My Blog

Dancing with the Apostles

blake — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 07:53:26 GMT

I made a decision today, that while in Greece in May, to go to Ephesus, Turkey, to the spot where the apostle St. John is buried, and St. Paul preached the early Yeshua teachings to the Ephesians (Romans). It was quite a mystical way it came about today. I have been really delaying making a commitment to which islands to go to in Greece on my upcoming trip back to Europe, and decided today to re-investigate the possibility of Turkey. Since there is nothing going on at work, I had all day to surf the internet and figure out all the possible ways of doing it. I still was unsure though. So many choices and possibilities....and its a huge choice to cross items off my wish list to journey to Turkey. So, at work, my boss Dick has a fantastic daily calendar with awesome images from all over the world. We play a game every day where he blocks the description of the place with a sticky note, and I try to guess where in the world the photo is taken. I'm quite good at the game actually. Anyways, in the midst of trying to figure this Turkey thing out, he switches the calendar to this weekends photo, as we usually do on Fridays. I'm staring at this photo, of this awesome castle on a small island, surrounded by blue and green water, and tightly packed boats on a quay near its base. It looked so much like the water in the Mediterranean, and as I looked closer, I was shocked to see a small Turkish flag on a boat! I thought, OH MY, and ripped the post-it note off, and much to my amazement, read that this castle was in the entrance to the Kusadasi Harbor, the gateway city to the nearby ruin of ancient Greek and Roman Ephesus!!!!!!! Of all the possible places in the world that calendar has had.... it cosmically ended up being the VERY PLACE I was struggling to decide on whether to go to. I really felt like this was some sort of strange cosmic affirmation. So, within a few minutes, I bought a ticket from Athens to Samos island, a Greek island a few kilometers away from Kusadasi. I'll take a short ferry to the mainland from there. So I'm going to Turkey to walk in the footsteps of the Apostles, and stand at the ruined entrance to the largest Roman City in Asia, and the largest library outside of Alexandria, all built upon the even more ancient ruins of a huge Greek city. I guess spirit says I need to go....so here I come!

Europe Rules

blake — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 03:39:08 GMT

I got back from Europe last night, it was a great trip! Here are some of my journal entries from the trip, which was May 17 - June 1. Started out in London, and did St. Pauls, Tower of London, Parliment, and Soho. We took Eurostar in the Chunnel on Sunday, May 20 to Paris. Ah... Paris. We had a fantastique' time there. Our hotel was very close to the Eiffel tower, and directly in front of a bus stop and Metro station. That made getting around this large, and noisy city quick and easy. We got 2 day Paris Visite Cards, good for unlimited travel on the buses and metro, which really made zipping all over ultra simple. I was in heaven there. I loved the cafe's, the scooters, the river, the peoples style, and the weather. What I didn't like as time went on, was the crazy, crazy traffic, and that our hotel room faced a busy street. I liked the hotel, I would just make sure to get a room facing the back alley next time. The real jewel of Paris for me though, was the Rue Cler street area, which we stayed 1 block from. Heavily featured in every Rick Steves books and TV shows about Paris, this pedestrian friendly group of cafe's, shops, and produce stands felt cozy and warm. I would highly recommend it to anyone. Anyways, Tuesday, we left on the TGV out of Paris, bound for the small city of Le Puy en Velay, southwest of Lyon. My travel buddy Glenn has some old friends in the country, and thats where we are now. Its beautiful here, and reminds me totally of the Portland area. So much so, that my grass allergies totally kicked off today. The house and small village we are staying in is surrounded by rolling hills of trees and grass, and ugh... today has been rough. The "hay fever" feeling this afternoon was not too fun. I hope that in Monaco, and Switzerland, my allergies will be gone, as it is different terrain. Our hosts have been fantastic, fixing us wonderful French cuisine on the patio in the near perfect weather. Its so, so quiet here too. A great break after two of the worlds busiest cities of London and Paris. I am glad I brought some small cards that explain my wheat allergy, which has made eating everywhere easy and stress free. We actually met a Canadian woman and daughter in Paris on Rue Cler that was trying to explain to the waiter that SHE was allergic to wheat, and I was able to whip out a card for her, which saved the day. I gave her a few more to photocopy and use during the rest of their trip. Another big plus has been the natural food stores, which are easy to find via internet, and have all the special food I need. This morning we went into the main town of Le Puy itself, about a 20 minute drive through a river gorge lined with castles. Le Puy is a major starting point for the Compostela Pilgrimage trail that runs along the Pyrannes (sp?) mountains, and into Spain. It has the most amazing, and deeply spiritual Cathedral I have ever seen. Built on the side of a volcanic rock tower, the 1200 year old Cathedral towers over the equally old town of Le Puy. I took over two hundred photos alone there. There were several pilgrims starting their journies on the trail, and they all prayed inside the dim, hushed halls of the church below ancient stained glass, and a mighty crystal cross. I was awestruck at the place. This is a city I want to come back to and savior. Our hosts are not able to sight see too much due to health reasons, and it is not possible for me to go to Le Puy on my own due to the remoteness of this village so sadly, we only were there for a few hours, but it was grand... We have one more full day here, and then its back on the TGV for a full day of travel to Nice, and Monaco. The weather reports say it will rain this weekend, the weekend of the Monaco Grand Prix, so think "NO RAIN!". I am really looking forward to the French Riviera. Sounds sooo nice.... Anyways, we are doing great and having a fun. Glenn and I are getting along great. Sometimes he gets locked on to some political thing, but I gently steer him to a new subject and things are fine. [May 24] I had one of those experiences today that will always stay with me forever. Our hosts drove us this afternoon to a clear, deep mountain lake in the French Central Massif mountains. It was so beautiful, perfect weather, puffy clouds, blue water, and a light breeze. The lake reminded me so much of some of my favorite lakes in Oregon. From there we headed north towards a castle I had seen in the far distance on a hilltop while in the Cathedral of Le Puy the day before. A large thunderstorm had sprung up, and in the distance, dark clouds and curtains of rain veiled the horizon. The castle was built on a steep, black spire of volcanic rock. Its stones rising from the twists and turns of the vertical cliffs continued up into a natural fortification. It towered over a small village with red mediterainan tile roofs and very narrow lanes. We parked the car below, and sprinted up the steep, winding trail towards the black gate, trying to beat the storm approaching from the west. Glenn and I saw the signs for the 5 Euro entry fee, but with only 45 minutes til closing, we decided to bypass the ticket office and see if we could get in. We passed into the fortress and the ticket collection booth was totally unmanned, so into the walls we went. We came out in the center of a semi-ruined cluster of buildings, graves, towers and fields of green grass. I went to a high point on the grassy fields, which looked out 360 degrees into the valley 400 feet below. The castles ancient stones laid out before me in a grand arch. The clouds were dark, and sheets of rain and hail could be seen moving closer to us. Lighting flashed all around in the valley and nearby hilltops. Suddently, an opening in the clouds towards the west began to shine beams of light through the rain into the valley below. It was totally amazing. For me, it all came together. This is the reason I wanted to come to Europe. To stand on the ancient grounds of a 1000 year old castle, the crisp breeze blowing my hair, and that brilliant shaft of pure light... It felt divine. A sacred moment in time. I thanked the sky and smiled widely as I gazed around at the lightning dancing close by... the deep rumbles of thunder coming through the valley. I was so happy. What an incredible place this is... [May 29] Gudmörgen from Switzerland! We finally arrived in Swisse after a long drive from 80 degree Nice, France, through Italy, over totally snow covered mountain passes. A very strong storm swept through Europe yesterday...our travel day. We filled our gas tank at the last town in Italy before the big mountain passes, and the attendant pointed to the towering bases of the alps surrounding us, then with his hands, mimed driving a steering wheel, then said loudly, "closed!" Oh no! the pass was closed! We decided to go see for ourselves, and continued driving up. Sure enough, the pass was closed and we joined a long line of cars waiting. It had been closed for hours due to high winds, downed trees and tremendous snow fall. After an hour of waiting, the cars suddenly began moving, and to our delight, we were able to drive the stunning snowy pass into Swisse. We made it to Tachè at 7:15 pm, 45 minutes before the roads were to be closed for the night! Yikes! So, here we are, in Zermatt, Swisse, at the base of the Matterhorn. There is 12" of snow on the ground, and the Alps are so beautiful. I caught my first glimpse of the Matterhorn this morning in a brief clearing, and it was amazing! We had a great time in Monaco over the weekend for the Monaco Grand Prix, although it was very hectic. I have never seen so many people with as much money as I have there. Gigantic super yachts, million dollar cars, the whole deal. It was quite a show. i think i prefer the alps. But, it was a great experience to be at the races. Security was ultra tight, but Glenn has a buddy on the Honda racing team, and following the race, we were able to go into the pits and take photos of the cars. That is normally impossible, and we were very, very lucky to do that. [More to come......]

Dead Can Dance - First Show of North American Tour

blake — Mon, 19 Sep 2005 03:54:37 GMT

Seattle, September 17th, in the year 2005 What can I say. I love this band. Their music over many, many years has had a huge hand in shaping who I am as a person. I have played and sang along to their music countless moments when I am jubilant, when I am feeling sad and emotional, and when I am alone camping in the woods. And so, during the opening song of the first show on their first North American tour in 9 years, I was filled with graditude. Overwhelming graditude for the gift of these amazing songwriters, artists, and human beings who have been such a helping hand throughout life. Brendan Perry's voice was clear and beautiful. Lisa Gerrard was angelic. A great show with alot of their older popular songs being my personal high-lights. My only 2 critiques are: I felt like the backing musicians were not as rich musically as on the Spiritchaser tour in 1996, could have been the sound too...don't know; and also I got slightly tired of what sounded like the same slightly depressing song sung alone by Lisa and a synth keyboard, re-hashed about 5 times during the set. I know they were different songs, but they were so similar, they were...dare I say it...I can't believe I am going to say...it....they were BORING. Ugh, don't tell ANYONE I said that. But we were treated to TWO encore's, after teasing the applauding/stomping audience with the longest encore wait in concert history. I actually thought they were not coming back out, but they did. Silly folk. I had a wonderful time in Seattle. I took a morning ferry out to Bainbridge Island in Puget Sound the next day after the concert, just to feel the salt air blasting at my watering eyes, and be out on the water for an hour. Such a treat. It makes me want to travel again, a common problem I seem to have.

Ashland Wellsprings Summer Music Fest

blake — Thu, 30 Jun 2005 05:32:31 GMT

Ashland Wellsprings Summer Music Fest & weekend healing gathering with The Casbah Restaurant & Bedouin Tent! When: July 15th – 17th Where: Jackson Wellsprings (Ashland, Oregon) Tentative Schedule - Featuring Music by: Friday: Alma Melidioso - One At Last (formerly Lost At Last!) Saturday: Windsong & Kat Del Rio - Satya Yuga - Freedom Sunday: Scott Huckabay - Sasha Butterfly - Wisdom - Jah Levi Also featuring: many surprise guests! Keep checking back here at PazMusic.org for updates on the schedule. Besides the day/eve music festivities we’re having special “Magic Midnight Shows” on Fri/Sat nights! - See below about offering up your music for those nights... http://www.pazmusic.org This is it! All the big hitters (except Shimshai). But, oh, what a festival! See you all there! ----Blake

T'was a Beautiful Day

blake — Thu, 09 Jun 2005 06:13:46 GMT

The heart is a bloom Shoots up through the stony ground There's no room No space to rent in this town You're out of luck And the reason that you had to care The traffic is stuck And you're not moving anywhere You thought you'd found a friend To take you out of this place Someone you could lend a hand In return for grace It's a beautiful day Sky falls, you feel like It's a beautiful day Don't let it get away You're on the road But you've got no destination You're in the mud In the maze of her imagination You love this town Even if that doesn't ring true You've been all over And it's been all over you It's a beautiful day Don't let it get away It's a beautiful day Touch me Take me to that other place Teach me I know I'm not a hopeless case See the world in green and blue See China right in front of you See the canyons broken by cloud See the tuna fleets clearing the sea out See the Bedouin fires at night See the oil fields at first light And see the bird with a leaf in her mouth After the flood all the colors came out It was a beautiful day Don't let it get away Beautiful day Touch me Take me to that other place Reach me I know I'm not a hopeless case What you don't have you don't need it now What you don't know you can feel it somehow What you don't have you don't need it now Don't need it now Was a beautiful day - Bono

The Trans-Russia Expedition

blake — Tue, 17 May 2005 03:01:02 GMT

Well, the Japan trip is back on for my work. In around 30 days I leave for a week or two in Nagoya, Japan, where I will inspect a turboprop aircraft for purchase and import into the U.S.. RAD! That sounds pretty flippin awesome. I'll be only an hour or two away from Kyoto, which I have wanted to go my entire life. So I am feverishly reading the Rough Guide on Japan like a madman. But there is more to the story. I am to fly back with the airplane. That sounds fine on paper, but tonight I began looking into it more, and I am getting nervous. The plane is not very big, and the distance is large, considering we have to take a more western and then northerly route over Siberia because we need to refuel every 1500 miles or so. I am thinking we would have to go to Vladivostok, just north of North Korea, then up through Siberia to Magadan, and spend the night in Anadyr. Maybe. Then its onto Nome, another night in Anchorage, then another two days back home. I think. Russia is serious. You just don't fly there with out making sure all your paperwork is in order, and you have the proper clearances. We will need a Russian navigator and interpreter. So its hitting me that this is really an expedition of somesorts. An adventure of a lifetime for sure. And I really don't think the people at my work have any clue as to how big it is. I don't want to go unless I feel comfortable with the mission. Its a doosy. I need to be assured that we have our shit together. I'd rather not be shot down, or wind up lost in eastern Siberia. But the adventure sounds awesome. And now that its summer, its going to be beautiful. The world from above is quite a sight, one I never get tired of. So...off to think about all that...

Lost in Translation - post Asia

blake — Mon, 09 May 2005 05:58:45 GMT

I just finished watching the movie 'Lost in Translation' for the second time. The first was prior to my recent trip to Asia, and although I liked it the first time, I completely adore this movie now that I am post-Asia. I am all giggly and happy. I loved the feeling of the movie, all of the bizzare and strange things that make Asia...Asia. I love it. And I miss it. I am in such a travel mood the last few weeks. If I could, I would be on a plane right now, this moment. As a bonus, my work says I am going to Japan this month...but I am not sure if I believe them, they have taunted me with too many empty rainbows in the past. But I want to go so bad... Tokyo. I want to go Japan again. I want to have that travel feeling again. That feeling of complete awe. Every moment is filled with something you have never seen before. And then sometimes there is the feeling of being an alien on another planet. Then there is the satisfaction and joy of making it back to your hostel via a taxi, and arriving without being scammed, and without speaking a word of the language. Yes! I love it!

Dear Company President,

blake — Sat, 30 Apr 2005 06:08:50 GMT

I will rise above this transition and transmorphing no longer playing small to some corporate motherfucker what is this ascending releasing, clutching combustion tidal wave La illaha, il allahu there is no God, but God I have tasted the edge of it the sleight of hand of this seeming mortal wasteland I stay late every day so you can have it all corporate motherfucker soul hunter greedy pig unsanctified brat I will not prostrate before insolence before insanity before your hollowness hide behind your daddy little muscle man with the empty plate there is no God, but God and you are not it every breath every look upward is for the other world I will rise above this

I am filled with...

blake — Thu, 21 Apr 2005 05:15:33 GMT

Sushi and Sake. Two of the best treats on planet earth. Of course there is also grilled cheese sandwiches with pickles....but tonight, it was a Japanese extraveganza of tantilizing tastes. Then there was the sunset after dinner. We stood around, open jawed at the huge cloulds lit up with a stunning display of orange wispy-ness and deep reds. Then one of my friends I dined with, came whipping around a street corner on his Kawasaki Ninja, and shattering the peacefull trance, initiated a perfect, 200 ft long wheelie as he screamed by. Totally in contrast to the sky. But it was funny. In fact, I love it. I am sure it was the sake. It makes EVERYTHING funny.

Check one

blake — Wed, 20 Apr 2005 05:44:16 GMT

Oh my goodness gravy. Lets see, this is where I am going to declare my ultimate plans to end all the horror that plagues this mortal world. Someday. And you know, beyond that horror, and beyond the idea's of whats "right" and "not right", there was that beach, on the oregon coast where, as I gazed into the setting sun, I could FEEL everything around me...the rock, the birds, the moon, the pink clouds, the tears on my cold cheeks, were all my brothers and sisters...connected, allways in motion, forever just a small part, of the unchanging, ever PRESENT Creator.