going2sahara » Inspiration

Mongolia: OEX Expedition to Mongolia…

paristempo — Wed, 25 May 2016 14:10:45 +0000

MONGOLIA — 25 MAY 2016. On the road in Mongolia with the team from Overland Experts for an expedition deep into the south Gobi in support of the Mongolian Bankhar Dog Project. Joining an international team on a trip of exploration, discovery and exchange, as we make our way across the land of the eternal blue sky meeting with nomadic herders and helping support their traditional way of life in this most harsh of environments …

Overland Expo: Rollovers and Recovery…

paristempo — Fri, 20 May 2016 16:50:49 +0000

OVERLAND EXPO WEST, MORMON LAKE, AZ — 20 MAY 2016. Great first day of Overland Expo, with much better weather than last year (when it was “snowverland expo”). Had a chance to check out the exhibits this afternoon, and enjoy the Camel Trophy team’s demonstration of rollover recovery featuring Nena’s yellow Toyota, “Candy,” as the toppled truck. The Camel Trophy guys always do such a good job of explaining, and make a nice visual “show.” They are always my favorite “stop” at this event. This year I am not instructing, as I leave Sunday for Mongolia, and so am able to actually just enjoy the event in smaller doses. Stopping by to visit a few friends and chat during happy hour, then made sure to make it back in time for Rhonda and Rachelle’s “Ladie’s Night” event. I couldn’t stay long, as I had much to do in preparation for my departure to Mongolia, but at least I got to say “hello”…

Paris: Voting in the street…

paristempo — Sun, 08 May 2016 10:40:32 +0000

PARIS, FRANCE — 8 MAY 2016. Back at place de la republique the crowds continue to come and gather under the banner of le nuit debout. Today there was some kind of big voting going on. A very large crowd sat calmly under the afternoon sun while an organizer with a microphone read from a statement. Someone was translating in sign language too. Every once in a while there was a chance for the crowd to vote on the statement. They raised a yellow or magenta index card to signify “yes” or “no”. Truly participative democracy of a sort. It all seemed so orderly. Like an exercise in how things “should” work. But what were they actually voting for and what difference would it make since the group has no actual political or administrative powers. In reality it was more of a sad exercise in futility …

Paris: Music at New Morning…

paristempo — Sat, 07 May 2016 10:31:58 +0000

PARIS, FRANCE — 7 MAY 2016. Stepped in to hear a concert by musicians I didn’t know from Guadaloupe. A huge crowd packed the house at the New Morning but despite the lack of air and the overcrowding, the ambiance remained festive. A surprising mix of traditional music with a jazz flow came from the stage animating the evening. Someone fainted from the lack of air. Security helped them outside and the show continued. Island sounds spilled out into the Parisian night. Passers by bobbed their heads to the beat. What I liked most about the event was the mixed crowd and the collage of musical styles that somehow highlighted the importance of cross-cultural curiosity. Despite all the fear and growing “separation” we somehow manage to all come together in the name of music …

Paris: A cultural crossroad…

paristempo — Fri, 06 May 2016 10:25:43 +0000

PARIS, FRANCE — 6 MAY 2016. Gentrification has changed the neighborhood, but we still have something of a quartier populaire that expresses itself from time to time. Hanging out at one of my favorite neighborhood cafes I can just appreciate the ambiance of the street. It is a collage of colors and accents and languages. A true cross roads where the whole world comes together, rubs shoulders, and moves on …

Paris: les nuits debout continues…

paristempo — Thu, 05 May 2016 10:16:02 +0000

PARIS, FRANCE — 5 MAY 2016. The demonstrations at place de la republique are still a big topic of discussion. There is this sense of excitement for some kind of movement. People want to believe it can amount to something. A sign of change. A symbol of resistance to the absurd. Yet it seems more like a gathering than a movement for the moment. Walking among the crowd, moving between groups, there is energy but no focus. Here they are talking about vegetarianism. Over there about the problems of Italian workers and their struggle. Next to that a Free Palestine. Later on a workshop in what to do when you are taken into custody by the security forces. At the edge of the place a hands-on anti-advertising clinic has a bunch of print ads for big brands spread along the floor confusingly looking like actual advertising and even corporate support for the event. Lots of music. People playing guitars. Some good. Some not so good. Freedom to express your mediocre self…

Paris: A favorite corner…

paristempo — Wed, 04 May 2016 10:08:33 +0000

PARIS, FRANCE — 4 MAY 2016. The good weather continues and I am just enjoying being here in my old neighborhood. Rediscovering the familiar and feeling like I am back where I belong. The anonymity of the city. And not just any city. Paris has always been a special place for me. I have lived whole chapters of my life here with all the attendant drama, and yet there is also some kind of deep calm that gives me a sense of peace. So very different from my sojourns in the desert. The challenges of the wilderness are absent here. Instead I have the comfort of the edges I know. A favorite street corner is kind of like “home” …

Paris: A welcome…

paristempo — Tue, 03 May 2016 10:02:11 +0000

PARIS, FRANCE — 3 MAY 2016. Spring weather continues and its good to be outside and visiting friends. Around Gare du Nord crowds maneouver around each other. Busy people with rolling suitcases, bored people standing around in small groups doing nothing, gypsies working the crowds and security watching them all. Kafka-esque ticket problems in the train station add a bit of random chaos into the mix combining the best and worst of the old world. The beauty of Paris and the exasperation of things that don’t work. Welcome, indeed …

Paris: Back in the ‘hood…

paristempo — Mon, 02 May 2016 13:02:01 +0000

PARIS, FRANCE — 2 MAY 2016. A beautiful spring day in the city of light and I am out enjoying my favorite neighborhood. Not doing anything specific really. Just walking around and seeing the changes. What cafe was renovated and what store closed to be replaced by another cafe and the supermarket that became more of an eatery. The gentrification at its peak. And yet there are still a few places where long-time figures from the neighborhood remain. I stopped in and said hello and received a warm and genuine welcome and that felt good…

Paris: May Day…

paristempo — Sun, 01 May 2016 09:09:10 +0000

PARIS, FRANCE — 1 MAY 2016. The night brought the flavor of tear gas to the streets around the place de la Republique where supporters of a new social movement, “le nuit debout,” gather regularly. The security forces wanted to impose a midnight curfew on the gathering. A small but committed crowd was not ready to go home. About an hour before midnight the CRS formed up on the perimeter, and waited patiently, while the crowd set a few small fires and alternately rallied and dispersed in the face of an occasional volley of tear gas from the lines of the security forces. It was the “usual” script and no one deviated much. Both sides were relatively calm and in control of their element, and despite the visual impact, one could say the night finished peacefully…