Wanchain's Space

There is no fixed definition of an ideal relationship. Different relationships exist for different purposes.   Hence, different attributes are best suited for each purpose. Some relationships are to exchange or transfer knowledge or resources. Some are to achieve a shared outcome, eg. raise a child, complete a job, etc. Some may seem to appear to have no purpose, but actually serves a fundamental purpose, ie. to exchange and balance each other's energy, for the well-being of all. There is always a reason and a need for individuals to come together, to form relationships.  Each side needs the other, no matter how inequitable the relationship is.  The inequity is only a result of the unequal energy of the two sides, ie. one side is too expansive, strong, etc. Sometimes a relationship breaks, when the purpose is achieved or has changed, or cannot be achieved because the dynamics of the relationship is not conducive to serve that purpose.  Every change is a part of the w

I woke up and checked the time. 9:53am. Breakfast finished at 10am! I read that in some hotels, the staff promptly remove the breakfast at the end of the serving time, even when the guests are still eating. I envisioned my food being taken away from me while I was still chewing. I quickly sprung out of bed, and washed up. In the dining room, the Fayed family, owner of the establishment, was having their breakfast while watching tv. I sat at the next table. I watched the tv too, along with them, even though it was in Arabic. There was one scene that was quite hilarious, and I laughed out loud. The Fayed family turned and looked at me, and laughed at me instead of the tv. Although we didn't talk, I felt that I was part of their family. I enjoyed sharing the same space with them, and I enjoyed my time with them.  I found a sense of comfort and peace in their company.  I miss them and wish to see them again.

Have you ever looked at what kind of things are laid on the side of the road? On the way from the desert to Cairo airport, my driver stopped beside a couple of bikers on the highway. The wind was too strong, so they decided to hitch a hike, instead of biking. I asked my driver if he wanted to take them. He asked me, "No angry?" I said no. So we picked up the Australian hitch hikers Matt and Natalie. One of the things they told us was that  if they were to photograph every single item they encounter on the side of the road, they could come up with a fascinating collection.  There were a single shoe, shoe laces, headphones, cell phone charger, broken cell phones, tomatoes, potatoes, etc. It was a curious sight to see some lonely potatoes hitch hiking on the side of the road, in the middle of the desert. As trucks were going back and forth on the road transporting potatoes, we realized, that the lonely potatoes were forsaken by the trucks. Perhaps that's ho

One of the more memorable, notable, and happy moments of my Mediterranean trip happened in a canteen in the desert. At lunch, my driver took me to a canteen, or a resting place, in the middle of the desert where tourists and locals alike go for a sitting. It was a spacious room, split in two halves. One half had no windows. The other half was slightly raised, and had windows on three sides. I sat in the other half, by myself, with nobody around. It was a quiet and breezy half of the room. Suddenly, a man appeared, and walked to the corner of the room, about 10 feet away from me. My back was facing the wall; while his face was facing it. I peeked at his wall, to see what he was looking at. It was a blank wall. He continued with some gestures, such as kneeling; prostrating; looking left, right, and down (?); etc. It took me a while to realize that he was praying. I looked at my food and continued eating quietly. I was happy. I have always been curious as to what it feels like t

I have a better appreciation of the foreign film Ajami, after learning that the entire cast were non-professional actors who never acted before, and that there was no script written for this film. The acting coach was able to bring out the raw emotions in each of the actors, and to let them say it how ever they want to get the message across. Many of the scenes were shot in one take. The film pocketed many awards. It reminds me of a Wong Kar Wai's movie in which Faye Wong was awarded the best actress. Faye said she wasn't acting; she was simply being herself. Wong's method was to let the actors be themselves, sometimes without scripts and without deadlines, and actors were not to know what the story of the movie was. The winning ingredients of his films are improvisation and experimentation. This reminds me of my stay in Cyprus. Rented a car without a GPS, without a plan, without a guide, without a phone, etc. I drove on the other side of the road. Against a