It has been an extraordinary day..
My friends in Iran prepared and started celebrating NOWRUZ the Persian New year, remembering a time long when Zoroastrianism was the creed of the country. This is a very happy day in the calendar of Iran
I was happy to see photos of the tables set and also the book of Hafiz which the Iranians read and believe on a daily basis..
I was driving for a reunion with two of my closest friends in Florida when I was sent a video of a reunion of my family members in London. It was so emotional to me to watch the surprise of people making special efforts to be with one another.
I stopped the car and cried.
When I arrived at the home of my friends..
we had many things to be happy about and grateful about..
I had insisted on this french custom of apertif, when on arrival of a guest, you open a bottle of champagne..
The sun was still up in the sky as the spring equinox was knocking on the door
All the restaurants were full.. were they celebrating the arrival of the spring? We had chosen a Greek Restaurant that we had eaten before... we were welcomed and seated and our feast and conversations continued. I love lingering conversations over delicious dinners ...
languorous is the word that comes to my mind .. the tropical languor and the quote from Anaïs Nin about Tropics being a hammock for Lovers..
We chose a nice bottle of Brancott Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand to wet our palates and ready for the food ahead.
I thought of my friends in Iran celebrating. On the other side of the coin, I thought of my friends in Ukraine and thoughts of ways of helping them.
By now we all have become familiar with the Ukrainian colours. A friend of mine painted this to display in the far reaches of Washington State. I am not very good at acute medicine like the doctors and nurses of Medicins sans frontieres but I am a Medico del Mundo who is good at compassionate chronic care. and as soon as possible, I will be there in person helping Ukrainians with the little knowledge of Medicine that I have.
The Restaurant, Souvlaki was packed to the hilt and the waiters were running around looking eager and harried. We were greeted warmly and seated and a crew member whom we were familiar with, attended to us, that added a little softness to our dinner.
The food started arriving as we tasted a greek salad and our NZ wine.
The conversations touched upon a lot of subjects we have in common. We had met as junior doctors at the teaching hospital of University of Miami and shared many of our passions: Food and Travel..In the past we had travelled to Jamaica, Mexico, Cuba, England and Wales, and also him being a water person, we had spent time togther in the islands of the Bahamas. His wife whom I call the glue of our friendship is South African and very knowledgeable about Nutrition among other things and a wonderful catalyst to our conversations
We drove back to their house which is not that from the restaurant and continued our conversations until midnight, our usual chat of 7-8 hours on our reunions, with the most attentive hostess.
During the past two years I have been very busy offering help during the psychological isolation of Covid pandemic. I can assure you that no one was spared from the ravages of complicated thoughts going through their minds
I have never stayed so long in Miami as I have during the pandemic and thus exposed to the quotidian ways of going about and conduct. Miami is an immigrant town and the mentality of immigrants from poorer countries dominate the discourse in this town. The capitalistic discourse is very strong here.
I wanted to talk to my friends whether the qualities I had learned from the Native Indians: Humility, Gratefulness and Compassion has in anyway been eroded through the Covid pandemic. It was an interesting discussion. My best friend was born in Miami and thus has a good and liberal and open minded view of what is happening in this town.
Messages arrive on this first day of Spring from all over the world
from the wild coast of Washington state came this message:Pink salmon berry blooms, scotch broom, and little pussy willow Buds gathered beside the road on our walk.
Waiting for friends to join me to share this view ..A lovingly prepared Jewish breakfast ..and good company.There are people who are in urgent need of help or moral support or affections in this world. I light candles for them someone or other was having afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason..
It is nice to enjoy the mild weather of the southern florida and every little difficulty becomes bearable when you pay attention to the nature around you .
a colleague sent me this video of his visit (taken in september 2021)
So my dear friends, wherever you are in this world, I share a part of my heart with you..In the end it is not the genetics that would define us, it is not the geography that would define but definitely the culture that would give us our identity. I am an Australian Jew working with Indigenous people, based in.Miami .But on days like this, with overabundant joy and contentment, our cultures do not matter, we are all connected. As Lakota Indians would say Mitakuye Oyasin, we are all related.
It was good to listen to this song. When I first listened to this I was reminded of Manu Chao and also some old fashioned calypsonians. But this Catherine, Northern Territory born Australian is as universal in his music as anyone can be.
I studied evil I can't deny
Was a hoodoo charm called a Love Me or Die
A fingernail, a piece of her dress
Apocathery, Devil's behes'
I will relate, the piteous consequence my mistake
Fallin' slave to passin desire
Makin' the dreaded Love me or Die
Against a Jungle primeval green
She had the looks of a beauty queen
No bangles or chain, wearin' broken shoe
75 cent bottle perfume
I said, "Good mornin'", I tipped my hat
All the while I was cunning like a rat
Smilin gaily, looked her in the eye
I felt in my pocket, the Love me or Die
My past history, one to behold
I studied magic from days of old
Membership, secret societies
Power and wealth in my family
But Matilda, darling
Why you don't take my wedding ring
Like a demon under the floor
I buried the hoodoo down the back door
Lawd, word broke through the town
That a fever strike Matilda down
9:30, the doctor arrive
Priest come runnin, quarter to five
Standin' in the weeds early next day
I saw the meat wagon rollin' away
I seen Matilda layin' in the back
Her old mother wearin' a suit of black
Sound the trumpet, and bang the drum
I wait for me judgement to come
I know her spirit is down beneath
I hear the weepin' and gnashing of the teeth.
Flames of Hell licks at my feet
In the shadow of the Jungle I feel the heat
Matilda's waiting in Hell for me too
All 'cause she died from a bad hoodoo
Songwriters: C.w.
HAPPY NOWRUZ FROM A VERY HAPPY PERSON IN MIAMI FLORIDA USA
