On-On: Lucky #13

I'd like to say that I'm just a little superstitious about the number 13, but I have to be honest. I think the real reason why it's taken me an extra week to do this post is that I just didn't want to admit that my trip was really over. You know what they say: "de Nile ain't just a river in Egypt." But here I am, and I'm happy to be home. Before I get into all that, I do want to share a few things about my last week on Guam.

On Saturday I had my "going away party" at The Venue. Of all the good spots on the island to

check out live music or just grab a drink during Happy Hour, this was my first and last favorite. Vicky's mom hooked up the catering (much love!), and a lot of good peoples came out to say peace and just enjoy the night. It was an added bonus to be having my party upstairs in the The Loft while my favorite local band was playing downstairs. If you've been following this blog since December, you know I have love for the live music scene on Guam. But if you know me beyond this blog, you know that I'm not the one to blow smoke for the sake of another musician's ego. That being said, Rebel Lion is legit. There were legit when I first checked them at the Guam Music Festival, and they're legit every week at The Venue. So when we packed up the party in The Loft around 1am, I was happy to relax and enjoy one last show with the folks for a few more hours downstairs.

I think I was halfway through my last Stella when my friend Toby talked me into joining him for a little adventure the next day. Maybe I should have been skeptical, based on his vague answers when I asked what exactly the adventure would entail. But I trust Toby, and we hadn't really spent quality time since I met him on our trip to Fiji in January. All I knew was that it would involve running, and that I should bring water and a long-sleeved shirt. I figured I would go out with a bang on my last weekend on-island, so I agreed to meet him at the rendezvous point the next day.

Damn, I'm glad I did. I have now been initiated into the wild and beautiful world of "hashing." For those who aren't familiar (I wasn't until two weekends ago), this kind of hashing has nothing do to with corned beef or Indian herbs. In a nutshell, a "hash" is like Survivor, meets an Easter egg hunt, meets summer camp, meets a college keg party. I gave a lot of thought to how I would describe this experience on my blog, but part of me always knew I would never even try. So at this point, all I will say is, you had to be there. It's definitely not for everyone, but for me, it was magic. Thank you Toby.

My last Sunday on Guam was set aside officially for family time. That's what brought me to Guam, so that's how I wanted to go out. Vicky's parents prepared the feast—do you see a trend here? Crab... steak... and other stuff that can't remember because of the crab and steak. Once "the itis"* set in, I succumbed to a short food coma on the couch.

Monday, March 8th, was officially the longest day of my life. At 2:00 am we headed to the airport. At 4:00 am I boarded my flight for the first leg of my journey back home. Four hours later I landed in Tokyo, but due to the time change, it wasn't 8:00 am, it was only 7:00 am. After a 9-hour layover in Narita Airport (God Bless Expedia.com) I boarded a 4:00 pm plane for California. Here's the kicker... after 9-hour flight I landed in Los Angeles at 9:00 am... ON MONDAY!!! My two hour layover in LAX turned into a four-hour layover, "due to bad weather in San Francisco," which could only mean that American Airlines just fucked something up. But at that point, I didn't really know what day it was (even though it was still Monday), so a few more hours was no big deal.

At the beginning of this post I mentioned that I was in denial about my trip ending, but that I'm happy to be home, so now let me explain a little more. I still haven't accepted that I won't be going to the beach this week (at least not without a wetsuit). And I haven't accepted that I'll have to make my own damn finadine for the foreseeable future. And after a lifetime of being fortunate to travel a lot, this is the first time that I've returned to the Bay Area without having that visceral, video game-like "power-up" feeling. No, I'm not exactly doing cartwheels right now.

But, what I can really appreciate is that my "home" is not a place. It's not the apartment I moved out of before my trip. It's not the house or houses where I grew up. For me, my home is only one thing... the people that I call family. In that sense, this trip has only made my home bigger and more beautiful. I felt that every time someone welcomed me at their dinner table or offered me their couch. I felt that when I met The Notorious D.A.D. at baggage claim at SFO on Monday. On that note, I'll wrap up this thirteenth post by saying the only appropriate thing I can think of. Thank you all!!!

PS: This is not the end of "Live From Tomorrow." Next stop, Johannesburg, South Africa... so, in the tradition of The Hash... "On-On!"

*"The Itis" is a chronic, debilitating condition, prevalent in Oakland, California, but also found in humans throughout the world. Symptoms include temporary lack of motivation, the need to take a power-nap, and a willingness to de-prioritize any previously-important obligations. Different cultures have dealt with this age-old condition in different ways. While Puritans often attributed the itis to original sin, many Latin American societies have adopted the siesta as a way to deal with this mysterious force of nature.

Bibliography of My Trip (updated on 3/13/10)

> Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human - by Richard Wrangham (2009)

> Angels & Demons - by Dan Brown (2000)

> Last Words: A Memoir - by George Carlin (2009)

> Say You're One of Them - by Uwem Akpan (2008)

> Long Walk to Freedom - by Nelson Mandela (1994)

> The Da Vinci Code - by Dan Brown (2003)

> Guns, Germs & Steel: The Fates of Human Societies - by Jared Diamond (1997)

> Foundation & Earth - by Isaac Asimov (1986)

> Living Poor: A Peace Corps Chronicle - by Moritz Thomsen (1969)

> The Alchemist - by Paulo Coelho (1988)

> Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America - by Barbara Ehrenreich (2001)

> Don Quixóte - by Miguel de Cervantes (1605/1615)

> Waiting for Snow in Havana: Confessions of a Cuban Boy - by Carlos Eire (2003)

> The Bluest Eye - by Toni Morrison (1970)

> Before Night Falls - by Reinaldo Arenas (1992)

> Moby Dick - by Herman Melville (1851)

> Angela's Ashes - by Frank McCourt (1996)

> Cross Country - James Patterson (2008)

A Word on Water

This week was pretty basic in my personal life, but a few things going on made me want to write about the ocean.

I didn't include "The Beach" in last week's list of "5 Things I Missed About Guam," only because I'd been in New Zealand, which has its fair share of beautiful bluffs and shores. All the same, I did miss Guam's beaches, and I was lucky to visit two new ones this week. It started on Monday with a trip to Tanguisson Beach. After a month in the not-so-tropical waters on New Zealand, it was nice to enjoy the warm water without having to piss myself.

On Saturday I visited Rotidian, which is now officially my favorite beach on Guam. Unfortunately, I forgot my book, so I was forced to just lounge, drink Coronas, go for a run, and enjoy the surf. Short of being in New Orleans circa August 2005, there is no better way to appreciate the power of water than to step into the ocean. This is especially true when there's a strong undertow or current, like there was at Rotidian that day. If I picked the right spot, I could actually swim in place, using the current as an aquatic treadmill. But that was a little much after a beer and a run, so I went retro and decided to play one of my all-time favorite games from childhood... Jell-O.

Many of you have played this game as kid on a long car trip—it's simple. You just let your body go limp, and "accidentally" smash the brother/sister/cousin sitting next to you every time the car takes a turn. Well, when we were little, my brothers and I used to play a beach version of this game in the summer. Basically, you lie down on the edge of the ocean, where there's almost enough water to cover your body, then you go limp and let nature do its thing. It's not as violent as the road-trip version of the game, but there is something sublime about just "going with the flow." You may end up a hundred yards down the beach; or, you may end up getting sucked in and body-slammed into a mass of coral.

That brings me to the not-so-fun side of water. My prayers go out to the people of Western Europe that got slammed this week in the storms and flooding. My thoughts are also with the people of Chile as they try to put their lives and country back together. I was in Hawaii in 2004 when the Indian Ocean Tsunami wrecked Indonesia. This time, I found myself in the middle of a Pacific region-wide tsunami warning, resulting from the 8.8 earthquake in South America. I fell asleep on Saturday night to the sounds of CNN predicting that a wave would probably hit Guam around 1pm the next day. The scariest part was the wait, and not knowing what the next day would bring. I had not had that exact feeling since I fell asleep on Sunday October 20, 1991. Thankfully, the tsunami warning was cancelled, and the only fallout for me was a nixed boat trip to go check out the local dolphins.

A big part of the reason why my mind has been on the ocean is that I'm thirty pages shy of finishing Moby Dick. I felt a sad irony when I read about Tilikum, the orca, making the third human kill of his career in captivity. There's been a strong outcry from the animal rights community, and a lot of defensive responses from Sea World and the rest of the animal entertainment industry. Ultimately, reading Herman Melville's classic makes me appreciate how ridiculous it is to argue that it makes sense to capture a 12,000 pound whale and keep him in a pool. All that being said, rest in peace to Dawn Brancheau.

So those are my thoughts on water, the power of the ocean, and how untamable it really is. Signing off until next week.

Pura Vida,

Drew

5 Things I Missed About Guahan

I'm back "home" on Guam after a month away from the island. I thought I'd change up the format a little for this post, so here goes my "5 Things I Missed About Guahan" list, in no particular order.

5. GUAM FISHERMEN'S CO-OP

Located on the water next to Chamorro Village. Where else can you get sushi this fresh, and this tasty at this price? This is what 5 dollars worth looks like:

4. THE VENUE

Just a few blocks away from home, and also from my favorite food spot (see #5) is my favorite drank spot. The Venue almost always has a live band playing downstairs, with a DJ in the upstairs room a few nights a week. I'm looking forward to having my going away party there next Friday.

3. WE ARE GUAHAN

The movement's been moving since I've been gone. Just over a week ago, the Governor introduced an Executive Order to officially change the the name of the island (back) to Guahan, which means "What We Have." On Tuesday we attended U.S. Congresswoman Madeline Bordallo's annual address to the island's Congress. This week was also the deadline for public comment on the military buildup, so We Are Guahan was present in full effect at the address. Now that the deadline has passed, the focus in on getting Obama to speak with the community, not just "on-base," when he visits next month. On Sunday I checked out a campaign party/rally on the beach for gubernatorial candidate, Carl Gutierrez, to round out my week in politics. Mr. Gutierrez wrapped up his speech by saying that he was unequivocally in favor of the military build-up, and it seemed to me that most of the crowd was also. It was a little weird when the band that came on after the speech started of their set by covering John Mayer's "Waiting on the World to Change," and then followed up with "Zombies" by The Cranberries. I was catching mixed messages, but as always, I enjoyed the music and the free hot dogs and beer.

2. Vicky and the Folks

The Chamorro family love has been good to me! The Leon Guerreros are still putting up with me with a smile! The homies are ridiculous, and this week was no exception. Ronnie's birthday dinner was a good time, even when it turned into a roast. Saturday was Hush Masquerade which turned out to be the best party party that I've been to on Guam. Live House band (as in house music, not as in the same tired ass musicians every week); DJ's who still play music from California, and a finale performance from Jovan the Oddchild and Million Billion. Melvin (aka Million Billion) is one of the handful of folks on-island that I had met before I got here; but, I hadn't seen him perform since we met in Hawaii (2006?), so that was cool.

1. The Sunsets

Last Week with my Kiwi Family

Last week started with Super Bowl Monday... yes, I said Super Bowl Monday. Remember, this blog is called "Live From Tomorrow." I had a few hours to kill during the day while my friend was recording the game for later viewing, so I strolled down to Courtney Place in downtown Wellington to do a little book shopping. I had spent the previous two weeks laboring through Don Quixote, which I had been meaning to read for a long time. The first 50 pages were hilarious; unfortunately, the book is just over a thousand pages. Let's just say if someone tells you to read it, don't. I guess some books are just a lot more important than they are good. Needless to say, I was looking forward to redeeming myself with a better choice, so I took my sweet time in the aisles of Arty Bee's Books. You know it's a good bookstore when they have three copies of Cane River and two copies of Red River.

After a couple of hours of shopping, I headed over to the folks' spot for the big game. The weekend before I was watching the Rugby 7's final, so it was nice to be the one answering all the questions about the rules of the game for a change. I will admit, I had to ask a kiwi friend which teams were actually playing in the Super Bowl, since I hadn't actually watched a football game since last November. We made it a point to keep it real... so we found a store that sold Miller, chips and dip, and some franks for the grill. It's amazing how short the Super Bowl is when you take out all the commercials.

After the game I headed back downtown to catch my friend, James Nokise, hosting a stand up comedy night. Then, just for old times sake, I joined in on a midnight guerrilla marketing run. Sometimes I miss the smell of wheat paste and glue, but truth be told, I'll be alright if I never pass out another event flyer for the rest of my life. There were two other highlights of the rest of the week in Wellington. One was watching a completely off-the-hook Korean movie called "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance." The second was catching a play called "Vernon God Little," directed by Willem Wassenaar and Sophie Roberts (one of my lovely hosts!).

Later that week, I hopped on a train to head back north to Auckland for my last weekend in the land of the Kiwis. The plan was to go out in style. Friday night was Summer Jam, so I headed to Rakino's to check it out. A few weeks back I had connected with local MC, Bella Shanti, when her group, Shine Forum, was opening up for dead prez. This time they invited me to join them on the mic for a freestyle session while DJ Manuel Bundy handled the turntables with true class and finesse. After the cypher, I stuck around for a while to catch The Brofessionals, a quality live soul band. The skills were tight and the energy was right, so stay tuned for a Sok and Shine Forum collaboration, in the works as we speak.

The next night was the true coup d'grace of my trip to New Zealand... Palais Du Chat. Technically, it was a house party, but to call it that would just be misleading. Just ask yourself, when is the last time you saw a live trapeze act at a "house party?" I didn't think so.

This function was complete... full service bar... poker table... cabaret... siamese twin dancers... walking on the ceiling! Tom Rodwell invited me again to join him on piano during his blues & calypso set. I love my keyboard, but there is nothing like playing a real upright. I also love Yoshi's and the like, but there's is nothing like live blues in a true party setting where people are dancing... almost on top of the piano. Honestly, it felt like a scene from Idlewild... a true Prohibition-era gitdown! After Tom's set, I joined DJ Barney on the turntables, and we kept the dance floor on meltdown until well after 3am. After a little slow-dancing, and a lot of trying to get people to leave, the night wound down to just four of us.

It was a beautiful night... I woke up the next morning, literally humming Jamiroquai's "Do You Know Where You're Coming From?" So that's where I'll leave you until next week... (click below)

"What I was humming to myself when I woke up the next morning"

Bibliography of My Trip (updated on 2/16/10)

> Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human - by Richard Wrangham (2009)

> Angels & Demons - by Dan Brown (2000)

> Last Words: A Memoir - by George Carlin (2009)

> Say You're One of Them - by Uwem Akpan (2008)

> Long Walk to Freedom - by Nelson Mandela (1994)

> The Da Vinci Code - by Dan Brown (2003)

> Guns, Germs & Steel: The Fates of Human Societies - by Jared Diamond (1997)

> Foundation & Earth - by Isaac Asimov (1986)

> Living Poor: A Peace Corps Chronicle - by Moritz Thomsen (1969)

> The Alchemist - by Paulo Coelho (1988)

> Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America - by Barbara Ehrenreich (2001)

> Don Quixóte - by Miguel de Cervantes (1605/1615)

> Waiting for Snow in Havana: Confessions of a Cuban Boy - by Carlos Eire (2003)

Weekend in Wellington

I may have come to Wellington for the craziest weekend of the year. After a 10-hour drive south from Auckland we pulled into New Zealand's capital city, parked the car, and sat down for a pair of beers and a basket of curly fries. Later that night we checked out a funny, funky play called Pirates vs Ninjas. The production is written, directed and produced by Anya Tate-Manning, who also happens to be one of my hosts in New Zealand. In fact, a lot of the friends I've made here are in the theater community, so it was cool to see them in action.

I had been warned the Wellington would be a little... well... "different" this weekend. It was very true, for three reasons.

First off, Saturday was Waitangi Day, a national holiday to commemorate the signing of the Treaty between the British Crown and the Maori chiefs. I mentioned before that the treaty is somewhat controversial, and I've learned a little bit more about that since I arrived in Wellington. The treaty was translated into Maori before it was signed in 1840. Years later, it came to light that the Maori translation was a little different than the English version. Not a big deal when you're dubbing over a japanimation flic, but this is the founding document of the country. It's kind of like of your version of the First Ammendment said, "Congress shall only make a few laws respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, of the press; or the right of the people peacebeably to assemble, and the petition the Government for a redress of greivances." You can see why Waitangi is a sensitive subject.

The second reason why this weekend was special is that Saturday was also the birthday

of Robert Nesta Marley. I had plans to attend Wellington's One Love Festival, but I heard he was going to be a no-show so I backed out too. Instead, I had a more personal Marley Fest on my iPhone and at a friends BBQ, enjoying about three or four of his albums throughout the day. My personal favorite is still Kaya. The BBQ was also cool because I tried my very first Ostrich Sausage, which, to my surprise, does NOT taste like chicken.

The third, and wackiest, reason why this was a "different" weekend in Wellington was that the International Rugby Sevens World Series was in town. Rugby Sevens is a small-sided variation of the game with a lot more speed, and a few less scrums. Every year when the Sevens come to Wellington, the city turns into a two-day party. Imagine Halloween, the Bay to Breakers, Mardi Gras, and All-Star Weekend all rolled up into one, and then you're halfway there.

I didn't attend the actual games (most folks don't, they just get dressed up and go nuts), but I did get a little caught up in the fun. While cruising down the wharf, we came across a massive restaurnat with a few hundred folks hanging off the balcony, all facing the walkway. Hmmm... I wondered what they were all watching? So I went inside to investigate (and to have another beer).Apparently, the walkway out front was actually more of a runway... or a catwalk of shame?

I watched from above as groups in costume filed into the restaurant below. My friends and I were pretty juiced when Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior, and Macho Man Randy Savage showed up in full wrestling gear. It was all fun and games until we spotted a SECOND pair, also dressed as the Hulk and The Ultimate Warrior. Now, anyone that's seen a decent science fiction movie knows that this would have dangerous repercussions for the fabric of the Universe... apparently, the drunken wrestlers agreed. Next thing I new, the catwalk had transformed into a makeshift WWF* wrestling ring and the crowd went wild! These guys were actually pretty good... DDT's, pile drivers, the suplex press... even a few "chops" to the shoulders and chest (do those actually hurt?)

I won't give all the details on what I witnessed from the balcony, but most of it involved peer pressure and countdowns.

After that show, we headed to the other side of the wharf or a quick jump off the pier. No, we're

not trying to look hard, it was just some cold ass water. From there, we headed to the BBQ, and

then to a bar to catch the finals of the Sevens: Fiji vs Samoa. Based on my recent travels, I decided I was going for Fiji. Plus, the buddy I was with is Samoan, so I thought that would make it more interesting.

The next day was relatively calm and collected. I got to meet up with Toya, and old friend from high school who's been traveling in Australia and New Zealand for the last 5 months. We swapped war stories and book recommendations. We shared thoughts about how amazingly hospitable the world can be, and what it will be like to come home to The Bay. We ordered gumbo and fried chicken: the food was cool, but a little overrated, and not quite worthy of Nina's Blog. I think when I get home one of my first stops will be Lois the Pie Queen!

Pura Vida,

Drew

*Any self-respecting 80's baby refuses to use the term WWE. No disrespect to the panda bears intended, but WWF will always stand for World Wrestling Federation.

R.I.P. JD, Long Live DP

Some of you may be thinking, "Drew, Dilla's been dead for a while now." Others of you are probably scratching your head, thinking "what is the title of this blog about?" The rest of you have already poured a glass of whiskey and toasted to the interesting and obscure memory of JD Salinger, one of the most influential (if not prolific) writers of the 20th century. At least, that's what we did to commemorate his passing last week.

Back when I was a teenager working on my first album (onescore minus eleven years ago), I also happened to be reading "Catcher in the Rye." I don't think I ever really told anyone, but part of the album is directly inspired by (stolen from?) this book. Here, take a listen and see if you can spot it now:

Interlude 1 (Track 4 from Elenchus: The Album)

Well, that's pretty much how I felt about playing the piano for a long time... not exactly shy, just real personal. It really wasn't until I started performing a lot in other capacities that I got real comfortable playing piano "for other people." I'm glad I finally did, because one of my favorite things about traveling abroad is jumping on board with local bands and trying to keep up. From busking in the street with teenagers in Salvador, Bahia, to jammin' with a Mexican reggae band, I've had my fair share of interesting impromptu performances... and they've been some of the most fun of my life.

Last week was no exception, as Tom Rodwell invited me to play a set with him and at the Wine Cellar. If you're not familiar with the music just check out my last post for a taste. Anyway, I was obviously juiced to jump on board, and the show was even more fun than I expected. Tom on guitar, Joe Pineapple on bass, Shadow on harmonica, and me on the old upright! About 3 minutes into the second set, the venue became a sweat box, but that did not stop the ladies on the dance floor (but at least one of them had to change outfits halfway through). Damn, calypso is fun!

So, now your probably thinking, "I still don't understand the title of this post." Well, now I'll finish explaining: last Thursday dead prez (dp) was here in Auckland "Small world!" That's pretty much all Stic.Man could say when I caught up with him coming out of sound check. My friend and Napalm Clique accomplice, Unity, just released some music featuring Stic, so it was cool to finally get it into his hands (I don't think he'd heard the track since the recording session). Here, have a listen:

"Let's Ride" - Unity feat Stic.Man (of dead prez)

The show was quality, and it reminded me of being back on Guam. See, New Zealand has its own (ugly) history of oppressed indigenous people, the Maori. We know what side of the argument dead prez is on wherever they go, so it was no surprise when they hung the Maori flag from the DJ booth. I couldn't help but notice the parallel to my Chamorro friends passing the "Reclaim Guahan" banner on stage during Ooklah the Moc's performance at the Guam Music Festival over a month ago.

Whenever I travel, one of my favorite sayings comes to mind: "same sh*t, different toilet." But here, its important to point out some key differences between the status of the indigenous populations on the three islands I've visited.

The government of Fiji is run by native Fijians (Melanesians), after a 2006 military coup ousted a predominantly Indo-Fijian government on the grounds of corruption. The Parliament building still remains empty (except for the maintenance crew that still cleans it everyday), the Constitution has been suspended, and no elections have been held. For this reason, Fiji was expelled from the Pacific Forum last year.

In contrast, the native Chamorros of Guam hold MANY local offices on Guam, but cannot be said to "control" their government. Ultimately, Guam is run by the U.S. Department of the Interior, whose leader (Secretary) is not elected by anyone! Even if you trust Obama, who appoints the Secretary of the Interior, I hope you recognize a slight conflict of interest here in light of the U.S. Government's historic and future plans for the island. To put it crudely, Ken Salazar of Colorado is currently the King of Guam!

The situation in New Zealand lies somewhere in between. Where Guam has the Organic Act, New Zealand has the Treaty of Waitangi of 1840, between the British Crown and the Maori chiefs of the North Island. While both documents are as controversial as they are condescending, the Maori have been able to leverage the Treaty in the last few decades to win many monetary and land concessions or settlements. I have a lot to learn about the subject, but my sense is that the Maori have been gaining ground while the Chamorros have been losing it. May the force be with We Are Guahan!

This week I will be traveling south to Wellington and and other surrounding areas. One place I will be visiting is the last "majority-Maori" area in New Zealand. As always, I look forward to getting my education live and in-person.

Pura Vida,

Drew

FUSHNCHUPS! (aka Fish & Chips)

I've made my way to Auckland, New Zealand, and what a beautiful city it is! It's obvious why they shoot so many movies here (Lord of the Rings, Avatar, King Kong, etc.) One my first night in town my friend and host, Colleen, took me to the Wine Cellar. I was treater to plum wine and some seriously good live blues, courtesy of Tom Rodwell (guitar) and Joe Pineapple (bass). The music was so good I just had to bootleg the concert on my iPhone. Here, have a listen:

Feelin' Good @ The Wine Cellar

I've had some top notch "tour guides" since the second I got here. So, when I'm not reading or watching the 1st season of "The Wire" (caution: may be more habit-forming than the Cheesesteak Shop), I'm off visiting another corner of this beautiful island.

Marine Reserve near Long Bay

Black Iron Sand Beaches of Waitakere

Looting Grandma's Garden at Orewa Beach

I knocked down three good books last week. Living Poor: A Peace Corps Chronicle, was recommended by Colleen. More than anything, it made want to stop B-S'ing and finish my application (I did one of the essays last week!).

I picked up Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America back at Hafa Books, the used bookstore on Guam. It was interesting and damn funny, but it wasn't exactly breaking news. The saddest part about it was realizing how much the (U.S.) economy has tanked since the book was published in 2001, and that things have only gotten worse for most folks.

My friend, Jamie, recommended The Alchemist as a great short read that would be perfect for me on my journey... she was right. Paulo Coelho manages to squeeze a whole lot of food for thought into the story, but one parable stuck out as deep and relevant to my life right now. So, here goes:

A certain shopkeeper sent his son to learn about the secret of happiness from the wisest man in the world. The lad wandered through the desert for forty days, and finally came upon a beautiful castle, high atop a mountain. It was there that the wise man lived.

Rather than finding a saintly man, though, our hero, on entering the main room of the castle, saw a hive of activity: tradesmen came and went, people were conversing in the corners, a small orchestra was playing soft music, and there was a table covered with platters of the most delicious food in that part of the world. The wise man conversed with everyone, and the boy had to wait for two hours before it was his turn to be given the man's attention.

The wise man listened attentively to the boy's explanation of why he had come, but told him that he didn't have time just then to explain the secret of happiness. He suggested that the boy look around the palace and return in two hours.

'Meanwhile, I want to ask you to do something,' said the wise man, handing the boy a teaspoon that held two drops of oil. 'As you wander around, carry this spoon with you without allowing the oil to spill.'

The boy began climbing and descending the many stairways of the palace, keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. After two hours, he returned to the room where the wise man was.

'Well,' asked the wise man, 'did you see the Persian tapestries that are hanging in my dining hall? Did you see the garden that it took the master gardener ten years to create? Did you notice the beautiful parchments in my library?'

The boy was embarrassed and confessed that he had observed nothing. His only concern had been not to spill the oil that the wise man had entrusted to him.

'Then go back and observe the marvels of my world,' said the wise man. 'You cannot trust a man if you don't know his house.'

Relieved, the boy picked up the spoon and returned to his exploration of the palace, this time observing all of the works of art on the ceilings and the walls. He saw the gardens, the mountains all around him, the beauty of the flowers, and the taste with which everything had been selected. Upon returning to the wise man, he related in detail everything he had seen.

'But where are the drops of oil I entrusted to you?' asked the wise man.

Looking down at the spoon he held, the boy saw that the oil was gone.

'Well, there is only one piece of advice I can give you,' said the wisest of wise men. 'The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil in the spoon.'

Bibliography of My Trip

> Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human - by Richard Wrangham (2009)

> Angels & Demons - by Dan Brown (2000)

> Last Words: A Memoir - by George Carlin (2009)

> Say You're One of Them - by Uwem Akpan (2008)

> Long Walk to Freedom - by Nelson Mandela (1994)

> The Da Vinci Code - by Dan Brown (2003)

> Guns, Germs & Steel: The Fates of Human Societies - by Jared Diamond (1997)

> Foundation & Earth - by Isaac Asimov (1986)

> Living Poor: A Peace Corps Chronicle - by Moritz Thomsen (1969)

> The Alchemist - by Paulo Coelho (1988)

> Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America - by Barbara Ehrenreich (2001)

Reading list continued on 2/16 post