Saturday, May 24, 2008


...and the beach in mist...

The forest in Wiselka.

Bohemian Hall

I just got back from Bohemian Hall - a house of Czech and Slovak people abroad. Katarina was celebrating graduating from college. She got a BA in anthropology. I met Katka over 4 years ago in math class when she was just beginning her studies and I was taking math in preparation for a degree in oceanography, which I eventually abandoned when I found my true calling. I am so happy for Katka. I wrote about Katka before and our lifes' experiences and our growth. It seems like ages ago since we met. We were so green then... Now we are so different. We went to a Slovakian restaurant and enjoyed conversation about the past, present and the future. Katka decided she wants to go back to Slovakia and start her own business. That's the only wise thing to do, going back to the roots, returning from exile, working for oneself and not for some stupid corporation or silly bosses. Afterwards we went to the Bohemian Hall, where there was a Bohemian festival today with dancing and life music, and we met with Katka's friends who are also dancers of the Slovakian folk dance group. We sat at a long table, talked to people, drank beer and shots of Jagermeister, laughed and danced, or rather Katka danced because I have a weak head and preferred to be seated after a few glasses of beer... I met wonderful people and the atmosphere was great. Whenever I am at the Bohemian Hall I always think how different this place is from the NYC bars. There's alcohol in both places but the atmosphere is totally different. Bohemian Hall is all about camradership, talking and laughing and meeting with friends. NYC bars are about looking for a one-night stand... I have been to NYC bars a few times but never out of my own will - it was always because someone invited me to a birthday party or such. And every time I went I left disgusted. It's hard to describe but the atmosphere in these places is tense and people "check themselves out" as if they were a piece of meat. Utterly horrible. You have a feeling that if you start a conversation with anyone, they immediately think you are after them. You can just see the lust floating around in these places, the quick fix of insecure people who need the fix since they can't/are unable to even imagine a true and deep intimate relationship that may start with a flirt but needs a long time to be build. At the Bohemian Hall there's the whole range of communication typical of Eastern European crowd: from a pleasant friendly conversation with strangers, through flirt (just flirt and nothing else), through the beginning of a romance (?) perhaps. The art of flirt is something that doesn't exist in this land. It either never existed or got killed by sexual harrasment law. And I like to flirt, especially with very old man who know the art. It's totally "harmless" and so much fun. Flirt requires style, wit and class. I found the art of flirt in Europe and South America, and a bit in China. Where the flirt doesn't exist, the relations between the sexes are very tense and disgusting at their extreme. And the other reason why Bohemian Hall is different is that kids can be in the Beer Garden until 9 so the dancing scene involved people from very small children to grandpas and grannies. Age doesn't matter - everybody dances and has fun. Bohemian is the celebration of life and human relationship. You can wake up with a headache the next morning but it's worth it!

Thursday, May 22, 2008

energy

For some reason I got some energy I haven't experienced the past two semesters. I came out of hibernation, I think, or the Universe is giving me more Qi. On the physical plane I think it must be due to: liver and gallbladder cleanse I did before I left for Poland, good and organic Polish food I ate for three weeks, iodine and rest in Wiselka, and of course meeting with friends in Poland and friends in NY. I also started proscribing herbs to myself and I think they work for me. I feel good and I don't have any allergies (so far). I have spent the last three weeks very productively. I have been studying but also meeting a lot with friends and doing fun things. Last week I met with Patrycja, Gosia and Rashid in Central Park and then we went with Patrycja to see the exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art of paintings of Gustave Courbet, a French painter (1819-1977) and scandalist. Because of his "scandalous" life habits he had to even escape France and exile himself to live in Switzerland, where he died, poor soul. Some of his paintings where based on the pornography of yore which would not be considered pornography nowadays - you know: chubby ladies standing by bathtubs and the like. Patrycja and I very much liked his paintings, even "The Origin of the World" which was probably his most scandalous work but we though it was well done and quite true. From his paintings we have deducted that he had some Shen disturbances (mental instability) which he probably tried to muffle with alcohol, which contributed to his death in the end. Here's what he said:

"I am fifty years old and I have always lived in freedom; let me end my life free; when I am dead let this be said of me: 'He belonged to no school, to no church, to no institution, to no academy, least of all to any régime except the régime of liberty."



I guess I could say the same about myself. I am not yet fifty years old but everything else applies. I am not a "libertine" but liberty of though and self-expression is my understanding of libery. So in that sense I am a libertine. As to sanity I hope I can keep it as long as I live... and I hope Dr. San Si Miao's points can help me keep it.

I also met with Zohar and Kevin, my friends at PQ. We met with an idea of having tea and going to a yoga class afterwards. Karen joined us, then we bumped into two friends of Kevin's, then we walked some streets, we met another friend of Kevin's, then we walked a little more and eventually we met Elan, another friend at PQ. What a small village NY is! The yoga studio was on the second floor and we got there late and didn't want to interrupt. While going down the stairs we passed by a beauty salon on the first floor and Kevin contemplated getting a Brazilian bikini wax for a minute but then decided we could actually eat already so we went along a few more streets and found Polonia restaurant where we feasted on pierogi, potato pancakes and cheese and plum butter blintzes. We had a really great afternoon and evening that day. Zohar got married lately so she also was telling us how happy she is and how good married life is for her. I am really glad to see her so glowing. Last Sunday I also met with Gosia and Rashid at their still new apartment in Brooklyn. It was one of these wonderful leisurely day when you wake up, it's sunny but also drizzly, some mist and mystery in the air. You slowly get up, sit with a cup of tea in pajamas and contemplate life. You listen to the music and sit in the shower for a while. (Then you have to get out and get into the subway and get dirty again...) At Gosia and Rashid's we had some coffee and biscotti. We looked at property prices in Portugal and Spain on the internet, just for the fun of it. Gosia bought a piano and we played it, trying to remember what we have learned long time ago. It seems like "For Elise" is the thing that sticks to mind the best although I can't play anything from my mind - I never could anyways. I need the score with notes. Gosia will get some. Then we went to Coney Island, walked on the boardwalk toward Brighton Beach, "Little Russia by the Sea", and had dinner at a Russian restaurant which we like. It was heaven that day... One of these days that make my heart really warm... I also went with Patrycja and Daniel to a concert at Museum of Modern Art of music by Krzysztof Komeda composed for movies by Roman Polanski. The performers were Tomasz Stanko and his Quartet. It was a great concert and we met many friends there - it seemed like the Polish NY community interested in Polish cultural affairs wanted to be there.

So you see I have a lot of energy lately... I hope it can last until the end of the semester...
Anyone interested in the liver and gallbladder cleanse, please let me know and I will send it to you. Spring time is the best time for a cleanse (no starvation required).

And below I am attaching what I got from Maya, another Polish friend. To those who read in Polish I enclose it in Polish and to my English-speaking friends this is what it says: There is a foundation in Poland called "I have a dream", a Polish equivalent to "Make a wish foundation". It listens to dreams and wishes of terminally ill children and tries to make them come true. One of them Mateuszek Lang, who is eight years old, has the following dream: he would like to receive postcards from many people. So if you have some time to send him a postcard, please do. Here is the address:
Mateuszek Lang
Lang ul. Wiślana 37
70 - 885 Szczecin
Poland

If you go to www.mammarzenie.org website you can read about the foundation in English.

Witajcie Prośba! Wiecie czym zajmuje sie Fundacja Mam marzenie?
Spełnia marzenia dzieci śmiertelnie chorych. Jednym z marzycieli jest
Mateuszek Lang ze Szczecina. Wczoraj miał ósme urodziny, będą to
prawdopodobnie jego ostatnie urodziny. Jego marzeniem jest dostać pocztówki
od wielu ludzi. Jeśli macie chwilkę dosłownie czasu, kupcie pocztówkę,
napiszcie życzenia urodzinowe i wyślijcie mu. Was to będzie kosztowało
niewiele, a dla niego będzie znaczyć ogromnie dużo. Oto adres: Mateuszek
Lang ul. Wiślana 37 70 - 885 Szczecin Roześlijcie to do kogo się da i
ślijcie kartki ze wszystkich stron świata. Na razie załatwiliśmy kartki z
kilku europejskich krajów, ale wciąż można wiele osób poprosić, najwyżej
kartki sie chwilkę spóźnią. Wiadomość nie jest SPAMem. Inf o chorym
Mateuszku są na
stronach: http://www.mammarzenie.org/newspolska/2008/mateusz.php
http://mateusz.szczecinianie.pl/

Monday, May 12, 2008

Here's one more.

photos

I wanted to put more pictures but it seems only this one got uploaded... I'll try again.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

back to NY

I returned from Poland last Sunday and already got into the whirlpool of NY life. A week has passed already and so many things happened in it.

In Poland I spent time running errands, visiting various institutions, etc. but also relaxed in the company of old friends, went to visit some nice castles around my hometown, and as much as I could I spent time walking with dogs in the forest and around the lake behind my house. My mom went on some of these hikes. Rain or shine we were walking... Buffo who turned 13 last February didn't go for very long walks. He is doing fine but is a little weaker than before so his older age has to be taken into consideration. But on colder days he walked around the lake. Maksio, who turned 10, is still full of energy and chasing after sticks but gained weight since last July so I took him with me to my friend Michal's house on the coast and we went for really long walks on the beach. I think he lost some weight and hopefully will lose more - mom got instructions to slim him down. We had a wonderful road trip to the coast. It takes 5 hours from my hometown to reach Wiselka, the small village on the Baltic coast (and on the island of Wolin) in which Michal lives. I think I mentioned this all before but just in case... So we drove there with Maksio, stopped in the forests to walk around, had some breakfast and tea in roadside cafes. It was lovely, to see all this budding nature outside the window, listen to the Polish radio and feel the wind of freedom. The first few days on the coast I couldn't stay awake. I slept 12 hours every night - that seems like the only thing I can do after the semester ends: sleep and eat. But during the day we were walking on the beach and lying on the sand. In the evenings we visited Michal's father and sister with her family who live nearby. We also went together with Michal's father and Maksio "abroad" - the border with Germany is 20 km away. Now with all EU borders open we just drove through it without being stopped by anybody - the check point that used to be on the border was closed. We crossed it and Michal said to his father: "Dad, we are in Germany." "Really? How come?" It felt weird. Even Maksio was surprised. We crossed the border and found ourselves in the island of Uznam. We went around the villages, small ports that used to be fishing ports but are now more like yacht marinas. We also visited a hill, the highest in this area, which used to be a park and which now is a memorial and a cementary. At the end of the WWII the area of Miedzyzdroje, which is a city now on the Polish side but belonged to Germany at that time, got bombarded by the Alies (the planes belonged to Americans but orders were given by Russians) and 22,000 civilians were killed. The remains were buried on the hill. Another remainder of how sensless wars are. We also visited the towns of Herringsdorf, Ahlberg and Benzin - summer vacation spots which were rebuilt to what they were before the war - all buildings are kept in the same architectural style and there's nothing "new" there. There are nice boardwalks, restaurants and galleries.

Wiselka is heaven: quiet, simple, smelling of forest, moss and salt water. The beach is white and long. I got out on it, I looked ten kilometers to the left, ten kilometers to the right and I didn't see one person... In the summer I might see a few vacationers. It was a wonderful place to relax. Maksio went with me everywhere I went. He is an incredibly intelligent and witty dog and he didn't forget the manners I thought him when he was a puppy. He made friends with the dogs that welcomed him and ignored the ones who were barking from behind fences, not getting into any silly disputes. When he saw the sea he did a little dance - I think he remembered the beaches of Long Island. He was running toward me, then toward the water, dipping his tongue, caming back to me laughing, as if he wanted to tell me: "Did we come here again? Is this the place I remember from before?" I told him it was not the same place but much better! He got it at the end. Nobody was chasing us out and we could walk without a collar and a leash and people would be friendly and not terrified. It was really cool. That's what I call freedom. No such thing as "beach for nudists", "beach for dogs", "beach for families with kids", "private beach - keep out!", "leave before dusk", "no kite flying, no ball playing, no bird feeding" etc., etc. A beach is a beach. Period. Long and wide and there's space for everyone and everything. I was walking around naked one warmer day, I was flying my shirt in the absence of a kite, I was playing ball with Maksio, feeding swans, waiting for sunset and leaving after it got dark, and Maksio was pooping in the dunes and "writing letters" to other animals on the trees. We got the spice out of life and it tasted superbly. In the evening we had long conversations with Michal and were viewing pictures from Michal's journey to South America, from which he returned a month earlier. This time he went to Guyanas, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia and Venezuela.

On the plane to NY I saw a very nice movie about Gordo - a dog who traveled from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia: "Gordo's Journey to the End of the World". It put me into a good mood. I got back and it turned out I had a class on Monday - a continuation of the rather boring ethic class which is now a class on communication. But I really enjoy the other classes: clinical skills with John, biomedical pathology with Adriano, needling with Enrico, and clinic where my supervisor is Peter and I follow Bruce - a student of 3rd year. Last Friday we were extensively needling ourselves. Now we get to needle every point, learn depths and angles of needling and what every point does. I finally got to the very practical knowledge and application of it. It's getting to be very interesting now. I am getting nerdy because there's no way around it - putting all that stuff into my head. On my big table there's Materia Medica of Chinese herbs - I read it before and at breakfast. On the sofa table there's a book with patters of TCM, which I have to learn this semester - I read it when I sit on the sofa. On the bedside table there are flash cards with points to be reviewed - I review them before I go to bed. I take a book - comprehensive study - with me to read on the subway. And in the bathroom and bathtub I read pathology notes. I should find time to review tui na and dietary medicine but there's not much time left... I guess Chinese medicine is becoming my garden...

I found this nice Chinese saying in a book in Poland: "If you want to be happy for a short period of time - get drunk. If you want to be happy for a longer period of time - fall in love. If you want to be happy for ever - start cultivating a garden." In other words: find something you can do with passion, or find a passion so that there something which will always interest you. Alcohol evaporates, people come and go, they die or they leave or they change... A passion once cultivated always is a passion and is a pleasure in the time of stillness and a comfort in the times of storm. I guess in my case, and the case of my classmates, our passion is helping other people realize their full potential so that they can be in charge and responsible for their health and life. Being able help others do that is worth all these calluses on one's butt from spending time sitting and absorbing the knowledge that leads to liberation of oneself and other fellow beings.