Sri Lanka on my mind and in my heart . . .

Welp, it's been a few days, over a week actually since I returned "home" to Tucson from the training in Chaing Mai, Thailand. MetrustymojoMac is now fully refurbished with about $1,000 worth of repairs -- a new logic board, case, battery, DVD unit, etc. -- all wonderfully covered under the Apple Care plan, best $350.00 expense I've had lately . . .

I just left my now mostly empty apartment filled still with accumulated dustballs of my existence. The third, and no doubt last, set of Golden Victorian Oak, mostly repro knockoff, but a few legit pieces, likes the rocking chair from the 1880s and the hatbox/mirror side by side bureau, were hauled off this morning by Tom's Furniture where last year I bought many of the pieces. I got about $.30 to the dollar, not bad considering, and it's only money, and I got a good year worth of pretending I was re-inventing myself here in the Tucson desert in the Armory Park pre-war apartment with hardword floors and ceiling fans and built in bookcases and drawers painted over so many times they did nothing but stick.

Funny thing, I flew back from Thailand on July 20th, exactly one year from the debacle of Jane asking me to di-di-mou, make like a nightmare that should never have happened, and move on down the line of one more love unrequited over, done with, ended like a streak of brilliant, multi-pronged lightening over desert monsoon skies. What an incredible difference a year makes as I close out the Tucson chapter of my journey and prepare to take myself with Chutney on the road again.

Sitting now in the Epic Cafe jacked-in to the wireless, watching the ever-present streetscene and listening to Fleetwood Macs "Sara" with Hall & Oates "She's Gone" next on tap, and yes Sara is gone. Tomorrow Bonnie and I drive over to San Diego to spend a couple of days by the shining sea of the Pacific Ocean and to have lunch with Jan Passion, the Team Manager. My life remains more blessed than I would ever have imagined.

The past week has been spent winding down my full life here and doing gigs for Nonviolent Peaceforce. Last Tuesday, I spoke to about 30 or so peace activist folks, selling about $200 worth of Peace Bonds. Then on Thursday I did a segment on the local Community Radio and Sunday evening did an hour on local cable access tv. Saturday, Bonnie and I drove to the Chiruchua Mountains. I took bunches of pictures, including some sunset shots, which I'll upload one of these days . . .

Gotta split so we'll connect later when we shall . . .

So on this first day back in the USA, I spent a lovely day in one of my favorite City's, the shining City by the Bay, San Fran. I took the BART from SFO into the City and walked all around -- it really is quite small, compared to New York City.

I was able to easily walk along the wharves and waterfront in perfect sunlit, early 70s weather to Fisherman's Wharf, where I had a so-so meal.

Then I walked across town where I took these two shots from the corner of Stockton and Lombard Streets . . .





I then continued walking east until I found North Beach and the City Lights bookstore and many wonderful sidewalks restaurants that I wish I had waited to eat in instead of the tourist-trap meal at Fisherman's Wharf -- oh well . . .





It was a short jaunt through Chinatown to the wonderful gate, near where is the Grant Plaza Hotel where Sara and I stayed in 1986, I think it was, when I came and presented a paper on PTSD and the Family at the yearly conference of National Council on Alcoholism . . .



Welp, let me upload this blog and get to the Air West Gate -- it's about time for me to make the last leg of this pre-journey, the training in Thailand, for the Sri Lankan journey and fly back to Phoenix, where sweet Bonnie will pick me up andd take me to my temporary home in Tucson, to close it out and begin another journey, a countrywide camping trip with Chutney pup to see many friends, family and to say goodbye to the country of my birth before I deploy to Sri Lanka . . .

On the last day of our training we went to a nearby waterfall in the mountains where the Doi Suthep Temple and the nunnery where we trained were located.

Here are some pictures from that final event of the NP Training:



Here are Angela, Soraia and Rita, three of the wonderfully strong and gentle women who I am blessed to share the Sri Lanka Peacemaking experience with . . .



Nonviolent Peacemakers successfully take the Monthanan Waterfall . . .



The ceremonial lotus arrangement with burning incense and candle that we prayed over and blessed ourselves with evoking the best from all of us as we finish the core training and prepare ourselves for deployment to Sri Lanka . . .

First day back in the USA, not my home anymore, a place where my passport is from, where I spent most of my life, even went to war for, but now has become too alien a place for me to safely be . . .

My heart and mind are in other places, Southeast Asian places like I just returned from. Here are some pictures from my last day in Thailand that may show why my heart and mind are there:



The rice paddies behind Ouyporn's, one of our trainers, home in a small village about 45 minutes from Chaing Mai . . .



The rice paddies at sunset, which reminded me so much of Vietnam, filled me with so much gratitude that despite myself I survived to be blessed with the potential to do good peacework, to be a peace warrior in Sri Lanka. The tears just keep flowing as I sit here in SFO listening to the poignant sounds of Chuck Mangione's "Feels so good . . ."

The only Sir Charles that was around was the wonderfully real and gentle Charles from Kenya, taking a moment of quiet reflection looking out upon the early evening sounds of crickets, waterfowl and frogs in the paddies I had taken a barefoot walk on a dike, feeling so blessed to be feeling so safe . . .

Late night/early morning in Bangkok -- very tired and I'm not even jet-lagged yet . . .

Training is done, have some neat pictures which I will upload when I get back to the USA, of the closing ceremony this afternoon at a lovely waterfall. Later, we spent time at Ouyporn's home by some rice paddies about 45 minutes from Chaing Mai in a lovely, jungle verdant scene. I took a walk on the dikes at twilight, getting some lovely shots of the sunset against distant purple mountains, while listening to birds, frogs and crickets gathering dark, and I didn't have to be afraid of anything, could just bask in the beauty and be grateful I survived Vietnam 36 years ago . . .

Really bummed and mightily pissed at Yahoo, who is blocking me from accessing the second account I set up in Chaing Mai after they terminated the first account because apparently someone is using it for illegal/spam purposes. They suck!~!~! As soon as I get settled in and get meMacmojo fixed I will set up an account with a reliable service, which Yahoo certainly is not, at least in my experience . . .

Welp, another day and another connection from Chaing Mai . . .

Training's been touch and practically non-stop; first time in town since 7/11, which there are bunches of here. Go figure.

A bit bummed because meMacmojo is majorly on the fritz. The battery doesn't work and it overheats mightily after about 45 minutes, blocking all of the programs.

I'll try to upload a picture or two before I go meet some folks to go shopping for our goodbye party and get a Starbucks -- Y E S !~!~!
I'm really jonesing . . .



Isn't this a weird plant ? ? ?



Here it is again . . .

Okay, gonna didimoi -- oh that reminds me: in my spare time I read Nicholas DeMille's Up Country. Go figure why I had to delve again back into both what my experience was 36 years ago, and what it was last year in many of the same places where the main character went. Just keep working it all out . . .

Hug each other in peace, love, light, joy and laugher, as a dear friend reminds me from time to time . . .

Half way through the training . . .

Learning lots, especially from the group of folks who will be traveling with me to the project. We'll be deploying in September instead of August -- whew, gives me a bit more time to close out my life in Tucson and to do a road trip with Chutney.

Really rushed, having to get back up the mountain, so will say bye-bye for now, cuz I have to run over to the Night Market and get meFineSelf a Starbucks -- Y E S, Chaing Mai has a Starbucks right across the street from the McDonalds and down the busy street from KFC and one of many 7-11 stores . . .

We are, indeed, one brand . . .

P E A C E

Welp, several days down the training road trail, and we've hit a rough spot or two . . .

The group is hassling with group process as all groups do, and we've hit a few snags around the challenging issues of gender and racism, ie how our cultural prejudices manifest themselves despite our best intentions and highest ideals -- Houston, de honeymoon is over!

As a group, though, the staff and first peaceworkers are dealing with the challenge, effectively I would judge, and I am confident we shall overcome the present painful growing pains of a new organization struggling with implementing the vision from paper and the abstract into the real world of flesh and blood on ground . . .

I am very hopeful and exhilarated by the process, and I am very impressed -- and releived -- after meeting our boss, William Knox, a Brit whose been active in Sri Lankan peace work with other organizations for the past almost decade.

Here are some pics, if they will upload:



A lovely rose in the garden . . .



The Mesa, or altar, I've created in my room or sacred objects from my life with additions from this chapter in Chaing Mai.





One of the two vicious barking, but absolutely with no bite, Guard dogs on the Retreat property . . .




Distant mountains and clouds out of the training room window . . .

One last post today before I go on to other living online and inlife in Thailand . . .



Yep, let's see if I can upload another couple of separate pictures of Rui and Wandera . . .

Rui

Nope, the cyberbugs are randomly attacking reality, so I leave for this day . . .

Bye, give hugs and smiles to each other . . .

Hmmm -- most frustrating cyber bugs in either blogger or Safari . . .

I keep crashing when I try to upload a picture of Rui and Wandera in the previous post, so let me see if I can upload it here . . .

Rui

Nope, for some reason what it was doing before now it just won't do for this pic, so I let go and let Internet . . . ;)

All righty roo de doo -- I am in from Chaing Mai on meMacMojo soooooooo . . .

Here's some pics from last night's celebration:

The group of us candidates and staff fully gathered together:



And here's The All-time Original Kid -- not so original anymore and certainly not a kid anymore:



And, yes, Tucson folks, you are seeing me in full-growing gray beard with fuzzy head . . .

Here's a shot of two of the dearest most wonderful human beings who met here five days ago and formed a deep, lasting friendship, doing a bathroom ritual dance each morning that they shared with the group last night. They are Rui, a 23 year-old from Japan and Wandera, a mother of three from Kenya:



Unfortunately for all of us, neither of them will be continuing with us -- Rui has decided to take a job in the Japanese Cinema industry with an organization that runs film festivals in Japan, where she will advocate for NP activites, and Wandera will return to Kenya after training and be instrumental in organizing and establishing NP Africa.

Here's the poem I wrote yesterday afternoon which metaphorically describes what our Gathering of Light ceremony was last night:

A Gathering of Light . . .

In celebration for the first NP Field Team in Sri Lanka

Out of darkness
the deep black despair
of war-ravaged earth

A light emerges
melds with two others
weaves within another

From all four directions
one by gathering one
more light manifests

All ages
each gender
fully multi-ethnic

Slowly but steadily
each global corner
becomes an integral part

A symphony of delicate light
a full spectrum of rainbows
focuses within the ethereal Self

Becomes a laser of love
to gently spread from Sri Lanka
throughout all the yearning world

The message of compassion
graced with justice
steeped in truth

In a heaven nearby
Martin Luther hugs Gandhi
together they deeply smile

A profusion of comets
perform a grand ballet
across the whole wide Kosmos

June 30, 2003
Chaing Mai, Thailand


Rui

# posted by Thomas Brinson : 2:06 PM