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Archive for October, 2007

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The Good People

Monday, October 29th, 2007

I was pretty concerned about myself when I left Egypt because I had such a low opinion of the Egyptian people and society. It is very difficult for me to find fault with a whole group of people, but I have to admit that it becomes easier the more peoples I meet. (easier not in that I am finding a lot of messed up cultures, but rather easier to call the bad ones out due to plenty of counter examples.) Our cultures around the world vary significantly and of course I can only view a culture through my eyes and mind which I readily agree may be myopic and ill-adjusted. But I also know that I want to share my opinions and experiences and show who I am even if you may see my faults. Actually, I really do this blog for no one other than myself so in some amount I really do not give a damn what you think 🙂 Something like “take a walk in my shoes…”.  I try to be honest to myself and I guess to any reader and that is the only promise I make. I can tell you that the more cultures I experience, the more I dislike about my own – that being the lucky elite of this planet. And yes, I do believe that 99.9% of people who would ever have access to this blog fall into that category. Please don’t compare yourself to Donald Trump when determining if you are one of the world’s elite. It would be much more appropriate to compare yourself to the people on subsistance farms with no shoes on their feet (probably by choice I would argue – might it not be OK to be able to walk in the mud with hardened soles rather than have a hundred pairs of designer shoes for every purpose to protect our pampered little toes???). I love (not) the increasingly more ridiculous little battles being waged in the upper crust of the world about who the really bad guys are – Americans and Israelis, of course! There are obviously too many bored people with too much TV time focused on blame and doing very little to actually address the real issues such as loving your family and treating your neighbors with respect. And this brings me to Madagascar and the Malagasy people.

[read on]

Madagascar Photos

Saturday, October 13th, 2007

Here’s some early photos from Madagascar – ostrich, hammerkop, tortoise, lemurs, oxen.  A bit disappointed with the dancing lemur photos – wish the exposure had been at a higher speed, but the memory is quite clear…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7411983@N06/sets/72157602397651597/

 

The Lexus and the Lack of Tree

Friday, October 12th, 2007
Yesterday was spent comatose in Tana.  This could be the most boring sub-Sahara Africa city.  Nothing bad, just a bit of a snoozer.  I suppose anywhere is a bit slow compared to Egypt.  I did solve a mystery about why ... [Continue reading this entry]

Fatty Duck

Friday, October 12th, 2007
Foie Gras - I love it.  I avoid it because it is not good for one's health, but I also rarely see it beyond the door of Mirepoix.  Government regulations inspired by PETA and other food police will soon ... [Continue reading this entry]

Where’s That Confounded Pyramid?

Wednesday, October 10th, 2007
Most air polluted cities in the world according to World Bank (2007):
  • Cairo, Egypt: 11.1 million
  • Delhi, India: 15 million
  • Kolkata, India: 14.3 million
  • Tianjin, China: 7 million
  • Chongqing, China: 6.4 million
  • Kanpur, India: 3 million
  • Lucknow, India: 2.6 million
  • [Continue reading this entry]
  • A Different World

    Wednesday, October 10th, 2007
    Well I basically just went from Middle East to East Africa to somewhere closer to Far East in a day!  What a blur.  Absolutely loved being in East Africa even if it was just the airport.  I loved seeing the ... [Continue reading this entry]

    Home Again

    Wednesday, October 10th, 2007
    I'm at the Nairobi airport waiting for the connection to Madagascar. I am once again home in East Africa and it feels great. Beautiful people with big smiles, British accents and truly welcoming. Egypt is peeling away ... [Continue reading this entry]

    Well, One More From Egypt

    Tuesday, October 9th, 2007
    I spent the last two days holed up in a nice hotel overlooking the pyramids. I had planned to visit them again, but the air pollution was the worst I have ever seen anywhere both days and I really ... [Continue reading this entry]

    Asia!!!

    Tuesday, October 9th, 2007
    Well, I have technically been to a new continent without leaving Egypt.  After looking at the guides I use for such mundane geography topics, I officially entered Asia for the first time while visiting Sinai.  Peggy and I started to ... [Continue reading this entry]

    Last of Egypt

    Monday, October 8th, 2007
    (Unless something exciting happens tomorrow) Well, the Mt Sinai glow did wear out quickly.  I took a cab from where my backpack was stored in Cairo to a hotel in Giza where I planned to hole up until I could fly ... [Continue reading this entry]