LONG BEFORE OCTOBER RETURNS... A POEM BY EMILY BRONTE

I have already quoted the poem in another blog.. but today is 
29 October and tomorrow 30 October..
Both pleasant days of October
Especially this October which has been more than pleasant ..

Fort Cochin
Kuala Lumpur  
Why do I visit these places so often?
Yangon
Siem Reap 

I thought of the poem Caravansary by Alvaro Mutis 

there he was dressed as a travel agent, detained at the nefarious frontier with Nigeria, bribing the official, reciting a poem in Tagalog. Local women treasure a photo of him taken at that occasion which is believed to drive away bad spirits and menstrual cramps..

then this poem arrived:
 این قافله عمر عجب میگذرد
 In ghafeleye omr ajab migozarad
 The Caravan of lifetime goes strangely
 دریاب دمی که با طرب میگذرد
Daryab dami ke ba tarab migozarad
Be aware of the moment that passes with happiness 

I hear there is a train strike in the west of France 
A table is set for me with fresh table cloth in Siem Reap 
and my dearest friends are lighting candles paving the way for this wayward one to come and indulge in wine and food
of exquisite variety when he returns to Miami 
Someone or other is dreaming of climbing down the mountain
in eastern slopes where a revolution was fought within living memory 
all roads for me lead to San Cristobal de la Habana 
now celebrating its 500th birthday..

it is cold, it is rainy, the wind blows directly from the frigid north Atlantic 
but what does it matter 
when the heart is so warm with so much affections coming from warmer parts of this globe
My driver in Cuba said 
my heart is big but it is not big enough to hold all the affections I have for you ..
I am homeless but my brother in Haifa said 
But you have many rooms in the hearts of many people around the world 

thank you thank you thank you 
I am grateful

THE MAGIC OCTOBER CONTINUES

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THE MAGIC OCTOBER CONTINUES

Today is 26^th October 2019

On 26^th September I was in Lisbon, Portugal catching a flight to Cochin via Doha on Qatar Airways.

This October has been sheer magic and an example of mindful living

Iran

Cochin, Kerala

Miami

Havana Cuba

And I arrived today in Quiberon, Bretagne, France.

My itinerary was Miami to Paris on American Airlines and then SNCF French railways from Paris CDG airport to Auray via Rennes.

The day before yesterday I got a note from SNCF informing me that my train had been cancelled due to industrial action and that their website might have an alternative trip for me. On browsing through their website, it was obvious that the industrial action involved maintenance workers in the very area I was travelling to and most of the trains had been cancelled. I thought of the difficulties I might face, even thought about renting a car and driving the three hundred miles.

In Miami, at the airport I was treated so well, that I jokingly said to them, I would like to complain why I am treated so well. A couple of hours at the Flagship Lounge and then boarded the flight to Paris. I was trying out their Premium Economy Cabin and to my surprise it was more than sufficient, privacy, comfortable seas and general ambiance of the area, and of course much cheaper than the Business Class.

On arrival at the Paris airport, I walked briskly, every minute counted I thought, and a brusque negresse gave me the possibilities of a voyage the same day. Which one of these journeys are the best, I asked this daughter of Antilles, she continued her haughtiness: It is up to you. I said I will go to Paris and she was kind enough to give a ticket which I could use to get to the main train station at Montparnasse.

A change into Metro at Denfort-Rochereau, hurried up the stairs to the departure area of the trains. It was 1058 am. I had the presence of mind to look at the display and it said. 1059 special train to Auray, exactly the place I wanted to reach. The Guard was ready to whistle to let the train leave and when he saw me rushing, he said.. get on get on.. and as soon I was inside the train left..

The train was full, there was no one to ask any questions. I just sat there, no wifi on this train, so couldn’t use my waze app to see where I was.. then I fell asleep and when I woke up we were speeding through Rennes station and within two and half hours of leaving Montparnasse the train made its first stop, the very station I needed to go. It was 140 pm and there was a bus leaving for Quiberon my destination at 150 pm..

Even if there were forces involved behind these, they couldn’t have arranged it any better.. I arrived at my destination 4-6 hours ahead of schedule and perhaps I might not have reached Quiberon at all.. knowing the situation, school holidays, weekend and the French love to take train journeys and many of these booked out weeks ahead.

The Magic

It was as if a web was knit with pure affections I had received from Iran, Cuba and the Indigenous peoples and now Quiberon, had knit something that connected me to magical places and people and events… and Buddhist Monk, Gifts from Iran, wonderful connection to the indigenous people, and my Cuban and British Jamaican sisters.. and the multiple people who were at the hotels, restaurants, airports making sure that my days went by pleasantly…

What do you call this? Happiness? Contentment? Satisfaction? Mindfulness?

To make everything sweeter, SNCF sent me an email to say that they would refund my train fare. I thought, I had spent some money buying gifts for Iran and this was almost like. Reimbursement..

During this month, I have felt an incredible amount of affections from my friends in various parts of the world

USA. Miami,  Havana Cuba. Fort Cochin Kerala

And lovely service on QR. etc etc the list goes on and on ..

OH MIAMI SO CLOSE TO US IN CUBA BUT SO FAR AWAY IN YOUR UNHAPPY WORLD

 Porfirio Diaz the Mexican Dictator seemed to have implied; Pobre Mexico, tan circa de Estados Unidos y tan lejos de Dios
We, in Cuba, has something to offer the poor Cuban migrants in Miami and their children.. I echo the above sentiments
Oh Miami Cubans, so close to us but so far away in your world of Unhappiness..

 After I came back from a walk to the Malecon or the Seawall and watched the sun come up, my sister had already arrived and prepared a breakfast so that I am ready for the trip to Miami today.

My faithful driver, unusual for a Cuban, is very punctual arrives at 9 15 am.

It was time to say a sad good bye to my sister who looked after me extremely well, but I would be back after a visit to Native America, France and Kuala Lumpur..
then through the streets waking up for busy day in la Habana, through the suburb where I stay, Vedado.

 Hotel Presidente in Vedado

 How many times I have passed under this bridge and always with a little sadness of leaving my Isla Rica . the abundant island..

 We got to the aiport in less than 30 minutes and the check in and immigration and security all took less than ten minutes and I was deposited into the noisy waiting area of Terminal 3 of Havana.

 This has to be one of the most surrealistic flights in the world, in 42 minutes I would be in an entirely different world.. from the world I love to another one which attracts my admiration from another point of view.. What I have in Cuba, I I do not have in USA and vice versa..

 These must belong to the USA but which appeared soon after we 

 I recognize certain landmarks from the air as we approach Miami International Airport

 The concrete is trying to conquer the natural growth of the national park and in the end Nature would win, I am sure 

1242 PM touchdown in Miami, the flight had taken off at 11 57 AM from Havana.

For the past 57 years, every single American administration..

JFK LBJ Nixon Ford, the peanut Arkansas Kid, the BUSH the error kings all tried to blockade Cuba, a slight light during OBAMA which disappeared under the fascists in the administration..

Cuba still has not surrendered its sovereignty....but the Cuban people have become used to the suffering ...imposed by the BLOCKADE of the most natural of friends, The Cubans in the island of CUBA.. 

CUBA FOLLOWS YOU .... MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

CUBA FOLLOWS YOU ..

I arrived at the Miami International Airport and very quickly I was at the curbside waiting for the UBER driver, William by name, who turned out to be from Havana and a character.

Before that, while ordering the Uber, I saw a man motioning for my attention and I couldn’t attend to that until I finished with Uber app. Then I listened to the man’s Cuban accent: Please call a local number for me, which I obliged and he got his ride to go wherever.

Then he said, I couldn’t buy any dollars in Havana, I went to the bank and I went to the Cadeca, Cambio and no dollars. Then I said to him, there is plenty of dollars in Cuba, just that you don’t know where to look .. The streets are full of dollars. You are living here now in USA and you have forgotten how things work in Cuba.

He had no money (USD) but had 100 CUC the worthless paper money which is valuable only in Cuba. I decided to exchange one hundred dollars and the man was very happy and I added

I am doing this for you, because you are a Cuban.

And Good Luck with your life here ..

In Cuba, Elephants are viewed with great respect for the luck they seem to bring, so to have images of elephant are not common. When I arrived in Miami, Wiliam my Uber driver had this Elephant on his dashboard and I told him that I have one in my flat in La Habana...