One of my favorite pictures on the island

This bay is about 15 mins off of my house.

The area is full of seagulls. I can now identify their distress calls, or when they are just nagging about an interruption of a peaceful moment. They are unusual animals, with a strong sense of territory. They will fight relentlessly with the more witted crows. The crows are more like thugs or clever freedom fighters that act with a sense of purpose, similar to that of the character in V for Vendetta, anarchy is their plot. Crows are well trained in stealing, and adapting. It constantly feels like the seagulls will lose this war at the very end, as they have strict guidelines for combat. The crows on the other hand develop strategies on new guerrilla tactics to piss the seagulls off, and even win small battles, tiring the very deeply structured, organized and crowded, however, slow army of their sworn enemies.

Watching this very real game, theater if you will, everyday leads me to think that I, too, should come up with new thoughts, and actions to tire the system installed around me. I know I have the capacity to overcome the structure. What I cannot foresee is the toll it will take on my life. I feel I should take, and accept all opportunity to win small battles and hope that it will lead to winning the war. The other school of thought would argue its better to wait until you feel you caught the one real chance to hit the killing strike. I think perhaps some people have that sharp sense of timing, where they can play around in a fighting ring without getting hit and tiring the opponent until that one moment. I am not one of those people. I don't believe in that kind of combat. I personally enjoy working on the body of a problem by hitting it several times with the joy and sheer pleasure of weakening it. I also have tools to revitalize my energy for when I get tired, which is also vital, like the house on the island...

Some Thoughts on Training

The question that has been haunting my mind over the past several years is: Is it better to stop training if you know what you are doing is wrong, or is it better to train regardless of the mistakes you know you are doing.

In other words is it better to be inactive rather than falsely active. I am sure there is a teaching in both paths, each leading to the same result. It seems I have been living my life as an active person, it seems I was born this way, although always feeling inclined to become inactive, I can't stop, so it must be my nature or my teaching.

I don't have any reason to force change, as in principle change cannot be forced, it simply happens over time.

A reflection of that place...

Everyone needs to find that place, a reflection of that private place in your soul. You know the hideaway place from everyone else in the world.

The photo reflects a real image of that place in my soul. For those of you wondering why the umbrella is so close to the table; the answer is simple: the terrace is almost always windy, when the umbrella is high up, it is easier for it to fly off...

The cat without a nose.

Check this friendly guy out. He hangs out at the corner of the elementary school not far from my house. I am sure the kids spoil him plenty cause all he wants is to cuddle. The black dot in the middle of his face strikes me funny...

In the wee hours...

Well, I woke up @ 5.30 am today to make it to work, but this is the view I enjoyed before I left the house.

Blues...

Fri. 30.04.2009 -I took the 11.00 pm ship to the island. Gets there at around 00.45. I admit the group of people on the ship look more sad and/or tired than what I am used to. There is a couple sitting right across me; they won't even talk to eachother, the woman softly weeping and looking out the window, the man without emotion, looking the other way.

Sat. 01.05.2009-If life is about getting drunk and making love there is a lot more life to be lived. Did I tell you? Music moves me. Watch this movie: Cadillac Records! There is good at the end of everything, all that sorrow and pain, people ended up creating the blues. I love the blues. So if there is more loving to do there is more blues to listen to...

Sun. 02.05.2009- Remember the couple from a couple days ago? I saw them, wearing the same clothes from two days ago sitting at one of the smaller cafes on the island, chatting away with happy animations... Go figure :)

The Seagal Way

I really wish I could understand what the seagals were trying to say. there is definitely an ongoing communication all night and day.

Good things come to those who wait

Metal has to go through fire, water and hammer to become the ideal sword.
Pain comes before wisdom. Know this and you can stay sane.

In fact, patience is probably the most valuable virtue. Be patient and you will succeed.

Music Maestro!

This is the view from my new home on the island.

I have been asking myself; is there really a right place and a right time. I, actually, don't think so. As long as you are happy & content you constitute the quality of the place and the time.

So we search for happiness, and we try to settle where we think we find it. There is a trick here, a catch 22, you have to stay unaddicted to the circumstances that lead you to your happiness. Truely, it is not the road that matters, it is the destination.

An then there is the right people. That is a whole different story :)

I think in the end it is about finding the right rhythm. We are physically given that rhythm, the heartbeat. As long as we know how to listen to the heart we should be fine.

Currently I believe I am close to that rhythm, the results of which are this view and the right people :)

Gurdjieff

Gurdjieff believed there were four paths to follow in life, and he called his the fourth way.

The fourth way tells us to live in the now, act in the now, think in the now, and you shall achieve succesful sprituality and perhaps entlightenment, without having to go up mountains, or fast, or give up your loved ones and/or loved items.

It may be convenient for us city folk to follow the fourth path, but speaking for myself, I believe this is literally what the Tao, the Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed and many others tried to signify.

Besides, there has to be a reason we were born into a materialistic world, so lets explore it and go one step at a time, decide one decision at a time, train everyday, live one moment at a time.

This Blog is a result of acting in the now. I will use it to my highest benefit, and hope that the rest of you will find a way to benefit from it, too.

Happy! Aware? Sitting in one of the smaller sized motor-boats going to the island.

The mood in the boat is crowded with amused chatter, I think it is because the island has that effect on people.
However, I am not sure they are aware of their happiness or the reasons behind it. Does it really matter?

Memories..

What is your first childhood memory? Can you really remember, or is it something that someone told you and you think it's your first memory?

On the way to the island, listening to Nirvana: 'The Man who sold the world'...

Ok People, as some of you already know, I am moving to 'Buyukada' situated off the Asian coast of Istanbul. Direct translation of the name 'Buyukada' would be 'The Big Island', Greek name 'Prinkipo'... For your convenience, and mine as well, from now on we will call it 'The Island'.

The picture above was taken on the ferry on the way to the island, I was listening to Nirvana: 'The Man who Sold the World'...