This week’s F5 question is from Roganda of The Weather and Everyone’s Health. I think. So Valentine’s Day is coming up, and my impulse to be timely has overcome my dislike of mush, so today’s question concerns love. “Love is omni-inclusive, progressively exquisite, understanding and tender and compassionately attuned to other than self.”—R. Buckminster Fuller. What are five ways that people in your life (any relation: child, parent, spiritual advisor, friend, etc. etc.) have demonstrated through their actions that they love you–whether they meant to or not? (bonus points for interesting, unusual, unexpected or especially subtle examples). As some people …
Month: February 2004
Recovering In Agra
Well, here I am smack dab in the middle of getting better—I’m up and about again, which is more than I can say for last night. Ugh! I must have eaten something funny for breakfast, or maybe something just got into my mouth from dirty hands though I’ve been careful to wash them as often as possible. Who knows, but anyway, last night, after I realized that the Taj Mahal is closed Fridays, I wanted to go see it, but I was horribly ill. I was in a restaurant (Pizza Hut, no less, which I went to in order to …
Now I’m in Agra…
I spent yesterday afternoon on a train from Jaipur to Agra, from whence I continued on to Fatepur Sikri. I made the trip to Fatepur Sikri by taxi, which was driven by a fascinating conversationalist by the name of Sado. We talked about his vwey unusual life, including how he met his Korean wife on the train once in India, how their courtship-via-commute worked (she came to India seven times in five years to see him) and how finally told her parents if she was going to marry anyone, it would be him—at which point they finally acquiesced after years …
Orkut!!!
Ooops, mentioned Orkut but then said nothing about it. Charlie invited me to orkut.com, which is a kind of online friends-network thing. I’ve joined under the alias gorduncle. It looks like it could be an interesting service, but I’m not gonna explore it much till I’m back in Korea. But you should go check it out!
Orkut, French, and Rushing About
Since coming to India I have heard—and spoke—more French than in years. Of course, it was very little in Dharamsala, as I was still feeling quite assailed and Korean was slipping out all the time. But today I spoke with a French couple for a while, and right now in the next booth a French couple is discoursing about times for their travel plans, and I understand a fair bit of it. Whee. As for my own travel plans, the bus-route to Fatepur Sikri is ridiculous, so I am going to catch a train tomorrow afternoon and sleep to Agra, …
More On Gord In Jaipur
Not to be confused with “Moron Gord in Jaipur”… ahem. Well, here I am. Last nigth at 4pm I met my pack of French friends for beer and dinner and then I caught a bus to Delhi. I had SO much stuff with me but it was fine because after all I was just taking it to the bus and then sitting for 13 hours. It all fit in the overhead compartment, except my big bag, which sat in the back of the bus. Now, that boded well for the bus trip, but assholehood intervened, to make the bus trip …
In Jaipur
I’m in Jaipur, in Rajasthan. I just thought I’d let you all I know I got through about 18 hours of transport ni thye last 30 hours, just fine. Though the cab driver took me to the wrong train station and it was REALLY close for a few minutes there!!! More later, nice German guy waiting to go for food/beer with me.
The Most Influential Books
This’s week Ray asked the Friday Fivers: Knowing the folks on the list, something similar to this has probably already been asked. Still, it’s what I came up with after letting it simmer for the week so, here goes: My wife sits and reads all the time, and I used to as well. I’ve wondered why I don’t anymore, and I think it’s that since High School G/T classes, I haven’t been forced to. I miss it. My question is, which books would you miss in my situation? More accurately, which 5 books have made the biggest impression on who …
Note on Noam Chomsky
By the way… before I forget. I just finished reading a book of Noam Chomsky’s on the so-called New Military Humanism and the American intervention in Kosovo, and I’m not entirely convinced that his arguments aren’t mistaken in one way: he speaks a lot about censorship and suppression of knowledge, and seems to think that the general populace actually does care about things like world events and the hypocrisy which he so forcefully lays out on the table for us to look at. He again and again points out that America is not playing fair, is lying to its citizens, …
Enigma and Frenchies and Mountain Paths
The last few days have been weird. Two days ago I took a day off writing, because I was terribly mixed up and advancing the plot in ways that actually didn’t advance the plot. If that doesn’t make sense, then you understand exactly what I mean. So I wandered around McLeod Ganj and down to Dharamsala proper, which my friend Laura quite properly described as a busy, dusty little market town with no other real attractions besides a museum that was closed. I did, however, manage to buy myself for about $2US a little lunchtin thing, of which Myoung and …