Assorted Scribblings

I want to talk a bit more about the European trip, now that I'm back and a bit more settled. I want to thank a dear friend, Linda Holiday sensei, for putting the seed of the idea in my consciousness, and for being a real organizing force. On my own I probably not only would not have gone, but would never even of thought of going. The amount of travel time on planes, trains, and buses was very daunting. The experience of travel, however, seeing Paris especially, was, in the end, well worth it. After Switzerland, we went to the Italian alps, near Mount Blanc, for 2 days at of all things a Native American Shamanic Conference.With drumming, chanting, and Sweat Lodges, this was a very deep spiritual experience.The parents of one of Linda sensei's students holds these conferences worldwide. For more information see www.shamanism.com. I want to thank the entire Secunda family for welcoming us for those 2 days.

The sweat lodges were really something else. We associate heat and light together. Heat generates light. However in the lodge there is a very intense experience off heat and dark.This is a very powerful combination for inner cleansing and purification. I remember having similar experiences in Japan working with Anno, Tojima, and Yanase senseis while taking ukemi. As one settles past the "I" trying to control everything,through the mental and physical states of exhaustion and sweat, somethings emerges.........I felt that during the lodges.Also, if we were to go back to the beginnings of the universe, the big bang,I would opt for heat being generated before light. So for an incredibly short amount of time you would have a dark but very hot(so hot that things like gravity and electromagnetism could't exist yet) universe. So maybe there is something very primal encoded into the experience.

Following the conference we had a day(Thursday) to get to Zurich,from where we would fly out at 9am the following day.We had a harrowing experience when Linda sensei got us reservations for car number 310 on a train to Zurich, only to find cars 309 amd 311 and no 310! But we went positively forward and everything worked out.The last 2 days of travel pretty much blurr in my mind. I remember we met a very friendly and courageous(she is battling cancer) Italian woman on our journey to Zurich. So more on Europe as it pops up.

For me the highlight of Paris was a car ride at night. I shot it on my camcorder. I've turned it into photos and made a dvd slideshow of it. I hope you enjoy it.