Yesterday I was watching an interesting documentary about the first native Americans, they were suspected to be Mongolians from Siberia but they have found some skulls older than the ice age that have negroid characteristics most commonly found in East Southern Africa, South Asia and Australia. The only population remains of that era can be found in Tierra del Fuego, an island forming the Southern end tip of South America and according to records of an expedition made to this part of the world in the 30’s they could match the way of daily life and dance rituals performed with the ancient rock paintings where the skulls were found…
Now, what interested me most was that, while the scientists were investigating and matching the way of life of this tribe, with the records from the 30’s and interviews with what seems to be the last 2 women from the same descent, they mentioned a tribal dance that only men were allowed to know about and the reason behind it was that there was a time in a very distant past when women ruled society. So the women should never know, lest the man loose their grip on power. And they mentioned that the same legend is common among aboriginal tribes in Australia.
I KNEW IT!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/sci/tech/430944.stm
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Mr. Oscar
I can't hide my joy for the 8 awards Slumdog Millionaire took away last night... I absolutely love Danny Boyle's movies, from Shallow Grave to Trainspotting to A Life Less Ordinary to Slumdog Millionaire, the one thing they have in common is: no matter how low or sad report of life he exhibits, he always leaves us with a high positive note in the end...
And to film the life of Mumbai, well, it could only be a winner!!!
One great moment of the night I think was Dustin Lance Black acceptance speech for Writing Original Screenplay of MILK, the story of California's first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk. Black - who was wearing a White Knot for marriage equality - spoke about how Milk inspired him:
"When I was 13 years old, my beautiful mother and my father moved me from a conservative Mormon home in San Antonio, Texas, to California, and I heard the story of Harvey Milk. And it gave me hope. It gave me the hope to live my life; it gave me the hope that one day I could live my life openly as who I am and that maybe even I could fall in love and one day get married. (...)
Most of all, if Harvey had not been taken from us 30 years ago, I think he'd want me to say to all of the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight who have been told they are less than by their churches, or by the government, or by their families, that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value. And that no matter what anyone tells you, God does love you, and that very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights federally across this great nation of ours."
And to film the life of Mumbai, well, it could only be a winner!!!
One great moment of the night I think was Dustin Lance Black acceptance speech for Writing Original Screenplay of MILK, the story of California's first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk. Black - who was wearing a White Knot for marriage equality - spoke about how Milk inspired him:
"When I was 13 years old, my beautiful mother and my father moved me from a conservative Mormon home in San Antonio, Texas, to California, and I heard the story of Harvey Milk. And it gave me hope. It gave me the hope to live my life; it gave me the hope that one day I could live my life openly as who I am and that maybe even I could fall in love and one day get married. (...)
Most of all, if Harvey had not been taken from us 30 years ago, I think he'd want me to say to all of the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight who have been told they are less than by their churches, or by the government, or by their families, that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value. And that no matter what anyone tells you, God does love you, and that very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights federally across this great nation of ours."
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Extraordinary!?!
I have a question... What are the boundaries of the extraordinary? What makes something ordinary into special? What is it that makes it all different between disgusting into being distinguished? Well, I think it is the difference itself... Just that - the difference...
I just saw an albino cockroach!!!! And instead of feeling the normal disgust, I was just staring - amazed!
I just saw an albino cockroach!!!! And instead of feeling the normal disgust, I was just staring - amazed!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
ZEN
I was reading a book about Zen and I found one of the passages hilarious and very significant, here it is:
While staying at a shrine, master Tan-hsia was feeling cold, so he took a wooden statue of the Buddha off the altar and threw it into the fire. The keeper of the shrine was dismayed and angry. In response, the master began looking among the ashes. "What are you doing?" inquired the keeper of the shrine. "Looking for holy relics in the ashes" replied the master. "You won't find them in the ashes of a wooden statue" said the keeper. "If that is so" the master concluded, "can I have another couple of Buddhas for the fire to keep me warm?"
While staying at a shrine, master Tan-hsia was feeling cold, so he took a wooden statue of the Buddha off the altar and threw it into the fire. The keeper of the shrine was dismayed and angry. In response, the master began looking among the ashes. "What are you doing?" inquired the keeper of the shrine. "Looking for holy relics in the ashes" replied the master. "You won't find them in the ashes of a wooden statue" said the keeper. "If that is so" the master concluded, "can I have another couple of Buddhas for the fire to keep me warm?"
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Branding Bush
I really don't like to be political here but I can't help myself from posting this image I found as part of the worldwide celebrations of Barack Obama's presidency inauguration ceremony.
So I guess the Iraqi journalist has successfully branded Bush!!! Throwing shoes will be a registered trademark of Bush's public appearance...
So I guess the Iraqi journalist has successfully branded Bush!!! Throwing shoes will be a registered trademark of Bush's public appearance...
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
BOOKS
I’ve been in introspect, very quiet, no music in the car (although I updated my mp3 player with the coolest sounds going on in the world at the moment), I find myself looking into empty spaces and trying to listen to the silence in between the noise…
Coupled with that, I feel like a bookworm, over the last few weeks I’ve been through new books I bought, old books I bought and never read and old books I read and keep re-reading…
More intensively than what happens with movies, when you pick up a book you have read before it’s like having a memory of a story you lived, like re-living that story over and over again, never loosing its sense and the heart of it. Two examples of my favorite books that I keep on going back to are Baltasar and Blimunda by Jose Saramago and The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy both I read in both my native language and in English because I was curious to know how the translation would affect the perception associated with it...
A priceless question-quote from The God of Small Things is “If you’re happy in a dream, does it count?” And the same can be asked about books and stories, as the intensity of what is lived in a dream or read in a book is some times superior to that of our own daily routine lives… And that’s what makes me go back there, to books, new and old ones, because for me it does count. I find happiness, beauty, humanity in all of these books. And these feelings count, they do!
Of course Dubai with all its fast moving pace, has no time for books and nobody discusses books, the very limited portion of friends I made here used to read books and stopped after moving to Dubai – big void!
So I experienced a rather awkward moment the other day, when I went to a book shop looking for some books: one that I lost after reading half way through (I felt lost myself when I realized it!) – Khaled Hossaini’s The Kite Runner; one that I started reading at my friend’s – Paul Auster’s The Invention of Solitude; and another recommended by a friend Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild.
I looked for them, but couldn’t find Jon Krakauer’s and Paul Auster’s but found The Book Of Illusions instead and The Kite Runner there were lots of supplies, so I decided to ask IT help with the bookstore staff (something I do in last resource, as it can be stressful at times with the level of ignorance of English, let alone book knowledge).
Well, I was so positively surprised with the gentleman that served me, not only was he knowledgeable about the authors and titles I was talking about, he even corrected me in something I didn’t know and when he saw the book I had in hands he said: "It’s ok, this is a much better story!" pointing to The Kite Runner… I was awestruck! The man started blushing all of a sudden, I guess it was because of the way I looked at him, as if he was made of gold (and he probably is!), my immediate feeling was to invite him out for coffee and talk about books…
Of course I stopped myself from doing it, firstly I didn’t want to scare him even more and second I realized what a depressing thing this is that you feel like inviting a complete stranger out for coffee to chat about books, how lacking must my need be…
But this is Dubai, I have no friends here to discuss books with, shopping and gossip goes over here, but books, nahh! My book reading friends are all far away, truly annoying, and funny enough I feel like reading mostly when I’m away myself… It’s like this is a non-reading territory…
Anyways, I’m surely defying this tendency as I’ve been reading everywhere lately (I even stop the car at the side of the road to read a bit) and I might defy my self containment and might ask that man out for coffee next time I visit the store… I’m sure he has wonderful tales to tell… And for a moment there I felt a tiny bit of envy of him, how wonderful can it be to work among that that you love the most…
Coupled with that, I feel like a bookworm, over the last few weeks I’ve been through new books I bought, old books I bought and never read and old books I read and keep re-reading…
More intensively than what happens with movies, when you pick up a book you have read before it’s like having a memory of a story you lived, like re-living that story over and over again, never loosing its sense and the heart of it. Two examples of my favorite books that I keep on going back to are Baltasar and Blimunda by Jose Saramago and The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy both I read in both my native language and in English because I was curious to know how the translation would affect the perception associated with it...
A priceless question-quote from The God of Small Things is “If you’re happy in a dream, does it count?” And the same can be asked about books and stories, as the intensity of what is lived in a dream or read in a book is some times superior to that of our own daily routine lives… And that’s what makes me go back there, to books, new and old ones, because for me it does count. I find happiness, beauty, humanity in all of these books. And these feelings count, they do!
Of course Dubai with all its fast moving pace, has no time for books and nobody discusses books, the very limited portion of friends I made here used to read books and stopped after moving to Dubai – big void!
So I experienced a rather awkward moment the other day, when I went to a book shop looking for some books: one that I lost after reading half way through (I felt lost myself when I realized it!) – Khaled Hossaini’s The Kite Runner; one that I started reading at my friend’s – Paul Auster’s The Invention of Solitude; and another recommended by a friend Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild.
I looked for them, but couldn’t find Jon Krakauer’s and Paul Auster’s but found The Book Of Illusions instead and The Kite Runner there were lots of supplies, so I decided to ask IT help with the bookstore staff (something I do in last resource, as it can be stressful at times with the level of ignorance of English, let alone book knowledge).
Well, I was so positively surprised with the gentleman that served me, not only was he knowledgeable about the authors and titles I was talking about, he even corrected me in something I didn’t know and when he saw the book I had in hands he said: "It’s ok, this is a much better story!" pointing to The Kite Runner… I was awestruck! The man started blushing all of a sudden, I guess it was because of the way I looked at him, as if he was made of gold (and he probably is!), my immediate feeling was to invite him out for coffee and talk about books…
Of course I stopped myself from doing it, firstly I didn’t want to scare him even more and second I realized what a depressing thing this is that you feel like inviting a complete stranger out for coffee to chat about books, how lacking must my need be…
But this is Dubai, I have no friends here to discuss books with, shopping and gossip goes over here, but books, nahh! My book reading friends are all far away, truly annoying, and funny enough I feel like reading mostly when I’m away myself… It’s like this is a non-reading territory…
Anyways, I’m surely defying this tendency as I’ve been reading everywhere lately (I even stop the car at the side of the road to read a bit) and I might defy my self containment and might ask that man out for coffee next time I visit the store… I’m sure he has wonderful tales to tell… And for a moment there I felt a tiny bit of envy of him, how wonderful can it be to work among that that you love the most…
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Meditation/Prayer for Peace in Gaza
Following current events, and the burst of communication in the press and the common feeling of injustice and helplessness towards what is happening, I made a decision!
I don’t like to discuss issues that have been discussed over and over again without a solution being made, I don’t like to see horrid pictures, I know they exist but clogging my brain with them doesn’t help either parties, I don’t like to face something unless I’m willing to do something about it if I don’t like what I see…
So, based on all this, and based also on things I’ve learnt I decided to Meditate for Peace in Gaza. I prefer Meditation, because the self is left behind, Prayer will have the same effect as long as you can focus your mind on the prayer and the purpose of it.
Why I think Meditation/Prayer will work? Based mainly on the following concepts:
A) There was a study made in Washington D.C. where a group of individuals started practicing Transcendental Meditation and the crime rate decreased by 25% (http://www.istpp.org/crime_prevention/)
B) If you’re into Kryon, he states that: “Less than one half of one percent of the earth has to be aware of their own divinity and their own light to send this power through meditation and prayer to the rest of the planet and create peace on Earth. I'll say that again. Less than one half of one percent.” So let’s be that less than one half of 1%! (http://kryon.com/k_62.html)
C) Dr. Masaru Emoto’s work shows that intentions do go a long way on water, intentions can go a long way on humans too (for more info check the entry in Dec 2008).
D) Behavior generates behavior, so based on that principle, violence will only generate more violence, the opposite, which I am more interested in, works the same way, peace will generate more peace, love will generate more love…
So along with some friends we meditate for peace in Gaza. If you can do it together in a group good, but it works on your own as well, what is important is for us to concentrate on what we want for Gaza not what is happening already…
Forget the horrid images you have seen on the news, and imagine Gaza a peaceful ground, imagine the building destruction you saw are being rewinded into intact living grounds, see happy Palestinian families living a better life, imagine life flourishing in Gaza, send out peace and love thoughts and intentions.
And for whoever lives in the UAE, Aramex is collecting aid for Gaza until the 11th Jan, please help providing them with First Aid and Medical Materials, it's needed the most...
Drop Off points are Deira CityCenter, Ajman CityCenter, Sharjah CityCenter, Mall of the Emirates by Centrepoint, if you have any difficulty moving around, I would gladly pick them up or buy them for you and take them to Aramex grounds personally...
Just contact me. Thanks!!!
I don’t like to discuss issues that have been discussed over and over again without a solution being made, I don’t like to see horrid pictures, I know they exist but clogging my brain with them doesn’t help either parties, I don’t like to face something unless I’m willing to do something about it if I don’t like what I see…
So, based on all this, and based also on things I’ve learnt I decided to Meditate for Peace in Gaza. I prefer Meditation, because the self is left behind, Prayer will have the same effect as long as you can focus your mind on the prayer and the purpose of it.
Why I think Meditation/Prayer will work? Based mainly on the following concepts:
A) There was a study made in Washington D.C. where a group of individuals started practicing Transcendental Meditation and the crime rate decreased by 25% (http://www.istpp.org/crime_prevention/)
B) If you’re into Kryon, he states that: “Less than one half of one percent of the earth has to be aware of their own divinity and their own light to send this power through meditation and prayer to the rest of the planet and create peace on Earth. I'll say that again. Less than one half of one percent.” So let’s be that less than one half of 1%! (http://kryon.com/k_62.html)
C) Dr. Masaru Emoto’s work shows that intentions do go a long way on water, intentions can go a long way on humans too (for more info check the entry in Dec 2008).
D) Behavior generates behavior, so based on that principle, violence will only generate more violence, the opposite, which I am more interested in, works the same way, peace will generate more peace, love will generate more love…
So along with some friends we meditate for peace in Gaza. If you can do it together in a group good, but it works on your own as well, what is important is for us to concentrate on what we want for Gaza not what is happening already…
Forget the horrid images you have seen on the news, and imagine Gaza a peaceful ground, imagine the building destruction you saw are being rewinded into intact living grounds, see happy Palestinian families living a better life, imagine life flourishing in Gaza, send out peace and love thoughts and intentions.
And for whoever lives in the UAE, Aramex is collecting aid for Gaza until the 11th Jan, please help providing them with First Aid and Medical Materials, it's needed the most...
Drop Off points are Deira CityCenter, Ajman CityCenter, Sharjah CityCenter, Mall of the Emirates by Centrepoint, if you have any difficulty moving around, I would gladly pick them up or buy them for you and take them to Aramex grounds personally...
Just contact me. Thanks!!!
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