Camping 101

Greetings,

Grade 4 kids, all 89.5 recently went "camping" on a teamwork development life skills program for two nights and three daze.

As in participating in a tightly controlled, scripted program under the direct, immediate supervision of 10 teachers armed with cell phones; watchers and minders. No parents, drivers or maids to do ALL the simple daily work.

Here are the highlights. No one died.

a) a four-hour walk through villages, planting rice in mud, harvesting yams, identifying trees, plants and feeling the reality of heat, mud, water, and narrow wet slippery trails under a broiling sun.

b) how to put up and take down a tent.

c) how to tie a variety of knots and use a compass.

d) how to prepare basic, simple cooking materials and deep fry delicious foods like banana pancakes, tempe, and tofu over a smelly kerosene stove without suffering 3rd degree burns from hot bubbling oil.

e) coping, surviving, laughing, screaming teamwork perspectives while crawling up a steep muddy wet obstacle course and staying connected to the person in front of them. 

f) some even learned how to develop a greater sense of independence and teamwork attitudes.

How to accept personal responsibility versus being lazy and avoiding responsibility; a deeply ingrained cultural attitude.

All the meals were catered. Trucked in from a nearby restaurant. A real struggle.

As one of many little campers standing in line with a pile of fried rice on their plastic cartoon plate said, "I WANT MORE!"

"Don't be greedy. Next."

Some people are never satisfied with what little they have. So it goes.

Hear about the amazing adventure hear. MK 72 more...

Metta.

Burad Badeed (sea bandit)

Dear Sea Bandits, burad badeed in Somali.

We are gathered here today to discuss our plans, options and future. Our ancestors, the great, magnificent, wise, and amazing visionaries were blessed with the ability to see and write the future.

They came from the vast deep interior. Wind swept dunes on shifting grains of sand. Time and water and boredom was their destiny. Their vision extended past mud, water, sand, gravel and volcanic sediment. They reached the churning violent sea of foaming blue. They fished. They repaired nets and roasted camel meat on open fires brimming with stars.

Sea became home. They worshiped currents.

Then, one day, large space ships invaded their coastal domain names, tribal connections, village dialects, identities, and simple way of life. The space ships plundered deep long and wide, cutting a swath of exploratory hatcheries.

Tuna, blue marlin, sharks, sardines, turtles, goldfish, squid, salmon, trout, octopus, sea snails, whales, manta rays and millions of minnows named Nemo departed their aqualung existence destined for plates and bowls of greedy capitalistic eaters. 

Our children, wives, and families went hungry. They ate desert dust and deserted dreams. 

Our council elders gathered. "We have lost of way of life. We are suffering. We need new delicious decisions and directions."

"Yes," agreed the young and restless. "Let's take to the high seas and become pirates and bandits and heroes. We will save the human race from extinction, from the space ships. We will intercept and board foreign vessels. We will hold the crew and cargo hostage. We will demand huge sums of cash."

"Cash is King! Long live the King!"

They sailed forth on their quest for adventure and booty led by Captain Hook and his merry band of pranksters.

"Ahoy mates and a bottle of rum, ho-ho heave ho here we go." They sailed into eternity's sunset.

Metta.

Transient species

Greetings,

Yes, we, meaning you and I and a billion other H. Saps are all in transit on a spinning rock. Can Earth take care of itself? How does it continually renew itself against the onslaught of too many humans?

How does this process of natural Hobbit reality survive? Wit, guile, cunning, compassion, kindness, love, flash drives and tremors well below the surface of our best intentions. Natural selection. Survival of the fittest, fastest, fashionable.

Self interest and greed=happiness.

Such a mysterious puzzle.

When I am asleep I am awake.

Metta.

MK 71

Greetings from Inner Space,

There was a teacher wearing a green shirt made from trees and heavy plastic pants. He got off a white horse near his school and tried to spit into a canal.

Saliva dribbled down his mouth and onto his amazing pants. His fingers were coated with saliva.

It changed his life. Completely. Forever.

Hear his tale in MK 71...

Metta.

Saturday's Butterfly

Greetings,

Early light, silent, slow step into a garden.

A black and white symmetrical large butterfly is resting, taking shelter after a night of rain tears.

Purple wings. Perfect white colorations. Green leaf security. Do not disturb.

Metta.