Vastness all around! Silence, you hear the blood flow in your ears. Spaciousness beyond reach. Stillness. No electricity. No phone reception. No running water. Clean fresh air. It’s very harsh yet welcoming. You disappear like a spec of dust. Horizons ever expanding. A serene calmness engulfs me as I stare at the vast open desert, … More Camping in the Sinai
“WHAT! Don’t do it! You’ll get attacked by hippos and crocodiles. Whoever offered you this trip is desperate for money. They’ll sell you anything. It’s not safe”. People started recounting dangerous encounters with wildlife (one was very recent) and the conversation deteriorated fast into fear mongering. They were obviously scared and I could feel the … More Dodging Hippos
Mosi-oa-tunya! (The smoke that thunders). Sacred waters where the gods live. For countless generations, the Tonga people who lived on the Zambezi river, worshipped and prayed to Nyami Nyami, the mighty God of the river. He protected them and gave them sustenance in difficult times. The river was sacred, the falls were sacred and there … More The Smoke that Thunders
Alexandria, Egypt, 1970s: we grew up in the same neighborhood within walking distance from each other. Went to the same schools, sat in the same classes from kindergarten to high school, had the same friends. Went through childhood, puberty, early adulthood and first love stories together. We carpooled to school, ate, played and slept in … More Touching My Roots
Walking along the sea shore under the moon light, silence is only broken by strange crackling sounds. A sound like I’d never heard before. The closest I could liken it to is a flamenco dancer playing her castanets quietly. There were no people, cars, radios or electricity. Everytime I stop, the sounds stop. I know … More Who’s Crackling?
It’s perfectly normal to be eating in a restaurant in Mexico, simple or fancy, and a street peddler or beggar walks in and begs/offers their wares among tables. No one bothers them and a simple “No. Gracias” will send them off. When you walk into a business, expect to meet the whole family; kids, relatives, … More Se Feliz!
“You’re water. Water takes the shape of the container it’s in. You too, you adapt easily to circumstances around you”. I had just met Pi for the first time a mere 10 minutes before he made this observation. That was the best compliment! Water resonates with me on many levels.My karate teacher used to say … More Soy Agua!
Unconditional Love 