Thursday, March 19, 2009

Sitting on a Veranda

I'm in Ciudad Hidalgo, Michoacan waiting to have some washing and ironing done. Cd Hidalgo has good air quality and is surrounded by forest of mostly pine. It is also close to some hot water spas I have visited on earlier trips.
I'm in what was typical of high end motels in Mexico. There is beautifully kept landscaping and gardens. It is a one story affair in the form of a long "U." In the center surrounded by decorative walks is a long reflecting pool.
Nearest the closed end of the "U" is a two story 'bandstand.' On the bottom story is displayed the ruins of an old horse-drawn wagon.
I'm sitting on a veranda which is about 30 feet wide and very long. I look from the comfortable cool of the veranda onto the the fresh sunlit scene before me.
The rooms are just okay. Still the bedding was a bit 'upscale' and it was quiet here last night. Silence is golden and I am grateful for it. In the back there is a swimming pool growing a pretty light green algae in its low water.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Affirmations Tie to Thai

I was just posting some affirmations to my Affirmation blog form the notebook I am making use of today. The first part of this particular note contains notes of mine on Thai vocabulary and very rudimentary pronunciation.
I has taken me a little over a half a century to learn my ímperfectismo´Spanish. Thai writing and pronunciation both seem much more difficult to try to learn than does Spanish. It seems more difficult than pronouncing in French or writing in Japanese. The culture comes with the territory. I have slowed a bit so I expect that it would take me well over a half century to get a good grasp on the Thai language. A man could run out of time!

I hope that you have checked out my "Affirmations" blog. May not excite immediate interest, but there is good stuff there. I have learned something about making my kind of affirming pay. You may find something there to make yours pay more systematically. My affirmations are aimed at me with goodwill and honesty. An interested party might learn a great deal about me not otherwise available and perhaps a bit about mankind in general. I try to include a bit of wisdom.
You could benefit. Click on: htt://afirmationsofmine.blogspot.com

I will offer elementary Thai vocab notes below:
The word "mai" (in my phonetic spelling) may be used in the place of 20 or so English words. Great, one for 20! It is true that "mai" may be used for most of the verbs used to initiate questions in English and to ask for yes and no answers in Thai. However I write it as "mai" which is close to its pronunciation in accord with Latin phonetics, but there are, at least, four other variations; inflections one might say. For example, "mai" for "new" is not inflected like the question "mai." And, the "mai" for "no" or "not" is not inflected like the proceeding "Mai"s. Then there is the "mai" meaning "wood" which is bit like a strongly defined English diphthong.

Bells

I am in Patzcuaro, Michoacan. Guess this is my third visit here, but it still feels like the first time.

Arrived tired, yesterday afternoon, after a day and night of nearly nonstop driving. Did stop at a hotel at Tocomen for nearly four hours, but found it too noisy for sleep. I seem to not only to be growing old, but dumb too. Arrived here with my tail dragging, one shock too. Slept well, but awoke a couple of times with a charlyhorse in my right calf. Twenty hours at the accelerator, it seems, was too much for it.

Church bells are still important to people all over Mexico. Their weight, tone, age are important. The strength it takes to toll them is too. As an aid to mindfulness of God and history is also import. There is comfort in hearing and having heard a given bell for 10 or 20 years, or 30 or 50.
One may become well attuned to a give bell after 80 or 90 years.

Memorable on this trip so far is my stay in the old suites on the Malecon in Guaymas, My stay at the French couples place in Tuito, and here, now. The hotel is poorly set up and run, but I like its looks. And, it was quiet last night. I am very grateful for that quiet. The crow of the cocks and the toll of bells this morning were just fine.

I will probably stay here in Patzcuaro in hopes of another night of quiet. Tomorrow I can head for Morelia and look for a decent mechanic and a quiet place to stay. There has been so much tourism here for so long that it is difficult to find decent food. There are Christian and non Christian pilgrimages here to. Pilgrims seem as ignorant of excellence as are tourists. Still, both are often willing to pay well.

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I discover, get understanding, enjoy myself, and take care of business.

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