July 16, 2008, 4:08 p.m.
I find it interesting how here at Club Med, where I meet so many different people each week, and where a lot of interesting things happen, most of my blog entries are more psychologically oriented. I have been experiencing a lot of personal growth here and that has been on my mind (apparently) more than discussing events and situations. But it’s interesting, because when I was in Spain and Argentina, I feel like my blog entries were more concrete: here’s what I did, here’s where I went. Here, in an environment that is actually less ‘deep’ in many ways than the real world, I am having lots of deep thoughts and deep experiences. Heck, I have even started a modest meditation practice. Who knew? Actually perhaps it is due to the dearth of true intellectual stimulation that I have more on my mind. I don’t know.
Anyway this week I want to talk about planning versus receiving. Or perhaps planning and receiving. I’m still working it out. This relates to last week’s theme of whether your environment actually affects your happiness in a large way, or whether it’s all up to yourself and your attitude. As I said, I’m searching for a balance between letting things come to you, allowing the universe to send you clues and hints and people and paths and things, and making things happen. I have heard it said that opportunity is where luck meets preparation - and that makes sense. But like I said in my Letting Go entry, if life is a river, I want to be floating down it, flowing with it. I don’t want to try to control everything because the truth is, I’m not going to be able to anyway. I want to go accept opportunities as they arise, follow the signs of the universe in an accepting and peaceful manner, rather than try to make everything exactly how I want it and then be constantly disappointed that it isn’t fitting my narrow definition of ‘good.’ However, I also recognize that it can be a positive thing to go after what you want - to be proactive rather than reactive. So, gentle reader, how would you say you balance allowing the universe to bring you things versus making things happen? Do you generally wait for things to fall into your lap, or do you go out and make them happen?
One actual concrete ‘event’ I did want to mention from my last few weeks: I finally made it off the island. YES! I have become friends with a Canadian couple who works at an eco-tourism kayak company, and last week I got to go with them on a staff adventure. To make a long story short, we took a boat to North Caicos, which is just northeast of Provo, the island we’re on. Then we grabbed machetes and went to the bush. The plan was to do some research on whether the company could sell a tour there, hiking through the bush to another part of the island. But it was pretty funny because we didn’t know exactly where we were going, and the Google Earth maps we were using were two years old - so after walking on a semi-formed trail for about ten minutes, we ran straight into Lot 56 - as in, lot 56 of probably 100 that they are developing for who know’s what. We were supposed to be hacking our way through the bush so it took us a minute to absorb the tractors and trenches and dumptrucks. Then we took a picture next to the Lot 56 sign and resigned ourselves to walking along the newly formed road. However, not long after being on the road, Brent pointed out a small path in the bush on the side of the road, running roughly due south, where we wanted to go. So we followed the path, which quickly turned into just bush, and proceeded to spend the next few hours hacking our way through it. We didn’t know where we were going so for a while we followed the stone wall that used to form part of an old salt plantation, but after some time we gave that up and just went straight into the bush. It was rough going. The trees were scratchy and viney plants kept catching at our feet. We wore long pants and long-sleeved shirts but we still managed to get all scratched up, and after two hours we were tired, frustrated, and anxious to find our way out. And lost. Did I mention that we were lost? Lost in the bush. It was pretty funny, except it was also really hot and I had run out of water and the mosquitos were biting and we were hungry and I had managed to cut my leg. Then - just as we were commenting that it would be really great to find a path, we found a path. It was kind of miraculous. It just opened out in front of us, running north east or south west - a real path, free of burrs and clawing trees and snaking, tripping ropey vines. Interestingly, as we were making our way through the bush, Donny mentioned that he was feeling claustraphobic, and he could see how someone could panic being in the bush. I, on the other hand, was absolutely certain that we would make it out eventually, and saw it more as an opportunity to practice perseverence. Just keep going. Just keep hacking your way through it all and eventually you’ll get out. Just keep going. Now - I also knew we were on an island, and that as long as we kept going in the same direction (which I was paying attention to with my innate sense of direction and the placement of the sun), we would eventually find our way out. This exercise would have been different in, say, the Rocky mountains, where you could feasibly get lost and never find your way out. But still, I found our differing perspectives interesting. We were both lost, tired, hungry, sweaty and not loving the bush, but Donny was freaked out and I just had my head down, like “Let’s do this. Just keep going.” I felt a little frustrated, but not stressed. Anyway, that was interesting.
After making it back out to the road (a different road), we hitched to a local woman’s house, where we had lunch. She made a mean snapper, and while I haven’t had a soda in years, I happily accepted an ice-cold Sprite, which tasted like heaven. Then we jumped in Brent’s car (he’s local, from North Caicos) and crossed the bridge to Middle Caicos, where we swam at Mudjin Harbour. It was beautiful.
Language spot:
Translation errors from around the world:
Japanese hotel room - You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid
Paris hotel elevator - Please leave your values at the front desk
Tokyo hotel - It is forbidden to steal hotel towels please. If you are not a person to do such a thing is please not read this notice
Bucharest hotel - The list is being fixed for the next day. During this time you will be unbearable
Leipzig elevator - Do not enter the lift backwards, and only when lit up
Athens hotel - Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the hours of 9 and 11am daily
Belgrade elevator - To move the cabin, push button for wishing floor. If the cabin should enter more persons, each one should press a number of wishing floor. Driving then going alphabetically in national order.
Sarajevo hotel - The flattening of underwear with pleasure is the job of the chambermaid
Moscow hotel - You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian and Soviet composers, artists and writers are buried daily except Thursday
Swiss menu - Our wines leave you nothing to hope for
Hong Kong tailors shop - Ladies may have a fit upstairs
Bangkok dry cleaners - Drop your trousers here for best results
Paris dress shop - Dresses for street walking
Rhodes tailor shop - Order your summer suit. Because is big rush we will execute customers in strict rotation
Hong Kong advert - Teeth extracted by the latest methodists
Rome laundary - Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon having a good time
Swiss mountain inn - Special today... no ice cream
Copenhagen airline - We take your bags and send them in all directions
Moscow hotel - If this is your first visit to the USSR, you are welcome to it
Norwegian lounge - Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar
Tokyo shop - Our nylons cost more than common but they are better for the long run
Acapulco hotel - The manager has personally passed all the water served here
