INDOSAND: November 2006

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Memories

Carried back across space and time to places I long to be and remember every chance I can. An ice cold bottle of coke: summer's growing up in Wisconsin, coming in from the oppressive heat and irritating mosquitoes that never ever seemed to give up. The cool breezes occasionally rising amidst heavy humidity that only air conditioning could shield against.
A yellow jersey: Thailand, Phuket, friends, beaches... soccer! Blue water, cold coffee, laughter, books, and letting go of 4 months of stresses and sicknesses which beat you down until you want to submit but can't.
A simple black leather wristband: Bali, little kids, poverty, (almost) surfing and sun, my good friend peter (aka the photographer).
italian cafe: family, history, life in relaxed but crazy times; sitting around the table and talking for hours and hours (and hours).
jazz: love, life, mysteries, art, poetry, tears amidst joy, sacrifices for a greater good.

Do you see what I see?

Parasite

Please give me what I don not deserve. I am idle and unwilling - in fact... pay me to watch you build my 3 new houses, and give me a job too - but not where I have to do anything. And I'll need to come in late, leave early, take a long lunch, and have many coffee and cigarette breaks. I probably can't actually help you because you're a foreigner, and I don't really want to learn, but i'll have someone drive into your car and make you pay for the damages if I can't drive your car. But if you let me I'll probably just have a distant friend do it. Except I really never learned how to drive - I just hopped on a motorcycle at age 9 and went. Can I have some gas money? No... more than that; yes, the receipt will be for the exact amount you gave me - no change, sorry... Do I have to get up? Can I leave the air conditioning running in the car all day while I enjoy it and do nothing? I need more gas money. I have to go pray. Again. Again. Now I need a coffee break to stay awake. Hold on, I have to take this call. Feed me. I'll just help myself. Unless you'll do it for me. "Thank you?" I'm the suffering victim - why would I say that??? Oh, I hate all foreign devils - give me more money. I have to go pray.

Friday, November 24, 2006

The "OTHER" David

this was at the beginning of my vacation; I was working on getting the tan, ok???

Water Power: the next big thing?

Ok, so I can't surf (yet? :-) but i have lately begun body-surfing and boogie-boarding . The result (besides salt-water up the nose and in the ears, and a little bit down the lungs maybe...) is awe, bewilderment, excitement, joy, exhaustion and exhilaration from the sheer twisting, turning, overwhelming power of the wave. Its just water, and yet... it is amazing. A little gravity from far away, a few fish, a little chaos theory, a lot of fluid dynamics (come on, i'm a freaking rocket scientist... ok, not exactly, but i studied this stuff for 4 years), and VOILA: waves crashing on beautiful beaches.
But, you know, maybe all of creation is just dumb luck.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Just another Wednesday

One luxury limo (3+ hours in the back each way)

One amazing catered lunch (to go: rice and fish)

One ferry trip (basically on a toothpick! EEK!!!)

30 minutes on the pitch in a bright orange jersey (no goals... sigh)

and a finally working hot shower (I should say the water pump was finally working)

ummmm, no pictures of this... :-)

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Do me a favor...

...Don't be a stupid white person and chase off the orangutang...

Bye Peter!

My good friend Peter and I had a last weekend (well... honestly it was Thursday and Friday, but I'm a teacher without classes on those days before Ramadan...) to go hang out on an island and snorkel and eat and beach and swim. I will definitely miss my bro (he's back in L.A. as I write on the way to another friend's from here wedding)!