Amidst all the terror shocking the world at this time, the various wars in the Balkan, Afghanistan, Palestine, China and Iraq, and the many fingers pointing to Bush and others, Mehmet, a young kurdish Assailant from Turkey, tried to see the leaders of our nations as human beings.
As he was a poet and writer back in his home country, he was wondering what their favorite poems were!
Believing in this and dreaming of a book that gathers all of the world leaders favorite poems together, he started the hard work to write to every single one asking them for a contribution.
The book has been five years in the making. Mehmet does not speak English, and so used translation websites on the internet to compile letters to the various prime-ministers and presidents. Amazingly, some did reply, and the book is able to boast contributions from the likes of Tony Blair, Ariel Sharon, Abdul Kalam, Gerry Adams and Rhodri Morgan.
Now the book "World Leader’s Favourite Poems" will be puplished in England through Parthian books in April.
It is an amazing example of the Power of Dreaming,and not giving up.
It is a call for youths to contact their own country’s leaders and ask for their favourite poems, creating an international drive for peace through this step closer to our leaders. This publication of this anthology could become just the beginning of a worldwide project.
Here some links to articles that were puplished in ENgland about the book:
http://www.thebookseller.com/news/55348-poetry-meets-politics-at-parthian.html
http://books.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2265483,00.html#article_continue
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/poetry/article3646318.ece
Monday 31 March 2008
Friday 28 March 2008
Thursday 27 March 2008
Bill Young - arriving in England
I meet Bill at the Storytelling course in the Emerson College. As soon as I saw him I felt a connection to him. He just had come back from a trip to Palestine. He worked as a child psychatrist.
He had brougt me to the airport leaving to Kyrgyzstan and now he picked me up again.
It was a good closing circle, felt very safe.
I spent 2 days in his cottage outside of London trying to digest some things of the trip.
And what can you wish more then having someone who is genuinly interested in what you have experienced during your trip and you can share all of this?
He was a very good listener and realy helped me through who is is and doesnt really know himself sometimes to transfer back into England and Europe, remembering me of my connections here. He unconsciously also started to build already a bridge into the future. ME being in Basel working as a nurse again for some months.
Rahmat! Bill- Thank you!
He had brougt me to the airport leaving to Kyrgyzstan and now he picked me up again.
It was a good closing circle, felt very safe.
I spent 2 days in his cottage outside of London trying to digest some things of the trip.
And what can you wish more then having someone who is genuinly interested in what you have experienced during your trip and you can share all of this?
He was a very good listener and realy helped me through who is is and doesnt really know himself sometimes to transfer back into England and Europe, remembering me of my connections here. He unconsciously also started to build already a bridge into the future. ME being in Basel working as a nurse again for some months.
Rahmat! Bill- Thank you!
my adventourous trip back to Almaty testing my patience and trust
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh.
The hotel taxis to Almaty were all more then 3000 Som (90 USD)
So at around 10.30 pm I decided to take a taxi to the Autovaksal to see if I find somthing cheaper there. It was a bit risky because my flight was at 8.20 Am in the morning and Almaty at least 3-4 hours drive away.
And indeed, there was a night bus to Almaty for 300 Som
I even got a window seat so I could sleep better.
No one spoke english so I asked with my hands when the bus would arrive in
Almaty and they said 6AM. that was a bit tight, but I felt it should be ok.
Then the adventure really started. It was a real test in patience and trust.
The bus didnt lave until 24.30h, when we arrived at the boarder we stood
there for 2 hours and nothing happened, even the bus driver went to sleep,
and because of the language problem no one could explain me what was going
on. So I told my self, keep cool, you will arrive there in Almaty at the
right time. The spirits are stil with you. And I listened to the CD I got
at the Ceremony in town. (I would love to find out more about this music,
where it comes from etc...)
Then when I thought if the bus isnt through the boarder at 3 AM I need to take a taxi
...
we eventually moved and left the border at 3.20 AM
Every 1/2 hour the bus seemed to stopp to talk to the other bus drivers
and some police or I dont know. I became more and more nervous.
Eventually we arrived at 6.20 AM in Almaty, I managed to get a fast taxi
to the airport, checked in and in the end I even had to wait a bit at the
airport, before my flight was leaving.
puh
;-)
The hotel taxis to Almaty were all more then 3000 Som (90 USD)
So at around 10.30 pm I decided to take a taxi to the Autovaksal to see if I find somthing cheaper there. It was a bit risky because my flight was at 8.20 Am in the morning and Almaty at least 3-4 hours drive away.
And indeed, there was a night bus to Almaty for 300 Som
I even got a window seat so I could sleep better.
No one spoke english so I asked with my hands when the bus would arrive in
Almaty and they said 6AM. that was a bit tight, but I felt it should be ok.
Then the adventure really started. It was a real test in patience and trust.
The bus didnt lave until 24.30h, when we arrived at the boarder we stood
there for 2 hours and nothing happened, even the bus driver went to sleep,
and because of the language problem no one could explain me what was going
on. So I told my self, keep cool, you will arrive there in Almaty at the
right time. The spirits are stil with you. And I listened to the CD I got
at the Ceremony in town. (I would love to find out more about this music,
where it comes from etc...)
Then when I thought if the bus isnt through the boarder at 3 AM I need to take a taxi
...
we eventually moved and left the border at 3.20 AM
Every 1/2 hour the bus seemed to stopp to talk to the other bus drivers
and some police or I dont know. I became more and more nervous.
Eventually we arrived at 6.20 AM in Almaty, I managed to get a fast taxi
to the airport, checked in and in the end I even had to wait a bit at the
airport, before my flight was leaving.
puh
;-)
connection dots with Apela
In the evening I went with Apela to her Hotel. She had invited me to join her in a small hawaiian ceremony were you drink a drink of a special root and talk.
When I asked her about her time in Alaska (she lived and worked there for more then 12 years) we found out that Dixie Belcher, an old friend of my grandfather is one of the best friends with Apela.
Wow
Another crossing is Hale Makua, an hawaiian elder whom I meet when I was 17 and had given me my hawaiian name. Apela and him worked closely together for many years.
Aloha
Then we have a very special connection with fire and crossings I still need to explore more with her tribe, Kyrgyzstan and myself.
Also her and my connection to Ethopian people still wants to be discovered of its meaning.
I was able to learn a lot from her and I am very grateful to have met her again.
Her website is http://wisn.org
And there is a possibility to do a Master in indeginous science in Hawaii!
.....
When I asked her about her time in Alaska (she lived and worked there for more then 12 years) we found out that Dixie Belcher, an old friend of my grandfather is one of the best friends with Apela.
Wow
Another crossing is Hale Makua, an hawaiian elder whom I meet when I was 17 and had given me my hawaiian name. Apela and him worked closely together for many years.
Aloha
Then we have a very special connection with fire and crossings I still need to explore more with her tribe, Kyrgyzstan and myself.
Also her and my connection to Ethopian people still wants to be discovered of its meaning.
I was able to learn a lot from her and I am very grateful to have met her again.
Her website is http://wisn.org
And there is a possibility to do a Master in indeginous science in Hawaii!
.....
treatments
When we were back in the office after the ceremony in the back yard one of the elders treated my back with a very nice massage giving me a lot of energy.
And then out of the blue he started to tell me things. About a ex boyfriend that is thinking to me a lot and I to him, but that I shouldnt worry too much, because everything would become very good and I should stop thinking too much and dont get angry. And soon I would meet a person that would be able to really see-love me and support me strongly.
After this I went to see the woman who had helped me with my head ache during the ceremony, she gave me a kind of cranio sacral treatment for more then an hour.
We didnt have a translator, so I dont know too much of what she found out besides that because I am supposed to be a very emotional person my liver is suffering a bit.
And then out of the blue he started to tell me things. About a ex boyfriend that is thinking to me a lot and I to him, but that I shouldnt worry too much, because everything would become very good and I should stop thinking too much and dont get angry. And soon I would meet a person that would be able to really see-love me and support me strongly.
After this I went to see the woman who had helped me with my head ache during the ceremony, she gave me a kind of cranio sacral treatment for more then an hour.
We didnt have a translator, so I dont know too much of what she found out besides that because I am supposed to be a very emotional person my liver is suffering a bit.
my last day in Bishkek
I think this was one of my most special days of my whole journey to Kyrgyzstan.
I got my Visa in the morning. And spontanously decided to go to the Aigine research Centre office, instead visiting someone else.
When I arrived everyone from the team was there, plus Apela, Jildiz Bek and an elder I havent meet yet.
After the usual round of drinking Chai they told us that some elders had prepared another ceremony for us in the city and we have to come right now.
It was like a dream for me, I walked into the office "by chance" and a half hour later I was kidnapped into another reality.
We arrived in a backyard somewhere in Bishkek and were greeted by many elders, none of them had participated in our Uluu ot, but they said they did their own one in their region. That means there were at least 7 Uluu ot in Kyrgyzstan at the same time. They told us that spirits had visited them just a half hour ago. It was a spirit with a bison from north America that came and met Manas the spiritual figure from Kyrgyzstan and they huged.
They have heard that native americans and Kyrgyz people should be relatives but didnt really believed it until now when the spirits vistited them and told them as well.
A little while ago they had a vision at this back yard, and tried to put this vision into a graphic, showing the dawning of the golden age, the world religion coming to an end and the development of spirituality, the connection between man and heaven (universe)and the future symbols. They also had a graphic of a possible new world flag, with 7 circles in the rainbow colours and the yurt cross in the middle symbolizing the earth.
Then we had some Chai and lots of fresh fried bread. mmmhhm lecker
The conversations continued between some of the elders and Apela trying to tackle the connections between them.
She showed on her lap top some of the video clips with messages of the elders around the world and they all were really happy. Some of the Kyrgyz woman received some messages from the spirits which she told to Nur-Apa (Apelas Kyrgyz name)
They brought some traditional clothes for Apela, I got a head for young unmarried woman. Within all this seriousness and prayers and "downloading" messages from the spirits, cellphones were ringing and the elders picked them up, said something and then continued with what ever they were busy with before.
One of the leders and me had a strong connection. It was as both of us were looking into each others hearts and understood what was there.
After taking pictures with our new clothes and hats we joined the ceremony that was a special sequence of movements. It was the same movement Jildiz Bek did on the top of the hill at the sacred side where the Fire Ceremony took place 2 days ago (later they trained me how to do it, the words I still dont know, just the meaning and intention of it)
It was the fist time even the team of Aigine had participated in this kind of a ceremony.
We sat down again to have some more Chai. One man opened the car close by and turned on the radio. the most heart cutting music entered my body. Flutes and then a voice telling a story/prayer of man and the world. I closed my eyes, there was a kind of urgency in the voice of this music. For a split second I understood how I fit into this world and where I came from and will go into the future. So many things made sence all of the sudden. many puzzle pieces matched.
...
When the conversations started again I handed my flintstone, that had lit the Uluu ot over to Kyrgyzstan.
I choose to give it to the youngest woman of this new group, which had served us the Chai and bread. Her name was Lyra. She had a green clothes on her head. I had been able to serve the Uluu ot with the flintsone my older sister gave to me 20 years ago, now I had the feeling I had to pass it on. And who would be better then the girl who served us?
Everyone of us, even the most ordinary person, will fullfill their purpose at the right time at the right place with the right people. As my self with the flintstone in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan at Equinox and full moon on march 21, friday 2008.
And so will this young woman one day.
I got my Visa in the morning. And spontanously decided to go to the Aigine research Centre office, instead visiting someone else.
When I arrived everyone from the team was there, plus Apela, Jildiz Bek and an elder I havent meet yet.
After the usual round of drinking Chai they told us that some elders had prepared another ceremony for us in the city and we have to come right now.
It was like a dream for me, I walked into the office "by chance" and a half hour later I was kidnapped into another reality.
We arrived in a backyard somewhere in Bishkek and were greeted by many elders, none of them had participated in our Uluu ot, but they said they did their own one in their region. That means there were at least 7 Uluu ot in Kyrgyzstan at the same time. They told us that spirits had visited them just a half hour ago. It was a spirit with a bison from north America that came and met Manas the spiritual figure from Kyrgyzstan and they huged.
They have heard that native americans and Kyrgyz people should be relatives but didnt really believed it until now when the spirits vistited them and told them as well.
A little while ago they had a vision at this back yard, and tried to put this vision into a graphic, showing the dawning of the golden age, the world religion coming to an end and the development of spirituality, the connection between man and heaven (universe)and the future symbols. They also had a graphic of a possible new world flag, with 7 circles in the rainbow colours and the yurt cross in the middle symbolizing the earth.
Then we had some Chai and lots of fresh fried bread. mmmhhm lecker
The conversations continued between some of the elders and Apela trying to tackle the connections between them.
She showed on her lap top some of the video clips with messages of the elders around the world and they all were really happy. Some of the Kyrgyz woman received some messages from the spirits which she told to Nur-Apa (Apelas Kyrgyz name)
They brought some traditional clothes for Apela, I got a head for young unmarried woman. Within all this seriousness and prayers and "downloading" messages from the spirits, cellphones were ringing and the elders picked them up, said something and then continued with what ever they were busy with before.
One of the leders and me had a strong connection. It was as both of us were looking into each others hearts and understood what was there.
After taking pictures with our new clothes and hats we joined the ceremony that was a special sequence of movements. It was the same movement Jildiz Bek did on the top of the hill at the sacred side where the Fire Ceremony took place 2 days ago (later they trained me how to do it, the words I still dont know, just the meaning and intention of it)
It was the fist time even the team of Aigine had participated in this kind of a ceremony.
We sat down again to have some more Chai. One man opened the car close by and turned on the radio. the most heart cutting music entered my body. Flutes and then a voice telling a story/prayer of man and the world. I closed my eyes, there was a kind of urgency in the voice of this music. For a split second I understood how I fit into this world and where I came from and will go into the future. So many things made sence all of the sudden. many puzzle pieces matched.
...
When the conversations started again I handed my flintstone, that had lit the Uluu ot over to Kyrgyzstan.
I choose to give it to the youngest woman of this new group, which had served us the Chai and bread. Her name was Lyra. She had a green clothes on her head. I had been able to serve the Uluu ot with the flintsone my older sister gave to me 20 years ago, now I had the feeling I had to pass it on. And who would be better then the girl who served us?
Everyone of us, even the most ordinary person, will fullfill their purpose at the right time at the right place with the right people. As my self with the flintstone in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan at Equinox and full moon on march 21, friday 2008.
And so will this young woman one day.
Monday 24 March 2008
Back in Bishkek
After a 7 hours minibus ride I am back in Bishkek, once again in a internet cafe :-)
Tomorrow I hope I can pick up my visa to go back to Almaty in Kazakhzstan and on wednesday I will fly back to London.
Before I hope I will manage to meet the lady who treated my headache during the ceremony. And get some more treatment for my liver and meet the curative education home in Bishkek tomorrow as well.
One more day in this amazing country.
love you all!
Tomorrow I hope I can pick up my visa to go back to Almaty in Kazakhzstan and on wednesday I will fly back to London.
Before I hope I will manage to meet the lady who treated my headache during the ceremony. And get some more treatment for my liver and meet the curative education home in Bishkek tomorrow as well.
One more day in this amazing country.
love you all!
Village life
The conditions are very similar to african villages I saw last year.
No running water in the house, but in the yard. Out house a bit away from the main house, my house had electricity and of course TV.
You cook with coal and fire.
The food is really good. I learned how to cook Plov ( i dont know how to write it) the hospitality amazing. when ever you have a visitor you need to offer some bread and Chai. And you share all the food you have.
If you are 21 and not married you are out of the concept, especially girls.
My host family had a 8 day old baby, totally wrapped in towels. Intersesting wrapping technick, also they way they use the towles for pampers adding some plastic so the pie cannot go through.
chickens in the backyard. FAther works with the farm, tehy have a lot if sheeps, the mother has a little shop, and is busy the rest of the day making a lot of things by hand. Soap, blankets, ...
their daughter, my host, lives in Karakol and runs the only internet cafe that is mentione din the lonly planet travel guide. She was a great host and helped me a lot to get around and made sure I ate a lot.
Puh I am gettimng fat here in this country.
No running water in the house, but in the yard. Out house a bit away from the main house, my house had electricity and of course TV.
You cook with coal and fire.
The food is really good. I learned how to cook Plov ( i dont know how to write it) the hospitality amazing. when ever you have a visitor you need to offer some bread and Chai. And you share all the food you have.
If you are 21 and not married you are out of the concept, especially girls.
My host family had a 8 day old baby, totally wrapped in towels. Intersesting wrapping technick, also they way they use the towles for pampers adding some plastic so the pie cannot go through.
chickens in the backyard. FAther works with the farm, tehy have a lot if sheeps, the mother has a little shop, and is busy the rest of the day making a lot of things by hand. Soap, blankets, ...
their daughter, my host, lives in Karakol and runs the only internet cafe that is mentione din the lonly planet travel guide. She was a great host and helped me a lot to get around and made sure I ate a lot.
Puh I am gettimng fat here in this country.
Horseback riding
Things can change fast as the wind in the mauntains.
I decided to see more of the country and stayed with a relative of a girl I meet in Karakol one more night. She took me to her village and there it was what I was missing:
The wind in my hair, sparkle in my eyes and a fast horse unde me galopping over the fields beneath alpine mauntains.
You have to imagine pictures of the Mongolai you may have in your head if you think about me on this horse.
I was so exited that I booked the horse and the Kyrgyz guide again for the next morning, and instead of a taxi back to the town we went there by horse.
I love fast horses and I am not happy about my leggs aching after this 3 hours ride.
But the sore muscles are definetly worth it
:-)
I decided to see more of the country and stayed with a relative of a girl I meet in Karakol one more night. She took me to her village and there it was what I was missing:
The wind in my hair, sparkle in my eyes and a fast horse unde me galopping over the fields beneath alpine mauntains.
You have to imagine pictures of the Mongolai you may have in your head if you think about me on this horse.
I was so exited that I booked the horse and the Kyrgyz guide again for the next morning, and instead of a taxi back to the town we went there by horse.
I love fast horses and I am not happy about my leggs aching after this 3 hours ride.
But the sore muscles are definetly worth it
:-)
Saturday 22 March 2008
Karakol - easter a bit different this year
I am in Karakol right now, a city close to the lake.
I am accompanying Apela for 2 more days. Right now she is talking to a biologist and I got 1 hour to write this blog.
Tomorrow I will greet the sun. This year easter has been a bit out of order for me. But I did all elements my family is doing normally at easter, just this time on different days insted of sunday. Going to get water to wash your self and drink at easter sunday in the morning before sunrise. Burning an easter fire with the dried and safed Christmas tree, collecting eggs (this time garbage;-)sing a song, having breakfast...
On friday a lot happened. It was equinox and full moon at he same time and friday.
Great times lay in front of us.
Rahmat - Thank You all for being with me!
I am accompanying Apela for 2 more days. Right now she is talking to a biologist and I got 1 hour to write this blog.
Tomorrow I will greet the sun. This year easter has been a bit out of order for me. But I did all elements my family is doing normally at easter, just this time on different days insted of sunday. Going to get water to wash your self and drink at easter sunday in the morning before sunrise. Burning an easter fire with the dried and safed Christmas tree, collecting eggs (this time garbage;-)sing a song, having breakfast...
On friday a lot happened. It was equinox and full moon at he same time and friday.
Great times lay in front of us.
Rahmat - Thank You all for being with me!
The day after
After breakfast ( we all slept in a russian sanatoriuam nearby) we meet in a hall to share our experiences.
Greetings from other elders from around the world were passed on through some videos.
Pete and the mexican woman had to explain what they did and why yesterday, because some people didnt understand their role and what they did and their prayers meant.
Kyrgyz elders passed on their greetings and the most famous Kyrgyz philosopher explained about the symbols of the circle (the sun) and the square ( 4 corners of the world) and the relation to the native mericans and Japanes natives. Long time ago it was just one family, they use the same symbols until today.
Itwas good to hear them speak, I missed it a bit yesterday. It was also asked to share critics, because it was the first ceremony in its kind at this place and it will need improvement. Some people did in a very kind way offereing their knowledge of what they stillremember of their ceremonies.
I send greetings from my parents and thanked for the invitation and shared my experience of he fore liting the night before. I also spoke about Tibet and all the people that are demostrating at the moment. All of those things are a sign for me taht the time is come were we have to stand up and show our selves and not to hide anymore. May this fire purify us, transformus and unite us with our selves, the world and the people around us. May this fire keep burning in our hearts for all the generations of the future to be passed on.
Schutzengel mein
behuet uns fein
Tag und Nacht Frueh und spaet
bis unsere Seele in den Himmel eingeht
Schutzengel mein
behuet uns fein
Amen
Greetings from other elders from around the world were passed on through some videos.
Pete and the mexican woman had to explain what they did and why yesterday, because some people didnt understand their role and what they did and their prayers meant.
Kyrgyz elders passed on their greetings and the most famous Kyrgyz philosopher explained about the symbols of the circle (the sun) and the square ( 4 corners of the world) and the relation to the native mericans and Japanes natives. Long time ago it was just one family, they use the same symbols until today.
Itwas good to hear them speak, I missed it a bit yesterday. It was also asked to share critics, because it was the first ceremony in its kind at this place and it will need improvement. Some people did in a very kind way offereing their knowledge of what they stillremember of their ceremonies.
I send greetings from my parents and thanked for the invitation and shared my experience of he fore liting the night before. I also spoke about Tibet and all the people that are demostrating at the moment. All of those things are a sign for me taht the time is come were we have to stand up and show our selves and not to hide anymore. May this fire purify us, transformus and unite us with our selves, the world and the people around us. May this fire keep burning in our hearts for all the generations of the future to be passed on.
Schutzengel mein
behuet uns fein
Tag und Nacht Frueh und spaet
bis unsere Seele in den Himmel eingeht
Schutzengel mein
behuet uns fein
Amen
The fire ceremony
We all walked tothe prepared wood pile. It was already a bit late and it seemed no one really knew what would happen.
Camera lights were flashing and disurbing me terrible. Someone aske dfor silence.
We, the 3 woman, Apela a native american, a Kyrgyz woman and me started to prepare the 3 little nests for the sparks to jump in.
Pete from Washington DC sang the native american dong for the fire spirit to awake and then we started to get some sparks out of our 3 different flintstones.
My was the first to catch flames. I put it under the wood and it started to catch the fire. I helped the other two to give some sparks from my stone. In the meantime my little fire died in the big pile, but Apelas started to catch and the flames grow.
A sigh of reliev, but then - the fire didnt find enough air or branches, only the spirits maybe know what happend, and the fire died. As fast as possibe, almoust a bit hectic the 3 of us were preparing a new nest for some sparks that cought fire quit fast and I pushed it as deep as I could under the branches inside the pile. The branches cougt fire and all of the sudden some kyrgyz boys and man jumped to us and put some more branches on it. And then the flames became stable and Uluu ot was lit aain for the first time propably since 40.000 years or more.
It only burned when everyone came together. It was so beautiful and I still cant find the right words to describe everything.
Many peopel shared their prayers and wishes. The Koran was read and Manas chanted.
I played a little song on my flute and then walked on top of a little mauntain to look at the moon, the voices of prayer in the backround.
My headache became stronger and stronger, finally it also effected my stomacheand I puked behind the Moschee into a little hole and covered it with earth afterwards. Now I felt a lttle better.
We watched the fire until it was burned down, also because of my headache everything was a little bit unreal. But it definetly happened!
:-)
Camera lights were flashing and disurbing me terrible. Someone aske dfor silence.
We, the 3 woman, Apela a native american, a Kyrgyz woman and me started to prepare the 3 little nests for the sparks to jump in.
Pete from Washington DC sang the native american dong for the fire spirit to awake and then we started to get some sparks out of our 3 different flintstones.
My was the first to catch flames. I put it under the wood and it started to catch the fire. I helped the other two to give some sparks from my stone. In the meantime my little fire died in the big pile, but Apelas started to catch and the flames grow.
A sigh of reliev, but then - the fire didnt find enough air or branches, only the spirits maybe know what happend, and the fire died. As fast as possibe, almoust a bit hectic the 3 of us were preparing a new nest for some sparks that cought fire quit fast and I pushed it as deep as I could under the branches inside the pile. The branches cougt fire and all of the sudden some kyrgyz boys and man jumped to us and put some more branches on it. And then the flames became stable and Uluu ot was lit aain for the first time propably since 40.000 years or more.
It only burned when everyone came together. It was so beautiful and I still cant find the right words to describe everything.
Many peopel shared their prayers and wishes. The Koran was read and Manas chanted.
I played a little song on my flute and then walked on top of a little mauntain to look at the moon, the voices of prayer in the backround.
My headache became stronger and stronger, finally it also effected my stomacheand I puked behind the Moschee into a little hole and covered it with earth afterwards. Now I felt a lttle better.
We watched the fire until it was burned down, also because of my headache everything was a little bit unreal. But it definetly happened!
:-)
My flint stone
Around 20 years ago my older sister Saskia gave me a flintstone she got on one of her travels in the USA.
I always kept it with me. Since a couple of years I took it with me on all of my trips. So it traveled with me to Argentina, Brazil, Japan, USA, KEnia, TAnzania, Palestine, Israel...
Sometimes I was laughing about myself. "why would I carry this with you, do I really honestly think I will someday end up in the wilderness without any matches and then will need it to lit a fire?"
But I always took it with me, in the top of my back pack. Before we left Bishkek, Apela and the Kyrgyz people were training to lit the fire with their flint stone, but experienced trouble. Without thinking to much I said I also have one, if you guys want to try it with this one. I took it, Apela was stil trying to do it with the other really old one, blowing into the glimm in a bed of moos and other good burning material. I was doing it more out of curiousity, one strike into the material and buuuuuuuuum it ws in flames. Everyone including me were super surprised.
So right away I was appointed from the leader of the Aigine research centre to join to lit the fire. Which I did together with Apela and another Kyrgyz woman yesterday night at midnight looking at the full moon shining at the majestic mauntains.
Before I came here I knew I would learn a lot from this amazing country and people, but I didnt know what I could contribute to this transforming fire and why exactly I had to come to join it live. So now this question is answered, as well as why I was always carrying the flintstone with me, my sister gave to me 20 years ago.
I always kept it with me. Since a couple of years I took it with me on all of my trips. So it traveled with me to Argentina, Brazil, Japan, USA, KEnia, TAnzania, Palestine, Israel...
Sometimes I was laughing about myself. "why would I carry this with you, do I really honestly think I will someday end up in the wilderness without any matches and then will need it to lit a fire?"
But I always took it with me, in the top of my back pack. Before we left Bishkek, Apela and the Kyrgyz people were training to lit the fire with their flint stone, but experienced trouble. Without thinking to much I said I also have one, if you guys want to try it with this one. I took it, Apela was stil trying to do it with the other really old one, blowing into the glimm in a bed of moos and other good burning material. I was doing it more out of curiousity, one strike into the material and buuuuuuuuum it ws in flames. Everyone including me were super surprised.
So right away I was appointed from the leader of the Aigine research centre to join to lit the fire. Which I did together with Apela and another Kyrgyz woman yesterday night at midnight looking at the full moon shining at the majestic mauntains.
Before I came here I knew I would learn a lot from this amazing country and people, but I didnt know what I could contribute to this transforming fire and why exactly I had to come to join it live. So now this question is answered, as well as why I was always carrying the flintstone with me, my sister gave to me 20 years ago.
Mazars
There are many sacred sites in Kyrgyzstan.
They are called Mazars and always have a guardian who takes care of the place.
We left Bishkek around noon and drove in small buses for 5 hours to the one that would host the Uluu ot - the sacred fire ceremony in the night.
The snow mauntains in the back, the blue blue lake on the side and earth hills and canyons with us inbetween. There was a memorial close by and a little moschee, the half moon on the top reflecting the sun and later on the full full moon.
We were invited to sit around a carpet and were served bread and tea. All woman had to cover their hair and some of us had brought also skirts to wear to honor the religion and place.
We wlked into those hills and canyons. People explaining in russian the history about the place.
I walked around a ruin and just sat by myself.
Looking towards the mauntains and the sun setting, feeling the earth beneath me, breathing. Observing to silhuets on a hill nearby doing some movements that could have been a kind of Tai-Chi. They were running on top of the next hill. It looked like that they had a lot of fun. Ifelt a bubbeling joy inside of me. Jumped to my feet and of I went, leaving the other people behind me that followed some path in a canyon and run after the 2 man.
One of them spoke a bit english. We run and jumped from hill to hill. Until we came to a place with some snow left and a big biiiiiiiig old tree. I think it was a willow, at least 100 years old and a little spring between her roots.
They told me that this was a very sacred place. We washed ourself with the water and drunk some. It tasted a bit salty and very rich of minerals. We kneelt down and they chanted a prayer, I contributed with the Guardian angle song my parents sang to my sisters, brother and me when I was a child. We tried to listen to the water in the tree. And were silent for a while. Then we made our way back, meeting more trees and dwells under them, but none of them was that big.
Also people here in Kyrgyzstan - at leastsome of them have lost their connection to theearth, some cocacola bottles and garbage laying around at the sacred sites. The 3 of us all started to pick up everything we saw on our way back. It was like looking for easter eggs, everyone trying to see the next piece of garbage before the other.
I am so grateful for those to man from Taras. They felt real and awake, no hokuspokus around them and they have showed me some of their country in a very special way.
They are called Mazars and always have a guardian who takes care of the place.
We left Bishkek around noon and drove in small buses for 5 hours to the one that would host the Uluu ot - the sacred fire ceremony in the night.
The snow mauntains in the back, the blue blue lake on the side and earth hills and canyons with us inbetween. There was a memorial close by and a little moschee, the half moon on the top reflecting the sun and later on the full full moon.
We were invited to sit around a carpet and were served bread and tea. All woman had to cover their hair and some of us had brought also skirts to wear to honor the religion and place.
We wlked into those hills and canyons. People explaining in russian the history about the place.
I walked around a ruin and just sat by myself.
Looking towards the mauntains and the sun setting, feeling the earth beneath me, breathing. Observing to silhuets on a hill nearby doing some movements that could have been a kind of Tai-Chi. They were running on top of the next hill. It looked like that they had a lot of fun. Ifelt a bubbeling joy inside of me. Jumped to my feet and of I went, leaving the other people behind me that followed some path in a canyon and run after the 2 man.
One of them spoke a bit english. We run and jumped from hill to hill. Until we came to a place with some snow left and a big biiiiiiiig old tree. I think it was a willow, at least 100 years old and a little spring between her roots.
They told me that this was a very sacred place. We washed ourself with the water and drunk some. It tasted a bit salty and very rich of minerals. We kneelt down and they chanted a prayer, I contributed with the Guardian angle song my parents sang to my sisters, brother and me when I was a child. We tried to listen to the water in the tree. And were silent for a while. Then we made our way back, meeting more trees and dwells under them, but none of them was that big.
Also people here in Kyrgyzstan - at leastsome of them have lost their connection to theearth, some cocacola bottles and garbage laying around at the sacred sites. The 3 of us all started to pick up everything we saw on our way back. It was like looking for easter eggs, everyone trying to see the next piece of garbage before the other.
I am so grateful for those to man from Taras. They felt real and awake, no hokuspokus around them and they have showed me some of their country in a very special way.
Pictures
On thursday night we went to a traditonal Kyrgyz restaurant with really nice food, china meets russia kind.
When we left I forgot my photocamera on my chair. 1 hour later when I returned to look for it, it was gone. I guess someone needed it more then me.
I also remembered that once Elizabeth Wirsching, a friend of mine, told me, that when she was young traveling in Afghanistan she also lost her camera. And looking back it was the moment when she started her inner journey, and for this you dont need cameras.
So maybe I hope the same will happen to me, having lost the camera being the symbol to travel inside as well going to the fire in the mauntains.
When we left I forgot my photocamera on my chair. 1 hour later when I returned to look for it, it was gone. I guess someone needed it more then me.
I also remembered that once Elizabeth Wirsching, a friend of mine, told me, that when she was young traveling in Afghanistan she also lost her camera. And looking back it was the moment when she started her inner journey, and for this you dont need cameras.
So maybe I hope the same will happen to me, having lost the camera being the symbol to travel inside as well going to the fire in the mauntains.
Uluu ot
We did it. The fire was lit when everyone worked together.
I will post everything soon.
love you all
greetings from the great lake in the mauntains.
I will post everything soon.
love you all
greetings from the great lake in the mauntains.
Wednesday 19 March 2008
2 day in Bishkek
I meet Apela Colorado, the hawaiian woman that co organizes this Uluu ott event, the sacred fire ceremony, in the Aigine Research center in Bishkek yesterday.
I thought we would leave to the mauntains today, but we are not. We will leave tomorrow. Some people here in Kyrgyzstan are trying to forbid the ceremony. Nobody know at this time if we will be able to really do it there.
Soon I will go to see a museum with Apela and I hope I will be able to stay again with Ruedi for one more night.
The mauntains here are just amazing. Cannot wait to show you guys pics.
Please send prayers to Tibet. It says that the current demonstrations are bigger then the time when the Dalai LAma had to leave many years ago.
Its trouble time and we need to take care of our fires and teh fire of the world.
I thought we would leave to the mauntains today, but we are not. We will leave tomorrow. Some people here in Kyrgyzstan are trying to forbid the ceremony. Nobody know at this time if we will be able to really do it there.
Soon I will go to see a museum with Apela and I hope I will be able to stay again with Ruedi for one more night.
The mauntains here are just amazing. Cannot wait to show you guys pics.
Please send prayers to Tibet. It says that the current demonstrations are bigger then the time when the Dalai LAma had to leave many years ago.
Its trouble time and we need to take care of our fires and teh fire of the world.
Bishkek
At the Kyrgyz Embassy in Almaty I meet a great couple (Kasach woman and English man with baby) that helped me to translate for the visa and find the bank where I had to pay for the Visa etc. Then they invited me for lunch in a sushi bar, the bill went to the business account of the man, who works for a oil company. Then I slept for one hour in their home, before I picked up my VIsa and took a marschrutka (small bus) to Bishkek, crossing the border at 9pm.
Wow 4 countries in 24 hours (England, Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan)
My Swiss host Ruedi I meet throufg hospitalityclub, who lives here since 6 years is an expert in Oekological building. Great conversations.
The next morning his room made Julia showed me the town, I managed to change some money and in the evening I ate Rabbit meat for the first time in my life. It was actually really nice.
;-)
Wow 4 countries in 24 hours (England, Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan)
My Swiss host Ruedi I meet throufg hospitalityclub, who lives here since 6 years is an expert in Oekological building. Great conversations.
The next morning his room made Julia showed me the town, I managed to change some money and in the evening I ate Rabbit meat for the first time in my life. It was actually really nice.
;-)
Monday 17 March 2008
Almaty in Kazakhztan
When I googelt flights to Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan I found a special offer from KLM to Almaty. It sayed it was just a few hours by bus from Bishkek to where I have to go.
And it was a lot cheaper then direct flight to Bishkek, where you can get a visa upon arrival at the international airport.
So I booked it. Sunday 2.50 pm I would leave London via Amsterdam to Almaty. Friday arrives and I find out that Almaty is in Kazakhstan and not in Kyrgyzstan. And they have different Visa policies.
So I ended up not knowing if I can go at all and maybe loose the ticket, because it was a non refundable one. A nice guy at the KLM counter at Heathrow Airport let me change it to Monday and with the amazing help of Bill, who I meet at the Storytelling course I managed to go to the Kazach embassy and miraculous got a visa within 2 hours.
So now I am sitting in a cafe in Almaty with Hifi. Waiting for the Kyrgyz Embassy to open and I hope I will get an express VIsa there too. Then I have to find the Bus station and a bus to Bishkek where I will stay with a friendly hospitalityclub host.
Central Asia - I am coming.
(I wish my little sister and her ability of speaking russian would be with me, I have seldom traveled that unprepared. Andventures ahead of me I guess...)
Thank you Universe for sending me all this support and helpers so far.
More soon.
And it was a lot cheaper then direct flight to Bishkek, where you can get a visa upon arrival at the international airport.
So I booked it. Sunday 2.50 pm I would leave London via Amsterdam to Almaty. Friday arrives and I find out that Almaty is in Kazakhstan and not in Kyrgyzstan. And they have different Visa policies.
So I ended up not knowing if I can go at all and maybe loose the ticket, because it was a non refundable one. A nice guy at the KLM counter at Heathrow Airport let me change it to Monday and with the amazing help of Bill, who I meet at the Storytelling course I managed to go to the Kazach embassy and miraculous got a visa within 2 hours.
So now I am sitting in a cafe in Almaty with Hifi. Waiting for the Kyrgyz Embassy to open and I hope I will get an express VIsa there too. Then I have to find the Bus station and a bus to Bishkek where I will stay with a friendly hospitalityclub host.
Central Asia - I am coming.
(I wish my little sister and her ability of speaking russian would be with me, I have seldom traveled that unprepared. Andventures ahead of me I guess...)
Thank you Universe for sending me all this support and helpers so far.
More soon.
www.onesacredfire.org
When I got the invitation to join the sacred Fire Ceremony in Kyrgyzstan and people offered me to help me pay the flight I could not say no.
So I am daring to do this step in my life, maybe it will be a detour on my path, but it will be a beautiful one.
Why am I going there? What can I contribute? I definetly will learn a lot. And I trust that my feet carry me the right way.
So I am daring to do this step in my life, maybe it will be a detour on my path, but it will be a beautiful one.
Why am I going there? What can I contribute? I definetly will learn a lot. And I trust that my feet carry me the right way.
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