Blog #1 from Brussels

Bye-Bye New York City

I arrived in New York City (nyc) on Sept. 5^th and left for Pakistan on Sept. 15^th.  The time I spent in nyc was as extraordinary as it was unexpected.  A friend of mine said he knew someone in nyc who sold expensive condominiums.  Because the economy is not very healthy, they are not selling well and many are vacant.  I was told that I could stay in one for free.

 

So I imagined staying in a penthouse condo overlooking manhattan for my 10 days in nyc.

 

What I actually got was considerably different.

 

Lenny is the property manager of a single 6-story condo.  He was also putting on a conference in which 2 dozen + speakers would address a studio audience of 200 or so for an event described as "how the world changed after 9/11."  When I arrived I was immediately drafted into the crew to help hang lights, run cables and do whatever else was necessary to put on the conference.

 

It was great working with the other guys but it was typically 2-3 am before I got a chance to go to sleep and then it was on the floor (or later outside) on my camping pad, in my sleeping bag.

 

While these were not the luxury accommodations I had in mind, it was an experience I will never forget.

 

After the conference began, another problem developed.  The place was crawling with some of the most interesting people on the planet (to my way of thinking, at least).  Ray McGovern, ex cia agent.  Annie Machon, ex m-5 agent.  Kevin Ryan and Richard Gage, 9/11 investigators.  Michael Parenti, long time critic of american foreign policy.  Colleen Rowley, whistle blower from the fbi.  The list goes on.  That is the main reason that after the conference started, I still did not get to sleep before 2 am because there was always someone very interesting to talk to.

 

But my final day and a half in nyc were free and they turned out to be pretty special as well.  Tues. (9/14) I met Jessica, a friend of Lenny's wife who had just come to visit them from Brazil.  Since she was free for the day I suggested that we wonder around nyc together instead of separately.  I'm sure I would have suggested this even if she wasn't gorgeous.  We had a good time and enjoyed each other's company as we wondered around ground zero and central park.

 

My last night in nyc was really fun, drinking beer with some of the other techies and telling stories.  The view out of my 6^th floor balcony was stunning.  The nyc skyline, all lit up, with a half-moon above.  It looked quite a bit like a yin-yang symbol and I pondered its significance.

 

My last ½ day in nyc was spent with Renee, a very nice, and quite attractive woman I met at a restaurant in New Jersey on my first day in the area.  It was nice to be sent off to Pakistan with a warm hug.

 

So this is my first blog post.  I am writing this as I fly on my first leg to Brussels.  From their I'll fly to Abu Dhabi and finally to Islamabad.  I left nyc on Sept. 15^th and arrive in Islamabad on Sept. 17 after flying for about 24 hours.

 

I feel great now.  We'll see how I feel when I arrive.

 

My spirits could not be better.  After having so many folks wish me the best before leaving California, a dozen or more folks I met in nyc did the same.  I've got more good wishes than anyone could expect and I'm sure they will help make this trip an unqualified success.

 

My hope is not only to help build some load-bearing straw bale homes and set up some water filtration sites, but also to connect with the people of Pakistan (and later of India).  I want to spread good cheer and love wherever I go.  I also want to learn more about letting the Universe steer my ship.  To more confidently "go with the flow."