RELAX A GEO-POLITICAL STATEMENT - World Peace

I have had way to much time to watch CNN and FOX, BBC in the last few days so I thought for what it was worth I would make a comment on the condition of world peace.

CONTRARY to what people think or the news reports.
The world is becoming very safe extremely fast.

WORLD PEACE IS BREAKING OUT ALL OVER THE PLANET

1981 IS YEAR ONE - World Information
The problem is not safety, the problem is we are no longer ignorant of what is happening around the world. CNN was founded in 1981 and for the last 23 the ability to report News around the world has become increasing better. So now we know what is going on around the world, and the rest of the world knows what is happening in the USA. There is almost always one or all of the three following news medias in all countries. CNN, BBC and now the newcomer is FOX, there are couple German ones that do well also.

PERCEPTION IS MORE REAL THAN REALITY
I personally have a difficult time finding a dangerous place to go for a little adventure. I am presently in Nepal and the USA government warns me not to come as they remove the Peace Corp and any non-essential personal. But what is going here, almost nothing and the real and ever present danger is not here. This is a tourist trap, and not dangerous, yes there are some small risk if you want to go to the wrong place for the wrong reason.

I WENT TO IRAQ
I went to Iraq for 35 days in September / August of 2003 and would have no problems returning today even though they are obviously cutting heads off of people.

I AM MORE AFRAID IN NEW YORK CITY
I could make a worst mistake and get myself killed just as quick in New York or any large city in the world. I am off to Amsterdam soon and the my friend Nicolas from Switzerland was telling how he got robbed when a man put a knife to his throat there, I also had my friend Bruce telling me to watch my stuff in Amsterdam as he considers it one of the best places in the world to get robbed.

NEWS DU JOUR
Iraq is the news of the day and nothing more, the hyperbole, spin, and outrageous creating of news by CNN, BBC is creating world hatred and worst creating an imagined enemy. The world is safe each year, but the ability to create report and create statistics become better each year, not the reality.

CNN - BBC HAS CREATED PERCEPTION IS MORE REAL THAN REALITY.
I sat in the Al Fanar Hotel in Downtown Baghdad and watch the BBC reporting a demonstration on TV. I realized it was outside my door, I jumped up and discovered that what was on TV, was not outside. An extremely small version of what they said was happening. They are not held accountable and they are creating provoking, anger producing, controversial with one reason, to sell the news.
The make it up as they go, and the people buy it.

After 50 plus countries and 8 years of travel.
Please trust me, the world is sort of boringly safe.

If you want to know how the world thinks, look at their clothes and see how they dress. They all copy the clothe, music, and buy the McDonalds and say they do not like the country of the USA. Give me a break, actions speak louder than words, the young noisy liberals are tire of hearing their parents and grandparents say how much they like USA products, and cannot admit their own hypocrisies.

Sort of like a my Dad and Mom, I love them with all my heart but I do not go around in the cool gang and say this to the group. I would be ostracized by the group. Same for complaining about the USA, they are completely clueless about American policy, but they complain about it daily.

I love to ask anyone on the planet,
“Tell me a specific American policy you do not like?”

98 percent of the world cannot say more than one, and the one they say is some nuance and configured misconception of their of world policy.

DEPENDS
Saturday, October 2, 2004 6:42 AM

Depende?

DEPENDS ON THE OUTCOME

Culture and language are interwoven; I am in the process of making a dream backpack or my perfect backpack. I asked the person when it would be done.
The person said,
“Depends”

This word is my nemesis when I travel, I hear this word daily and when I was in South America and in Central America, it was “Depende.” I think it is slogan of the underdeveloped, developing, or the less fortunate of the world. I could also say it is the slogan of cultures that cannot get their act together to be successful.

Commitment versus depends?

Depends on what, I want an answer and a commitment. A simple commitment would be to say in two week and it would only take the person a day to finish my backpack, but he knows he is irresponsible and cannot be held to his word. First dysfunctional sign I smell is when a person says depends. A good business is dependable and can give an estimate of how long it will take; an exceptional business is usually correlated between what they say and what happens.

It is hard to always say what you are going to do and then do it. They are correct it depends on a lot of variable. How much materials, are other things needed. But I am laughing my butt off at the comment by Kerry.

Depends on the outcome.

Depends on the future is what this means, as if I will only make the and tell you the answer when I know the future. This is crazy, how can you express opinion that depends on you know the future. This convoluted and circular logic is a sure sign of a person with no ability to commit.

I am an alcoholic and for 17 plus years, I have been sober, but also for 17 plus years, I have been collecting specific behaviors or characteristics of what I call dysfunctional behaviors. Last night when watching the Bush - Kerry Debate here in the wonderful 6 dollar a night Hotel on top of the world in Katmandu, Nepal I had Kerry and Bush help me to clarify or make simpler some distinctions of dysfunctional behavior to add to my collected list of 500 plus behaviors.

Functional people are simple and clear.
Dysfunction people are confusing.
They do not function.

Journalists have to be the most dysfunctional people on earth.
Politicians are a near second.

How do you know when a dysfunctional person is lying?
Their mouth is moving.

BACKPACK
I am doing ok with the backpack. I gave them a job they could do in one day and they have ten day to complete. I understand these types of culture and time and an inability to commit or complete a project is the enemy. But the great part is they only earn 5 dollars per day and this makes the capable of creating a bag cheaply. Note for those of you that wonder, in most countries they do piece work or get paid by the piece, so an employer can guarantee his profit, The more or less just tell the employee how much they will pay them and the employee agrees. It is not bid.

I had another company tell me he would tell me the price after he was finished. I told him to tell me the price, or no job. They would do the job and then extort exorbitant fees, never trust a person in a poor country to be fair with a rich person. I am rich in 80 percent of the world.

I am very excited about this bag.

GEAR PHOTOS

Thursday September 30, 2003 6:49 AM

I woke up dreaming about travel gear, that for sure is not the best dream that I could have had, but nonetheless that was my dream. The last time I was in Katmandu, it was very cold and uncomfortable, this time the weather is perfect. Not to hot, and not to cold, perfect for walking around, browsing, and a great time to trek… the reason I am here is the time of year. March and Septembers is supposed to be when the people climb Mount Everest.

Nevertheless, here I am dreaming about all the gear and realizing this is my chance to make a good tip. I can take real pictures of maybe 500 different types of travel products. This place is gear heaven and I can photograph, price, and explain all the gear toys in the world.

ANGER IN NEPAL
Katmandu is full of young men or boys that walk up and want you to buy either Marijuana, games, tiger balm, or other items. They are very annoying and similar to India people they will try to make you commit or make you feel guilty. Yesterday a boy walked up and said,
“I remember you. Remember me when I was small?”
I said,
“How long ago?”
He said,
“I was very young and he shows his hand being a very small boy.”
I said,
“I was here 9 months ago or so and you did not grow that much in 6 months. I do not know you.”
He had earlier said that I would give him 10 Dollars, now this is not a normal beggar, this is some real jerk. I also at the same time have this little but nice girl wanting me to buy small hand like bags following me, so we have walked about one and one-half blocks and I cannot get them to leave. I finally am tired of them and stop. I put my hands out and wave for them to proceed and leave me, I do this sometimes when people are bothering me or just walk into a shop, but nonetheless these kids could work. The young girl was working and just being too much on the guilt sale and not the normal sale.

GUILT EXTORTION

Therefore, both were trying to extort by making me annoyed, out-lasting me, or making me feel guilty to buy or the boy just wanted 10 dollars. When I sort of pushed them along, the boy said,
“Never touch a Nepali.”

I looked at him as if I wanted to break his neck, which by the way I did, and he looked at me with extreme anger. I did not say anything because he wanted a fight and kept walking, plus I had no guilt because I did not push him, I put my hand on his back. Nonetheless, these people were too close in a crowded street and could have been trying to put their hands in my pockets and steal money, I never allow people to get this close to me and walk because they will bump and grab at my pockets.

However, when I walked away the boy starts to holler something as if I was hurting him then a few Nepal people looked at me. I think they knew him and knew he was a jerk, but what could happen is I could stop and explain and the other could enter into the extortion. Everyone on the street is in the extortion or guilt business and not just him, a good shop owner or a real shop may stop him or her, but the street vendors would gang up on me. In any situation in any country in the world if it is an argument between a local and foreigner the local will win. The solution is to leave and not talk, never try to explain, talk or look around, just walk away. However, really, there are many solutions and each situation is different.

Yesterday was a strike so there were more boys and men around selling drugs or maybe drinking. They sell or make moonshine here and I took photos of this the last time I was here, so there are many men sort of laying or passed out on the street in some locations.

I had a discussion with a man the other day and he kept saying that the Maoist would never hurt anyone, but I said they blow up bombs. Yesterday they blew up or destroyed like four vans or buses. Nobody was hurt but when you start carrying a gun or using bombs people get hurt by accident or silliness. Boys with guns are not safe.

My Canadian friend Jack used to always comment on the Mexican Military, as he said that nothing worst than giving a non-professional a gun. Truthfully, in my opinion saying that, military in other countries have such bad training and they are carrying machine guns.

Nevertheless, I said to the man that a bomb could kill a tourist by accident. I was told right before I came that the Maoist beat up an American. This was by a man and girl traveler that said the Maoist held them hostage for a very short time and wanted money.

But the point I made with my Nepal friend was,
“You can go to countries where there is NO chance of being hurt.”

He said, you are afraid. I had just shown the group of people photos of Mass Graves in Iraq so he was doing this macho thing like you are a wimp, but everyone in the room was laughing because they all knew they would not go to Iraq under any condition. Plus I gave the guy the macho look like do not be disrespectful and he stood down knowing he was out of line.

What is sad is there are bombs, strikes and other types of violence everyday and the Nepal people in the name of making money keep saying,
“You will have no problem.”

But they will not deny normally there is a chance of being killed, not a big chance but probably 10 times more than Thailand. I really feel this is dysfunctional behavior on both the Nepal people and the Tourist as both just pretend there is no danger; the better option is to understand the danger and be precautious. The normal way to deal with danger is just to deny there is a problem or to not come, to think, understand, and deal with the danger is not normal. Sort of as how the UN deals with problems, wait until they become extreme emergencies instead of prevention.

ANGEL ON THE BALCONY
On a very pleasant thought I have been exchanging smiles, glances, and waving at what feels to be a wonderful beautiful girl that lives in the next building across the balconies from me. I have this balcony and she live in this house as the multilevel home with lots of small balconies. I can walk out of my room and she will come out of the house, smile like sunshine, and then I cannot help myself and I smile. This girls had a good heart and life is very good. Hard to talk with her as she has the normal group of family member protecting her, she is about 24 and they still protect girls here until they get married, so to get closer I would have do some diplomacy and prove I am being a good guy. The bad part is this would be the real and complete actions of courting a girl to marry and anything less than sincere courtship and I would be bounced off the situation.

MAOIST STRIKE IN KATMANDU NEPAL

All the stores fronts are closed today because the Maoist are having a strike. What happens is almost all the stores are open, but the doors are shut or they are only going to open for a good reason. The bank are closed I believed. The do the same in Bolivia and Peru, makes zero sense to me because they only hurt all the people, but it is quiet which is nice.

FOX NEWS IN OTHER COUNTRIES
Wednesday 8:13 AM September 29, 2004
Katmandu, Nepal

Some countries have Fox News, not very common, but are in some countries. I have not rational reason to explain or rhyme or reason as the show is not adjusted for time or location. CNN and BBC both have special shows that are biased to the local region; the Fox New appears to be straight sent from the USA at the wrong time. What I mean is they will say that a show is on at 8:00 PM and that is only meant to be USA time.

I have been laughing because 90 percent of the time, I watch BBC or CNN and they spend time asking questions that are not questions but statements that are either provoking or impossible to answer.

Like,
“Are you still beating your wife?”
How does one answer this? I do like that Fox ask for both sides of the point of view, but for sure, the station is bias in favor of Bush. Now I would say BBC and CNN are the opposite, so the only balance I see is they do balance themselves against CNN or BBC.

I was very excited to learn a new label from Bill Oreilly on the Fox that has a talk show.

KOOL AID PEOPLE
This term come for the Jim Jones cult where they all drank Kool Aid and killed themselves. Therefore, when a person blindly follows another person or an idea they are a Kool Aid Person. This is so perfect for about 60 percent of the backpackers I meet as they repeat statements and mentality with no ability to change their minds. India just below me is full of crazed travelers smoking dope and holding preposterous beliefs or adopting anything different or opposite of what would be sensible for them. Thanks Bill for a perfect label for these people.

JIM JONES CULT
“People’s Temple, an agricultural commune in Jonestown, Guyana. On the orders of their leader, Jim Jones, more than 900 followers of the cult, mostly Americans, took poison and died.” From Encarta

http://www.billoreilly.com

KATHMANDU NEPAL

Tuesdays September 28, 2004 4:39 AM

I am in Katmandu or Kathmandu and they spell the name both ways, so I use both whenever I wish. The place is great after a mess of big cities like Bangkok, Manila, Phnom Penh, Ho Chi Minh, etc. Katmandu has a small city feel in the Thamel area of Kathmandu although it must really be big. I found the information it had 1,093,414 in 2001, which does not mean it does not have up to 1 million more in un-reported people, these statistics have to be estimates. I would say it almost impossible to county people in a country where people do not pay taxes regularly.

My head feels like a sinus headache, but this is normal when you go from sea level to 1220 meters in one day. (4000 feet) I truly believe the body does not adjust as quickly as people believe, it takes weeks if not months for a person body to adjust to all changes in the air, oxygen, pressure, humidity, and temperature in a different location. I even believe that some people are not capable genetically in living other locations on the planet comfortably.

PLANS
Good question, as the airplanes, tours, and information is all sketchy as every time you ask someone they tell you a different answer.

I do believe for sure:
1. Airlines are having trouble.
2. Lots of airlines have people and tours are canceling.
3. Katmandu is full of tourist so it is not as dangerous as could be thought. Tourists are wimps and would all leave in the presence of real danger.

My wish to go to the Everest Base Camp is not working out good as I was hoping to fly half the way or all the way, as I do not have time for the ascent presently. I am thinking this would take a minimum of 40 days to do in a healthy and proper way. I have ten days before my next flight.

DHAKA BANGLADESH
Monday September 27, 2004 8:19 AM Dhaka Time

I am going west on the planet so I am going to have to set my time back I believe. Dhaka appears to be one hour different from Bangkok, the time in Bangkok is presently 9:19 and Dhaka is 8:19.

The flight from Bangkok to Dhaka was fun and interesting as there is an extreme culture change from Thailand to Bangladesh. I guess we went from a Buddhist culture to a more ex-English colony Islamic culture, a few prayer rugs around in strategic locations, but for the most part everything so far is western.

The only problem I had on the plane was the smell, the plane was full of either Bangladesh or India people going to mostly Calcutta and some of them stunk. Sadly, my first memory was of India, countries do have distinct smells, so body odor, but it could have also been the American girl behind me that was very nice but not one, but two screws lost.

85 PERCENT
At least 85 percent of the planet if full of women that marry for financial security or money, the American girl has a Tibet Boy friend, and is going to Delhi, the to Dhasalama to do something with the Dalai Lama. Vegetarian and wears four types of colored clothes and had acne that would make her need to go to Tibet to find a man. She actually found him in India, so anyway she is going she is performing contrary to the planet, but normal for many American Girl travelers.

She asked me if they were going to serve free drinks or liquor on the plane. She was however very nice, from Arizona and totally a typical India traveler, searching for God, wearing funny clothes. (Orange or Ocher always being one of the colors because it matches the Sadhus)

Another glass eyed, big browed, flat forehead man, with too much space between his eyebrows popped up at the end of the flight and started asking question. He was also from America.

I was getting embarrassed to be talking with these two, ways out to lunch and forgot to eat for weeks.

He started to ask questions about the world, neither one knew about the two Americans getting be-headed in Iraq, neither one knew about the Kerry-Bush elections.

The boy had just spent 6 months in Burma in Monastery of some religious ashram or something. I really did not like this guy, so I did not ask him to repeat. He started saying that a Dutch guy had told him about a really world changing film by Michael Moore, called something, the American had purchase this conspiracy theory crap hook like and stupid as he could be American and hate yourself and anyone powerful could.

He then starts to tell me how Bush was stupid.
I said,
“He did not become leader of the free world by being stupid.”
The girl redeemed herself a little by thinking and saying that is true, but the boy was amazed at my comment, and it is incredible that anyone could say that Bush is stupid. I could stand to listen to them disagree, but this kid did not like because he talked Texan, if that is not a racial way of looking at thing than nothing is, too not like someone because of their accent!

I had to stop listening and separated from these two permanently!

Met a Japan girl and life became very good as we talk until we got the hotel and share dinner together. She was from Osaka and told me to come and visit. I am hoping to go to Japan in the next year so good timing. She even asks me what I thought about all the people with Tattoos, piercing, etc on Khao San Road and she was actually happy when I said they were crazy.

Two Canadian girls that did not like me because they seen my American flag on my bag. So the flag worked perfect and repelled them although they have been with me the whole way from Khao San Road to the hotel in Dhaka Bangladesh, but because of their ignorance and anger I am lucky and do not have to listen to them. Sometime you can work a persons prejudice against them so you can avoid them, they do not like the USA so I am able to annoy them and keep them away by acting very USA and this endeared myself with the Japanese girl. Nothing like killing two birds with one stone.

DHAKA
They took away my passport, and plane ticket. Took us to what would be a four star hotel in Iraq, and a one-star hotel in the USA and we spent the night. It has hot water and air conditioning and is nice in a dilapidated way. Nevertheless, I have a huge room and has every amenity that sort of works. The TV is only on some Arab like station with Islamic stuff.

They act like Indians and keep trying to enter my room, I have allowed this twice, but am learning because now I have to usher them out. I am not sure; I think they are extremely curious. They ask,
“Where are you from?”
I say,
“America.”
The smile big like I have a ticket for them in my back pocket to the USA, and then ask more questions. The Bangladesh people appear to speak good English, as they were a former British colony. The Brits really helped the world develop with their colonization, while the French took and took, the English also gave countries infrastructure like Railways and Roads, plus English language skills.

FLYING OVER RANGOON BURMA
I wanted to note that while landing or flying over Rangoon or Yagon Myanmar / Burma I could see very large rice paddies for mile and miles. This made me very happy because I have this impression of repression by the government and poverty and other ideas, although most travelers really love Burma if they can stop paying attention to the propaganda from the Lonely Planet.

I was food happy.
A country that has food is happy.
A country that had water is happy.

Rangoon is a the end of a delta of some really huge river, and the whole lower part of Burma around Rangoon from the topo maps and everything I have just learned tells me it is a great place to grow rice, so the people may not have money, but they will have food. Really, this is all you need in life; houses can always be made out of dirt or clay.

Irrawaddy River
That is the name of the river, I found it in the encyclopedia and water really is the giver of life or the fountain of life in many ways.

NO-MANS LANDS AT THE BANGKOK AIRPORT
Sunday 3:54 PM September 25, 2004

I am waiting for the Bangladesh Airlines plane to leave for either Yagoon or Dhaka. It appears that it will make a stop or not make a stop on the way to Dhaka, Bangladesh. This is turning out to the longest way there possible to Nepal.

I found it, Yagon is the formal or name they use for Rangoon, Myanmar or Burma, so for sure we will stop there to drop off people. This is definitely one of them hurry up and wait flights. All this so I could stick my nose in Bangladesh for the night.

The ask me at the check-in if I wanted to check in my bag all the way to Katmandu, I opted for picking up the bag in Dhaka, Bangladesh, then I will need to check it in again the next day. I find that airlines do very good at transferring a bag fast, but they are terrible at holding bags. For me the longer the layover in an airport the more likely they are to misplace the bag. I have no statistics or proof of this.

I am hungry; they want three dollars US for a ham and cheese bread sandwich heavy on the bread and low on the ham and cheese. If I wait I will try to talk the flight attendant out of food, they normally always give you something to eat on a plane. No movie, and a little food, a bus is more entertaining by a long shot unless you call them trying to get you to buy the extremely overprices duty-free stuff from a cart as entertainment, it is a little entertaining to me to see who is silly.

Everyone getting on the plane looks like a person from India. Funny I almost never have seen a turban in India but the people outside revel in wearing one of these same as a tie unnecessary clothes fashion. I suppose it is possible a person from India would wear one of these to cover up smelly hair.

PLAYING TO SEE IF READERS CAN COMMENT

Hello,
I am trying to add a way for readers to comment on my blog, so this is a test... Fun!

WHERE I AM GOING TODAY - BANGLADESH / NEPAL MAPS

Spend the night here in the country of Bangladesh, city of Dhaka, then leave tomorrow for country of Nepal.



I will then spend 10 days here in the city of Katmandu, Nepal and hopefully go to the Everest Base Camp.

Strange trip, but the ticket is cheaper.