From Polar Bears to Penguins – Driving North to South across the Americas
Posted in Before the Drive, Lifestyle on Sep 6th, 2007
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There goes the car port! |
The weather is a major participant in this year’s Burningman. It is NOT a fog that creeps on little cat feet; it is a lion that roars with elemental intensity.
Of the four Burning man’s we have been to this was by far the worst weather year. It started out mildly enough – the first day we enjoyed a candle lit dinner and excellent wines from Weimax […]
Posted in Before the Drive, Lifestyle on Sep 5th, 2007
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Temple of Forgiveness |
The first in a series of Burning Man reports discusses the art. This is only one facet of Burning Man but the most important. This is why we go.
Every year a city rises from the flat expanse of the Black Rock desert. It is a city of art, exuberance, and wonder. The starkness of the playa provides a perfect canvas and a perfect stage for that which unfolds and unfold it does for the playa is a chrysalis. Sculptures of gigantic proportions, heart thumping raves, mutant vehicles, and performance art all vie for the attention of the sleep deprived […]
Posted in Before the Drive, Lifestyle on Aug 15th, 2007
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A favourite pass-time. |
My favorite passtime – Why I liked “Sacred Games”
I come from a family of readers. From my grandparents to my parents, we all like nothing better than sitting with a good book. Recently some really good ones came my way. “Sacred Games” by Vikram Chandra. “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” by Mohsin Hamid. The brilliant Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe.
Posted in Before the Drive, Lifestyle on Aug 8th, 2007
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Contemplative. |
Thoughts on “the other”
When Jean Paul Sartre tells us our freedom in “monstrous”, we immediately run into problems: namely, with six billion of us running around, each and every one with his own “monstrous” freedom, eventually my freedom is going to collide head-on with someone else’s freedom. Sartre spent a lot of time on this issue and the problem of the other, eloquently expounded in his play “No Exit” which contains the line that is the title of this post – “Hell is other people”.
Posted in Before the Drive, Lifestyle on Aug 4th, 2007
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Money, its a gas! |
“Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash. New car, caviar, four star daydream, Think Ill buy me a football team.”
When discussing this drive I am frequently asked “How do you manage to take fifteen months off?” or “How can you afford this?”, for it is plainly obvious that we are quite middle class. We don’t have massive family wealth, we haven’t hit it big in the .com lottery, and we’re not high level executives. So there is the secret in plain view – almost anyone can afford a trip like this as long as they have the will and the confidence.