My spiritual homeland...

I have felt for a long time now that my spiritual homeland is Africa. Within the vast continent, South Africa is the country to which I have been more times, and Cape Town the place to which I come back once and again. My mum used to say that in another life I must have been a black girl (she would tell me that when I was still a girl...:) I have to say that I concur with her. It feels so good to be here.

My friends and family who have not had the chance to be here have always asked me what it is that makes Cape Town so special. I think that it is the light. The light is different here than in other places. I cannot explain what the difference resides in. But it is breath taking. Its is clear and shiny. Filled with life and color.

The explosion of clarity, intensity and color that the Capetonian light brings about is one of the sensations I most long for when I know that I will be coming here. I have been here for a week, locked up in a room working, at meetings, cranky and dark. But yesterday, when we finally got a chance to go outside, and take in the air, the sun, the light, life was good again. It made me wonder what we have done to ourselves through progress...

Following on the human vs. animals (DOGS) debate...

I went to have dinner with Alberto the other night (not Waldo) and there was this sign on the door of the restaurant, which I found most hilarious... It reds, in Spanish:
"no se permite la entrada con animales ni en estado de embriaguez". In English, this would be something like "animals are not allowed entrance not even drunk"...

The consequences of not using punctuation makes us fully realize that animals, sober or under the influence (though not driving), are not allowed.

Note for the dog-lovers: Don't spend time and money intoxicating your pup--SHE IS NOT ALLOWED!

“What distinguishes us as humans…”

“…will also destroy us”. Such were the prophetic words of the raccoon today over lunch, as he was having one of his tribulations about humankind and its impact on the world. The background? Two very specific but not connected discussions:

1. What eats Nathaniel Sprawles, the Chargers running back, who is 1.7 mts but weights 90 kilos? Speculative answer: MEAT, MEAT, MEAT. (PUAG!)

2. John Homan’s article “The Rise of Dog Identity Politics” (New York, February 1, 2010), in which the author discusses John Archers’s point that dogs have turned into “social parasites” after losing all their sense in life— to work— and turning into some kind of substitute children. If dogs are parasites because they live from us, with us, and as Homan writes, paraphrasing Archer, “suck up human caregiving that could be going to human children while providing no evolutionary advantage…”, the lingering question is: what are we? And here is where the opening statement comes in: “What distinguishes us as humans, will also destroy us”.

Oh. My. Dog.

When you car gets stolen in Mexico City...

You have to deal all kinds of strange remarks.

(For those who still don't know it, Gabriel had to hand over our car to two guys last Thursday night, having a gun pointing at him. At that very moment, I was on the phone with him--a helpless witness to the loss. Dog gracious, nothing happened to the racoon, and what remains now are ridiculous stories of how our police system and car insurance company work).

Today it was my turn to offer “prove or ownership” of the stolen Beetle. Sitting in front of a perfect BUROCRATA, I was showered with pearls of wisdom:

“What is your level of studies?”
- Masters Degree
“Ok, please give this document to your husband, so that he reads it carefully and makes sure that the information is correct.”
(The “information”: motor number, car model, license plates)
- Let me check the details…
“No, please give the document to your husband, so that he makes sure that the information is correct. If it is wrong, you will not be able to continue the procedure…”
[A Masters degree does not enable you to do this, apparently].

“Do you have any prove of what happened?”
- Well, I was on the phone with my husband when he was carjacked…”
“So, you don’t have any prove of it… At what time did this happen?”
- At 9:20 pm
“And what was your husband doing alone, at night, on the streets? Haven’t you asked yourself about that?”
[It is not enough to be the victim of a crime— you have to be ready to be questioned about everything else].

And my favorite one:
“Name?”
“Religion?”
[I am sure the car was stolen because we are a mixed couple of Buddhist/atheist].

the marshmallow hallucination is over...

At least for me. Washington DC continues to be under snow attacks, and I had to buy my way out through another airport and with another airline. But I made it just in time, because more snow is expected.

I have been in colder places before--like the time I visited Nick, in Madison, and it was 26 below cero (Celsius). But I had never seen this much snow. Look at the picture!--the unidentifiable object in the forefront is actually a car!

My next trip promises to be very different: summer in Cape Town.

White marshmallow post-apocalyptic hallucination

…That is what the chicken called the snow-siege of Washington DC. I am in a “white marshmallow post-apocalyptic hallucination” state of mind, certainly. It is f*** cold, and as much as I would like to enjoy it, it is beyond me.

Dogs are enjoying it, though. They are running, dashing through the snow, jumping like deer, barking at each other, at the snow, and absolutely loving it. And they don’t even seem to feel the cold.

Meanwhile, I am trying to be patient, on the phone with someone incapable of actually solving any problem— a Delta agent. This is the third time in a row that I was rescheduled on a flight that was then to be cancelled. Flights are leaving from Dulles, but none from National. My partners in crime have already left. But I am trapped in the capital of the Free World! F***!

So what better opportunity than this one to do something new? How about an attempt to keep my friends updated on all the little stories, visions and hallucinations encountered around the world?

Let’s give it a try.