Posted in Internal Musings (poetry), Poetry, Random Observations (poetry), tagged dream holiday, Epiphany, holiday, Mexico, moment of clarity, parasailing, the first day of the new year on January 13, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Photo: CC Champagne
Floating on a wind
between the sun and the sea
in nothingness complete.
Soundless and undisturbed.
The dream, awake…
All-seeing, all-knowing,
or blind, without knowledge.
All of life
in one single breath.
Floating between Heaven and Earth.
Posted in Internal Musings (poetry), Poetry, Random Observations (poetry), tagged Conquistadors, Mexico, Modern history, respect of other cultures., tourism, tourists on January 9, 2012| 2 Comments »
We are the modern conquistadors!
Tourists in droves,
tramping your soil!
Oh, sing for us,
Gods from above,
show us your love, show us your love!
See how the red soil cries and weeps,
cries and weeps in vain.
We are the modern conquistadors,
Mexico will never be the same.
Posted in Internal Musings (poetry), Poetry, Random Observations (poetry), tagged A moment in time, in the here and now, Mexico, Stop time, sunrise on January 2, 2012| 2 Comments »
Photo: CC Champagne
The rising sun and the
flawless blue sky
turns the Ocean a frothy ice-blue.
I want to live in this moment of time,
blissfully, with you.
Let’s stop all the clocks,
not stress anymore,
just live in the here and now.
Forget about tomorrow, but…
I really don’t know how?
December 2011
I would like to take this opportunity to humbly accept the Perfect Poet’s Award Week 59. I nominate Sunflower Poetry for the next award.
Posted in On This Day, tagged Arab Spring, Denzel Washington, Earl Hines, Gayle King, Indian National Congress, Keith Floyd, King Taksin Memorial Day (Thailand), Linus Torvalds, Messina earthquake, Mexico, Noomi Rapace, Pledge of Allegiance, Proclamation Day (South Australia), Sienna Miller, Stan Lee, Westminister Abbey, Wilhelm Röntgen, x-rays on December 28, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Did you know that it was on this day in 1065 Westminster Abbey is consecrated? Or that it was on this day in 1836 Spain recognizes the independence of Mexico?
And on this day in 1885 Indian National Congress a political party of India is founded in Bombay, British India, in 1895 Wilhelm Röntgen publishes a paper detailing his discovery of a new type of radiation, which later will be known as x-rays, in 1908 a magnitude 7.2 earthquake rocks Messina, Sicily killing over 75,000, in 1945 (only 66 years ago) the United States Congress officially recognizes the Pledge of Allegiance and in 2010, during what has become known as the Arab Spring: Popular protests begin in Algeria against the government.
Some birthdays you may want to remember on this day are Earl Hines, American musician (1903-1983), Stan Lee, American comic book writer (1922), Keith Floyd, British chef (1943-2009), Gayle King, American magazine editor and Denzel Washington, American actor (both born in 1954), Linus Torvalds, Finnish computer programmer (1969), Noomi Rapace, Swedish actress (1979) and Sienna Miller, British actress (1981).
Need a reason to raise a glass of bubbly on this day? Perhaps you should look into the celebration of King Taksin Memorial Day (Thailand) or Proclamation Day, celebration started on the day following Christmas. (South Australia)?
For more information about historic events on this day, please go here.
Posted in Internal Musings (poetry), Poetry, Random Observations (poetry), tagged Chichen Itza, impressions, Mexico, Souvenirs, tourists on December 28, 2011| 2 Comments »
Photo: CC Champagne
Indians,
Americans,
hippies of some kind,
suit-man, uncomfortable in casual wear on holiday,
souvenirs, souvenirs, souvenirs!
One dollar, cheepy, cheepy,
Germans,
Mexicans,
Norwegians,
souvenirs!
Japanese,
cameras,
Swedes,
Ancient rituals re-told without meaning,
souvenirs, cheepy, cheepy!
One majestic pyramid,
a bloody but honourable past,
history lost in the mists of time,
sun beating down, relentless!
Shade, shade, water,
souvenirs, souvenirs, only a dollar,
ruins embedded in green,
to win when the prize is death,
souvenirs, more souvenirs!
A religion eradicated,
books burned,
knowledge untold,
unknown,
souvenirs, souvenirs, souvenirs!
Desecrated by souvenirs,
tourists swarm like ants,
souvenirs, cheepy, cheepy,
but still the magic stands.
Posted in Longer scribbles (essays), Random Observations, tagged Bad service, Christmas holiday, Mexico, Playa, tips, vacation on December 26, 2011| 1 Comment »
Merry Christmas to one and all! Or Feliz Navidad, as they say here… Being a Swede, to me Christmas was really yesterday and today would be the day when one starts attempting to finish off all the leftovers…
I actually had what I would call poor service for the first time since I arrived today. Everywhere I’ve gone people have been very helpful (even though you can tell some of them have had it up to the proverbial here with tourists), but today… Feeling braver I decided to venture further from my hotel and the stretch of beach just down the street from it in my search for that Christmas shade I so wanted. There are beach clubs everywhere, and the problem (for me at least) is that I never know if they are just ‘for guests of the hotel’ or for everyone – against a small fee, that is. When I thought my legs could no longer carry me I found a place that had the definite feel of a proper beach club (not attached to a hotel) and grabbed one of the empty lounge chairs. A whole bunch of waiters were swarming around, doing not much of anything I could see, but no one approached me and asked for the traditional fee, so I waited. After about half an hour, I stopped one of them and asked if I could have a coke. He disappeared, never to be seen again… About thirty minutes after that I lured one of them over and again asked if I could have a coke, only to be told ‘just a minute’ before he disappeared as well…
At this point I was becoming rather annoyed with the whole thing, especially as the family at the next umbrella had not only been served several times, but had waiters there asking if everything was OK every half an hour. I was thinking about leaving, but I had found shade, a comfortable lounge chair and had a really good book… Finally I was approached by one of the waiters… But he wasn’t looking to take my order, instead he wanted me to pay for the privilege of having a lounge chair. I had been waiting for this, but I was still waiting for that first coke I ordered an hour before… Paying, without grumbling I got myself ‘branded’ and had a paper bracelet stuck to the umbrella under which I was lying. Within ten minutes (only about an hour and 15 minutes after my first unsuccessful order) I had a waiter at my side, smiling and calling me ‘amiga’. I was not feeling very ‘amiga’-ish at this point, but I tried not to take it out on him. I, once again ordered my coke and asked to see the menu.
Finally the coke appeared and I wolfed it down quicker than you can say ‘muchas gracias’! Followed it up with a sandwich and had only just finished my post-meal cigarette when the waiter appeared with my bill… Fine, I had eaten and knew I was going to have to pay for it, so I brought out the money… The bill was for something stupid like 104 Mexican monopoly money, and since I knew tips were not included I started to add the extra 20 peso bill to the 100 before thinking twice and got out the coins. Considering how annoyed (and yes, I do know it’s absolutely childish) I was and how long I had to wait, I thought that rounding it up to 110 Mexican monopoly money might send a signal. Moments later the waiter appeared again, asking to be paid… He takes the money and looks at me. ‘You know that tips is not included, right?’. I said I did, upon which he speaks again, saying ‘Five pesos? Is that your tips?’.
Five pesos is really no money at all, regardless of currency, and I am aware of this. As far as I am aware, however, it can not be called good service to EVER have the amount of tips you have left questioned like that! I swallowed and looked at the young man standing before me, wondering if I was a bad customer or if he was simply a rude waiter. ‘I had to ask for a coke three times and it took over an hour before I got it. I know this was not of your making, but that does mean I will not leave you any more tips.’ In retrospect I wish I would have told him he should ask his Houdini-colleagues to share whatever tips they got with him since they were the ones to screw him up, not me!
Anyway, a long story for such a short happening, but there really isn’t much to report from sunny Mexico. Made my first ever visit to a Wal-Mart today (we don’t have them in Sweden) and followed this Americanism up with a caramel Frappuccino from Starbucks (we don’t have them either)… Maybe I should see if I can find a Taco Bell or something for dinner this evening? Tomorrow I’ll be off to see Chichen Itza and I really hope it’ll be as breathtaking as I have dreamed of!
*Cheers*
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A Glass of Bubbly 