Shamash Says...

Good-bye 2007

2007 was an eventful year for Shamash Says. My blogging life was put on hold as I pursued other passions such as art, grad classes, and working on my novel.  I remain anonymous, yet for those of you who know where I live and the recent events in this country Somewhere in Asia, the lines of communication, including the internet, were down for weeks at a time during the past four months. Compared to other years, the number of posts for Shamash Says has decreased, yet my traffic has increased primarily due to google images. In December I reached the image via ffffound

80,000 hit mark. As a way of remembering 2007, I'm following the meme of Jeff and Terry  and have picked the first lines from the first posts of each month. Eclectic, eclectic!

January:
In the Mirror Here are a few of my photography experiments on reflective surfaces.

February:
Five Things You Didn't Know About Me What do a tattooed Hell’s Angel, a parachute, a shot of whiskey, a motorbike, Jimmy Carter, and a cockroach have in common?

March:
Taking Notice “And the days go by, and the years follow the years, and we walk sightless through miracles." -Jewish proverb

April:
Sky Bar: My Favorite Bar on Earth  It’s high. It’s cool. It’s invigorating. It’s how I like my Friday nights in the sexiest city in Asia.

May:
Coaching the Creative Process  Creating art in any form requires showing up regularly at the dance floor, the easel, the musical instrument, the page.

June: The Big Apple Store, Fifth Avenue, NY  We’ve shopped for antiques in Rangoon, silverware in Bangkok, silk in Saigon, but nothing compares to our adventures in the Big Apple.

July:
The Mall of America: Bigger? Better? Best? I realize that I’ve entered this place with the eye of a stranger in a strange land.

August
A Woman Should Have...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE…
A set of screwdrivers,
a cordless drill, and
a black lace bra...

September
Yes, It's True It rained a lot the past few days. What we see on the surface is only a percentage of what might be.

October
"Every community needs a group of angelic troublemakers." -- Bayard Rustin

November
Waking Up with a Bindi Last night I donned one of my saris and headed out to celebrate the Festival of Lights, Indian Devali.

It's been a crazy, wonky year, my friends! May 2008 bring you growth, enlightenment, and a bountiful life of "living in the now."

Creating Closure....

.... helps me realize that:

...............Happy New Year, everyone. May it be a year of love, peace, growth and transformation.

image from postsecret

The Joys of Being an English Teacher

It's Monday, and I took a personal day to correct this pile of high school English papers. You can tell I'm procrastinating because I'm blogging. The pile is not quite as tall as a pen standing on end, but taller than my coffee mug. There are many great things about being a teacher. Taking 12 hours on a personal day to correct papers is not one of them.

Waking Up with a Bindi

___The Goddess Lakshmi arose from the Ocean of Milk, during the great churning of the oceans.

Last night I donned one of my saris and headed out to celebrate the Festival of Lights, Indian Devali.

Image via shedrums

Water, Wires, and the Power of a Pen

Charlie, my kitten-turned-cat, is still all legs and all ears; we shall see if her body catches up with her appendages. I have no doubt I will be blamed in her cat therapy sessions for an identity crisis for my recent mistake in thinking she was male. In reality, she’s a dog-cat, drinking water out of the toilet and my bathtub, a sociable licker, and an eager greeter-at-the-doorer.

Read on for surprising, historical photos from this week.

Diving in Bali: Breathing with the Fishes

Three days of diving is not enough time to see it all: wreck diving above the submerged 350-foot long, WWII Liberty Ship, mermaiding your way along an immense drop-off reef on the other side, and establishing neutral buoyancy above the coral garden and dramatic sand slopes in between.

Tulamben Bay in Bali is worth a return trip.

Ubud: the Taos of Bali

  If I had to pick a favorite town in the world next to Taos, New Mexico, I’d have to go with Ubud, Bali, one of the foremost artist colonies of Indonesia. Full of art galleries, antique dealers, temples, coffee shops, bookshops, and stores selling religious and ceremonial stone statues, the town is buzzing with a delightful mix of foreign expats, European tourists, and local Balinese nationals still adhering to local customs.

Alam Sari Keliki Hotel: The Ultimate Balinese Get-Away

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

What do you get when you combine mountainous terrain, views of rice fields, palm trees, great service, and a clear pool for dipping? Alam Sari Keliki Hotel, the boutique, eco-hotel in the hills in Keliki, north of Ubud, Bali.

-massage room at Spa Alam Sari.

(photos by shamash)

"Every community needs...

..........a group of angelic troublemakers." -- Bayard Rustin

photo by shamash, January 2007

All Things Green and Beautiful

You might think this is a Windows Desktop, but you would be mistaken. It's a pic I took of a rice paddy not far from the city where I live. I've been out and about, visiting villages on the weekends. What you see here is a photo journal of the past three weeks: my tribute to this country's people and the beauty of this land.

Yes, It's True

 

It rained a lot

the past few days.
What we see
on the surface
is only
a
percentage
of what
might be.

Steel and Air and a Mottled Presence

 

"It is so much like a beach after all
Where you stand and think of going no further."

Reflections on a poem bolted to a steel bridge: a photo journey.

The Class that Ruined My Blog Life

Over the years blogging had taken me away from my spiral, hardbound notebooks, my multi-colored pens, my propensity to glue things (like ticket stubs, favorite articles, and paraphernalia found on bar counters, restaurants floors, and airplane seat pockets) into my journal . So, when I saw the Split Rock Arts Program offering the course called “The Visual Journal: Exploring Urban Landscape" taught by artist by Julie Baugnet (an artist featured in Drawing from Life by Jennifer New), I caught the first plane to the Twin Cities. I wasn’t disappointed.

(all photos by shamash)

Four Things

Sherry tagged me with this meme: Four jobs I've had in my life, four places I've lived, four places I'd rather be, and four of my fav foods.

The Problem with Starting School in August

No one could have said it better. The dog days of summer, indeed, are depicted in this encomium to August from EYEWEAR:

"The semi-mythic month of August has arrived. April may be cruel, but August is vast, vacant, quiet, deserted, even slightly dusty. August is an empty Paris of the mind, where one can wander shuttered streets at noon, and meet no one. August is when parliament is out, and the fish are jumping onto the banks of the river. August is when you realise you have wasted your life, then turn over in the hammock for another forty winks…" 

Head on over to read the piece in full; I hope it will make you smile as much as it did me.

(Thanks, Sherry, for the link.)

Image: Untitled #94 gelatin silver print 3 1/4 x 4 3/4  by MASAO YAMAMOTO via Moon River

A Woman Should Have...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE…
A set of screwdrivers,
a cordless drill, and
a black lace bra...

Brave, Fearless Drawing Machines

What do a labor arbitrator, a radio personality, a teacher, an epidemiologist, a registered nurse, an education specialist, a bat expert, a physiology professor, and a defense lawyer for the Dept of Justice all have in common?

This past week, I found out. And, in the process, realized that much of that which unites us as human beings has little to do with our professions, and much to do with what we long to do after-hours.

Slogans to Live By

The best cure for grief is motion. (Ann's fortune cookie)

"Why not?" is a slogan for an interesting life." (Mason Cooley)

Frank Lloyd Wright and Phillip’s 66

We are so “Thelma and Louise”, so I will call her Thelma.

She drives a hot, silver-bullet of a car, an Audi TT, that makes you want to drive, drive, drive for days through the winding forest roads of northern Minnesota on a road trip into the unknown.

But, we had to stop to fill up at this gas station designed by the one-and-only Frank Lloyd Wright.

The Kindness of Strangers

  This is a picture I took of the State Capital of Minnesota through the window of a bus I never planned to take, in a part of town I never planned to visit.

Some of my most profound life lessons have come from my solitary travel and sometimes, the greatest travel adventures happen when nothing goes as planned. Despite what you see and read in the news (violent crime, kidnappings, and murder) America is a not the big, scary place we see on the news.

There is a warm web of community among strangers who meet at bus stops, and for every crime reported in the media, there are thousands of untold stories and numerous unsung heroes who lend  helping hands to a frantic traveler like me who would be unable to make it to her destination without the kindness of strangers. 

07-07-07: Lucky Weddings at the Mall

These days, it takes a brave soul to tie the knot. To mix a bit of fortune into the mix, forty couples were chosen from a lottery to marry on 07-07-07  at the Lucky in Love mass wedding in the rotunda at the Mall of America. Here’s a photo that I took of the chairs, arranged in rows of seven, and here’s why some some couples chose this lucky day to marry:

The Mall of America: Bigger? Better? Best?

  I realize that I’ve entered this place with the eye of a stranger in a strange land. An American expatriate who has lived in a developing nations for over ten years and who is coming from a lands with power outages, lack of medical care and extreme poverty, my perception of this mall is quite different to those who have made a visit to this place part of their summer vacation.

(images by shamash)

Why Do People STILL Go to Museums?

"Art offers something else--depth, involvement, a new way of looking at the world that we live in, a fresh approach to what we take for granted, a chance to experience freedom of the imagination."
-Meredith Monk, composer, singer, director, choreographer

(image by René Magritte via artchive)

I regularly visit online museums all over the world. I take virtual tours of The Louvre.  (click here.)  The Metropolitan Museum of Art (click here) The Art Institute of Chicago. (click here.)

But the computer screen cannot replace the experience of visiting an art gallery or museum. Here’s why.

Coffee and Italian Food in New York

“We’ve made reservations for tonight at Otto’s in The Village,” said Madam Brooklyn. “If you’re into celebrity chefs, it’s owned by Mario Batali." I hadn’t heard of this famous chef known for his brawn, red hair, and habit of wearing shorts and bright orange Crocks in the kitchen. But, she soon filled me in.

The Bag: The Village Tannery

For almost every day for the past eleven years, I’ve carried the same, large leather bag. It has accompanied me to 14 countries, crossing borders, oceans, continents, and times zones. My constant companion, weathering the love and loss of friends and lovers, it looks no worse for wear.

When I recently met an ex-fiancé for coffee, the first words out of his mouth were: “Are you still carrying that bag?”

“Yep!” I replied. “It has proven to be a much better investment than most boyfriends, and it has certainly lasted longer!”

The Big Apple Store, Fifth Avenue, NY

We’ve shopped for antiques in Rangoon, silverware in Bangkok, silk in Saigon, but nothing compares to our adventures in the Big Apple.

(photos by shamash)

Stunning

  Farmboy, who lives in Arkansas raising organic produce on his southern ranch,  hatched this peacock three years ago. Over the years, he has sent me stories and pictures of this pet of his, who is pictured here in all his glory. Amazing, eh? What a magnificent creature!

New Kitty in the House!

  This little kitty found me, made me forget my vow to not adopt more pets, and wormed his little way into my heart and home.

The little rascal.

But, who could refuse a face like this?

You Can't Make This Stuff Up!

Part tragedy, part comedy, check out The Blotter. Here are a few of the complaints called in to the police in Taos, NM, my favorite town on earth.

3:09 p.m., Shoplifting, 200 block Paseo del Pueblo Sur – Complaint that a woman with long blond hair, sunglasses on her head, and wearing all black took of organic items and frozen items and left without paying. She was seen heading onto Los Pandos, driving a bright orange car.

Read on for a few more of my favorites!

What Art Movement Are You?

You Are Expressionism

Moody, emotional, and even a bit angsty... you certainly know how to express your emotions. At times, you tend to lack perspective on your life, probably as a result of looking inward too much. This introspection does give you a flair for the dramatic. And it's even maybe made you cultivate some artistic talents! You have a true artist's temperament... which is a blessing and a curse.

What Art Movement Are You?

Mango Rains: the Monsoon Has Arrived (I think!)

  Hooray, hooray, the monsoon's here;

Hooray, hooray, the mango rains;

Hooray, Hooray, the flooding streets;

Hooray Hooray the chilly air.

105 degrees has dropped to 75 degrees: brrr: where's the fleece?

On my tin roof, the rain is drumming, drumming, drumming, announcing the change of the seasons.

Mother Nature is making up for the past six months of no rain.

(This is a pic of my wet, happy garden! :-)

Coaching the Creative Process

  Creating art in any form requires showing up regularly at the dance floor, the easel, the musical instrument, the page. If we wait until inspiration strikes or an enlightening visit from our Muse, we’ll never finish our creative work.

Sometimes, we need friends and coaches to make sure that this happens.

Enter Alexa Mergen.

(photo by shamash, daily schedule by Alexa Mergen)

5 Blogs That Make Me Think

  Terry of I See Invisible People bequeathed upon me a Thinking Blogger Award. Thanks, Terry!

Besides Terry, (whose blog I read daily) here are five more awards of my own given out to those people whose provocative insights have deeply affected my perspective and challenged my thinking. They’re worth a read, and truly deserve a Thinking Blog Award.

Life on the Lake: an Inle Photo Journal

“What makes a place special is the way it buries itself inside the heart, not whether it’s flat or rugged, rich or austere, wet or arid, gentle or harsh, warm or cold, wild or tame. – Richard Nelson (as qtd in Beyond the Last Village by Alan Rabinowitz)

original image by shamash

A few days at Inle Lake is good for the soul. Read on for a photo journal.

Poetry Collections: May Not Have But Certainly Must

  Sherry tagged me with the meme “have or must have collections of poetry”. The exercise inspired me to re-visit my bookshelf. Here are a few.

Julia Spicher Kasdorf

photo by Heidi Lynne Photography

Soaked to the Skin: Water Festival

  reveler: (n.) one who engages in uproarious festivities and merry-making

Jeeps full of kids with super-sonic water pistols that look like they came straight out of Star Wars pump streams of water on passers-by. Loud speakers from the pandals pump techno-beats, rock and roll, and 80’s remixes, especially the remix of “What’s Up.”  Street venders sell deep-fried crickets, barbequed sparrows, and hot samosas.

The wildest, wettest festivity in the world doesn’t happen in Thailand or South America’s Carnival, but in this country Somewhere in Asia. It’s four days long, and promises to bring out your inner child. Or inner monster. Or a little bit of both.

She's Hot, He's Not

 

(image_by John Hersey)

These days, conversations about relationships, sexual attraction, and the woes of modern dating are never-ending, no matter what your age or gender.

Plant Beans and Berries

-from the e-book "How to Disappear", by Pete Leki and Bobby Sutton.

Note to self: I wanna live like this. 

Feeding the Soul

The garden. After school. A glass of chilled white wine. Free Spirit, fresh in from Hanoi, has just arrived, her guitar slung around her shoulder. Behind me, in my artist's studio, all sorts of pastels, and oil paints, and paint brushes sit waiting for next week's art class. Creativity seems to flourishing these days in this city "Somewhere in Asia."

Figuring out what to do with the rest of my life…

Lately I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with the second half of my life. (image via)

Like Chris Corrigan, I ask myself these questions: