JEWISH NEW YEAR 5782 WITH ALL LOVED ONES IN THE HEART .. FROM MIAMI WITH LOVE

The Jewish New Year has already begun for me. Second year in a row, that there would be no communal get together. 

So be with the people who mean friendship over a period of time.. lucky to be able to do that in Miami.

Dr M and Mrs G

The Samos brought back memories of Durban and Jo'burg and Cape Town.. the country of birth of Mrs G.

So let the new year begin with tantalizing taste, a little bit exotic..

Dr M poured a nice drop of the wine.. soft and not too harsh on the stomach. May this year be blessed with plenty of wine to drink.

AND MOST OF ALL FRIENDSHIP. we were chatting at their home, then a short drive, but pleasant scenery, to a restaurant outdoors with good service and delicious food.

The Year has begun well.

when we came back to their home, we were sitting and chatting until 1 am, a record 9 hours of schmooze as we like to call it.. conversation touching on all humanistic aspects of life.. proud of our liberal tradition and our abhorence to all forms of extremism.

slow drive along the coastal roads with small townships with spanish memories, now completely anglicized, some still holding on to the charm of the pre-tourist days, the others embracing the tourists with abandon, with modern cuisine, bars, music, fusion of all sorts and a general air of enjoyment.

Dr M had chosen an open air restaurant , he was greeted warmly by the staff and thus I got more than my share of friendliness from the staff. 

Dr M having eaten there many times made excellent recommendations.

I liked this dish: Crispy Eggplant, goat cheese, orange and calabrian chili

I got the honour of choosing the wine. a sauvignon from Loire to pay homage to my association to that land 

We had gone to bed after 9 hours of conversations and in the morning , in no hurry, we ate some smoked salmon ..May this year be a year of eating a lot of fish..

My friends in Cuba are always close to my heart and I received greetings from them not for the Jewish New year but for them every day is a good day..

The morning was gorgeous and i was able to sit alone observing the clouds and feel the air and the warmth.

Just as I said good bye to Dr and Mrs MG, a message came from my clinical associate about an Indian patient I was concerned about. I had to convey to him on this sunday morning the good news about his health and he said. You made my day.

So the Jewish New Year has begun with Healing ..

My destination was the beach house of Mr and Mrs JS and as soon as I entered the house, they said that I must stay the night. A welcome invitation indeed.

Another greeting from Cuba wishing a good day. I am concerned very much about my island and the difficult times they are going through..

As the New Year begins I join the 15 million Jews in this world in welcoming the year and as the greetings below says..

LET THERE BE PEACE LOVE AND HEALTH TO ALL THE PEOPLE

Malaysia. Kerala. Iran.

To people who sacrificed their time during the past year of covid isolation. Thank you, MA.

There are some special people who I have to thank, really they dont need to be thanked as they are always in my heart .

Sr Carlos, he is my travelling friend, fond of linen suits, sunglasses and panama hats

Le petite poete de la Côte Sauvage

To my two good christian friends from Cochin, RN and MM. thank you and may you share my hope for a wonderful year of less suffering. Perhaps we can meet soon in your wonderful coastal land.

Many people kept up correspondence during these long months of isolation

Thailand

Cambodia 

Malaysia 

Kerala 

Qatar

Israel

Iran 

Colombia

Mexico

Cuba

Brasil

My Indian relatives and patients 

So the Jewish New Year has begun for me, it has begun well and I want TODOS OS POVOS all the people to enjoy the peace and happiness of the New year..

L SHANAH TOVA TIKKETEVU  5782

VISIT TO AN INDIGENOUS VILLAGE AND THEY INTRODUCE ME TO THE FOREST

Last night I felt an excitement which I couldn't explain and always reminded me of my Meskwakia teacher : What a pity you are not smart enough to understand all that we can teach you!

It was symbolic, there were dreams as well, of what awaited me, another unexpected pleasure of life. 

I woke up earlier than normal and was able to catch a glimpse of the sun as it rose up in the sky. Tomorrow at this time a full moon would also be present, perhaps the sun is shining so brightly in anticipation ?

I drove leisurely to an Indigenous village, savouring the sky and the environment as i moved away from the city of recent settlers.

Last night, I had received a note from my Ticuna Indigenous friend: Mother Forest Madre Selva is sad as its children as not traversing them less this year.. I did not realize her request would be fulfilled so soon.

It takes indigenous people a while to accept outsiders, whether a foreigner like me or other immigrants to their land whether they came in 1513 (they speared one of them as they tried to land from a boat ) or in 1980 in a massive boat lift..They are all welcome, if you leave them alone..

I attended to their medical needs which are few, mainly counseling about the new diseases which have arrived amidst them. 

Then one of the members of the village, said I will take you for a walk.

We walked for about a mile when we came to this clearing and a lake. you would be foolish to wade into these collections of water, as the inhabitants guard their territory well enough.

When le petite poete de côte sauvage and I was looking at the rough seas, we created a world in which , two animals, one of them spanish speaking, named Carlos and the other French speaking Francois inhabited a tropical rainforest and often communicated with us.

I told the indigenous person the story and it did not sound bizarre to her at all.But when I tell the same tale to those recent comers to this land, they would say, Francois cant speak French, he is an animal!

I should buy each of them a copy of the book, Le Petit Prince or the Little Prince.

I wanted to call out to Francois and refresh his hearing with my faulty french but there were others present who might look at me strangely.

Even though the walk was short, my indigenous friend, narrated various stories and pointed out to trees, plants and nests .

My friend pointed out to the leaves of this plant which resemble a bird, and more specifically an Anhinga.

Anhinga are found throughout Brasil and other Amazonian territories and also along the coasts in central america and the Caribbean.

On google search I could not find the name of the scientific or common name of the plant.

I told my friend about the Meskwakia and the elders who taught me to communicate with the trees and was happy to hug and greet a large tree.

 Do you remember Ta Prohm? at Angkor in Cambodia?

where the roots of the tree (was it banyan?) crushed strong temples to ruins ?

Strangler Figs also do a similar job.

In the forest they strangle the trees they attach themselves to and then strangle them.

There are rules in the forest and you follow them, what we may think of as a Long Time, for them, it is part of their evolution. My friend said, this tree has been there at least 40 years or more..

there were many nests of birds .the large birds of prey were out hunting..

I have noticed that the indigenous people have keen eyes. I noticed that San of Kalahari could identify small mounds in the desert which was invisible to me and the Aboriginal people of Northern Australia could follow a butterfly that would lead them to an edible root ..while i was wading through mud and heat..

This may have escaped my attention but it was pointed out to me that it was a scratching of a Panther claw and then the Panther leaves a smell to claim its territory.

This I was taught this is the path of a BEAR, which had come this way and crossed to the other side to disappear into the thickets.

Like Ackee fruit of Jamaica, this POND APPLE has to be picked at the right time to eat , otherwise it is poisonous enough to kill.

(I thought of the song by Alejandro Sanz, which we used to sing all the time in Baracoa, Cuba. Corazon Partido)

we were being watched all the time, it was good to give them a wide berth..

then I was taken to a tranquil lake, but was told to avoid going near water which on close inspection were guarded by the soldiers of the realm..

The sun was hot, but within a short walk of about a mile and half, I encountered so much knowledge. 

I am grateful to be a doctor to the Indigenous people around the world..

and a message to my Ticuna friend 

as soon as it is feasible, I will enter the Amazon forest, near the indigenous village of Nazaret along the River...