Death in white

It is mid winter now in Cracow, Poland and the beautiful city is covered by snow.
Making it even more pretty.
Almost fairy tale like when one sees for example the Cracow castle.

However, one aspect of winter in Poland is that weekly people die because of the cold.
A kind of involuntary suicide because it is due to excessive use of alcohol.

The thing is that vodka, a very strong liquor, is widely consumed in Poland.
And for many the approach is to drink so much that drunkenness is reached.
A tolerated phenomenon in Polish society.

And this is the start for the persons to die in the streets of the villages and towns of Poland.
Drunk they leave the house or the bar while the snow on the pavement is slippery.
They fall down and think in their drunkenness they have arrived at a spot where it is not so bad to have a nap.
Laying in the snow on the pavement deep in drunkenness and sleep, the body gets under cooled and soon death has struck.
Another life unnecessarily ended.

In Cracow this situation can be seen frequently.
Another man on the pavement dying.

Once a man was between a high wall and parked cars.
Stretched out on the snow of the pavement.
It was night and dark and it was a scaring sight.
What to do?
The street was crossed to be able to continue the walk.
In a different sentiment realizing a man was there laying drunk probably dying if no help would come.
More people passed and ignored the situation.
Not knowing what to do and feeling visitors in a strange country seeing the Polish not interfering or assisting themselves.

Once a man was totally unconscious more or less sitting in an unnatural pose on the steps of a house.
Completely knocked out by overusing alcohol.
Ready to die also.
He was surrounded by two policemen who were radioing for an ambulance.

Once a man was sitting against a wall in the snow obviously not on this world anymore carried away by too much alcohol.
A well dressed couple passed by and were touched by the man.
They knew he would die if nothing was done.
They called the man but he was too deep in his stupor.
Then the well dressed man put himself in front of the drunk and started to clap in his hands.
To wake him up.
To bring him back.
To life and survival.
But the drunken man didn't respond.
Too far gone to respond to these kinds of rescue efforts.
The well dressed couple gave up and continued their walk.

Press agency IRNA reports on December 21, 2009:

Dozens freeze to death in Poland over weekend
At least 42 people froze to death in Poland over the weekend as temperatures plunged to as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius in parts of the country, police said in Warsaw on Monday.
The victims were reportedly mainly homeless and drunk people between the age of 30 and 50.

Police urged Poles to alert them, if they saw either homeless or drunk persons lying outdoors.

Meanwhile, police was searching for empty houses, garden-sheds and city parks to re-locate the homeless to shelters.

At least, 71 people froze to death in Poland since the beginning of this month.

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For a more detailed story about people freezing to death in Poland, check:

http://mathaba.net/news/?x=622407





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Cool thougths in the hot desert

In the centre of the Mojave Desert, in California, USA, is the town of Baker situated.

A town that lives off the traffic passing by on the I-15 between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
Lives off people that need to eat, to sleep or need to have their car fixed.
Otherwise, no other income could be generated in Baker since mining for gold and silver in the area is not profitable anymore.

Passing the town of Baker brought back memories.

It has been used in the 80’s as the starting point for making sequences not far from Baker.
In an area of the Mojave Desert known as “Devil’s Playground”.

And in the 90’s, travelling with Judith O., the Chevrolet pickup truck with a Midas camper had its time chain broken and was fixed in Baker.

Driving the I-15 passing Baker, these memories flashed through the mind.
How unique this sequence making was and the love making with Judith O. also.

Reminiscing though is not in the nature.
Memories that are too old and that are brought back to the presence occupy the space for having new experiences.
Otherwise, one may fear to become an old and passive memorizer.

Much more the mind was occupied, while driving through the Mojave Desert on I-15 passing Baker, with what had been heard on Dutch TV recently.

A man was talking about AA.
Alcoholics Anonymous.
And said he had no problems with alcohol.
But that he had problems with life.

That is a stunning statement.

The man explained that when he was drinking, he felt fine.
But when he was sober, he had constantly uneasy experiences.

Fervent and loyal blog readers who know what is drinking, may confirm this observation.
When under the influence of alcohol a “letting it all go”-feeling dominates.
Life becomes more simple.
More easy.
More flexible.
Less overwhelming.

But when sober, many issues are found on the road of life.
There is friction.
Complications.
Hurdles.

This situation may develop into a circle.
Life is good when alcohol is in the blood and life is hard when sober.
Hence, a constant desire is felt to return to being tipsy.
Where life is good.

Even alcoholics know this is not a good thing.
It ruins the health and places a person in an unrealistic and therefore lonely reality.

The issue is that life for most people is not easy.
All of us deal with the things that come on our paths.
Nobody lives in paradise.
Alcohol though is an inadequate and inefficient escape.

Much better is to handle the issues of life in a different way.
To feel good about oneself from within.
Not by influences from outside like alcohol.

One excellent way to feel good about oneself from within is to be involved in sports.
To do for example exercises.
Or to run.
To swim.
To do yoga.
To do Taichi.

Another fantastic way is to do a daily meditation.
To become through meditation more centered and balanced.
So the mind doesn’t get that upset anymore when a new issue in the life arises.

The town of Baker in the Mojave Desert: art, sex and now wisdom.




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Why change?

Recently the concept of professional drinking was explained on this blog.

It is based on the fact that a person is not feeling more happy after 7 glasses of an alcoholic beverage instead of 5.

A professional drinker then is someone who drinks to reach the appropriate level of happiness and next refrains from more intakes.

This is the theory.
That was extensively and repeatedly discussed with cousin Jerzek and his beautiful wife.
Who is very much in favour of seeing her husband professionalize his drinking.
And this for good reasons.

Last night was the opportunity to learn how professional each person was.
In the case of cousin Jerzek it failed.
Understandably.
Because drinking occurs in a social setting.
And this social setting will be turned upside down if a person halts drinking at a certain moment claiming that the best level of happiness has been reached.

The social setting is prepared days ahead.
People communicate by phone to arrange seeing each other a certain day and time.
There already, indirectly, the drinking starts.
Because everyone involved knows that the meeting will be an occasion to drink alcohol.
And that the getting together is the perfect circumstance and partly the purpose to have a good drinking.
The day itself the party is prepared.
This by putting tables together surrounded by chairs so that all the people sit in a large circle facing each other.
On the table are bottles of water, cola and juice.
When guests arrive the ice cold bottle of vodka will come to the table.

The so-called party is nothing more than men sitting there and consuming alcohol.
And they talk of course.
Talk a lot.
And laugh.
Laugh a lot.
To have a hell of a time.

This goes on from about 5 pm to early in the morning.
More than 8 hours.
Just sitting, talking and drinking.
And only men.
No women participate in this event.

It is this pattern that is hard to break.
No professionalism is strong enough to change this ceremony.
Because it would involve letting the drinking partners down.
Who are the best friends.
Breaking a social code.
Even having to leave the table.

In itself nothing is wrong with these kinds of parties.
Except that it is devastating for the health.
Damaging and destructive.

The decision has to be made if that is acceptable or not.
The drinker obviously does but sometimes the family looks at it in a different way.
But there is nothing they can do but accept the decision of the drinker and hope for the best.

Change can only come from within a person.
It has to be the own decision.
Consequently, truly being with others means accepting the choices and decisions they make.

Cousin Jerzek had a fantastic time last night.
And that everybody wants him to have.

At this time of writing, 7.18 am, the whole house is trembling because of the snoring of cousin Jerzek.
Who will need the whole day to recuperate from last night’s party.
Which is a prize he doesn’t mind to pay.

The subject of drinking professionally will not be mentioned anymore.
To be a true cousin and not a schoolmaster.

Only five glasses of vodka

Cousin Jerzek was feeling not too well the day after the exciting party in the “Buzniz Club” in Nowy Sacz, Poland.
Obviously this was coming from the amount of vodka he had been drinking with his two friends.
A few half a litre bottles.

This is not very good for his health.
To drink so much.
Only a few years ago he has had a heart attack.
He recuperated beautifully but swallows now every day a handful of pills.
And is unable to quit smoking.

Hence, today a gentle discussion about the use of alcohol was initiated.
And the thesis was put on the table that alcohol is fantastic.
Nothing wrong with it.
But one must drink in an intelligent way.
Therefore the question was asked how many glasses of vodka are needed to feel open, free and happy?

OK, let’s say five.
After five glasses of vodka the mood is exuberant, life seems uncomplicated, the wife is more attractive than ever and the friends are the best in the world.
Wonderful.
What a good time!

But now the question is: will you feel better if after five glasses you take a few more?
In other words, will you feel more exuberant and will your wife be even more attractive and will your friends be more than best compared to after five glasses?
What is the difference between feeling good with five glasses of vodka or seven glasses of vodka?

The answer is of course that there is no difference.
A person drinks and gets in an excellent mood and as of that point it can’t get any better.
In fact, if one drinks substantially more after that, the awareness and the enjoyment of the mood disappear through the loss of conscience.
The famous cloud of alcohol the brains are drowning in.

Cousin Jerzek agreed: he feels perfect after five glasses and every glass more is not improving the way he feels.
At that moment Irena, cousin Jerzek’s beautiful wife, said something very correct.
She claimed that after five glasses of vodka the drinking goes on but controlled by the alcohol.
It is not the individual anymore who decides to have another glass.
It is the alcohol in the brains that plants the idea to have another one.
This is very true and the core of alcoholism.

Hence, it was suggested that each of us should be professional in drinking.
When feeling fantastic after five glasses the professionalism should kick in.
One should say to oneself: now I have reached the perfect level and no more booze is needed.

This way of handling drinking was new to cousin Jerzek.
Who is very open and accepting.

There is a plan to invite the now famous Polish singer Anna Wacura to the house this coming weekend to give a private concert.
Obviously vodka and wine will stream like the Volga.
Let’s see how professional everybody will be.




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Cold pizzas

She was too self involved to be able to see the pictures in the photo book she was holding in her hands.
Instead, she was talking about herself only and desperately trying to neurotically remain the centre of attention.
This situation many fervent and loyal blog readers do remember from some postings ago.
A well proportioned dentist visiting the cousin in Nowy Sacz in Poland adding an interesting chapter to the life of the pioneering photographer.

As life takes good care of any one of us, this is if you allow life to do it by being flexible and have the river stream its course, the next night new friends came to visit the Polish cousin and his family.
A Polish-French couple.
She was working at the airport of Basel in Switzerland servicing private jets of famous people like Bono of U2.
While he had a company that was putting murals in large houses and hotels worldwide.
A patented technique for which images can be used.
He already knew of the work of the pioneering photographer and proposed to make use of his “PS-series” images for the large murals he was installing all over the world.
An interesting proposition with possible favourable financial rewards.

So one night a dentist comes and the next night a mural maker.
One has no interest whatsoever in the images and the other proposes to buy them.
How beautiful life keeps everything in balance.

Two remarkable things happened while the Polish-French couple was visiting.

They were drinking vodka.
One would expect that in Poland Polish people drink Polish vodka.
Not so.
One night it was vodka from Denmark.
And the other night vodka from Finland.

The French-Polish couple and the cousin were drinking Finlandia: 1 litre of vodka.
And finished the bottle.
Three people each having more than 333 cc of a liquid containing 40 % alcohol.
Nevertheless, they were not really getting drunk.
Somehow they stayed coherent.
Although the mood was exaltated.

At one point during the evening pizzas were ordered from Pizza Hut.
A chain of pizza restaurants also present in Poland.
The agreed time of delivery was 20.30 hours but no pizza boy was ringing the doorbell at the agreed time.
At 21.00 hours cousin Jerzek finally called Pizza Hut:
“Where are our pizzas? We are hungry!”
Pizza Hut explained their delivery car had broken down.
“Why didn’t you let us know”, cousin Jerzek asked rightly so.
Pizza Hut told that if we would come ourselves, we could pick up the ordered pizzas for free.
But all drivers knowing the way to Pizza Hut under the blanket from the vodka, only way was to ask Jerzek’s 23-year-old son Tomaszku to go and get the food.
The enterprising boy smelled his chance and charged to get the food his father the amount otherwise spend on the pizzas

Eventually the pizzas arrived.
Cold though.

Being bamboo

The rancho of the Gonzales family is far away from common conveniences like electricity, running water and telephone.

Fortunately there is a water well with good water.
This is pumped up with a gasoline powered water pump into two large cement reservoirs to serve the kitchen and the bathroom.

These days electricity is available thanks to two large solar panels and four batteries.
To power some lamps in the rooms and the TV.
However, when it is a cloudy day, there is no TV at night…

There is a washing machine and for this an electricity generator is used.

In general though, life is simple and never anybody complains for example that mobile phones do not work where is the rancho.

Most of the year the members of the Gonzales family sleep outside.
There are beds under roofs of palm leaves around the small stone house.
They sleep outside to enjoy the cooler temperatures.
But these colder months they sleep inside the house that has three rooms with five double beds.

The bathroom has a toilet and a shower.
There is even warm water thanks to a boiler on propane.

Although the rancho Punta Boca del Salado of the Gonzales family is on this location for almost a century, it nevertheless has an air of being there only temporary.
As if they arrived last year and will leave soon.

Probably a reason for this feeling one gets when seeing the rancho is that many structures are made of natural materials.
This has to do with the annual hurricanes that sometimes hit their area.
To destroy and devastate anything erected.
So, in their long history, like bamboo, they have learned to bend with the wind.
Not to erect structures that may be destroyed by the hurricane and will be costly to repair.
Things built and made of natural materials from the area are quick and cheap to fix.

There is also another reason why this feeling of fluency and temporariness arises when experiencing the rancho.
This is because it is a coming and going of persons.
Without that there is one schedule followed by many.
In more traditional families there is father, mother and the two children.
Who come together at the end of the afternoon to sit around the table to enjoy dinner.
And have more common and shared moments during the day, evening and night.

But at the Gonzales rancho it is more like a commune.
A group of people who centre their life on the rancho but continue to live their own specific life.
Coming and going when opportune.
It is like a living entity: increasing and decreasing.
Sometimes there are a lot of people.
Sometimes a considerable amount.
And sometimes just a few.

These people are not necessarily family.
They can be friends too.
Or temporary workers.

Why this works so well is because there is a tremendous openness.
Gumaro, the formal head and owner of the rancho, is very much in the background.
He is not promoting himself as the one in charge.
For him everyone is welcome and can stay.
And you do as you like.
One condition only: no drinking of alcohol.
Except when there is a celebration.

This ban on alcohol is never imposed though. Never will a visitor be informed about this. That is not their way.
When a visitor comes to the rancho, it is very obvious nobody drinks.
And this is most of the time understood stopping a visitor of possible alcohol use.

It is not that the Gonzales are opposed to alcohol.
That it is a doctrine.
They just know that alcohol can be very devastating.
It is hard work to make a living with a Mexican rancho and prosperity is negatively influenced when drinking frequently.

Things go by themselves at the rancho.
Because every person is loving, positive and having the best intentions.
If only the whole world could be like this…




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A flirt with death

The objective was to travel from Los Angeles, USA to La Paz, Baja California, USA.
And this pronto because someone was waiting in La Paz.

When La Paz was only 260 kilometres away, it was late afternoon already.
Not too far anymore but too late to go another 3 hours.

Forced, the refuge of “El Campestre” was found.
One of the favourite camping places.
It is outside the town of Ciudad Constitucion and in an oasis.
Not only is it far away from traffic noise but from the humble and rumble of the town as well.
The major attraction though is a very large swimming pool.
Locals come there to spend the day but have to leave at 18.00 hours.
After that the immense pool is for anyone camping in the trailer park.

Before to go to “El Campestre” some food to cook was bought and a bottle of L.A. Cerro Cabernet Sauvignon from 2006.
While working on the computer outside the Fuso Szulc making use of its WiFi system, a glass of the fermented grape juice was consumed.
And strangely enough, some time later, it turned out the bottle was empty.
Somehow the first glass had been followed by the next to create a chain leading to ultimate happiness.

Then it turned out that besides the empty bottle, the large swimming pool was also empty because all people had gone home.

The sun still shining the plan was made to go for a swim.
Nobody around, the Speedo could be used and soon the warm water and the palm trees surrounded the very well tempered swimmer.

Floating in the pool feeling to be close to heaven a memory came to mind from Cadaques.
Cadaques near Barcelona, Spain.
A village next to the Mediterranean Sea and famous for the fact that the surrealistic painter Salvador Dali used to live there.
And this photographer.

There was a large community of foreigners living in Cadaques.
Most of them artists.
Fascinating people and one couple was especially befriended.
For privacy reasons let’s call them Henry and Mary.
He was a fabulous sculptor and she an out of touch script writer.
Henry was a fascinating and also most attractive man and at one point he started an affair with another woman living near them.
Soon many in the village knew about this.
But not his wife Mary.
When she got suspicious, she asked Henry if he had an affair.
And he would flatly deny it.
But she knew.
For a while she lived with it.
But that nags.
She turned to drinking.
Her life became unhappy and complicated.
Until one night Henry came home from one of his escapades and couldn’t find his wife Mary.
She was missing.
The next morning he went looking and eventually found her.
In the large communal swimming pool not far from their house.
She was dead.
Drowned in the pool.

We never came to know if it was an accident or a suicide.
We could determine though that she had been drinking before to get into the pool.

These memories came back while bathing in the large swimming pool of “El Campestre” in Ciudad Constitucion, Mexico.
The finished bottle of wine made to feel what it was like to be Mary.
What she had experienced before to die in her pool with her wine.

It is about reality.
When sober, one knows there are two situations:

1. one is to be with the head above the water,
2. the second is to be with the head under the water.

This is rather important to keep in the awareness when in a swimming pool.
It is OK to go under the water, but this only by realizing it should be as long as the lungs can take.
However, under the influence of a substance like alcohol, this strict separation between above and under the water evaporates.
Under the water becomes equal like being above the water and this is not a very correct assessment.

Alcohol helps to let things go.
But there is no control mechanism when and where and how much this letting go happens.

It is simply not a good idea to get into a swimming pool when lightly drunk.
Let alone when one is heavily sedated.
Things start to mix that should be kept in their own place.

The dip in the pool was a flirt with death.
Very exciting and revealing.


Henry eventually married the woman he was cheating his wife with.
And Mary can be found on the cemetery of Cadaques, Spain.






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