The Recent History of Bhutan
Everything is a process, what has shaped Bhutan has created the current Bhutan. While Bhutan is very peaceful today, the creation of the modern state takes root in 200 years of civil war, ending when the father of the first king consolidated the county through religion, diplomacy and the tip of a sword. After his death, his son was elected as the first hereditary ruler of Bhutan, giving rise to 40 years of isolation under two good monarchs. The third king then slowly opened up relations with India and small European nations while instituting reforms in areas such as agriculture and education, all under the notion of gross national happiness (GNH).
What I see as a cause for much turmoil and trouble in many developing nations that Bhutan managed to avoid, is a rush for rapid development with the western world as a goal. The way I see it, the fourth king wanted to develop the country more naturally, with a goal that was for the good of the people (GNH) instead or being for the good of the commercial sector, Bhutan doesn’t have any vast natural resources anyway; in fact, Bhutan has had many of the same premises as Nepal and chose a different route.
Bhutan is covered in fields, mostly rice paddies, where the mountains will allow it and the citied are residential, shops and offices, Bhutan doesn’t really have an industrial sector, instead products of that sector is generally imported. While most Western countries have industrial sectors, they are shrinking in relation to the service sector, as it appears, As a result of the direction set out by the king, Bhutan is trying to skip the destructive industrial sector and going straight to a service economy. Clever, if successful.
The fifth king, educated in England, has ruled since 2008 when his father abdicated for personal reasons and already, he has become immensely popular, being nicknamed “The People’s King”, he often travels the county meeting and talking to common people of all backgrounds. When the county was shook by an earthquake two years ago, the king spent one month in the damaged area helpig with and overseeing the repairs and listening to and responding the needs of affected.
While the country was once split into many small warring kingdoms, they have been united by a single family, a line of kings that have so far proven far more than equal to the tasl and have remained widely popular with the population, ensuring peace in this small mountain kingdom. While a peaceful history more often than not leads to a contented nation, this nation has very visibly overcome past differences; it is not a steadfast rule, Denmark has been at war with Sweden a total of 12 times, with 34 armed conflicts in total (meaning 22 smaller scale battles, not fully fledged wars).
The way I see it, part of what makes Bhutan the place it is, home of GNH, is the long span of peace that has suddenly arrived and the, so far, good and benign kings that have ruled in the interest and cause of the people.
The People of Bhutan
While Buddhism may be the soul, the embodiment of Bhutan are the Bhutanese, a handsome mountain people who appear to take pride in whatever they do, always walking with their back straight.
As mentioned previously, the Bhutanese are the friendliest and most forthcoming people I’ve ever meet, something I until coming here said of Malthesians. Farmers work diligently, plowing by ox, picking potatoes and rice by hand and cutting wheat by scythe, pausing only to look at the tourists. The towns are all filled with shops (all selling the same items, there’s hardly any differentiation), lodging and restaurants, with the occasional bar; this is not a drinking country and tobacco is outlawed. There are no shady characters, or neighbourhoods I wouldn’t walk in, and it’s not that I’ve stayed to the main streets. Children run in the street playing games, people around talking on street corners and everywhere monks partake in everyday life.
Driving along the main road in Bhutan gets you through a lot of villages and towns. They are all basically the same, wooden houses, usually not heavily decorated (that’s mainly religious buildings or houses of powerful people), but vert much of the same time, of course, most or these villages house farmers.
Unlike in the West, the elderly are seen with admiration, their words weighing heavily. Upon retiring in Bhutan, it’s not uncommon for the elderly to assume monk like lifes of prayer and meditation (at least for the men).
We went on a two day hike with visits to two cities with holy places, elderly men were in charge and on several occasions we were visited by the man in the picture attached to this post, a village elder who walked around to where he was needee.
As religion plays a big role in Bhutan, so do the monks. In the countryside where families are often numerous, it’s very common that at least one son becomes a monk.
For hard labour, constructing roads and buildings mostly (Bhutan is growing at a very rapid pace), the Bhutanese use Indian workers at a daily rate of ~€1,5. Despite being a developing country, the Bhutanese prefer tilling the fields by ox and tending the farms passed down through generations, family is very important and an ever present in life. Indian immigrant workers are present throughout the country, improving the county’s infrastructure. There are two airports under construction and the main highway that I’ve been travelling along is being improved, expanded or both. On this particular day that I’m writing, we’re spending 9 hours driving 250 km, the road changing between asphalt and dirt, following the curvature of the mountain, rising and falling dramatically.
But are the Bhutanese happy because of what Bhutan is, or is Bhutan so successful with gross national happiness (GNH) because of the people? Were the people always this content?
I’m merely an observer, but it seems that people take pride and joy in their work, they live in a very social world, not only together with their family, but always working in groups and living close together; they have a real sense of community. With little influence from Western culture, they still haven’t been enthralled by our desires and empty wishes. As Maslow would put it, their basic desires have been met. They are well fed, their social connections are rock solid and they need not fear for their home and income; I’ve seen so starving, homeless, malnourished or poorly clothed people (in fact, everyone wears nice clothing, if not the fancy national dress). I haven’t seen the entire country and occasioanlly you will see a small cluster of shanty houses, but they are far outside the cities, usually belonging to farmers.
Even for a people as homogenic as the Bhutanese, it’s very hard to generalise and see the reasons as an observer who’s in the country for a mere three weeks.
But I envy them, even though I try, I focus a lot on things and money. It’s not that they don’t matter here, on Bhutanese was impressed with my camera and some of them drive big cars (though only close to Thimpu). But these generic shops, I exchanged a good deal of money when I arrived, but after 9 days I’ve used ~$10 aside from hotels, food and transportation (which is included in the price of my tour with the Danish Scout Association); what did I buy? Postcards, a snack, some water, donations at holy sites and other such frivolties. Even for the locals, there’s not much to buy, it’s a prople driven by need, not greed.
The Soul of Bhutan
This post is called “The Soul of Bhutan”, which might be a misnomer as I don’t know much about Buddhism, is “soul” the correct term for the spirit of a person?
It does appear to me though that this is a different kind of Buddhism. Instead or worshipping just the teachings of Buddha, there are several gods, deities, demons and assorted mythical figures; just like Christianity adopted many local customs (such as Christmas), Buddhism has in Bhutan adopted many features of Bonism (the religion in Bhutab prior to Buddhism) under the guidance of Guru Rinpoche, the father of Buddhism in Bhutan. It makes it seem a lot like Christianity, individual guardians you can pray too for whatever you want, rain for the farmer and such, it’s a very tangible religion, with relics for everyone, commoners too. Religion permeates everything, not just praying in temples, but chortenz all around the country, driving or walking left around holy buildings (sometimes a road will split in two around a holy building, so that no one has to drive right around). I’m not a fan of religion back home, but in Bhutan, it seems to take a much different approach, it’s the praying, faith and suppory of the Christian church with peaceful approach of Buddhism. Can I really consider Buddhism peaceful in a country that struggled with civil strife for 200 years? Yes I think so, the battles were fought between rival kings, not in the name of religion.
When looking at the success of Bhutan, I find it very difficult not to look to their religion for part of the answer; the people here seem very calm and at peace, religion does not seem to be abused. True enough, some of the larger temples are quite extravegant, beautifully carved exteriors and interiors with beautiul statues but this is nothing like Catholic churches and cathedrals, while that is claiming that something is drier than water, these are still places of worship and unlike Abrahamic faiths, the gods here take physical form.
By adopting Bonism, Buddhism is very much in tune with the Bhutanese and their beliefs in spirits, it makes for a harmonious co-existance.
The Feel of Bhutan
Bhutan is someplace different, it’s neither a developin or a developed country, it has managed to carve a niche for itself, demonstrated most visibly by their adoption of a target different from GDP (gross domestic product). In its place, Bhutan has gross national happiness (GNH), a metric they’re attempting to use in order to work on what is important to them.
So how does it influence Bhutan? As I’m merely an observer I haven’t looked into correlation or causation, but Bhutan is a happy and content place. Last year I visited Kenya, a country most people are familiar, a developing country an East Africa. There, you’ll find malnourished people, beggars, thiefs, people in torn clothing, absurdly rich people in Nairobi, general corruption and a government so corrupt it almost has you in awe.
Bhutan on the other hand, seems devoid of these problems. Everyone looks well fed no matter their job, the only beggars are monks or retired people who spend their time meditating, most people wear the national clothes, the rest wear good clothing (nothing torn or worn down), you don’t see disparities in wealth, even in Thimpu (the capital), I’ve seen no signs of corruption at all and the government? The king decreed that there should be a vote for democracy, the people came out, had the choice (a democratic election for democracy) and voted no (they preferred their immensely popular king). So in an undemocratic move, he instituted democracy anyway. Corruption…
But a country’s soul is the people and they are the ones I interact with. I was just on Malta, a wonderful country with friendly and smiling people. The Bhutanese, take it to a whole new level. These people are smiling and waving, asking questions out of interest and curiosity, always forthcoming and with good intentions. As a photographer, I can tell you that most people say no or shy away from a camera if you ask whether or not you can take a person’s picture. Not so here, not only will the Bhutanese smile and pose, they’ll often ask their friends or children to step into the frame.
These people are a dream, not only do they look happy and well contented with their lives, they feel and act happy and well contented.
But is it just the national clothes and the GDH metric that ensures happiness? Hardly. Food is bountiful, the nature is beautiful and little work here is cause for stress, everything happens at a peaceful pace.
I’ll look into it…
Mdina and around
Mar 6, 2012
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I just noticed that I had this post from ages ago laying around, I wonder why I never finished the writing from this trip… It’s the cost of being busy with experiencing I guess.
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Up early again, the sunday market was our next target. It’s a long line of stalls placed in a horseshoe, with constant police presence verifying all the stall owner’s papers. It was a lot of tacky things, often for tourists in markets in France and the like, but here on Malta, well there doesn’t seem to be a lot of shopping areas, there are the upscale shops in Sliema, and the minimarkets on corners and in small villages, but toys, cheap clothing and such, so far I haven’t seen any apart from this market. Oh, and one stall had fax machines, a PSOne and 2 PS2, made me smile :). The real gem of the market, was the food stall, an eggs and bacon sandwich for next to nothing, and it was heavenly. We went early to the market for more than just to see it (some places were still setting up), we had an appointment in Paolo with an underground temple.
The (full name) “Hypogeum” means “under ground” and is an underground temple and burial chamber, built by the same civilization that built the (name of temples from yesterday), although it’s as recent as 3500 BCE (it was built in stages over more than 1000 years). It’s located in a discrete and unassuming building on a small side street. That’s not because it’s secret, but because a city was built all around. It wasn’t discovered till 1902 by construction workers trying to find a place to put a cistern, but was hushed up until 1905, as the builders were afraid it would delay the construction.
The place too had been closed in recent years, but recently opened after a thorough reconstruction. What had happened was that as the place is very humid and underground, it’s very fragile. Previously, it was open to anyone who wanted to come, who’d touch the walls and destroy the wall paintings. As a result, the place is now in a sealed building, with temperature and humidity control. People are allowed in, one group of 10 per hour, and for the high season, that has to be done up to 3 months in advance.
Our guide was a boisterous middle-aged Maltese man, who argued that we should choose him and not the audio tour. He spoke rapidly, showing us around, telling the different theories about the findings (hardly anything is known about this old Maltesian civilization, not even why they died out or if they left. It’s believed that when the second civilization arrived, the first one had either left or died out), dismissing all the ones he didn’t agree with, describing everything as perfection and the most beautiful in the world, even saying that this old culture invented perspective (and thus not the Italians doing the renaissance, in the cave, there was a room where everything was carved to make it look very big from the outside, slanting entrances and windows in (bredere for oven end for neden), which also made it look smaller on the inside, and true enough, that huge door barely fit a person) and the first ever instrument (there was a niche, which is you made low noises, the sound spread throughout the Hypogeum).
He was hugely entertaining though, always cracking jokes and fiercely proud of his job, showing us around and the cave itself. And the cave was gorgeous, if you’re ever going to Malta, make sure you go and see the cave. The further down you go (down to 11 metres under the surface), the more recent it is (recent as in only from 2500 BCE), the more beautifully it’s cut. At the lowest level visitors are allowed to go (8 metres below the surface), the carving is flawless, it’s completely flat, completely in control of perspective, and cut to make it look like an above ground temple with a circular roof… All with bone and stone tools (no iron).So not only was the Hypogeum a burial chamber (approx. 7000 corpses when discovered, all in a 500m2 underground area), it was also a place of worships and art, with paintings and symbols painted in red ochre from Sicily (and thus, imported for it).The carving found (most famously, a sleeping lady), the spirals and the way they dead were buried and revered, shows (according to our guide) that the original inhabitants probably saw death as a phase in the ever-existing life, that dying is merely leaving our body behind… Maybe.
Paolo had more to offer however, the local church was hosting a wedding, we didn’t linger in the church though, that was a private affair, but it was nice to finally see a church open. I had passed by it early for a few pictures. More satisfying were the empanadas, I guess Italy wasn’t the only place with a strong influence.
Mdina is not only arabic for “fortified city”, which is the reason for there being several of them (famous examples), it’s also impossible to park there on Sundays. Truth be told, we were trying to park in Rabat (also means… bla bla bla, famous example in Rabat, Morocco), the “suburb” to Mdina (Mdina has a population of 385, it’s mainly a historical site). Park we did, and on it went to Mdina. Like the rest of Malta, Mdina is built in sandstone, but what happened here is that Mdina was the capital and seat of government for Malta until the Knights Hospitaller arrived (is it them? I always mix them up), who set up base in Valletta and the three cities. Mdine then, is a very tranquil place, but the buildings are all grand and gorgeous, stemming from a time before the Knights arrived.Another thing Mdina has going for it, is that because it wasn’t built for heavy traffic, the streets are quite narrow, this means that breezes blows continuously through the city, making it a nice cool place to be. Perched atop a small mountain, there’s also a grand viewpoint overlooking the surrounding landscape.
Of special importance to Malta is the Cathedral of Malta (while only one diocese, Malta has two cathedrals, with St. John’s Co-Cathedral being a… Co-cathedral.), which is a beautiful and solemn church, which while rich in worldly possessions, like many large catholic churches, doesn’t come off as over the top, even if the bare walls are covered by hanging red curtains. The floor of the church is gravesites throughout, with memorial texts written on them for whoever is entombed.
For sunsets, there’s an area a few kilometres from Mdina called Dingli cliffs, a spectacular place with 250 metre vertical drops, that supposedly look gorgeous bathed in sunset light. I say supposedly, as the weather turned for the first time while on Malta, suddenly the sun was blocked out by clouds, the wind picked up and rain was coming in from the ocean. It was still a lovely evening, we instead sat in our car and talked while the wind made a ruckus; the rain, thankfully, never landed.Just at the last moment, as we were about to leave, the clouds broke open, the sun shone through and it was a beautiful sight.
I’m not just atheist, I’m anti-religion, I believe (western, aka. Abrahamic) religion has been detrimental to society. So by what right do I enter the holiest of holy places? In the middle ages, when these churches were being built, they were the expression of the sum of the ability of people, more work, sweat and tears went into the construction of churches and cathedrals than any other buildings in medieval europe. When I enter a holy place, I don’t see religion or feel God, I see the accomplishment of people. While these paintings, statues and such that often fill churches and cathedrals are beautiful, and often depict biblical scenes, I find them beautiful not for their content, but for the artists expression. We don’t know what biblical scenes look like, instead, artists painted it they way they saw it, to the best of their ability. The Sistine is not beautiful to me because of the content, but because Michelangelo (mainly) painted with such ability, that it took your breath away when you realised someone human did it.
Southeast Malta
Jan 23, 2008
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For pictures: http://photography.twaize.net/Travel/Malta-/
Early bird catches the worm, right? Irrespective, one of Malta’s most famed sights is the blue grotto, and guess which happy photographer wanted to beat the crowds? We set off early, my mother now firmly in control with driving on the wrong side of the road, we made good time. Of course, that term is looser on Malta than pretty much anywhere else. Few things are far away, the island is approx. 10 km wide and… 30 km long? Something like that.
There’s a small fishing village dedicated to launching tours to the Blue Grotto, and at around 8.50, we were by far the first people on the spot, in fact we had to wait around. Breakfast, in the same village, was a BLT on toastbread. Something Malta has in common with certain parts of Sicily (former trip), is that the small towns and villages have no shops or places to eat. We had hoped to dine on the way, but hopes and dreams are so easily squashed.
The boat trip was spectacular, it isn’t just the Blue Grotto, but a whole series of caves, each with different features and characteristics. Some were famed for the intense blue colour of the water, some for their orange corral, one for its magnificent purple line where the water met the rock, and the scarriest of all, famed for all the overhanging cliffs that looked like it was made of loose gravel and rocks, ready to collapse with no notice.The Blue Grotto itself though, is by far the most spectacular. It’s most readily described as being shaped like a rainbow of rock, leaving the mainland and hitting the water in a bow, with clear blue water running under it… An arc really. Sailing underneath it, the massive scale and the unlikelihood of such a formation takes your breath away (not your finger of the shutter release though).
Going round the cliff the find these caves, locals were casting lines and greeting us. My experience with Maltesians so far has beens stellar. Everyone is very nice and forthcoming (except for the portier last night) and speak brilliant English (it’s a former British colony after all). More often than not, people don’t like tourists (or generally anyone) taking pictures of them, but here on Malta, things work a bit differently, these outward people don’t seem to mind, or at least don’t react. It makes for a very inviting place.
Close to the Blue Grotto, Hagar Qim and Mnajdra can be found. They are the oldest freestanding stone momument in the world, raised somewhere between 5000 and 6000 years ago. Who raised them? Why did they raise them? Where did those people go? There are no answers to any of those questions. And how did they all those years ago, maneuvre stones weighing up to 20 tons into places so accurate, that they can be used to measure solstice and equinox (for more on worshipping the sun, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeSSwKffj9o, starts at 3:57). While they are cruder than the temples I saw on Sicily and the Inka villages in Peru (like Macchu Picchu), they are also much much older, and were built on a tiny island by a small civilization, long before the Romans on Sicily, the Inkas in Peru and the Egyptians in… Egypt. They’re beautiful and very impressive. A point of criticism? While you don’t have to, you’re guided into a small cinema for a video presentation/tour of the ruins (it’s without speech), it really does sort of spoil it when you’re there. Not only does the video show all the most interesting parts in detail, but they of course filmed it on a day with the perfect weather conditions. It was a beautiful and wellmade video though.
Going on from there, we drove along the coast, first to Birzebbuga and then on to Marsaxlokk (you try and say it), a little fishing village with some 3000 inhabitants according to Lonely Planet.
Alright, let’s get it out of the way. Travel guides try to sell places to you, they want you to get your hopes and dreams up. I know this, as will most people who’ve tried to travel by a guidebook that wasn’t written in an objective style. The people who wrote the two guidebooks I’ve brought along are very much in love with the island.
Marsaxlokk is a beautiful place with nice traditional boats. But the groups of older men with weatheredfaces fixing their fishing nets etc. were nowhere to be found (speaking of these overly romantic descriptions in general, as you can see, I actually found a young man fixing his net). Instead we found Ir-Rizzu, and ate the most delicious squid and fish I’ve ever been near. That swordfish was so delicious, it might have been the one Monty Python was looking for http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Uvt83YWWWY. Really though, it was a very nice little restaurant, visited by Maltesians instead of tourists that served up the best seafood I remember ever having eaten.
Malta is apparently the poorest area on the island, both financially and sight wise, in half a day, we had exhausted the interesting places our guidebooks had to offer (all churches we came across were closed though), so we set to returning slowly to Sliema (where our hotel is), following the coastline. Lo and behold, the spirit of our Sicily GPS is back! The GPS I used on Sicily had no notion of speedlimit on roads or how they are ranked. So it just as happily chose bumpy gravelroads over asphalt roads. We got sent on something of a sideway through beautiful rural areas, toppling walls, a broken down beetle and a blue ocean on our right. At times, Malta really feels and looks like Sicily, which is a good thing, Sicily is one of my favourite places in Europe.
We had had a long day yesterday, we had gotten up early and it was a hot day (and by hot, I mean HOT!), so we drove the long way (who am I kidding, there’s no such thing as a long way on Malta) back to hotel for a rest.
Valletta is Europe’s smallest capital at 600x1000 metres. While everything is closed on Sundays, not so on Saturdays, or so I thought. We’ll be coming back to Valletta, I don’t want to miss St. John’s co-Cathedral or the Grand Master’s palace, both supposedly quite amazing. I did, however, get to eat dinner in the cool shade of the Grand Master’s palace, at a terrific Italian restaurant (Malta’s proximity to Italy and especially Sicily has had a very strong influence on everything, even under the reign of other nations). I’m quite a picky person, surprising my mother when I ordered squid for lunch earlier today, dinner was spaghetti with langostini, mussels and squid, quite a stretch for me. Ever wonder why you might not like something while other people do? Tastebuds will react negatively to anything it sees as a danger, the tastes we don’t like are often seen as bitter, and true enough, many natural poisons are bitter. So how did I stop being picky? I closed my eyes and bit down on whatever came along. I’m now a fan of mussels and squid, although I still don’t like langostini, shrimp and similars with my fingers, feels too messy.
Something these southern countries seem to never lack, even in the heavily touristed area where I loved in Spain (Costa del Sol), is character and a certain charm. I had had long glances at some of the old busses driving around the island, from the 60’s by the look of them. Most were newer, but there were a few gems driving around, all of them beautiful, looking new. So my heart leapt and screamed for joy, when line 64 bound for Sliema rolled in, and was one of those beautiful gems; it just felt real and genuine; reminded me of the public busses in Ascunsion (Paraguy), intimitely known as the Kamikaze busses (the drivers don’t stop to pick up passengers, the only slow down, lessso for gringos). It’s a bit like the old double decker busses in London, coming as a visitor, it’s part of an experience, something different and otherworldly. If I wanted to try an old but not old enough to be cool bus, I would have stayed at home, and driven around in the bland busses we have in Denmark. Leaving home, it’s the new experiences, the new tastes,the new sights and the emotions that are normally hidden inside that we want to draw out. If a bus can do that, so much the better!
Before I end this day, I do have something rather uncomfortable I want to get out. Sliema is a dump. It’s where the fancy hotels are, where the ritz and glamour is, and it’s a terrible dump. It’s filled with language exchange students, teenagers and people in their early twenties, who’ve come to Malta to get wasted and do that whole jig. It feels too much like Fuengirola, except with a nicer backdrop (Sliema is seperated from Valletta by a long natural inlet. Think of a horseshoe, with a spike driven through the top. You have Valletta on the spike, Sliema on the left and the three cities (names) on the right.But it’s not just that, it’s the family vacationers and tourist busses. Of course, I should just stay away, and yes, Malta still has the reputation of what Mallorca used to be like and what many of the Greek islands are still like, but I still think it’s quite a shame. The rest of the island is so unspoiled, even though I’ve only been here for one day, getting thrown into that ruckus with loud obnoxious people aged 16-26(ish) and families with screaming children in sveltering heat… I’ll have that ice cream now.
If I’ve come across as cross, I’m not, I absolutely love Malta. It’s a beautiful and friendly place, I’ve had a wonderful day, and I look forward to more of them. While everything is closed tomorrow (Sunday), that just means a greater opportunity to enjoy the landscape and the physical sights, rather than visit places with entrances. You have to make the most of what you have. Which is why I’m not coming back to Sliema ;).
Ever notice how there’s a lot of strife in Northern Africa? Well, not all refugees go to neighbouring countries. On our way to Marsaxlokk, we came past a fairly large, fenced, refugee camp, with people I assume come mainly from Libya, but also other countries experiencing unrest, or at least, the shelters seemed anything but permanent, even for a refugee camp. Malta is the southern most EU country north of Libya, making it a natural destination. Mostly, I was surprised, it wasn’t that I didn’t expect those camps to be there, I just hadn’t thought about it.
Prologue: Malta
Jun 22, 2011
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I wouldn’t call it an unmitigated disaster… A series of mishaps is probably a more appropriate term. As I was waiting for my mother to arrive home, we’re going to Malta today, she called me to say that the trains had broken down. I left for the airport with her luggage as she wouldn’t be coming home.She eventually made it to the airport, but not before I had had my name called over the PA after forgetting my passport at the self service check-in.It didn’t matter much though that we were late, because so was the plane, by quite a bit actually. None the less, the plane sauntered into the air towards Munich, our stopover.
Remember how the plane was late? 1,5 hours in Munich turned into a frenzied run towards gate G04, while people everywhere did nothing but get in the way. We made the connecting flight and were soon on our way to Malta. Malta, which is an old British colony, suddenly reminded as to what it meant being a former British colony. Left hand driving.
I didn’t catch much of Malta on this first day (we touched down circa 22.10, and it was dark), but driving through the fancier ocean faced Sliema, reminded me of Fuengirola (Spain), not a positive comparison. I was hard pressed though, driving with my mother is always an adventure. Taking to driving left handed could be done cautiously, however, she takes caution with a side of John Wayne; asking the same timid questions (which is the inner lane in this system?), while barreling down the main street at quite a respectable pace, while at times firmly ignoring the GPS or not really listening to my directions.
So once the day was nearly over, we checked into our hotel, Hotel Windsor, with a grumpy middle aged male receptionist, who seemed like he had better things to do and was thoroughly bothered when I called down for help with the not so functional toilet. All in all, things work better than in Italy.
There’s No Place Like Home
Apr 9, 2010
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Where and what is home? I’ve been giving this a lot of thought recently.
In 2008 I moved away from home (albeit after half a years travel), to the other end of Denmark, to Aarhus.
Growing up, home was the house of my parents, but why? I imagine it was because I saw it as a refuge. I was bullied hard in school, but when I was home, I was safe. And it meant I bonded strongly with the house. When my parents divorced, I had to move out, and it was tough, I loved that house.
Since then, calling anything home has been hard, very hard indeed. I lived a few years with my mother in Denmark, before I moved to Spain; and that house was nice, but it was never a shelter, I always felt exposed. Same at boarding school (1 year), I never found peace, moving from room to room, sharing rooms with people, that I didn’t always get on with. My fathers house was constantly filled with people, my step siblings and their friends (one of whom I loathed, who was always there), not to mention that I never really lived there.
So my mother moved to Spain, and I joined her. The house was nice, very cold, but it was a good place to live. But I lived far away from my school, 50 km or so. It effectively isolated me, more than my inherent lack of social skills have always done. And as for living as a geek - for what else is there when you’re so isolated - the internet connection was as good as non existant, it was slower than a slug in salt, and didn’t work when it rained (whenever it rained, it rained heavily) or the wind was blowing hard, or when it just plain felt like it.
But there was always a strong difference between living in the house of my parent(s). It would be somewhere that I could relax, or just do everything on a back burner. Living on my own, coming home, is a chore. And as a result, I nearly spend more time in school, there I only have to read. Spending little time at home, means my room is messy, since I’m never home long enough to properly clean, but do so only once in a while.
But now that I’m grown up (according to some people), do I need a shelter? Shouldn’t I stand up to whatever happens? Yes, and I do.
But I need somewhere to lie down and just relax, somewhere to feel… Well maybe indifferent to the world around me, just for a short while. But I never feel like I get that opportunity, my “home” is primarily a bed, and the place where I keep all my junk.
So what’s home? Well to me, an ideal home, is somewhere that I can breathe deeply, before I have to back to the ruthless world outside. Not necessarily instant gratification, just somewhere to relax, and forget about the worries that are always pressing. But when I get home, I still think about all the homework I still have, about all the things I haven’t done, and all the things I should do. I need some peace and tranquility, but does that mean I don’t have a home?
I would argue that home is wherever any person feels safe and at ease, where worries don’t press. For a lot of the people I study with, that means going home to their parents. But I also know people, who feel that way when they are bicycling, sailing or any other activity that puts whatever fears or worries they have, to rest. Does that mean it’s their home? Well, why does home have to be a place? Wherever these emotions occur, it would at least make me, feel at home, and it could be why we grow attached to certain places. Why some people keep returning to the same place, when there’s so much world about us.
A physically restricted home? Why? A house is a place to sleep, and a place to put all our junk. If you were happier outside your house, than at your house. Would you really spend all your time at house? I’m constantly reminded of the moral of Woody Allen’s latest movie, Whatever Works. It’s exactly that. A home is whatever works for you, if you can get away from all the evils by rock climbing in heavy rain, then good for you, that’s more than most will achieve, more than I’ve had for a long time.
Is there a place where I feel at home? No. I’ve yet to find it again, and I don’t think I’ll be happy till I do.
I love travelling like nothing else, but no matter where I find myself, it seems that I’m never quite there.
Where do you feel at home?
20 Questions For Every Spiritual Seeker
Aug 12, 2009
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Reference: 20 Questions For Every Spiritual Seeker.
1. Why is there poverty and suffering in the world?
It’s easy to blame other people, nations and the past. But it doesn’t absolve us from not helping now. But why? Nature.
We build corporations that take advantage of lesser developed areas, by using the cheap labour.
Warlords, governments and groups of people fight over control of areas or entire countries, displacing the population as well as killing them. For what? Power.
The heads of government usually installed in the developing world is corrupt, inefficient or doesn’t give a damn, preferably all 3.
2. What is the relationship between science and religion?
Same as the one between right and wrong, light and dark or even good and evil. Science is right, it’s the light and it’s good for humanity; Religion is wrong, it’s dark and it brings evil, in the way of suffering and death. I don’t mind religious people per se, but looking at the history of the world, religion is the prime cause of death.
3. Why are so many people depressed?
Expectations for life that aren’t fulfilled, friends that abandon us, feelings of loneliness, guilt and suffering for our next ones.
We are all led to believe that we will be rich and famous, but so few of us are, the rest of us will at some point or another feel useless.
4. What are we all so afraid of?
Living, dying. What doesn’t scare us? Death is something we don’t think about, we live as though we will never die. But most people are at the same time, very risk avert; so why live?
5. When is war justifiable?
When it’s a defensive war, when you are defending yourself from an aggressor. There is no excuse for attacking, not even a pre-emptive strike.
6. How would God want us to respond to aggression and terrorism?
There is no God, and lately terrorism hos often been in his name.
But the God taught in the different holy scriptures, would never condone such tactics, but what has he been doing since… Forever? Not necessarily terrorism, but violence. All the wars etc. that have been fought in his name. His hands are stained in blood.
7. How does one obtain true peace?
There’s not such thing, people will always bicker and fight. During the Spanish Civil War, one of the reason the fascists won, was the in-fighting between the different socialist groups. They even fought each other in arms, instead of fighting the fascists.
8. What does it mean to live in the present moment?
Using every day to do something different, it doesn’t require you to go to Iran to experience something different, just try to shake your every day up a bit.
9. What is our greatest distraction?
The same as what gives growth to our society, greed, having more than other people.
10. Is current religion serving its purpose?
Killing innocent people? Yes.
“God would tell me, ‘George (W. Bush) go and end the tyranny in Iraq,’ and I did.”
11. What happens to you after you die?
Nothing, life ceases.
12. Describe heaven and how to get there.
Heaven is here, during our life, when things work out, and relaxing is not an effort.
13. What is the meaning of life?
“M-hmm. Well, it’s nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations.”
14. Describe God.
Non-existant
15. What is the greatest quality humans possess?
Compassion, a few people ruin it for the rest of us, but we don’t all have to be like them. The rest of us can successfully be compassionate people, that care for the people and the world around us.
16. What is it that prevents people from living to their full potential?
Themselves, act on your impulses once in a while, go crazy.
17. Non-verbally, by motion or gesture only, act out what you believe to be the current condition of the world.
Bit tricky that one…
18. What is your one wish for the world?
No religion, that way, big differences will be settled.
19. What is wisdom and how do we gain it?
Through life experiences, true knowledge can’t be taught, it must be experienced.
20. Are we all one?
No, we are all individuals, capable of our own choices and decisions, no fate.
The Luckier Sex
May 22, 2009
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Men are the luckier sex, not the stronger sex mind you, but the luckier.
Women are the superior sex, in nearly every aspect.
So why are men the luckier sex? That has nothing to do with the millennia of the man being the stronger sex, the dominant gender, right up until the second women’s rights movement started 60’s and 70’s, when the balance started tipping (at least in Northern Europe), to the current situation, where men can feel discriminated (I know, I have, not directly though).
Women are more thoughtful, they care more for other people, can show their feelings and don’t behave ridiculously things without questioning their nature (do I really need an example of a “guy thing”?). There’s a reason women live longer, they don’t drive like maniacs, they take care of themselves, in the sense that they don’t live exclusively on fast food, beer and breath through cigarettes.
So why are men luckier? Well, we (I’m male, honestly) get to worship them. It’s men who get to end up with women, living alongside them to old age (if we look past issues such as homosexuality, divorce and cheerless marriages).
What have girls got to look forward to? Someone to change the fuses and open those tight jars, oh yeah. Interesting conversations? Anything but binge drinking? I don’t think so… Sorry.
It’s not exactly a secret that I don’t drink, but I really don’t think I fit the male stereotype.
