Dubai

The tallest building in the world

Looking like a computer generated spirit

Rising into space

Unlike any man made structure I’ve ever seen

In the streets Arabians walking slowly

In their traditional dress

The women’s eyes black with makeup

Giving them a stark presence

This desert people citified only barely

How can you change spirits

Born out of shifting sands?

In the bazaar bartering with Iranians, Indians, Pakistanis

Always understanding more than they appear

Me, too tired to play the game

Either giving in but mostly walking on

Acquiring anything seems wasteful useless

Leaving Bahrain

This blog is supposed to be a place to practice writing.

Writing, knowing others will read puts a whole new spin on it.

Traveling and writing adds another dimension.

And then there’s ‘how much personal feeling’ to include.

So all that messes with my thinking, upsets any sort of flow

I may actually be lucky enough to tap into.

Making things more complicated than they are

Is often a roadblock for me. See? Personal.

Ok then. Just frigging write, Kim.

Sitting in the Bahrain International Airport waiting for flight to Dubai

Leaving the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Kingdom thing has a whole new meaning than when I flew in here 8 days ago. I might even recognize the King or Crown Prince if I saw them on the street, so many pictures plastered on cars, on walls, on people backs and butts. I am not kidding. This is not the forum to engage in opinions of who is right and wrong and be politically correct with my leftist views. I thought I knew something, was corrected gently more than once and now…….I know so little and the lines aren’t firm. Killing people is just wrong. That I know.

Outtakes of the last few days……….very many young people driving in cars waving Bahraini flags, happy smiling, women walking the streets with flags their heads covered. The opposition, the poor, only seen on news clips because they come from the suburbs, the Shies, the oppressed, the religious right, so to say. It is not Iran here. There is much freedom and some of the people do not want to lose that. There is also the poor, the discriminated against………really have no opinion as I do not know.

Helicopters overhead all day, in the middle of the night, some shots heard firing randomly, much honking, shops closed in the middle of day, local friends worried for us, ……Others views on American’s part in the Middle East coming at me during the week. I listen. A few are so right. I cannot argue. Only keep my faith instilled in those parts of our Constitution that I have faith in. Freedom of speech, of the press………..is that so true? Equality, separation of church and state….geez, well we are trying aren’t we? Please tell me we are………I need my idealistic values intact otherwise I lose faith. Become one of the apathetic many. That is death.

FEB 17 Early - Bahrain

Notes from an overly tired mind
Contemplating the last few days
Honking cars through the night
Flags hanging from vehicle windows
Looking more like a party than a political statement.
On the television
Watching football in arabic
the language  mesmerizing.
Looking for English speaking news
hell any news what is REALLY happening?
Roadchecks on freeway offramps at night
Our friend and driver avoiding the exit
without much explanation
Concerned for our concern.
Eating the most fantastic humus ever tasted
Bob Marley in the desert
Surreal against backdrop of Arabian musicians.
One love one heart lets get together
and feel all right.
Dancing the dance and feeling the feeling.
It's all in the moment.
In spite of all feeling safe and grateful.
The stars the same stars
the moon the same moon.
I like it here.

FEB 11

This flying thing, it's quite a mishmash of observances and experiences with feelings; fear joy curiousity, that come in waves with it. But first, what is it about black clothing in airports on all the women? Gosh I felt so out of place with a purple skirt and tights on. I mean black pants, black boots, black coats, black black black. What about that? Another nonsense subject for another day.

Flying up into the darkness, out of NJ, with Manhattan exposed beautifully below me. The skyline the Hudson all manner of bridges. But it was the Light that cornered my attention. Lights of the city in every hew, stark dark swath of Central Park running up the middle, bright red glow atop the Empire State. How many people have lived thier lives these past few centuries in this small space? How many spirits huddled amidst the Light? Simply, the nighttime visual was absolutely engaging, lifting my sad thoughtful spirit upwards.

In Frankfurt an Iranian Islamic Republic jet sitting on the runway. You don't see those in the US! Then the biggest double-decker Luthfansa jet I have ever seen! Made the other jets look like prop planes.
From there flying over Germany, Yugaslovia, Bulgeria, Turkey with amazing snowcapped peaks far in the distance. A slice of the Mediteranean before darkness descends. Onwards, grazing airspace of Jordon, Israel, Irag and finally over Saudi Arabia.....the captain announcing to show boarding passes before debarking warning about no alcohol allowed no nude pictures allowed and the penalty. Not that I carry alcohol and nude pictures around with me but still.....And finally the Kingdom of Bahrain, surrounded by water, Saudi, Iran, UAE, and Kuwait. For a blessed few of us, our destination for the week.
Through this 18 hours my thoughts drifted many places but often towards the Egyptian people and what was happening. Who had possible died or been injured that day in the name of freedom?

Outakes HNL to NYC

Flying out of Honolulu looking down on a firework dislpay going off near Waikiki. Of course. Chinese new year, rabbits galore. The meaning of that 'possibly' to be read later. Sitting next to a polite young man the spitting image of Ryan Gosling, having been told that before he still asked who is that? I sigh. Giving me renewed faith in the young generation with his attitude, his job, his trustfulness........or maybe I imagined all that. The supershuttle guy into NYC totally entertaining loose with information, his life included. The passengers from Toronto, Japan, and some other place all newcomers to the City. I felt like an old timer to NYC and that is funny. Being reminded I've lived here before in some other body. The knowing of that is weird strange and not worth dwelliing on, just that inner consciousness that is......going into Lincoln Tunnel with a monstrous billboard of Beatles over it. Surreal the Beatles in such a place 'now available on Itunes'. Snow piled in drifts still imprisoning cars dirty snow white as sheets snow cold beautiful city.

Taking off.....

The biggest storm in decades reaching from New Mexico to the east coast, Egypt erupting in civil unrest, the world made so much smaller by the media that greets me this morning. What am I thinking flying out into the melee that is our earth? In all honesty this weather storm will pass before I board a plane in 56 hours....Not sure about the rest of it. So easy to be touched by the events and human beings half a world away, in this age of instant camera pictures flashing before our eyes, the news media racing to tell you what is happening, who is dying, who is wrong or right. Although true journalism is , just the facts mam, depends on the  integrity of the journalist and the corporation owning the media feed that literally feeds us...............I want to know I want to be informed I don't want to pull the covers over my head and not know not hear not feel. But, really why? My powerlessness in the face of knowledge and facts...........and then the other real question,  what is real and what is bullshit?........
So, enough of the proselytizing, is that what I'm doing (gotta look that up) and tell you my facts.
I'm getting on a plane Friday, heading to NYC, and from there to the Middle East. Not Egypt, but close enough. The land of camels and deserts, and goats, and history.....'our' history since most of us came out of that area eons ago. The land of Mohammad and Jesus and Abraham and Rumi all the parables and books written of these peoples, these hearts and spirits who are a part of us......oops there I go again. Anyway will try to write while there, plans could change, plane flights are the epitome of letting go......and take you along my amazing journey seen through my eyes wide open engaged.......or possibly totally freaked out.