort talking about God stuff publicly. I'm now 73 years old. Up until the age of 18 I was seriously twisted and abused by Catholic indoctrination and control. I've spent much of the past fifty years trying to recover from the damage done.</i></span></p><p><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Escaping Catholicism has been </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">one of the most important processes of my life. A difficult but exhilarating discovery of a world of truth and wonder. New exciting ideas were no longer threats to my "faith". Different cultures, sexual identities, political perspectives were no longer seen through a narrow Catholic prism. I could start to see thing more realistically and appreciatively beyond the shadows of judgement and fear.</span></i></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">So that was me three years ago. Where am I now? Am I closer to God? Have I found resolution and redemption? Uh, not quite. But....</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I think I am more at peace. If you're at all familiar with my prior blog entries you know how I've struggled trying to find a place of of calmness and acceptance.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">What's different? Did I have some sort of spiritual awakening? Did my years of meditation finally unlock the door? Did I finally accept Trump as the one, true Son of God? Nope. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">What happpened was much more mundane.. I was diagnosed with </span><a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/parkinsons-disease#:~:text=Parkinson%27s%20disease%20is%20a%20brain,have%20difficulty%20walking%20and%20talking.">Parkinson's Disease</a></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I originally resisted the diagnosis but I eventually had to accept the fact that I have a chronic, progressive, debilitating disease. The pace of progression and severity of symptoms can vary widely. So far my main symptom is tremors and there has been minimal impact on my daily life. There is no cure but there are medications that can help with symptoms. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> A tough pill to swallow, for sure, but I think it has been good for my restless soul.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The only coping strategy that makes sense at this point (and hasn't this 13 year blog been all about finding a coping strategy?) is to (drum roll) ....live in the present, take one day at a time, etc., etc. God I hate cliches. Oh well. That's it. I'm more peaceful and happier because I want to savor the joy of living while I'm still able to. I've been forced to truly accept my mortality. How simple! How liberating! How grateful I am! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Don't get me wrong. It's not easy but it's okay. And that's a big deal.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">So how does this living from moment to moment manifest iitself?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Stay tuned! </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p><br /></p>Ferd Haverlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03556888760144563785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144794227555640191.post-34718501439278565142021-01-16T10:24:00.008-08:002021-01-18T06:58:49.492-08:00Holding Hands in the Dark - Part 2<p><span>Its been a long time. Don't know why I stopped writing last February. My last post detailed my last few adventurous days in our February 2020 trip to my favorite city, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oaxaca">Oaxaca, Mexico. </a> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZw4aY8B0z8kLescCU1lhjeLDx8Hh1pT7bB-gUtBq4cnSHtjJRsiriKLKNdfMyF5u_aFBIxwnWg1aDyxTeP5v8aCPYz6frO2uXG4biiVZXypdnT3WRaIQ7TFEsmjzGPA5_5H4bc_k2jQ/s4032/IMG_0436.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZw4aY8B0z8kLescCU1lhjeLDx8Hh1pT7bB-gUtBq4cnSHtjJRsiriKLKNdfMyF5u_aFBIxwnWg1aDyxTeP5v8aCPYz6frO2uXG4biiVZXypdnT3WRaIQ7TFEsmjzGPA5_5H4bc_k2jQ/s320/IMG_0436.HEIC" width="320" /></span></a></div><span><br /> I just reread that <a href="http://ferdrightnow.blogspot.com/2020/02/microbes-muscles-doctor-zand-gratitude.html">post</a> and I was struck by how far away all of that seems now even though it's been less than a year - but what a year it has been! Pandemic, isolation, racial unrest, presidential election, impeachment, invasion of the Capitol. Its all left me feeling frazzled, fearful and angry. </span><div><br /><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>I think one of the reasons I haven't been writing is that these events have been so momentous and overwhelming that</span><span> trying to encapsulate them and their impact on my life would be like trying to wrestle an elephant to the ground. </span><span>But I do miss writing, so here I am pecking away at the keys trying to say something real, something worthwhile. </span><span>Most of the worth is probably as a personal therapy tool but I still hold out some hope that there are readers out there who will find some value in these disparate/desperate scribblings.</span><p><span>Along those lines, I was amazed when I looked at the stats for this blog. Since I started Right Now ten years ago there have been 16940 "views". Yesterday there were 17 views and last month there were 79. Who the hell are these people? I haven't posted anything since last February! Hell, maybe I'm going viral and can start getting paid as an "influencer." I could start inserting ads for stuff and maybe get free samples. Golf clubs? Jameson's? Tequila? Guitars? Irish golf trips?</span></p><p><span>It makes me happy that others are interested in sharing this journey with me. As I said in my first post in 2010 entitled "Holding Hands in the Dark"</span></p><p><i><span>I am starting this blog as a way to connect. Connect with guiding forces which will help me find my way through this tricky end game. The form, timing and content of these hoped for hand holders through the dark are far from being clear. I invite you to be part of this journey and perhaps we can hold each other's hand along the way.</span></i></p><p><span>I honestly get a chill when I read these words. Not because its great prose but because the concept of us holding each others hands as we try to make our way through the dark captures what I feel is our best hope during</span><span> these dire times. Maybe you feel the same way. </span></p><p><span>The clearest personal lesson of this p</span><span>ast year of COVID isolation is a deeper understanding of how much I need and long for real, honest human connection. </span></p><p><span> As Bob Dylan said in </span><span> "All Along the Watchtower"</span></p><span><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">There are many here among us</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif;" /><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">Who feel that life is but a joke</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif;" /><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">But you and I, we've been through that</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif;" /><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">And this is not our fate</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif;" /><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">So let us not talk falsely now</span></span><div><span><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">The hour's getting late,</span> </span><p><span>Thanks for reading. I will write again soon. I hope.</span></p><div class="soqrFd dE9m5c" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; align-items: center; background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); display: flex; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; min-height: 48px; padding-right: 0px;"><span class="g0RVJ ik5mBe" color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.52)" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 14px; line-height: 32px;"><br /></span></div></div></div></div>Ferd Haverlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03556888760144563785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144794227555640191.post-3467702558196845152020-02-17T10:40:00.000-08:002020-02-17T12:00:23.432-08:00Microbes, Muscles, Doctor Z and GratitudeIt's been awhile, nine days to be exact. A big thank you to a faithful reader for encouraging me to get back in the blogging groove.<br />
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Not sure when a groove becomes a rut. Maybe its still a groove when you can fairly easily lift the needle and switch to a different track.<br />
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Reminds me of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RT2SSw9JRk">Leonard Cohen's description of a "state of grace" </a>which I quoted many posts ago. He describes it as "that kind of balance with which you ride the chaos around you."<br />
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This past week has been a wild ride through a lot of chaos. Very little balance as the needle screeched across the disc. Today, thankfully, it seems to have found a resting place and the music is starting to play again.<br />
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Things began going awry last Tuesday. D woke up with a nasty headache. She said she felt like she was getting a sinus infection and that she wanted to stay in bed resting. I offered to stay with her and try to find some medical help. She told me she'd rather be alone and encouraged me to go on a <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g150801-d15309335-Reviews-Oaxaca_Free_Walking_Tour-Oaxaca_Southern_Mexico.html">"walking tour" of central Oaxaca </a>which we had planned on going on together. I resisted but she said it'd be easier being by herself...she wouldn't feel like she'd have to "entertain" me. Hmmm.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5Lem0EeVknskNr6ep3C7KYepOkf7pCMXs6FlVNq9PO6PM-Q-uMfgq9YWVZMGnxF7rVOv3G76dTxjJAHLSb3e29wBLi6h2ptDToQF3e_u34qA0boMn8pqpSpDIFeMRThgNkM8dMOTsA/s1600/IMG_0571.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5Lem0EeVknskNr6ep3C7KYepOkf7pCMXs6FlVNq9PO6PM-Q-uMfgq9YWVZMGnxF7rVOv3G76dTxjJAHLSb3e29wBLi6h2ptDToQF3e_u34qA0boMn8pqpSpDIFeMRThgNkM8dMOTsA/s400/IMG_0571.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My tour group</td></tr>
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I acquiesced and headed downtown to the <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g150801-d156172-Reviews-Teatro_Macedonio_de_Alcala-Oaxaca_Southern_Mexico.html">Teatro de Macedonia Alcala</a> where I met up with 14 tour walkers and our guide, Deanna. (I'm not positive that was her name)<br />
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There was only one other person from the U.S. Most of the rest were young people from Norway, Sweden and Spain who were staying at a downtown hostel. I was the the oldest. I liked being around these young adventurers who were so full of life and its potentials.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXaBRRMr4HuTX0fOhMKKC9jekYjAD-7W5W9b-HcyO68mxcLvOdI18ByRgg_x2YgQ1qmcB5N0xZVk-FA10BURuzvp3GWOv5k_THL_yKb5mgR1qnr2xGm6-q8nQoFtsCBRRwsGW-lB4bQ/s1600/IMG_0573.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXaBRRMr4HuTX0fOhMKKC9jekYjAD-7W5W9b-HcyO68mxcLvOdI18ByRgg_x2YgQ1qmcB5N0xZVk-FA10BURuzvp3GWOv5k_THL_yKb5mgR1qnr2xGm6-q8nQoFtsCBRRwsGW-lB4bQ/s320/IMG_0573.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poster says "We will not forget. We will not forgive."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The<a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g150801-d15309335-Reviews-Oaxaca_Free_Walking_Tour-Oaxaca_Southern_Mexico.html"> free walk</a> lasted three hours and was well worth the time. (The web link will give you a good idea of the types of places we walked to.) Although I had visited many of these before, Deanna, who works for tips, provided lots of background info which filled in a many of the historical and cultural blanks. Highlights, for me, included the<a href="http://institutodeartesgraficasdeoaxaca.blogspot.com/"> Oaxacan Graphic Arts Institute (IAGO)</a> and a Communist print shop. At the print shop Deanna spoke passionately about the dangers of being politically outspoken in Mexico. She pointed out that journalists were especially at risk. Last year Mexico surpassed Syria and became the<a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/09/12/759882660/12-journalists-have-been-killed-in-mexico-this-year-the-worlds-highest-toll"> most dangerous country in the world for journalists.</a><br />
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<img alt="Image result for image murdered journalists" 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" /><br />
<br />
When I got back to the hotel D wasn't doing so good. She had a headache, a hacking cough and felt warm, as if she had a fever. She still didn't want me to look for medical help. She said she wanted to wait until morning. I went to the pharmacy to get anti-congestants, cough syrup, ibuprophen and a thermometer which showed she had a fever of 99.9 degrees.<br />
<br />
In the morning D still had a fever, headache and cough. She was ready for me to try to find some help. An internet search led me to <a href="http://ioverlander.com/places/14467-dr-alberto-zamacona-esparza-oaxaca">Dr. Alberto Zamacona Esparza</a>. He was highly recommended and spoke English. "Dr.Z" was mentioned often by gringos as the "go to" doc in Oaxaca.<br />
<br />
The immediate problem was that it was Wednesday, the one weekday his office was closed and no one was answering the phone. Panic mode was starting to creep in. I had to get D some help. I walked downstairs at the hotel, planning to take a taxi to see if anyone was at the doctor's office. Halfway down the stairs I remembered I forgot something and did a quick about face to start back up. As I did this I felt a "pop" in my left calf. I knew right away something had happened and it wasn't good. I found I could not put any weight on the ball of my left foot without sharp pain. I could barely walk. Uh oh.<br />
<br />
I made my way down to the street and waved down a taxi. I first asked the driver to take me to a place to buy a cane (baston). We eventually found a medical supply place and I bought a cane. It didn't help much if at all. The problem was a bending motion not weight on the leg.<br />
<br />
I next asked him to drive to the Spanish school that I attended five years ago. I had gotten sick then and they had recommended a doctor that I was happy with. We drove to the school and I slowly and painfully limped into the office where I was told that the doctor had passed away, "se fallecio."<br />
<br />
I went back to the taxi and tried to explain but when I said "se fallecio" he gave me a very weird, questioning look. I'm afraid he thought I was telling him to do an obscene act. I then said "se murio" (he died) and the driver seemed greatly relieved. 😊<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="about:invalid#zClosurez" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Image result for image dr alberto zamacona esparza" border="0" height="320" 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" width="199" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Zamacona on the right</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We finally went to Dr. Z's office and found it was indeed closed. The driver took me back to the hotel and hobbled up the stairs. I was getting nowhere and D seemed to be getting worse.<br />
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In desperation I called the doctor's cell phone. His kind wife answered and said she would have the doctor call me back. He called back and said he'd be at the hotel in about an hour.<br />
<br />
Dr. Z showed up, told D she had a sinus infection and prescribed an antibiotic and several other medications. He arranged for the meds to be sent to the hotel and told her she would feel better tomorrow. He looked at my calf and said it would be fine after a week or so. Just a sprain.<br />
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His fee was $50. There was no fee for a follow up appointment the next day.<br />
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Dorthy improved quickly. I did too. We are filled with gratitude.<br />
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<br />Ferd Haverlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03556888760144563785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144794227555640191.post-77141941384947629012020-02-08T12:44:00.000-08:002020-02-17T13:00:38.037-08:00Saturday morning recapHere's what I did this morning.<br />
<br />
Got up at 5:30.<br />
Meditated for thirty minutes.<br />
Did HEAs (Health Enhancement Activities). These involve mostly stretching and abdominal strengthening. Have been using this euphemism instead of "exercise" to help me be more motivated.<br />
Took a shower.<br />
Brushed my teeth<br />
Shaved.<br />
Took medications. I'd make a list here but there's not enough room.<br />
Walked with D for about a mile along quiet, cool early morning streets.<br />
Picked up laundry at the lavanderia. Three pounds for sixty five pesos. ($3.46)<br />
Had breakfast at our hotel. Huevos revueltos con tocino y jugo naranjo fresco. Breakfast is included with room fee. Hotel's restaurant <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RestauranteElPipe/">"El Pipe"</a> is wonderful.<br />
Went to <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6144794227555640191#editor/target=post;postID=7725973396376159203;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=25;src=postname">Intercambio at Oaxaca Lending Library</a> (The link is to a 2016 post) Spent two hours speaking Spanish and English with Kathy from New Mexico and Luis from Oaxaca.<br />
Bought a fifth of Jose Cuervo Especial at Pidico market. 136 pesos.<br />
Walked to <a href="https://www.oaxacaevents.com/02/08/2020/rooftop-social-market-mercado-social-sustentable/">Mercado Social Sustentable</a><br />
Ate some hand-made mango ice cream<br />
Had a excellent cappuccino at a small shop on Avenida Reforma.<br />
Called Dorothy. She requested a torta from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LaHormigaTortas/">La Hormiga. </a>(the video that's part of this link is great!)<br />
Purchased a chicken and cheese torta at La Hormiga in <a href="https://www.oaxaca-mio.com/atrac_turisticos/jardinconzatti.htm">Jardin Conzatti </a> (27 pesos) Muy saboroso!<br />
Walked backed to the hotel.<br />
Shared torta with D.<br />
Started writing this blog post.<br />
It is now 2:34 PM.<br />
Walking distance so far today is 2.2 miles. Averaging 3.3/day on trip.<br />
Hasta luego!<br />
<br />
<br />Ferd Haverlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03556888760144563785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144794227555640191.post-38330058031690914212020-02-07T13:11:00.000-08:002020-02-08T11:52:33.336-08:00Waiting For Nothing"I want to fill my days with wanting nothing from them..."<br />
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This line is from a poem by Fernando Passao which I included in the <a href="https://ferdrightnow.blogspot.com/2020/01/hopeless-refuge.html">"Hopeless Refuge"</a> post a couple of weeks ago. It comes to mind as D and me laze in our hotel room in the middle of the afternoon until the mid-day heat fades. (It's currently 83 degrees outside)<br />
<br />
Shouldn't we be doing more? Wanting more? We're both quietly content lying on top of our newly maid-made bed (getting under the sheets would be far too decadent <u>and</u> hot) reading, writing and watching a videos on our iphones.<br />
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The room is cool and shady with a fresh breeze coming through an open/shaded window.<br />
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<a href="https://andreapawley.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/andrew-wyeth-wind-from-the-sea-1947-tempera-on-hardboard-national-gallery-of-art-gift-of-charles-h-morgan-2009-c2a9-andrew-wyeth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for images of curtains blowing in the wind" border="0" height="218" src="https://andreapawley.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/andrew-wyeth-wind-from-the-sea-1947-tempera-on-hardboard-national-gallery-of-art-gift-of-charles-h-morgan-2009-c2a9-andrew-wyeth.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Getting comfortable doing nothing is hard work!<br />
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We've been traveling for a week so far and I'm just starting to get the hang of it.<br />
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On Sunday, while we were waiting outside the Teatro Juarez before an exciting modern dance presentation.(<a href="https://www.quepasaoaxaca.com/events/2segundos/">2 Segundos</a>), we met a man from Maine who lives in Oaxaca four months a year. He said that each year it takes him about three weeks to really settle in. He described the process as moving from him "doing Oaxaca" to Oaxaca "doing him."<br />
<br />
This made sense to me. Every time I travel I'm amazed how much time it takes for relaxation mode to kick in. To find a place of calmness that makes it okay to not always be doing things.<br />
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This is our fifth visit here. We've already done our tourist duties. The things we've seen and done have been memorable and worthwhile but for most, once is enough. (The extordinary <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_Alb%C3%A1n">Monte Alban</a> is a clear exception to this)<br />
<br />
What do we do now? How do we let "Oaxaca do us?"<br />
<br />
At this point, spending this peaceful afternoon in our pleasant room, waiting for nothing, seems like a good plan.<br />
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<br />Ferd Haverlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03556888760144563785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144794227555640191.post-77359942498137784512020-02-05T16:39:00.001-08:002020-02-05T16:41:43.685-08:00Oaxaca beginning again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Back in Oaxaca<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvd9UwjhRn3sQrId2x15m4v8LipNG3zvkIM8lb9qgmOYpQXA_KaQ166OGTJBmc7meudZuVQLRlYZU3WM9Y7Hpf5O1URMg5RGAaQSI5ncCaWn3U63h5gUdAiSMTVISz3w_GksfHhyMGeQ/s1600/IMG_0432+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvd9UwjhRn3sQrId2x15m4v8LipNG3zvkIM8lb9qgmOYpQXA_KaQ166OGTJBmc7meudZuVQLRlYZU3WM9Y7Hpf5O1URMg5RGAaQSI5ncCaWn3U63h5gUdAiSMTVISz3w_GksfHhyMGeQ/s400/IMG_0432+%25282%2529.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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First four days settling in.<br />
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Travel anxiety lifting.<br />
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Shedding armor.<br />
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Slowly slowing down.<br />
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Morning walk to get D coffee. \<br />
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Empty, quiet streets.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyJmUtbi2_lIIv8UtTuGPFIsgzNK0gc-xoHL-d6PVSCtpiZt_-ccbSTtSp35ktUeSgpyc-JbeNeR25rWBVDZOx8Kn8iyL92fC_fAaxeQlpRSkEWq0BuJ4Euqm3tJDy4u42okxWqpUcA/s1600/IMG_0436.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyJmUtbi2_lIIv8UtTuGPFIsgzNK0gc-xoHL-d6PVSCtpiZt_-ccbSTtSp35ktUeSgpyc-JbeNeR25rWBVDZOx8Kn8iyL92fC_fAaxeQlpRSkEWq0BuJ4Euqm3tJDy4u42okxWqpUcA/s400/IMG_0436.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div>
Sky bright with deep colors of sunrise surrounds <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Santo_Domingo_de_Guzm%C3%A1n">Templo de Santo Domingo.</a><br />
<br />Ferd Haverlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03556888760144563785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144794227555640191.post-8126909027615874422020-02-04T06:34:00.000-08:002020-02-05T05:57:47.397-08:00Nuestro viaje a MexicoHello out there. Glad to see you made it back.<br />
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Response to last post was muted to say the least. Only direct comment I got was from a golfing buddy who gave me a quizzical look and then asked, "Were you on drugs when you wrote that?"<br />
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Okay. I get it. Some people may be made uncomfortable by a 72 year old, retired guy, speaking so directly and personally. After that comment I did feel a little embarrassed and considered removing the post. I talked to D about it and she, as usual, could only find positive things to say. She seems to think my writing could save the world. I ended up deciding to keep the post and not walk away from my global responsibilities 😊, accepting the fact, once again, that being myself can be a real challenge. I'm reminded of John Prine's song <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1gnSV8pvBw">"A Good Time"</a> </i>with the line "I could of had me a million more friends, all I had to lose was my point of view."<br />
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Adelante a Mexico!<br />
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Realizations -<br />
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Traveling gets more difficult as you get older. Duh.<br />
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<i>Por ejemplo,</i><br />
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Shrinking seat width and leg room make my arthritic joints angry.<br />
Luckily I was sitting next to D and I could straighten my leg out under hers. It would be tough doing that with a stranger.<br />
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Keeping focus in the middle of travel craziness is harder.<br />
When we arrived at Mexico City airport after a five hour uncomfortable flight, it took us about an hour to get through immigration. By the time we were able to get to the baggage carousel there were no bags from our flight. Uh-oh.<br />
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I spent about ten minutes looking and finally found our two bags grouped with four or five others at the other end of the long hall. During the search I had to ask several people for help and my ability to speak Spanish helped quite a bit. Would have been a lot more anxiety without it. Nevertheless my stress button was pulsating.<br />
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<a href="about:invalid#zClosurez" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for image mexico city airport"" border="0" height="222" 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" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a>Next we tried to make our way to the main terminal concourse but D was stopped by a uniformed woman with a surgical mask. (Many, many people wearing these masks). She did a cursory inspection of D's carry on and let us pass. Never asked to look at mine. (This, by the way, is the second time in a row that D was stopped trying to enter Mexico. Two years ago she was busted by a drug-sniffing dog that nabbed her for having a banana in her purse.)<br />
<br />
Next I tried to get some pesos from an ATM (cajero automatico) while an ocean of people passed by behind me. It took four or five tries to get the machine to work I was afraid the machine was going to swallow the card. Head spinning faster. I eventually, with the help of a friendly hombre, was able to withdraw 2000 pesos.in the form of four 500 peso bills. These are difficult to use because they're so big. 500 pesos =about $25. I shoved the bills into my back pocket (mistake) and we made our way to Door #4 of Terminal #1, about a half mile walk. Our hotel, <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g150800-d154642-Reviews-Hotel_Riazor_Aeropuerto-Mexico_City_Central_Mexico_and_Gulf_Coast.html">Hotel Riazor Aeropuerto</a>, had said there would be a staff person stationed there to call a van.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://assets.bwbx.io/images/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/iwgCloTg7D6k/v0/1000x-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for image mexico city airport"" border="0" height="266" src="https://assets.bwbx.io/images/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/iwgCloTg7D6k/v0/1000x-1.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
No staff person was found. Outside the door it was pure craziness. Sirens, horns, police whistles, yelling. A multitude of cabs, vans and Uber cars trying to twist into a very limited area to pick up people. I tried to call the hotel but couldn't get the number to work. I asked a guy, who was waiting for an Uber, to help me call. He made the call and told me the van would arrive in about 10 minutes. He said we'd be better off taking an Uber. "They're 95% safe." In October, Mexico City was ground to a halt by <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-07/mexico-city-grinds-to-halt-as-cabs-block-airport-to-protest-uber">a protest against Uber </a>by 4000 taxi drivers. This protest included a blockade of airport roads. (picture above is from October protest)<br />
<br />
I went back into the terminal and was able to get the 500 peso note changed at a money exchange shop. I put the smaller bills in my back pocket, too. (mistake compounded) I rushed back to Door #4 where a woman was shouting the name of our hotel. It turns out she was the staff person we were trying to find. She had been there the whole time chatting with her friends. She was wearing no clothing or sign to identify her.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/701/tequila-2-blanco-tonic-1494004134.jpg?resize=480:*" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for image tequila on the rocks"" border="0" height="203" src="https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/701/tequila-2-blanco-tonic-1494004134.jpg?resize=480:*" width="320" /></a>The van eventually came. We careened through 10 PM heavy Mexico City traffic. When we arrived at the hotel I reached into my back pocket to get a tip for the driver and found I was missing a 500 peso note . It probably fell out of my pocket when I was getting change. I beat myself up a bit for being careless. <br />
<br />
We checked into our hotel and went directly to the bar while our bags were brought up to our room. "Centenario" reposado tequila on the rocks con limon. Whew!<br />
<br />
Despite all this it truly felt wonderful to be back in Mexico.<br />
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<br />Ferd Haverlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03556888760144563785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144794227555640191.post-21300993243869612122020-01-26T13:49:00.000-08:002020-01-26T14:47:53.968-08:00Shitstorms and Epiphanies<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thanks to everyone who's contacted me with positive words about this blog's resurrection. I feel encouraged and a little under the gun. What have I done? Now I really have to write stuff. No slacking off. So far it's been fun, I just hope it doesn't turn into a slog, something like having a term paper due. Yuck. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One way to prevent this, I believe, is to stay true to my initial 2010 blog goal of "helping me be more accepting of myself and others" and "whatever I write to not be too constricted by a perceived need to have it be well-planned, thought out or brilliant." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just reading this makes me feel less anxious, freer to write what I really care about and less likely to be held back by fear/self-doubt.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whether or not you'll find my musings interesting enough to keep reading is another question. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Back in 2010 I also wrote,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> "I want my writing (of this blog) to help me connect with guiding forces which will help me through the 'tricky end game'." (Through? As if there's another side? "With" seems like a better word at this point.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I bring this up because since I restarted this blog the thing I find I'm most interested in writing about is not my upcoming trip to Mexico but my ongoing wrestling match with life. How can I reconcile its joy and wonder with its inevitable losses and sorrow? I find exploring the questions of trying to figure out </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the best way to live and </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">looking for guiding forces to be a wonderful adventure. What could be more exciting and important?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Which leads me to shitstorms.</span><br />
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<a href="https://image.shutterstock.com/image-photo/shitstorm-warning-sign-600w-118776667.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Shitstorm Warning Sign" border="0" height="200" src="https://image.shutterstock.com/image-photo/shitstorm-warning-sign-600w-118776667.jpg" width="141" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wikipedia says "Shitstorm is a vulgar dysphemism of a chaotic and unpleasant situation."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You don't have to know what a dysphemism is to understand shitstorms. Most of us have experienced them personally and collectively. Hell, lately every time I read the newspaper its the first word that comes to mind.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To be clear, I'm not talking about the day-to-day anxiety that normal living brings but the deep down and dirty sadness, anger and/or fear usually due to a major loss or threat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What should you do when the storm hits and just won't let go? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The answer to this important question is probably different for each person. Here's some of my current thinking...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The past year has been tough. I've had several medical and relationship issues that put me in a dark, sad place. I had hoped that the philosophical and spiritual ideas I'd explored and embraced would provide an underpinning that would help me keep my head above water when the proverbial shit hit the fan. No such luck. It all just felt like empty words. I found myself sitting in the cellar singing </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOyoWrbdeX0" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Levon Helm's song "Calvary"</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> over and over. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Every man will see the day</i></span></div>
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<span jsname="YS01Ge"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pretty pathetic. Luckily, I didn't shut down. Dorothy and I continued to be in a good, supportive relationship, in fact we seemed to grow closer. I saw a counselor, talked to my minister and some friends and shared with a small church group that I meet with regularly. Still the cloud wouldn't lift. It went on for about ten months. It was getting very old and deeply discouraging. And then something happened...</span></span></div>
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<span jsname="YS01Ge"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">About a month ago I was listening to </span><a href="https://www.themoth.org/">The Moth</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> on </span><a href="https://wskg.org/">WSKG</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> our local public radio station. This is a wonderful program where people share stories about their life.</span></span></span><br />
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<span jsname="YS01Ge"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the stories this day was about an experience a man had with his terminally ill wife who was in a hospice. (I was unable to find the show on The Moth's website. If any of you happen to find it please let me know.) This man said that one day he bought a fancy new Harley Davidson motorcycle and excitedly drove it to the hospice to show his wife. He related that when she looked at it through the window she unexpectedly seemed sad and a bit angry. He didn't understand this reaction and his wife didn't explain. When he described the situation to a hospice staff worker the worker told him that most people in a hospice were focused on living not dying and for some reason him showing her the bike made her feel like he was treating her as being already dead. He thought about this then suddenly disconnected the tubes going into his wife's body and took her outside in her hospital gown, put her on the Harley and headed out of the parking lot. He described her screaming with joy as they flew down the freeway in Los Angeles. He was crying as he described this wonderful moment. So was I.</span></span></div>
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<span jsname="YS01Ge"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don't know why but this story changed me. Since hearing it I've been different. I'm happier and more engaged with life. I'm playing more guitar, writing a blog, I've become a Meals on Wheels volunteer, I've had moments of joy and peace. It's not a full 180 degree recovery. I still feel pretty awful at times. But it's a lot better. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I don't know why this story helped. I do know it struck a chord that helped open a door, especially the part about focusing on living not dying. It taught me something that I don't think I can explain. It gave me an insight that I'm hesitant to even try to put into words.</span></span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Perhaps it wasn't just the program. Maybe enough time had passed that healing was starting to kick in. Maybe my efforts to share and resist withdrawing were paying off. I don't know. I do know that I feel incredibly grateful for the change that has happened.</span></span></span><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/3375542576/0132798888c93ee13e0f93b78b3a51da_400x400.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Team Epiphany" border="0" height="200" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/3375542576/0132798888c93ee13e0f93b78b3a51da_400x400.jpeg" width="200" /></a></span><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Which leads to epiphanies.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wikipedia has a lot of different definitions of epiphanies.</span></span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The one that's closest to what I experienced describes it as </span></span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>"an Aha moment. As a literary device, epiphany is the moment when a character is suddenly struck with a life-changing realization which changes the rest of the story."</i></span></span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yep. That's pretty close to what has happened with me.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'd like to end this post with an excerpt for <a href="https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-brief-for-the-defense/">Jack Gilbert's poem "A Brief for the Defense"</a></span></span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If we deny our happiness, resist our satisfaction,</span></i></span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">we lessen the importance of their deprivation.</span></i></span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We must risk delight. We can do without pleasure,</span></i></span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">but not delight. Not enjoyment. We must have</span></i></span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the stubbornness to accept our gladness in the ruthless</span></i></span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">furnace of this world. To make injustice the only</span></i></span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">measure of our attention is to praise the Devil.</span></i></span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If the locomotive of the Lord runs us down,</span></i></span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">we should give thanks that the end had magnitude.</span></i></span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We must admit there will be music despite everything.</span></i></span></span><br />
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<span jsname="YS01Ge"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Be well. Next post will be from Oaxaca.</span></span></div>
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</span>.</span>Ferd Haverlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03556888760144563785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144794227555640191.post-8933582169573069812020-01-22T12:17:00.000-08:002020-01-31T06:20:28.654-08:00Hopeless Refuge<div style="margin-left: 136px;">
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<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51JAKnSrYKL._SX344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51JAKnSrYKL._SX344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="221" /></a>Each morning D and me have a "meeting" where we review our plans for the day and then share short readings. We're currently working through a book of "Over 125 poetic companions, from Basho to Billy Collins, Saigyo to Shakespeare" The title of this collection is <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Poetry-Impermanence-Mindfulness-Joy/dp/1614293317" rel="nofollow">The Poetry of Impermanence, Mindfuness, and Joy.</a></i> edited by <a href="http://johnbrehmpoet.com/">John Brehm.</a><br />
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This morning's non-titled piece was written by Portuguese author<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Pessoa"> Fernando Pessoa.</a><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Calm because I'm unknown,</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And myself because I'm calm.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I want to fill my days</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With wanting nothing from them.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For those whom wealth touches,</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gold irritates the skin.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For those on whom fame glows,</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Life fogs over.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On those for whom happiness</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Is their sun, night will fall.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But those who hope for nothing</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Are glad for whatever comes.</span></i><br />
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"I want to fill my days with wanting nothing from them." I'm sure that for most of my life this line of thinking would seem like non-sensical buddha babble. Maybe it's starting to make more sense now because I'm getting old and it's foolish to hope for too much. Maybe, but I think/know its more than that..<br />
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Reading the lines of this poem was like hearing the clear, shimmering, beautiful sound of a wooden hammer hitting the side of a Tibetan singing bowl on the fifth day of a meditation retreat. A welcome call to reenter a place of peace and stillness. A hopeless refuge.<br />
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In December, 2010 <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6144794227555640191#editor/target=post;postID=3959231636320625581;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=83;src=postname">one of my earliest blog posts</a> had extended excerpts from <a href="http://www.tristan.icom43.net/quartets/coker.html"><b>East Coker</b></a>, one of <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Quartets">Four Quartets</a></b> by <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._S._Eliot">T.S. Eliot.</a></b> These lines seem especially apropos here...<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>I said to my soul, be still, and wait without hope</i></span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">For hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">For love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">But the faith and the love and the hope are all in the waiting.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">Whisper of running streams, and winter lightning.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">The wild thyme unseen and the wild strawberry,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">The laughter in the garden, echoed ecstasy</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">Not lost, but requiring, pointing to the agony</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">Of death and birth.</span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How wonderful it is to find words like these. Thank you Mr. Passao and Mr. Eliot.</span><br />
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Ferd Haverlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03556888760144563785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144794227555640191.post-82055598202318255462020-01-20T12:03:00.000-08:002020-01-20T12:03:35.532-08:00What would Bill do? D and me are going back to Mexico at the end of the month.<br />
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A friend of mine who has fine-tuned literary taste but a problematic political perspective encouraged me to resurrect this blog to report on the trip. Whoa..someone actually remembers<i> <a href="http://ferdrightnow.blogspot.com/">Ferdrightnow</a></i>!? I was surprised and flattered. Surprised because when I was posting the blog regularly very few people would read it and even fewer would ever make a comment. Flattered because this guy actually seemed to think I might be able to write something worthwhile. At seventy-two compliments seem to be few and far between. Best one I remember over the past year is "Nice putt!"<br />
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I unexpectedly found my blog juices flowing. Hmmm. I had posted 78 entries starting in 2010. My last one was in February 2017. I started rereading many of these past entries and and some of them were pretty good. It seems I could be inspired, every now and then, to write something worth reading. Maybe I should try it again. Maybe my synapses could still fire fast enough to enable me to capture some fleeting insights or observation.<br />
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Why did I stop three years ago? Not sure. I think a major reason was that, Bill Knipscher, my dear friend and one of my most loyal and supportive readers, died in November 2017. Often, knowing Bill would be reading, was enough to motivate me. Consider Bill's comment re my "Artful Greed" post in February, 2017. <br />
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"Hey, Ferd, your're perfect just as you are. No need to strive for perfection. So are we all.So is the world. Enjoy it." <br />
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This quote plus the golf bag attached to his motorcycle with bungee cords gives you an idea of what Bill was like.<br />
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I'll never know for sure why I stopped writing. The more immediate question is do I really want to start again? I'm just not sure. I know trying to effectively share experiences and perspectives makes me look at things more carefully and engage more fully and deeply. That's a pretty good payoff. I just don't want to make a commitment that turns into a chore instead of the joyful pursuit of truth and meaning that I want it to be. It seems that I continually have to relearn that some of the best things of life usually flow out of focused, committed action.<br />
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When struggling trying to make a decision I often say to myself "What would Bill do?" Well I'm pretty darn sure what he'd tell me at this point. "Stop fartin' around and just do it." Okay Bill. I'll get back in the blog saddle and see what happens. I hope some of you are interested in coming along for the ride.<br />
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<br />Ferd Haverlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03556888760144563785noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144794227555640191.post-38865277565433506722017-02-25T07:53:00.000-08:002017-02-26T16:28:59.417-08:00Celestun, Flamingos and Ojos de Agua<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our last tour was to<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celest%C3%BAn"> Celestun</a>, a small seaside town on the gulf of Mexico which was about a two hour ride from Merida. Celestun is famous for the flamingos that concentrate there from January to March. Surrounding the town is a national park which serves as a wetland preserve for the flamingos and other birds.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: left;">Here's a </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMnN0snf3a8" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">video</a> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">of our boat moving through a flock</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: left;"> . It doesn't give a very good sense of how strikingly pink these birds are. Not like this interesting poster from the outside of a Merida hotel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After the flamingo fiesta our boat unexpectedly entered a small opening in the mangroves at full speed. This seemed to be a calculated move to give the tourists a thrill in case they weren't that excited by the cackling pink hordes. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQRXjuIB3zA">The boat slowed down and glided silently through the mangroves.</a></span><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy43sFAPVFsM7MFIvSWM0R4C-6ZAAWzarn_mnWmjbzSMMIdSjWFcHkml7F3HfufcdVmMlhHpfDeYaBT9DYkhA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We drifted to a narrow docking area and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRaBZ2NbQX0">were shown an </a><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRaBZ2NbQX0">ojo de agua</a>. </i>This is a place where fresh, clean water from the underground rivers which course through the Yucatan bubbles to the surface. These freshwater ojos have a major impact on the ecosystem and also provide a fun place to swim.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Next post - Mexico City!</span></div>
Ferd Haverlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03556888760144563785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144794227555640191.post-11356904109173498682017-02-24T13:41:00.000-08:002017-02-24T14:10:18.025-08:00Cenotes, Haciendas, Dinosaurs and Circle K Health FoodWe're back in Tucson after a long 13 hour day of travel yesterday. Left hotel at 8 AM. Taxista Juan Jose drove us to the airport. I sat in front seat so I could hear him better and practice my Spanish. We laughed a lot. He said he spent 26 years in Charlotte NC building houses but still couldn't speak much English because he wasn't very smart.<br />
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Leon/Guanajuato airport very sleek and modern like all the other Mexican airports we've traveled through. Trip to Mexico City only took one hour on Interjet. Interjet still provides free booze and lots of legroom. Much better than the cramped Volaris flight we took from Merida to Mexico City. <br />
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Walk from arrival baggage area to American Airlines check-in was nearly two miles in a straight line over a slippery, highly polished marble floor. American flight to Phoenix was an easy 3.5 hours. The hardest part was paying $50 to check our bags. Arrgh!<br />
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Greeted in Phoenix Sky Harbor airport ("America's Friendliest Airport") by a purple coated, senior citizen volunteer shouting "CONNECTING FLIGHTS AND MAIN TERMINAL UP THE ESCALATOR". We were looking for our baggage so we kept on walking straight. He turned toward us and started yelling again "CONNECTING FLIGHTS AND MAIN TERMINAL UP THE ESCALATOR". Dorothy tried to tell him we didn't have a connecting flight. He got frustrated and yelled, "LADY THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO TELL YOU BUT YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!"<br />
Whew,...We went up the escalator. Welcome back.<br />
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Rented a car in Phoenix and made the 2.5 hour, 75 mph, trip south to Tucson cruising on a caffeine buzz from an afternoon coffee. Picked up some tequila, beer, chips, fried tortillas and a chicken salad sandwich at a Circle K in Marana. Pulled into our <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1807754">very cool AirBnB</a> fried and hungry. Chugged and chewed our way through the aforementioned Circle K provisions and crashed.<br />
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Which brings things to present wherein I'm realizing it's a hell of a lot easier to write about what happened yesterday than it is to try to capture what went on several weeks ago. But fools rush in...<br />
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I previously mentioned that while we were in Merida we went on three day long tours, One was to the Mayan sites of Uxmal and Kabah which I've already written about. The second tour was to <i><a href="http://www.yaxcopoil.com/">Hacienda Yaxcopoil</a></i> and to several <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cenote">cenotes</a></i>. <br />
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The website link for the hacienda gives a pretty good overview but fails to mention that this and the other Yucatan haciendas (some 1000) which brought so much wealth to it's owners were made possible by the virtual slave labor of the local Mayan population.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dorothy and Ferd at entrance to <i style="font-size: medium; text-align: start;"><a href="http://www.yaxcopoil.com/">Hacienda Yaxcopoil</a></i></td></tr>
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The hacienda, like virtually all of the Yucatan relies on <i>cenotes </i>to provide fresh water.<br />
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This hacienda is near the heart of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicxulub_crater">Chicxulub crater</a>, which was caused by a six mile wide asteroid slamming into the Yucatan 66 million years ago. It's widely believed that the climate changes resulting from this impact led to the extinction of the dinosaurs.<br />
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The Wikipedia link on<i> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cenote">cenotes</a> </i>is very complete and interesting. It was a thrill to be able to swim in one. The water was cool and clean and it felt magical to glide through an ancient, sacred place that glowed with light coming through a small entrance hole above.<br />
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Next post - Flamingos!</div>
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Ferd Haverlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03556888760144563785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144794227555640191.post-59290140581262938352017-02-22T06:35:00.002-08:002017-02-22T13:23:44.537-08:00RootsWe're currently ensconced in a beautiful hotel in Guanajuato, <a href="http://www.quintalasacacias.com/"> <i>Quinta de las Acacias</i>.</a> This feels way too luxurious for us but we'll try to endure it. If you click on the link there is an option to view 360 degree pictures of different parts of the hotel. It'll give you a pretty good idea of the beauty of this place.<br />
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We've now been in Mexico for 21 days and will be flying to Phoenix in two days. From there we'll visit our daughter in Tucson for four days and then fly back home on February 28. <br />
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So far we've spent twelve days in Merida, six in Mexico City and four in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanajuato_City">Guanajuato</a>. (Here's a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBVAHma3aEo&t=70s">video</a> of Guanajuato street scenes. Part of the video was taken while riding a funicular. Last section are scenes from our hotel. Music is by the Nicaraguan duo <i>Guardabarranco</i>. The video link seems to want to start in the middle. You may have to slide the button to the beginning)<br />
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We've done so much since my last post it's hard to know where to begin. I'll use my photo file as a tool to help me remember key events and reactions.<br />
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Merida was hot (mid 90s) during the day but very pleasant mornings and evenings. Once again, the most memorable thing about this town, as is seems to always be in Mexico, is the kindness and friendliness of the Mexican people.<br />
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Memorable activities included attending a first class concert at the <i><a href="http://www.yucatanliving.com/destinations/teatro-peon-contreras">Teatro Peon Contreras</a>. </i>Pieces performed included works by Gershwin, Copland and Beethoven. Quality performances in a distinctive, beautiful, historic venue. It seems every city we visit in Mexico has a very fancy turn-of-the-century <i>teatro</i>. Here's a couple of pics of the Merida's version.<br />
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Much of our time in Merida was spent walking back and forth from the always interesting Plaza Grande in the cool of the morning or evening. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking through the shade in Merida's Plaza Grande</td></tr>
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We went on three day-long tours. The first was to two Mayan archeological sites<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uxmal"> Uxmal</a> and <a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_304601194"></span>Kabah<span id="goog_304601195"></span></a><br />
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Uxmal was a major Mayan center. It's one of many complex, interesting sites throughout <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoamerica">Mesoamerica</a>.<br />
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During this trip I've developed a much better idea of what is meant by "Mesoamerica" Much of this better understanding comes from our visit to the world class <a href="http://www.mna.inah.gob.mx/">Museo Nacional de Anthropologia</a> in Mexico City. It helped me understand how the complex civilizations of Mesoamerica evolved and interrelated and gave me a sense of how deeply these indigenous cultures shape the Mexico's national identity. <br />
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In the U.S. Native American culture is much less of a factor because, unlike Mexico, most of our population has been generated by immigration. This line of thinking led me to the conclusion that the main unifying identity in the U.S., the fabric that, in large part, gives shape and meaning to our nation, is our immigrant heritage,<br />
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Mexico seems to understand the importance of recognizing and honoring its historical roots while today the US finds its immigrant heritage being threatened as never before. Opportunistic fearmongers have spread a toxic cloud of fear, divisiveness and uncertainty that is causing many of our fellow citizens to turn their backs on this proud and important heritage.<br />
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Next post - flamingos, cenotes, and the big manzana.<br />
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<br />Ferd Haverlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03556888760144563785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144794227555640191.post-57734779810389872112017-02-09T15:18:00.002-08:002017-02-09T17:36:10.248-08:00Artful GreedI haven't been writing despite a fairly serious commitment to do so. Been blaming it on various culprits- Tropical heat and humidity induced sloth and torpor (Buddhist hindrances). Hesitancy to face and perhaps surface barely repressed fear and anger re you-know-who. Plus a whole slew of other hollow excuses..<br />
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My rationale for avoiding the keyboard seems to change with the mood <i>du jour</i>. Today I think my writing is a pathetic, hollow gesture, signifying nothing. I'm convinced that my progressively more desperate search for a true, personal, authentic voice will once again end up in a blind alley. And how can anyone justify such self absorption during these dark days. Yadayadayada.</div>
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I think this swirling down the toilet mindset has a lot to do, ironically, with our wonderful trip today to <a href="http://yucatan.for91days.com/macay-meridas-contemporary-art-museum/">Merida's Museum of Contemporary Art. (MACAY). </a> It left me feeling, once again, staggered by the power of art and again convinced of the personal and social redemptive power that can be found in true self-expression. These artists were able to capture something fine and rare and then set it free to thrill the rest of us earthbound slobs. What a gift to receive and give. Why can't I leave it at that. Having the opportunity to experience and be deeply moved by art should be enough. But here I am sullenly pecking at these keys, hoping for a shortcut to the transcendent. Desire leading to <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dukkha">dukkha</a></i> once again.</div>
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Here's some of the art we saw today.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was entitled "Torres Gemelos" (Twin Towers)</td></tr>
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Ferd Haverlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03556888760144563785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144794227555640191.post-85493971850811943052017-02-05T13:32:00.001-08:002017-02-05T13:47:58.113-08:00Merida<br />
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Arrived in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9rida,_Yucat%C3%A1n">Merida</a> Tuesday evening. Balmy, breezy 72 degrees at 7:30 PM. Dorothy said it felt like Hawaii.. On walk into terminal airport employees smiling and saying "Welcome" in English.. Airport terminal all white marble, minimalistic, modern, sparkling clean. Visa process, customs, taxi to hotel all smooth and easy. Taxi driver, Julio, making point of how safe it is to walk streets of Merida. Check into <a href="http://www.hoteldelperegrino.com/">Hotel del Perigrino</a>, Walk a few blocks to <a href="http://www.zonaturistica.com/atractivo-turistico/2179/mercado-60-merida.html">Mercado 60</a> for late night snack and beer. Mellow, low-key vibe. Probably related to tropical climate.<br />
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We spent the past four Februarys in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oaxaca_City">Oaxaca</a> and that wonderful city is quite different. Merida is almost at sea level with a tropical climate. Oaxaca is much more temperate at about 5000 ft. Merida's population is about 60% Mayan. Oaxaca mainly Zapotec.. Streets here seem cleaner and better maintained with much less graffitti and street art. More orderly and prosperous feeling. People seem very open and friendly. Oaxaca more dynamic and edgy. Food much more interesting in Oaxaca.<br />
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On Wednesday while walking through the <i>centro historico</i> we came upon the spectacular <a href="https://www.facebook.com/teatropeoncontreras">Teatro Peon Contreras</a>. This ornate concert hall opened in 1907 when Merida reportedly had more millionaires than any city in the world Fortunes were made through the<a href="http://www.travelmerida.com/henequen.php"> henequen trade.</a> Something I was totally unaware of before this trip. This "green gold" wealth came at the expense of Mayans who worked as slaves on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haciendas_of_Yucat%C3%A1n">henequen haciendas</a> much like the slaves on the plantations of the American South. Many of the henequen millionaires built ornate mansions along the <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g150811-d153401-Reviews-Paseo_de_Montejo-Merida_Yucatan_Peninsula.html">Paseo de Montego</a> in Merida. (you can see many of these if you scroll through the photos of the link).<br />
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We bought two tickets to a Sunday concert of Beethoven's Piano Concerto #1 and Gershwins's An American in Paris. We then noticed an art exhibit at one end of the<i> teatro</i>. This exhibit by Roy Sobrino was great fun and seemed to capture the vitality and passion of Mexico. Here's a<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjybCuc5s74&t=14s"> video about the art show</a> with Linda Ronstadt music.<br />
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Well it looks like my commitment to not write a travelogue type blog isn't quite working out. Oh well,<br />
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By the way, Most people we've met from the states don't want to talk about Trump. Kind of how I"ve been feeling too. Tired of walking around with a knot in my stomach..I think this picture of the news being delivered fits pretty well.<br />
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Next post - Uxmal.<br />
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<br />Ferd Haverlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03556888760144563785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144794227555640191.post-75296371932377986962017-01-29T16:20:00.000-08:002017-01-29T20:09:40.067-08:00Riders in the storm<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">We're finishing up our week in Tucson and will be catching a plane to Merida, Mexico on Tuesday.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's striking how different this trip is from last year's journey. At this stage last year it was all about hopeful, excited anticipation - looking forward to new and interesting experiences. This year its much more about how to stay sane and responsibly engaged during an ongoing national nightmare. The crisis in our country is permeating everything and grows exponentially with each new executive order. Today I sit in comfortable Tucson sunshine while refugees are being handcuffed and confined at airports across the country. Christian refugees given priority entry. Outrageous.</span><br />
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We attended the service at the Tucson Unitarian Universalist church today. <br />
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The chair of the social justice committee read a Declaration of Conscience from the <a href="https://www.uua.org/">Unitarian Universalist Association</a> and asked everyone to sign it. I encourage you to read and sign. Here's the <a href="http://connect.uusc.org/l/103112/2017-01-17/gpgn2">link</a>.<br />
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It felt good to be among UUs. especially when singing "Gather the Spirit" and "We Would Be One" The opening song was "Turn, Turn Turn". For every thing there is a season indeed.. The sermon title was "The Return of the Chaos Monster." (not who you think it is)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQIpK_a1mNnXJ_fdCgwwzK_OYLwft6QJogTA8g_2kK4EkEuhDFy882fPI6Qg0cCS_Na6u40qsE9GYflA8iwp5XGDZ2dxZdpGfYowv2dHRO-iEJB65T3kMK1VdKrnl5glESTJko5jq4A/s1600/IMG_3810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQIpK_a1mNnXJ_fdCgwwzK_OYLwft6QJogTA8g_2kK4EkEuhDFy882fPI6Qg0cCS_Na6u40qsE9GYflA8iwp5XGDZ2dxZdpGfYowv2dHRO-iEJB65T3kMK1VdKrnl5glESTJko5jq4A/s200/IMG_3810.JPG" width="150" /></a>We've stayed at AirBnB places the last five times we've been in Tucson and they've all been unique and interesting. The place we're staying at now tops the bill. It's called the "Bohemian Art Apartment." Our host is a wonderful, kind, considerate man named Wesley. Here's a<a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/15086473"> link</a> about the apartment. Wesley is a skilled iron worker and made most of the furniture we are using. Our bedroom is decorated with some very interesting Guatemalan indigenous art as well as an assortment of other pieces.<br />
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One of the perks Wesley throws in with the apartment rental is a ride in his rickshaw. He took us on a romantic excursion to the Coronet Hotel where we saw our daughter Katie and her friend Ben play some wonderful music.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thanks for reading and a special thanks to everyone who took the time to respond to my initial post. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">En la lucha,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ferd</span><br />
<br />Ferd Haverlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03556888760144563785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144794227555640191.post-81585156000165899622017-01-25T16:43:00.000-08:002017-01-25T16:43:32.444-08:00You can run but you can't hide<div style="background-color: white; border-top: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; padding-top: 0px;">
<em>Hello</em></div>
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<em>Dorothy and I will be traveling for the next five weeks. We are in Tucson this week and will head to Mexico (Merida and Guanajuato) for most of the month of February. We'll be back home March 1. Mexico should prove especially interesting this year.</em><br />
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<em>I've had a couple of people (well one actually) ask whether I'd be doing blog posts during this trip like I did last year. Initially I didn't think I would. In retrospect I was disappointed in last year's posts Too much superficial travelogue and not enough reflection/analysis. I think I was trying to make the posts more popularly appealing and in the process made them boring. At least to me anyway (and to one callous golfing buddy who had the nerve to tell me how uninspiring he found them.) </em><br />
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<em>This year I'm going to try to dig a little deeper into my thoughts and feelings. I want to put more heart and soul into the writing and perhaps take more risks. Watch out!</em><br />
<em>(I'm sending this first entry out as an email. Future ones can be found at <a href="http://www.ferdrightnow.blogspot.com/" rel="noreferrer" style="color: #0186ba;" target="_blank">www.ferdrightnow.blogspot.com</a>.)</em><br />
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I've been looking forward to this trip as an opportunity to escape from the dark drumbeat that's been throbbing in my head since November 8. It's becoming crystal clear to me that there's no way to run away from the Trump shit storm. Each day's news seems to up the ante. No way I can turn my back this time. And it seems a lot of other people are reaching the same conclusion.<br />
The tremendously successful worldwide Women's March last Saturday was the first time I've felt hopeful since the election.<br />
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The big question now is what next? What are the most effective individual and group actions we can take to "protect and resist?" What should be the short and long range plan? Will the leadership continue to come from disparate issue focused groups or will a unifying umbrella organization be possible? What role will the Democratic Party play? What do we need to learn from the election? What needs to change in the progressive/liberal strategy?<br />
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I found the following two articles interesting and challenging. Although I strongly disagree with some of the points made I think they raise some questions that can't be ignored if we are going to mount a successful alternative vision for our country. They shook up several of my assumptions and pushed me to reexamine priorities. Maybe they'll get you stirred up too.<br />
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<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/20/opinion/sunday/the-end-of-identity-liberalism.html" rel="noreferrer" style="color: #0186ba;" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/20/opinion/sunday/the-end-of-identity-liberalism.html</a><br />
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/24/opinion/after-the-womens-march.html" rel="noreferrer" style="color: #0186ba;" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/24/opinion/after-the-womens-march.html</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">(Reading some of the comments to the Brooks piece has been helpful. I will paste one of these below the article links.)</span><br />
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I will make an effort to make regular posts the my blog during the next five weeks. I hope you will join me on this journey. <br />
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In faith,<br />
Ferd<br />
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The following is one of comments made in response to the David Brooks article cited above.<br />
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<strong>Kathy (primary care physician)</strong></h3>
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David, I hope that your column is just an attempt to move us on. While you watched the marches on TV- the signs and slogans, the hats, the speakers, the chants - you did not hear the conversations in the cars and the buses and rest stops on the way. Those conversations were about how did we come to this (even quoting some of your columns), how to reach those who are left out or feel disenfranchised, and what our next steps will be.<br />I do not think that the march will have changed anyone's mind about Trump, or their politics and may even deepen the chasm for some (hopefully only temporarily). But I do feel that it was successful as a call to arms and an energizing, uplifting challenge from the millions who participated, a way to state that those of us who value "pluralism, dynamism, racial and gender equality and global engagement" are not alone and that America still has the values that made my parents immigrate here.<br />We were compelled to march-traveling miles, sleeping on floors- these are not people who just want to feel good for a day. There will be more to come. There will be reaching out, there will be networking, there will be reflection and conversations, there will be the building of new and stronger networks in many communities that focus on inclusion and support those values.<br />A pretty good start.</div>
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Ferd Haverlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03556888760144563785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144794227555640191.post-88121392715015908032016-03-20T08:45:00.000-07:002016-03-20T09:22:47.157-07:00San AgustinilloHello faithful readers,<br />
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On March 7 we left Oaxaca city and took a 40 minute flight to Huatulco on the Oaxacan coast. From there it was a one hour cab ride to the sleepy, scenic beach town of San Agustinillo. We had a room on the second floor of La Termita which is a palapa style posada/restaurant which is right on the beach. Here's a picture from the beach and from our patio.<br />
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Here's some more pictures<br />
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One of the more exciting things to watch at this peaceful beach was the local boatmen launching and landing their "lanchas" into the surf</div>
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This video of a landing has a dramatic conclusion.</div>
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We flew from Huatulco to Hermosillo on March 15th and caught a bus to Tucson on the 16th. We're enjoying our visit with our daughter Katie and we'll be starting our drive back to New York on the 23rd. We're both ready to be home and decided to skip our planned stop in Myrtle Beach. <br />
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I hope you've enjoyed sharing this trip with us.<br />
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<br />Ferd Haverlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03556888760144563785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144794227555640191.post-85331191218928928732016-03-04T09:50:00.002-08:002016-03-04T13:29:20.896-08:00There is no paradise<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLqsUnrhh6955bh7_LWbg1pIbpaFUSFAMQfLNwT1YZ1IvWYfiCHE45hPVTfiJiwAZgubvY9sd1nirOIcHsNueBLUcHrNvhNB_LVTF6BPDd7ZiR-mwDWwV_TFGHXFMrwa6I3gpwR-FHTw/s1600/bob+dylan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLqsUnrhh6955bh7_LWbg1pIbpaFUSFAMQfLNwT1YZ1IvWYfiCHE45hPVTfiJiwAZgubvY9sd1nirOIcHsNueBLUcHrNvhNB_LVTF6BPDd7ZiR-mwDWwV_TFGHXFMrwa6I3gpwR-FHTw/s320/bob+dylan.jpg" width="320" /></a>I recently spent hours watching Bob Dylan videos on You Tube. I found myself doing this after I read a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/06/arts/music/bob-dylans-secret-archive.html?_r=0"><i>New York Times</i> article</a> about how a previously unknown vast collection of his archives has been acquired for $15 to $20 million by a group of Oklahoma institutions. <i>The Times</i> was allowed to preview this collection and the article contains photos of some of original typed and hand corrected lyrics. Fascinating and important. <br />
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Watching the videos I was, again, struck by, what appears to me to be, his absolute refusal to play by other peoples rules. I believe he is trying to live his life with as much authenticity possible despite the incessant, twisting glare of fame that seems to constantly try to define and diminish him. He seems to be constantly fighting to stay as alive as possible trying to remain open to new ideas, insights, and vehicles of expression despite the baggage the world will never let him leave behind. He's one of my heroes both for the art he has made and the life that he has lived. <br />
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What's this have to do with Mexico and me? The connection I'm feeling is about honesty. Bob, once again, reminded me of the importance of trying to see and express things as they really are. Not to have living become some semblance of reality buffered and distorted by expectations or desires.<br />
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I've enjoyed writing about this trip we're on but I feel that I'm not giving you the real scoop. I want you to be part of this trip with me and I think I fear that you'll bail if it gets too real. Quoting <a href="http://johnprine.net/">John Prine</a> (another hero of mine) "you know I could of had me a million more friends, and all I had to do was lose my point of view." This hesitation seems especially strong this time around. I think it has to do with the fact that I specifically invited friends and family to read this blog as the trip progressed. I never have done something like that before and I think it has made me more gun shy than usual.<br />
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So, thanks to Bob's inspiration, I'm going to share some stuff I haven't been writing about that may be a little too unvarnished for some of you.<br />
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<b>I'm ready to come home. </b> We've been traveling for six weeks now and still have three to four weeks of travel left but the truth is, right now, I'd rather be home in Endicott sitting in the basement singing, and playing my Guild six string, seeing and hugging my daughter, having lunch with friends and going to church. Crazy. I spent months in deep, heavy, planning and expectation for this trip but now its reached the point where it's more about going back than going away. This doesn't mean the trip has been a bust. For the most part it's been wonderful. I feel guilty telling you that I'd like to be home. It oddly feels like a confession of failure. On the bright side, maybe that's one of the big reasons for going away. It helps you appreciate being home.<br />
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We're flying to the Pacific coast on Monday and spending a week in a beach-front room in the small village of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Agustinillo">San Agustinillo.</a> I'll try to suffer through it. ;)<br />
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<b>We've been sick a lot. </b><br />
Our lungs have felt crappy since we've been in Oaxaca. This is probably a combination of fumes from lots of street traffic and the 5000 ft elevation. I had to use my Albuterol inhaler a lot more than usual and both of us have had to spend a couple of days in bed because of lung issues. I also was sick with a stomach virus for most of last week. I'll spare you the details.<br />
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<b>We're probably not coming back to Oaxaca next year. </b><br />
This is a hard realization and admission. I'd previously thought that this would be our "home away from home" that we'd gradually spend more and more time here as we walked into the sunset. Not happening. Reality trumps fantasy once again. Reasons?<br />
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Air pollution is probably not going to improve and our lungs will be more vulnerable each year. <br />
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Realization that "friends" at the hotel we've been returning to each year will probably never be more than acquaintances that we see for awhile during our time here. It's a hard fact of life, at least for me, that the real intimacy that I long for with others requires an investment of time and effort that's just not in the cards for these trips. We've met some wonderful people and it will be sad if we don't see them again but not sad enough to make us return.<br />
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The hotel we've been staying at remains affordable and very pleasant. The staff are warm and helpful and it's located in a very convenient part of town. This year, however, for the first time we've run into problems making reservations for the following year. Initially we were told we had a room reserved for February, 2017. Yesterday I received an email from the hotel saying we've been placed on a waiting list for next year. I had an awkward and unpleasant conversation with a hotel staff person about this. Not sure what's going on. We've loved staying here but will probably not return.<br />
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<b>Trump</b><br />
I literally feel sick to my stomach when I think about him and his campaign. Vulgar. Ugly. Last night I let my guard down and watched the Republican debate. He proudly announced that he would reinstitute torture that would go beyond waterboarding and he would have no compunction about targeting a terrorists family. How vile. The Mexicans, Canadians and Europeans I've met are afraid and confused by his popularity. So am I. My hope is that the end product of this descent into darkness will be a resurrection and strengthening of our democratic principles. That hope has grown rather dim lately.<br />
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Yes, there is no paradise, no blissful escape from reality and, for me, the deepening of that realization is another gift of travel.<br />
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I hope you and the people you love are happy and well.<br />
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<br />Ferd Haverlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03556888760144563785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144794227555640191.post-53764403868704911432016-02-26T08:19:00.000-08:002016-02-29T15:10:56.997-08:00Travel adventure to San Agustin de EtlaThere's a nine hole golf course about ten miles outside of town. It's the only one within 200 miles and the online reviews have been mostly negative. I'm a golfer and I haven't golfed since we were in Tucson, about a month ago. I didn't expect to golf while in Mexico and didn't bring any golf gear.. And golf involves mucho gear. I didn't think I wanted to go through the hassle and expense of renting clubs and buying balls, gloves, tees, etc. but the fact that there's a course in these Mexican hinterlands was getting under my skin. I wanted to at least see the course.<br>
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This past Sunday Dorothy and I took a local bus (7 pesos each, about 40 cents) to the city's biggest market, Abastos, which is in a poorer section of town and famous for the number of gringos who get robbed there. From there we had to wind our way through a cavernous mercado to find the "collectivo" site. These are vehicles which look just like taxis that go out to the villages surrounding city. They don't leave until they're full - usually four or five adults and a couple of kids. We rode with a mother, father and an infant. About a half hour ride ($1.50).<br>
<br>The air polllution was bad and it seemed worse as it poured into open windows when we were stuck in traffic. (Both Dorothy and I have had some respiratory issues while here and we think the poor air quality is a big contributing factor. We fear that this may be the "fly in the ointment" re future trips.)<br>
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Area surrounding city core marked by lots of trash on side of road and grafitti scrawls on any available space. Steep hillsides with houses piled on one another looked very vulnerable in this seismically rich area.<br>
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<a href="http://www.franciscotoledo.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/zskeleton3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Death of a Monkey" border="0" src="http://www.franciscotoledo.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/zskeleton3.jpg" height="320" width="223"></a>Eventually turned on to a bucolic road with plowed fields and wooded glens leading to San Agustin de Etla. San Agustin is well known for its <a href="http://www.academictoursoaxaca.com/oaxaca/san_agustin_etla.php">Center for the Arts (CASA)</a>. This 1883 textile "hacienda" was recently restored with the help of a major grant by <a href="http://www.franciscotoledo.net/">Francisco Toledo.</a> (Toledo is an extraordinary contemporary Mexican/Oaxacan artist. I encourage you to click on the link to see samples of his work)<br>
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Here is his "Death of a Monkey" painting. <br>
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There were no Toledo works on display at the CASA unfortunately but there was an exceptional photography exhibit of the works of <a href="http://www.maryellenmark.com/">Mary Ellen Mark</a> who died in May of last year. Ms. Mark was a world class photographer who called Oaxaca her second home. I was deeply moved by her photos. Here's a<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/27/arts/design/mary-ellen-mark-photographer-who-documented-difficult-subjects-dies-at-75.html"> link to her obituary in the New York Times</a> and a copy of a photograph she took of the Damm family in Los Angeles in 1987<br>
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Dorothy and I left the CASA and decided to reach for even higher cultural heights by trying to find the golf course. We eventually got a collectivo to drop us off at the entrance to the "Club de Golf Vista Hermosa". The driver said that when we were ready to go back to Oaxaca all we had to do was to stand in the road to wave down a passing collectivo. No problema.<br>
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The golf course/club was underwhelming. The parking lot was empty and the club house virtually deserted except for a man counting money in a darkened office and two women in white uniforms standing behind a snack bar counter. Their beautiful, welcoming smiles seemed out of place. The course was mainly a dried out brown and the lone tennis court suffered from a torn, dripping net. The whole operation had clearly seen better days. We shared a bottle of Victoria beer as we stared across the barren ninth hole fairway. I decided to pass on golf while in Oaxaca.<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">9th fairway at Club de Golf Vista Hermosa</td></tr>
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We worked our way across the abandoned parking lot back to the road. There was little traffic on this hot Sunday afternoon as we anxiously sat waiting for a collectivo on a shaded curb. After around ten minutes a new, shiny, big, SUV came down the road from the residential area that surrounded the golf course. The SUV stopped next to us and after a few moments a darkened window opened and a smiling woman asked us what we were doing. We explained and she and her male companion laughed kindly at our predicament and offered to drive us to a place near Oaxaca where we could get a taxi. Without a bit of hesitation we hopped into the air conditioned, leather back seat. The couple turned out to be real estate agents who spent a lot of time during the trip trying to convince us to buy a house on the golf course but we also talked politics, both US and Mexico and travel. They had been to many of the places in Europe that we had visited. It was an interesting, comfortable ride and a good opportunity to interact with republicanesque, wealthy Mexicans who happened to be as kind and warm as all the other Mexicans we have met. They dropped us off on the outskirts of the city at a taxi stand and the ride back to the hotel was 50 pesos. All in all a rich, fun, adventurous day.<br>
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Hasta pronto!<br>
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If I was a regular reader of this blog I'm pretty sure I'd be wondering what is it costing Ferd and Dot to do all this gallivanting around? This vulgar topic is usually avoided by people of fine-tuned sensibilities but since I don't fit that category I'll dive right in.<br />
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Part of my motivation for broaching this sensitive topic is to show that we're not recklessly pissing away our daughters' inheritance but pissing it away very responsibly :) I also hope this down and dirty money talk will show that this type of international/intercultural experience can be very affordable and worthy of consideration by even the most frugal/penny pinching traveler.<br />
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I'm going to limit this discussion of costs to the six week Mexican portion of our trip. I figure you're all fairly well versed on travel costs in the U.S. (all numbers listed below are for two senior travelers)<br />
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For many people traveling to Oaxaca the largest expense is airfare. The straight round trip cost of Binghamton to Oaxaca varies widely but we've usually been able to find tickets for about $800 per person. <br />
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There are many ways to reduce this significantly<br />
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Fly directly out of a major hub such as Newark.<br />
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Use frequent flier miles (I use a United Mileage Plus Chase credit card to pay for just about everything and often have enough miles for "free" trips.)<br />
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Fly into Mexico City and then take a bus to Oaxaca. (Two adults can fly round trip to Mexico City out of JFK on Volaris for about $850 total. Flight leaves at 2:30 AM. Mexican first class buses are cheap and very comfortable. Probably would have to spend night in Mexico City).<br />
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Cross into Mexico by land and then take a less expensive Mexican domestic flight. On this trip we drove to Tucson and took a bus to Hermosillo ($54) and then an Interjet flight to Oaxaca via Mexico City. (about $330 with senior discount). This route also meant staying in a hotel in Hermosillo ($45). We will be flying from Oaxaca to Huatulco on March 7 on TAR airlines ($94) spending a week on the Pacific coast in San Agustinillo ($60/night) and then flying Interjet from Hualtuco to Hermosillo($320). We'll spend a night in Hermosillo ($40) before catching a five hour bus back to Tucson ($54). Again, these are the prices for two travelers.<br />
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As I noted in an earlier post, the Mexican domestic flights we've taken have been significantly better than US domestic flights.<br />
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Another angle to reduce air fare may be to make a reservation via a Mexican web site. I just went to Expedia's Mexican site and found fares that seemed to be hundreds of dollars less than their US site. I'll need to explore this more.<br />
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Once in Oaxaca things are very inexpensive relative to prices in the states. Our hotel room is costing us about $30 per night. This includes a light breakfast, daily maid service and a friendly, warm atmosphere. As I've reported in previous posts, this is our fourth year at this same hotel and it feels like a home away from home. <br />
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We usually have one main meal in the afternoon (<i>comida corrida</i>). Most restaurants have a special rate for this daily meal which usually includes a fruit drink, appetizer, main course and desert. Usually about 60 pesos each. So our total cost is about $6.50 US dollars with the dollar currently worth about 19 pesos. An incredible value. <br />
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Every once in awhile we'll splurge and go to a fancy restaurant in the evening where meals will be double the <i>comida corrida</i> cost. Last night we took a taxi (40 pesos/$2.11) to one of the fancier hotels in town (Hotel Victoria) to sit on their patio, watch the moon rise, and have margaritas and tostadas (230 pesos/$12.10). A very romantic, enjoyable evening. Cab back to the hotel was 50 pesos/$2.64). So this splurge, special night out, cost us about $17. <br />
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We rarely spend more than $50 a day here including hotel. Usually it's closer to $40.<br />
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I hope you're not too bored by this financial minutiae but the fact is this is a very real and important part of the travel experience. The strong dollar has made the Mexico portion of this years trip significantly less expensive. Last year the dollar was worth 14 pesos...about a 26% change from the current rate of 19 pesos per dollar.<br />
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The total cost of our six weeks in Mexico, including transportation to and from Tucson will be around $4000. Worth every penny to me.<br />
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I hope you find this information helpful and interesting.<br />
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<br />Ferd Haverlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03556888760144563785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144794227555640191.post-19367657458006346942016-02-19T10:26:00.002-08:002016-02-19T10:30:01.868-08:00Walking the streets of Oaxaca<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1QG3xLOOLfN1bJQ4BWT1EhTMQkqWvEW29CUt6KBODSrXb774XH-YjhpTVZ7MFfxT72T0ngnySYB2FC_il4-RD8_HOiMLLlDBT3Bs-x2WfZY41SCbCcK1w6_NpHE7VSyIxRKr2AkHMA/s1600/IMG_2779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1QG3xLOOLfN1bJQ4BWT1EhTMQkqWvEW29CUt6KBODSrXb774XH-YjhpTVZ7MFfxT72T0ngnySYB2FC_il4-RD8_HOiMLLlDBT3Bs-x2WfZY41SCbCcK1w6_NpHE7VSyIxRKr2AkHMA/s320/IMG_2779.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxLb-OpSOR14gK_5p95zdw9O2d7fQQZbLWzp88pEYQWm2NpHkrKyFyHc4V02eLz3SkJUxTa-tCDPfb0CLq8By4MzlldWZ4zbB89xnpLUjuVN1DijzSvpn2D_6JwD-oPUjJeKOt35qqA/s1600/IMG_2816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxLb-OpSOR14gK_5p95zdw9O2d7fQQZbLWzp88pEYQWm2NpHkrKyFyHc4V02eLz3SkJUxTa-tCDPfb0CLq8By4MzlldWZ4zbB89xnpLUjuVN1DijzSvpn2D_6JwD-oPUjJeKOt35qqA/s320/IMG_2816.JPG" width="240" /></a>We have now been in Oaxaca for 19 days. One of our favorite activities is simply walking the city streets. Although this is endlessly entertaining and interesting it can also be a tricky... It demands full attention not only while crossing busy streets but also while taking each step. These "sidewalk" pictures speak for themselves...<br />
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But the upside far outweighs these potential pitfalls. Here's some more pictures of street art we've seen this year.<br />
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It seems all walks end up sooner or later at the heart of the city...the zocalo. Here's a short video taken about 7 PM this past Wednesday. It will hopefully give you a sense of the vitality of this wonderful part of the city. <br />
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Next post -- How much do things cost?<br />
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Ferd Haverlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03556888760144563785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6144794227555640191.post-77259733963761592032016-02-15T13:51:00.001-08:002016-02-16T05:25:19.937-08:00Intercambio y lecciones en espanol con JacobHola lectores fieles,<br>
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Okay, I'll stop with the Spanish. I realize it can be annoying to non-Spanish speakers. The fact is I love to speak and write Spanish and it's one of the great joys of being in Oaxaca. I'm not sure why it's so fun and satisfying but it is.<br>
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Each Saturday morning there is an "Intercambio" at the Oaxaca Lending Library which is next door to our hotel. This is a two hour language practice event where Mexicans who want to improve their English are randomly paired with people learning Spanish. The session involves one hour of English conversation and one hour of Spanish. I've attended two of these so far and there have been about fifty or sixty people each time. <br>
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At my first Intercambio session I was paired with a 29 y.o. woman from a village about an hour bus ride from the library. (I'll call her Rosa. I don't want to use her real name without her permission.) Rosa has a masters degree in business administration and teaches at a local university. Her goal is to get a PhD at a university in the US. She is the youngest in her family and all of her siblings, three brothers and three sisters are already in the states working. Rosa was raised in a Zapotec speaking village and she heard very little Spanish as a child. English is her third language and she's pretty good at it. Rosa said she would only see her father about one month a year when she was growing up because he was working in California but now he has a US work permit and comes back home six months a year. Rosa was bright, friendly, open and very focused on her goals. I found an hour long intense conversation in Spanish to be exhausting but a great chance to improve my skills and get a chance to have some in-depth communication with a local resident.<br>
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This past Saturday I was paired with a young man I'll call Pedro. Pedro was a twenty-one y.o. university student whose goal is to teach Spanish to English speakers. He currently is involved with his "national service." As I understand it this is a six month to one year obligation for all young Mexicans. Pedro's service involves work in an isolated Mixtec community in the Sierra mountains about three hours from Oaxaca. The primary language in the village is Mixtec. Travel to the village involves a two hour bus ride, then a half hour taxi ride and a twenty minute walk. He says the road into the village is so primitive that the taxi will not take him the last several miles. He spends five days a week in this community helping teen age students with their studies and comes back to his home in Oaxaca for the weekend. A British woman joined us for this session because there were more English speakers than Spanish. One of the most memorable moments for me was when the discussion turned to violence and gun control. Pedro brought up the mass killing of children at Sandy Hook in Connecticut and he and the woman became very passionate about how strongly they felt about this outrage and how utterly astounded and bewildered they were by this and other acts of violence in the US. I felt uncomfortable and ashamed. My attempts to explain the political realities around gun control legislation only made me more conscious of how morally bankrupt our national response has been to these tragedies. <br>
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This session with Pedro (and the Brit), like my time with Rosa, was richly rewarding. My biggest take away is a deeper appreciation and understanding of what is meant by the term "human family."<br>
Maybe that's the core reason for my joy in learning Spanish.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA8PFJ06OBS-a87WIdf4HcENB-mMKl9BuS1eME2EYeKHqft0uzKarVMEnbNWlzvNMBwEFVfFJIV4zLp4ZC7Y2Qt4ndz1dKKl6zDbYyxfYV6ACSTqiGis47tkyuitwA4nuWRwKPpGMUFQ/s1600/IMG_2815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA8PFJ06OBS-a87WIdf4HcENB-mMKl9BuS1eME2EYeKHqft0uzKarVMEnbNWlzvNMBwEFVfFJIV4zLp4ZC7Y2Qt4ndz1dKKl6zDbYyxfYV6ACSTqiGis47tkyuitwA4nuWRwKPpGMUFQ/s320/IMG_2815.JPG" width="252"></a>Last week I started taking private language classes. My first class with Jacob was two hours. It was wonderful but way too long for a concentration challenged 68 year old. By the middle of the second hour my mind was shooting blanks. Today's one hour session was a big improvement. For our class together we meet in a cafe, drink capuccino, and chat in Spanish. When I make a mistake he writes it down but lets me finish my thought before offering me a correction. A nice technique. Jacob is very sincere, smart and open. I'm enjoying these sessions tremendously. Here's his picture. <br>
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Thanks for reading.<br>
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<br>Ferd Haverlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03556888760144563785noreply@blogger.com0