A download of learning in the Middle East: Polarities Everywhere

A strong gust of wind has blown the sails of Naomi's physical existence in the Middle East with its warm touch and celebration.
A bombardment of beloved fellow world-agents of evolution and sustainable change have been my fellow warriors on this playing field of life since embarking.

In this post I include links to quite a lot of information that I personally am engaged in. I find them cohesive and helpful for the journey of understanding and adapting to the world and needs of today. If interested, check them out and create a conversation of application (my greatest intention is that my blog does not only exist as a separate entity of information).

Darin Selby  (a link I find interesting: his ideas about the aircar), a brilliant inventor-innovator and fabulous man, was one of the first collaborators that I worked with on a building project of a communal space in Tel-Aviv.

In this space, among other things, there will soon be workshops held on Spiral Dynamics (a theory ((video explination by Don Beck)) of evolution applied in context of our world and utilized during the 'break down of Apartheid). Internationally it is intensively applied today through the center of human emergence and here in Israel be taught through IntegralIsrael (which is worth checking out for anyone interested in holistic systems changes for peace and overall change/evolution in this conflict-stricken territory).
This work is closely related to the Integral work of Ken Wilber.

Ins and outs of the Ancients.

Greece in all of its glory rests beneath my slipper protected heels.
We have found home in many ways since entering this place. Presently we are staying with a little community, called the Karaloitas, (http://www.users.otenet.gr/~kar1125/) a wonderful clan of humans, one of whom, Estella, is blind and obviously the head of this home in many forms. She has even relocated the group in South Africa as her work is dedicated to the Greek blind, across borders. They are living such simple, loving and warm lives here; to all of which I have such gratitude. We found these folks through couchsurfers (http://www.couchsurfing.com), which I recommend to anyone who is interested in connecting with travelers, as difined in any context.

We connected as well with an orginization called help exchange (http://www.helpxchange.net) through chance that sent us to camp out a thunderstorm in a bus station insted of autostopping with which we have fallen in love. There we found a fellow Seattle-ite woman who invited us to stay through this orginization on a horse farm in the northeast of Greece, where the population was surely 100 horses and sheep to each person. The days are passed by caring for the land and horses as winter quickly approaches. It is very much like World-wide Workers On Organic Farms (www.WOOF.org) but cheaper and without borders.

Along the journey we have camped amoungst the pinnacles and caves of Metéora (Μετέωρα: "suspended rocks" or "in the heavens above") is one of the largest complexes of monasteries in Greece which are built on natural sandstone rock pillars, in central Greece. There we met many characters; young and old, Greek and otherwise, for it has been the greatest concentration of people we have experienced in some time... Old men inviting us in for tea at the tavernas, Dutch alcoholics into their caravans to traverse the country, Little women serving us Irish pancakes, Shepards and their bawlking dogs along deserted trails of the autumn colored mountains, Albanians driving us around the town in their stolen Marcedes... to name a few.

Montenegro and Albanian rains

The ruins and brilliant coastlines of Montenegro offered insight into the nature of a former Yogoslovian nation that took precise measures to milk their independance as much as possible. It is now a part of the EU, pristine and friendly. We connected with some inspiring local artists under the full moon nights at the foot of ancient fortresses in Kotor and Bar. We stayed in Stari Bar (old Bar), a half rouined ancient city which is being restored by the community and lived in by artists, scientists, and philosophers who are dedicated since the 80's to creating a cultural hub in the context of growing and evolving collectively. Even through the construction, the spirit and sights are remarkable there... but I cannot find any web connected site for their efforts.

We entered Albania along with the Autumn Adriatic storms. The drastic difference noticable immmediately upon crossing the border was unreal. The roads turned to dirt after the last big town in Montenegro, because until the mid-ninties, there was no way to enter or exit the country, borders were staunchly closed under the socialist-communist period. There were bunkers and rubbish everywhere, and the faces of the people were a bit dazed. Here I see that it is impossible for a community to survive once it becomes completely exclusive.
Those who were assigned, were allowed to drive horse buggies during the dictatorship, but cars were unthought of. It is a country of new, and insane drivers, as well as the place where old Mercedes go to die (mostly stolen from abroad). The country is inundated with missionaries and Peace Corps type do-gooders... yet we did find an inspiring group of women called TWIG who we met with and obtained some context (http://www.TWIG.org).

The art and culture of Albania is outstanding! They have been preserved as a culture and social expression distinctly their own, undescribable via comparison. Increadibly open, hospitable (gorging ourselves out of respect), and peaceful despite their repressed past. Here we spent days praying and meditating in mosques, Mother Theresas monument- home church, Stunned by gold streaked Cathedrials, and introduced to Orthodox worship centers... all in the same square.

Underneath the vail of commodity and capitalism that now covers Albania I can feel a deep saddness for what could have been, if perhaps in a slightly different shade, in Albania flourishing still today. A cooperative society working hard and respecting the earth and the value of equality I pray will still come to these people in a way that liberates.

Beauty beheld one step after another

We have just come out of KRKA national park in Croatia. Pristine lakes interconnected and woven as natures perfect web. Our walk has made ways through islands and costal towns until recently along the Dalmatian and Adriatic. We have now cut into the war-torn borders of Bosnia.

Mali Losinj, meeting the end of the Island where we wait for the ferry at Boca Falsa.

The Isle of Susak, where my father was born. after making friends with the lighthouse man.

Looking out at the crowded city streets as we prepare to make our way through the deserted mountains and across borders... Mostar:

Italy and beyond

I stretch my legs presently in search of unity among all beings intending toward peace and compassion amongst ourselves and all around us. In these months, I am blessed to pilgrimage through eastern Europe with my mother, visiting intentional communities, earthly-possessed individuals, and much which is presently beyond my comprehension in this moment.

The journey of a thousand miles begins within, and I work presently toward transcending these lines and moving through the world of those on a similar journey.

We have been already in Tuscanny in the spirit of monumental reunion and celebration of life, across the length of Italy to Ancona where we lived in a community called "The tribe of the resounding walnuts" "Tribu della noci sonanti" practicing sustainable farming and primitive living.

Slowly making our way up the coast of Italy via land, stopping to visit with a dear companion, Erica while wearing chameleon suits in Venice, we have just crawled through the borders of Slovenia and Croatia, where we are staying with a family who aim to connect travelers around the world in a deep spirit of welcome that is extremely admirable. They also run a hostel in Pula, Croatia called the Pula art hostel.

In a few days we will have made our way to our first boat, where we will begin an emotional adventure through the northern islands and visit the abandoned heritage sites of our family on the isle of Susak.

Om Nama Shivaya.

Portland Showers

Some magnificent opportunities to thoroughly examine the various mosses in Portland's century-old sidewalks have presented themselves to me. In other words, the coming of spring and Portland showers arrive with a fair share of personal exploration on my part. A wave of curiosity and inspiration along with a dash of sincerity pulled me into a physical cleanse as March began. It was a Naomi type of Master Cleanse that stuck around for about ten days and threw me into realms that my body-mind has never experienced even imagining that I had the capability of undergoing. As I transitioned into baby food, and the buds began to bulge with anxious blossoms, I swam my way through the thick airs of sentient world into the Gathering Cloud Temple (check us out: touchingearth.wordpress.com) for a week of, principally, Zen-style, silent retreat. Eight hours of sitting per day 5am-9pm, intermittent with delicious food, beautiful ceremony, dharma study-talks (Zen poetry "Faith in Mind" and Dogen's "Actualizing Dharma"), lots of yoga and examination of my steps. Breaking down, building up, re-breaking, re-building, un-breaking, not-building, not-breaking, un-building, my mind. To speak of a silent retreat is funny, no? I do, however, have a few more words for it… I can say that it was an extremely profound and inspiring experience. I see how much respect for and dedication to the ancient practice of sitting I have cultivated along with that for Sangha, community, with which to support it. Scary, difficult, blissful, hellish realities all culminate at a point where I find compassion for myself and my uniqueness. The more that I disassemble what my understanding of Naomi is, the more space I create for openness and love to permeate my being.

Those were many words.

A summary of gratitude.

A welcome of Spring

Innumerable dreams.