Tidal Forces

A Reflection on the Journey so Far

noreply@blogger.com (Iya Omitade Ifatoosin) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:20:00 +0000

Cape Town is a country that, not surprisingly, has not fulfilled the dream portrayed by Nelson Mandela. Racial equality is a myth perpetuated by the ability of Blacks to move around freely. Like the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, "integration" is not the same as equality. After the years of Apartheid, how can freedom of movement alone raise a people to a competitive level with the whites of the society? The people who benefitted economically from the system, as it was, are still in ownership of those businesses. They did not have to give up anything, although to hear them talk, they have given up a lot. The devastation of Apartheid is poignantly shown in the area of Cape Town called District Six. Once a vibrant area that combined many cultures, in the Apartheid system, the groups were not allowed to intermingle. Black Africans were isolated in the townships and other ethnic groups were separated into their own areas. What was once a bustling area was completely destroyed and levelled. Even now, District Six is acres of cleared land within the city. No one has been able to lead its restoration. So the empty land lies in solemn testimony to what hatred and power can do.

Most of the countries of Southern Africa are struggling with how to obtain justice, and balance for all the people who live there. It is a difficult problem with solutions that come with significant price tags. How do we restore our greatness without becoming the monsters that we have had to live under? How do we right our world so that it, once again, reflects our world view?

What is clear is that the ravages of white supremacy and racism are clearly evident in the lives of everyone. From Cape Town all the way to Nairobi and beyond, no doubt, Black people are severely separated from their cultures and traditions. Everywhere along this journey, you meet John and Sara and Fred. You hear a lot about being "born again" or you hear the morning call to prayer of Islam. Ancestors, ritual, respect, belief are things of the past. It is not a pretty picture in a land that is inspiring in its beauty and wealth.

You Know We Like Good Food

noreply@blogger.com (Iya Omitade Ifatoosin) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:01:00 +0000

Just so that your mouth will water, I would be re-miss if I did not talk about the first rate food in Cape Town. Just look at these selections and you can see what I mean.

Now for the first quiz on this trip. The first 3 people answering every question correctly will win a prize from South Africa.

1. How many official languages are there in South Africa? What are they?

2. What is the capital of South Africa?

3. Cape Town is known for its beautiful surroundings. What is the name of the mountain that is prominent in the Cape Town skyline?

4. Nelson Mandela was incarcerated on what island and for how long?

5. In what year did Apartheid end?

Day One Cape Town

noreply@blogger.com (Iya Omitade Ifatoosin) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:00:00 +0000

The arrival in Cape Town was very smooth although late at night. By late I mean 10:30 pm which in the Universal language of International travel is 22.30. By the time I went through immigration a got my bags I got to the guest house by midnight. That means a total travel time of 38 hours. But don't let that discourage you from making the trip.

Cape Town does not resemble any thing you might think of as an African city. Unlike a city like Accra or Lagos, you do not see women in traditional clothing. It is a very 'cosmopolitan' city, if cosmopolitan is the same as saying European. It is a beautiful city because of the location. But don't think for a moment that all is well in Cape Town. It is not. Blacks still live in townships. Whites still live in relative opulence in the city itself. That is not to say that there are not Blacks living quite well. There certainly are but for most the promise of reconciliation did not mean a substantive increase in their incomes.

So after a night's sleep, I began my exploration of the city, at least that is what I thought I was doing. I took an easy walk to Company Gardens which is the site of several museums. I visited their cultural museum. Well, I got through most of it but by 14:00, I was wiped out. I practically crawled to my room, went to sleep and the next thing I knew it was the next morning.

Everything Happens for a Reason

noreply@blogger.com (Iya Omitade Ifatoosin) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:12:00 +0000

This post is out of the natural order but I wanted to get it in.

The trip begins with an early arrival at the airport to get the cash converted into a Euro card. We decide to have breakfast/lunch as I prepare to go first to Detroit then to Amsterdam, then to Cape Town. All is well!! We are talking and having a nice time. What time is boarding? I look at my boarding pass and it has started ten minutes earlier. I start moving to the gate. Omilade has paid the bill. I reach security. There is hardly anyone there. I am behind a family and they are so sloooooooooow. OK. Through security and to the gate. I am there, I have made it! No, the plane is there but the gate is closed. Nooooooooooooo!

The gate attendant will not open it. She sends me to some desk for reticketing. So off I go in the hopes that I can get on the next flight to Detroit and cathch the plane to Amsterdam. Lines' wThe cursorhy are there always vast lines when you think you need to go fast? The first person I meet says go to the black phones. It will be faster, she declares. No, it wasn't faster. Apparently she had never listened to the barage of computer questions. OK, stand in the line and wait for the human being to help you. Good, I like humans better than computer voices. So I get in the line which is behind two Chinese men who are resolving their ticket dilemma. They get done straight away. My turn. The woman proceeds to tell me that when you have a multi destination, if you miss one part the whole ticket disappears from the face off the planet. That can't be. So she proceeds to make calls. I told her exactly what hapened and then she made up her own version of the story to the person on the other end of the line. She tells me that my luggage may not arrive when I do. I was good with that. Then she says, "you know everything happens for a reason". You weren't supposed to be on a flight to Detroit anyway. I am putting you on a direct flight from Atlanta.

I am set and ready to go. Her final gift is to say that since I like to travel, she has a free ticket to Australia that she will give me on my return, just give her a call.

After all, "everything happens for a reason".

What in the World Are You Doing?

noreply@blogger.com (Iya Omitade Ifatoosin) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 20:50:00 +0000

So that you can keep in step with the major turn that the blog is taking, you should know where we are heading. We are on a 96-day trip that begins in Cape Town, South Africa and ends in Gondar, Ethiopia. This trip includes hotel stays, camping, and bush camping.

No, I am not really a camper at least by how I see myself but I know that if I want to experience the real feel of Africa, it cannot be from the a hotel room. So I am off and I know you are jealous. Keep up with me on the blog although it seems as though Internet will be much harder than what we are used to.

Reflecting on the Ifa Divination of the Year

noreply@blogger.com (Iya Omitade Ifatoosin) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:03:00 +0000

The Curse is Over

Obara Eguntan, The Curse is Over
Ori of Isin would profit Isin,
Ori of eja would profit eja,
Ori of Okasa would profit Okasa in the waters,
Ori of (your name) will profit (your name).
Cast divination for Olobara who had not seen success.
Olobara will be well arranged fast.
Be well arranged so that I have (list everything you want).
Olobara be well arranged.
Be well arranged so that I have space for all good things.

Ase.

In six months since Obara-Eguntan fell in Ile Ife, Nigeria, describing for devotees of Ifa what the year 2011-2012 would bring, many things in have shifted and moved in my life. And the spaces created by the apparent losses have led to great things.

So, today I am thankful for the blessings that surround me--the warmth of the sun, the presence of the breeze, my knees feeling healthy and spry, the fact that my satellite connection is working at good speeds. And so much more.

When you don't live in nature meaning you have to travel somewhere to get the feeling of being connected, you can miss all of the wonderful events that are a part of this Earthy visit. I captured four such events simply to give evidence to the gifts that we have right before our eyes.

The first is this egg from my chicken coop. It is fully formed and the shell is hard but it is only one inch in size. What a wonder!! I grew up on a egg farm but I never saw an egg like this. Simply amazing to the eye.

Something that I have rarely seen is the flower spike put out by an aloe vera plant. In fact, in all the years that I have lived here this is the first time that this aloe vera has spiked. It is a beautiful bell shaped flower.

Well, I would not do right by Orisa Oko, if I did not talk about the bounty from my garden. I am having a bumper crop of plantain right not. So much so I am giving them away. Then there is habanero, lemons (yes real lemons that are not usually see in Belize), okra and fresh eggs. Hmmm, fresh eggs from the garden, well you know what I mean.

And last, but certainly not least is NINE, yes nine (and a few more to come) goats. All of this coming from the blessing of doing the ebo of the year two years ago. I received 6 goats as a gift and those six goats have flourished into 37. And, yes baby goats are oh-so-cute!!

So that's my list. But you have a list also. Take a look around you. Find something beautiful and wonderous. It is right there, before your eyes.

What A Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Iya Omitade Ifatoosin) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 22:05:00 +0000

Today is a day of reflection, a day of loss and gain and while each is not so profound as to shake the world, they are sufficient for me to take a look at all of my blessings and measure them against the losses. Bottom line, even the losses are blessings as indicators of letting go.

So let me start with one loss. Today a glass bowl broke. I had that bowl since 1972. I got it as a wedding gift. I had looked at that bowl with some amount of pride, that I still had it after all of these years, that it had traveled with me from California to Massachusetts to Connecticut to Texas to Belize and despite the fact that the marriage was no more, the bowl was there. Now it is not. Spirit telling me to let go of the things of the past and I am seeing the connection to attachments that are much more recent. I am a very sentimental person. I hold onto things that people give me and I never let them go. For the last few years, I have been questioning the value of sentimentality in our modern world. Not that I would change because I like it that I value the memory of people in the things that I have been given but more so from the point of if I want to allow myself to feel the sadness and disappointment when others so not place the same value on sentiment. That has been a rough lesson for me. So today, I let go of this attachment. I will survive and it will be soon forgotten.

So now for the gains. The first goat (a female) of the season was born today. It was totally unexpected as I thought the due date (s) were in December. So we have a new milker born into the goat family. Hooray, for cheese, goat milk and milk soap.

I am very happy with the fact that I know where my food is coming from. When I lived in a city, I never thought about it that much.There is a blessing at being at home, an even greater blessing in my opinion when your home can offer you independence from the "supermarket" (actually there is no supermarket where I live but you get the idea). I woke up this morning and thought, hmm, what for breakfast? Immediately my mind went to the recently cut bunch of bananas that are ripening on the carport. Oh yes and lunch will include some fried plantain, an avocado from a tree in the yard (unfortunately the last one), some okra, basil, and sweet pepper from the garden and sun-dried tomatoes that I did in the dry season.

The day is cloudy and there has been rain so I am lazy overall but there is some planning that I am doing. Next stop South and East Africa. I am telling you this so that you can start to get prepared for the reintroduction of the Travels of the Errant Priest. Oh and yes, there will be some contests along the way.

So get out your compass (oh come on Omitade, this is the 21st Century!!), I mean get out your GPS device, set up your links to Google maps, sharpen your pencil (if you still use such an antiquated piece of equipment), hone your Google search skills and pack your duffel. We are on our way!!

Here is the list: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Kenya, Ethiopia. Now get your virtual books stacked and bookmarked. I want to see a lot of successful people winning prizes during the contests.

A Cardiff Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Iya Omitade Ifatoosin--Crown of Water) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:24:00 +0000

This journey could not end without one last contest. I have no idea what the prizes will be but there will be prizes. There are three questions and three prizes but you can only win for one correct answer. Ready?

1. Where is Cardiff and what country is it in?

2. What industry was Cardiff most known for?

3. Cardiff is on what body of water?

Bon Chance!!

A Castle Story

noreply@blogger.com (Iya Omitade Ifatoosin--Crown of Water) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:37:00 +0000

Here is the story of these stone figures. Within the town of Cardiff, the most influential family was the Bute family. It was the third Marquis of Bute who bought the castle and renovated it.

He wanted to have a zoo in Cardiff but the Town Council voted against it because they feared that the animals would somehow get loose and escape and cause havoc in the town.

So the Marquis of Bute decided to have a stone carver make all these animals that are coming over the walls of the grounds surrrounding the Castle. It would appear that he was mocking their decision and getting his stone zoo at the same time.

The Errant Priest Eats Cheese

noreply@blogger.com (Iya Omitade Ifatoosin--Crown of Water) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:24:00 +0000

Welcome to Cardiff Castle, the site of the Cheese Festival. There were over 900 varieties of cheese entered into a contest for who is the best cheesemaker. In addition to cheese, there was wine, ale and cider as well as a wide variety of foods--Persian, Greek, food from the PieMinister (which actually is mashed potatoes with some kind of meat and gravy served in a box), Venison, Burgers of beef and lamb, Indian, Pork Pie, Ice Cream, Coffee and soft drinks.

I stuck to the Indian (a good choice) and Coffee stands because of cheese tasting, wine tasting, cheese and cider tasting.

Prize Winning Cheese

Crowd Beginning to Form

The Cheese Festival was a large event with thousand or more people each day. It was crowded inside the tents, if you want to try or buy cheese there were throngs of people everywhere. At the end of the day on Sunday, one supermarket chain began giving away cheese. I had to run out of the building to avoid being crushed up in the herd of people trying to get free cheese.

The Cheese and Wine tasting was a good experience. I am only sorry that there was no time or space to talk to cheese makers about that--cheese making. It would have added so much to the experience and would have helped me with my own efforts to make cheese. I did taste a number of goat cheeses that were hard varieties and so, so good. So I am encouraged to try to bring that type of cheese to my end of the world. We shall see!

Maiden Island

noreply@blogger.com (Iya Omitade Ifatoosin--Crown of Water) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:07:00 +0000

The story that is associated with this little island is that a Sultan had received a divination (they say that a fortune teller told him, I see it differently). Anyway, he received a divination that his daughter was going to die from a snake bite.

To avoid this possibility he sent her to this island, so that no snake could possibly get her. One day they were bringing her supply of food. A snake was in among the grape leaves, bit her and she died. My question to the Sultan is, "why didn't you do the ebo?"

Maiden Island has been used as a lighthouse as well as a point of defense against enemies. Today, it has been renovated and is a restaurant. You can still go up in the tower and see the panorama from there.

The Grand Bazaar

noreply@blogger.com (Iya Omitade Ifatoosin--Crown of Water) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 17:25:00 +0000

The Grand Bazaar is one of the largest covered markets in the world. It has 60 streets and 5000 shops and caters to up to 400,000 people a day. It was built in the 1400's and then expanded over the years until the last expansion in in 1894. Unfortunnately I did not take my camera on the day I visited the Grand Bazaar, but you can look at the spice market pictures and get the idea of that the streets and ceiling are like. Check out their web-site if you are interested. It is really an experience: Grand Bazaar.

Within the Grand Bazaar and throughout Istanbul are Hamams or Turkish Baths. These are steam baths where you can get massages and luxuriate. I did not go to the Hamam because I wanted to save that experience for my next time in Istanbul. Anyone up for that?

The Errant Priest Loves Istanbul

noreply@blogger.com (Iya Omitade Ifatoosin--Crown of Water) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:20:00 +0000

Tiles in the Blue Mosque

A gold jacket in the Spice Market

Istanbul is definitely an intersection of ages, cultures, old and new architecture, religions and aesthetics. Everywhere you turn you hear a different language, see a different people. There is, of course, the dominance of Islam but not to the point that it feels oppressive.

Istanbul, as a city is completely clean. There was even a boat that went around by the fish restaurants, hauling trash out of the waterways. Understand that there is not a lot of trash in the water. The streets are washed down, people clean up behind themselves. The desk clerk at the hotel said that people do throw cigaretted butts into the street so that there are jobs for cleaners. He laughed and said it was a totally ridiculous idea but that a lot of smokers justified their behavior this way. Unlike Italy and Greece, smoking is banned in restaurants, hotels and interior environments. What a relief!! If you choose to sit outdoors at a restaurant, then you will subject yourself to smoking but it is not too bad. There are not the numbers of smokers that there were in the previous countries.

One thing that I was impressed with is that they feel particularly tied to tradition. For instance, tourists from all over the world come to see the Blue Mosque. They come dressed in shorts and tank tops and all kinds of clothing inappropriate for visiting anyone's sacred space. At the mosque, they give people, men and women cloth to cover their legs, cloth to cover their shoulders, arms, cleavage and for women a cloth to cover the head. To me that is the kind of honor and respect that one shows the things you believe in. This is something that we should be considering.

New Construction in Istanbul

I took a look at the Topkapi Palace, in particular the Harem. First, let me clarify that the word Harem is not what you have been brought up to believe. It means, "forbidden because it is sacred/important. It is that the word, haram (from the Arabic) actually means forbidden; not a place for women.

It was interesting to note the power of women, particuarly through the auspices of the Queen Mother. In this regard, she was the "sultan" over the women and was responsible for the overall operation of, the peace and contentment of the Harem. The Harem of Topkapi Palace was undergoing renovation in some of the areas but one could see the "city within a city within a city" of the women's quarters. The palace itself was like a city.

Sitting Room

The Sultan's Chamber

The Turkey Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Iya Omitade Ifatoosin--Crown of Water) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:56:00 +0000

Here is the contest for Turkey. There are three prizes. You can only win one although you can answer all the questions:

1. What are the three bodies of water that surround Turkey? These are salt water bodies.

2. What are the two continents connected by this bridge?

3. Istanbul was also known as _________________ in the past (before the Ottoman Empire)?

The rules remain the same. Whoever answers correctly first is the winner of that question. You can only win for one question but you can answer all in case you are not sure.

Good Luck!!!

The Errant Priest Makes it to Turkey

noreply@blogger.com (Iya Omitade Ifatoosin--Crown of Water) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 14:15:00 +0000

Turkish Airlines, hmmm. You get on the plane and you see turquoise leather plane seats and turquoise pillows and blankets. This is different. The trip is going to take one hour and twenty minutes. It is late morning and I am going to arrive in Turkey midday. So we take off and the flight attendants come along with the cart. "Oh good", I say to myself. "We are going to get something to drink". What is put before me is not only the offer of a drink but a full lunch--salad, with sliced chicken breast, crackers, sandwich of mozzarella cheese, tomato, oregano on a roll, and chocolat mousse. Well, that hit the spot because I didn't have time for breakfast since I went to the airport on the Metro. I arrived at the airport, went through buying a visa and then to immigration. I got my bag and was on the way out when I saw someone holding up a paper with my name on it. The hotel had sent transportation!! I was whisked away to the hotel, located in the old part of Istanbul. The room is small like most European hotels, I have to add but it is nice and I am happy with it because of its location.

On the right hand side is my hotel, the Ayasofya located in the Sultanhamet area of Istanbul. This area is cobblestone streets and hills up and down. Interesting walking.

The Errant Priest in Athens--Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Iya Omitade Ifatoosin--Crown of Water) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:04:00 +0000

Greece is in trouble financially. They are seeking loans from the rest of their cousins called the European Union. I do not know how they got in trouble but I do know that there has been quite a lot of conversation about whether to help them or not. There is a lot at stake. If Greece defaults on these loans it could strike a significant blow for the Euro (the money of the European Union). I do not know how people in Europe live--everything is so expensive.

Below protestors are gathering for a march in Athens. As in the US, the reforms are aimed at the middles class and poor while the rich do not have to make the same sacrifices on behalf of the country that has given them so much. It is a very sad situation and feels very similar to the recent bail-outs of banks and corporations in the US.

So, while this tension is going on, I am bouncing around the city, the disconnected tourist. I am not sure that this is a good thing but I can always hide behind the fact that I can't speak Greek.

So today I went to the Acropolis Museum today. It is a wonderful place. It is build over an excavation site and some of the flooring is glass so you can look down through it and see the excavation. Once you reach the second floor then, it is pretty scary to look down and think that you are standing on a floor of glass. They do not allow photos inside so you are out of luck but there are pictures of the outside and a little video (don't know if I can upload that yet).

Athens was named after the Goddess Athena. It is said that there was a contest for who would control the City between Athena and Poseidon. Each had to give a gift to the City and the gift that was accepted by the people was who the people would worship and follow. Poseidon gave water and that seemed like a great gift but the water was salty and the people could find no use for it. Athena gave the people an olive tree and from that they could make oil for cooking and olives for eating. Athena won the contest and Athens was born.

The Acropolis was erected at the top of a hill as the shrine to Athena. People came and gave Athena great thing in order to honor her. Many of the sculptures of this area were gift to Athena, no just decoration of the shrine and they bore inscriptions like, "I, name of person, have given this gift in honor of Athena" or a gift that is given which is the first production or the first harvest of the person or the person who gives 1/10 of his earnings. So the mainenance of the shrine was done through the adoration of the people.

Athens is a very interesting place to visit and to see Greek History, particularly if you know your African History and can understand the origins of this civilization.

Gelede

noreply@blogger.com (Iya Omitade Ifatoosin--Crown of Water) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 18:08:00 +0000

I wanted to share this because of my interest in the restoration of women's self knowledge. This is connected intricately to that end. If you are interested, please let me know as I would like to figure out how we might help to support the restoration and sustainability of this aspect of our tradition.

This in taken in whole from http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?lg=en&pg=00011&RL=00002

Countries: Benin ^◈, Nigeria, Togo

Description

The Gelede is performed by the Yoruba-Nago community that is spread over Benin, Nigeria and Togo. For more than a century, this ceremony has been performed to pay tribute to the primordial mother Iyà Nlà and to the role women play in the process of social organization and development of Yoruba society.

The Gelede takes place every year after the harvests, at important events and during drought or epidemics and is characterized by carved masks, dances and chants, sung in the Yoruba language and retracing the history and myths of the Yoruba-Nago people. The ceremony usually takes place at night on a public square and the dancers prepare in a nearby house. The singers and the drummers are the first to appear. They are accompanied by an orchestra and followed by the masked dancers wearing splendid costumes. There is a great deal of preparatory craftwork involved, especially mask carving and costume making. The performances convey an oral heritage that blends epic and lyric verses, which employ a good deal of irony and mockery, supported by satirical masks. Figures of animals are often used, such as the serpent, a symbol of power, or the bird, the messenger of the “mothers”. The community is divided into groups of men and women led by a male and a female head. It is the only known masked society, which is also governed by women. Although the Gelede has nowadays adapted to a more patriarchal society, the oral heritage and dances can be considered as a testimony of the former matriarchal order.

Technical development is resulting in a gradual loss of traditional know-how, and tourism is jeopardizing the Gelede by turning it into a folklore product. Nevertheless, the Gelede community shows great awareness of the value of their intangible heritage, which is reflected in the efforts put into the preparation work and in the growing number of participants.

The Errant Priest Does It in Athens

noreply@blogger.com (Iya Omitade Ifatoosin--Crown of Water) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:36:00 +0000

Two days before I left Corfu for Athens, all hell broke loose. Of course, I do not understand a word of Greek but the pictures on the news showed thousands of people protesting and marching the streets. So, I held my breath, got on the plane and made my way to Athens. I arrived to a Taxi strike so it was the Metro for me with my bags--I am back to bags (that is plural) because of my sculptures--ugh!!! Oh, I forgot to tell you that I had sent two suitcases back to Atlanta while I was in Milan so I only had one bag, backpack for camera and laptop and purse.

The Metro system in Athens is immaculate (take a look at that floor). No trash, no cigarette butts, no graffiti. Amazing!! But, I must add that I have not been to all of the stations, perhaps they are different in the residential areas. So, the trip from the airport wasn't bad. The trip was about an hour and I found my hotel right away. The hotel has the standard European elevator. It fits about one person and a piece of luggage even though it says that 3 people can ride on it at a time.

The hotel that I booked with my flight was not what I expected. The room wasn't bad. I remember once I had to stay in a room in Lagos that scared the hell out of me so this was good by comparison but the area that it was in was less than desirable. So I got on-line to my now favorite hotel booking site (booking.com) and found a hotel in another area. Good, I was set. It was evening once I settled in so I walked to "old Athens" for dinner. As I said it was not the most comfortable walk although I didn't really experience anything bad, it was walking down the long dark street that wasn't so pleasant since I didn't really know the area. Since I have now seen the area in the daylight, it is more OK.

I have said something about the beds in Italy and Greece. It is like sleeping on a twin box spring with a sheet on it. The linens are always immaculate but I have wondered if the word "pillowtop" can be introduced into these societies.

The next morning I got up and got ready for the "big move". I had my directions down but I forgot to write down the address. Well, it doesn't matter, I thought to myself. I step off the Metro and there it will be. Well that didn't happen. About 3 hours later walking up and down streets, asking people who didn't know getting the wrong directions and being far from where I needed to be, I finally arrived with the help of a couple of policemen. When I walked into the hotel the woman at the desk said, "you look tired"!! I told her my tale of woe. She said that fortunately, the room was ready. I was relieved. And then she said that she was going to upgrade me to a junior suite. So I am here in a room that is about 4 times the size of any room that I have been in on the trip, oh and I am LOVING IT. The bed is softer than any I have been on and it is a queen size. I have not taken pictures of the room yet but I will.

I hope that you look at and enjoy the pictures of Greece. Today, I got tired of Greek food so I went to an Indian restaurant. Yum!! Very pretty place and look at the olive tree.

Can We Show that We Are a Better People?

noreply@blogger.com (Iya Omitade Ifatoosin--Crown of Water) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 15:17:00 +0000

For certain, one of the things that has become quite clear is that if we focused on respect of elders as one particular/specific behavior change in our community, what a tremendous impact that would have. I see our children standing up when Elders enter the room and insuring that they are comfortably seated. Helping Elders which means that they (you) are watching Elders for their well-being, for their actions, for their breath (you have to think about this deeply to understand what I am saying).

Our respect for those who came before us made us a gentler, more complete people. We taught ourselves, our young to realize that all things come, with time (remember Barry White?) and that the order of the Universe gave us security because we had a place and a space and we knew that there were those who came before us and those who would come after.

Ire. Ase.

The Greek Contests from Corfu

noreply@blogger.com (Iya Omitade Ifatoosin--Crown of Water) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 15:01:00 +0000

Well what would a travelogue be without a contest or two? Whoever answers the questions first will get a very special prize from Greece.

Look at the picture and answer the question. What is the name of the sea that you are looking at?

This is a two part question: What is the land in the distance? and what is the country above (to the north of this land)?

Good luck!!! Winners will be based on the time of the answer on the blog.

The Errant Priest Watches Television--Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (Iya Omitade Ifatoosin--Crown of Water) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 06:44:00 +0000

I watched a BBC program about the de-programming of Iraqi boys who had been taken by the Al-Qaeda and taught to be suicide bombers by distorting Islam for their own purposes. They were all under the age of 15 or so, some had voluntarily joined as their admired the seemingly empowered look of the A-Qaeda; others were kidnapped. As they are captured, rather than putting them in prison with older terrorists, they are put in a school where they are taught the true meaning of Islam and the scripture associated with it with the goal of re-uniting them with their families and the rest of the world. It was interesting to learn a lot about Islam but it also sparked a thought within me about our own home grown terrorists--bloods and crypts.

Our male children are in need of de-programming. Through gang participation they are taught to become our form of suicide bombers. They terrorize neighborhoods and whole cities and they often end up dead or imprisoned, a form of death for our entire community. Homocide is suicide in the African context so we can quickly see the implications for our collective psyche. We have a responsibility to our children to help them find a place in our society. Of course, we need to stop being egotistical in the definition of what our (African) society is. We need a collective agreement about our diversity. It is then that we can help children find a valued place for the expression of their uniqueness.

But I also have to think, what would happen if law enforcement approached our children in the same way that these Iraqi children are being approached? No doubt it would cost more money to commit to integrating them into the community. But surely it would not cost as much money as the equipment and staff that it takes to "man" all the airports in the world or police the streets.

The Errant Priest Moves on To Corfu

noreply@blogger.com (Iya Omitade Ifatoosin--Crown of Water) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 06:28:00 +0000

Sunrise in Corful. Beautiful. I got to Corfu in the late evening after a flight on Aegean Airlines. The airline hostesses on this airline and on the Italian airlines all wear designer uniforms, very beautiful, some with hats that almost look like head wraps. Aside from a basic color, then they have the designer scarf (like Vera) in some beautiful colors. About aiports and airport security--when you get to the belt to put your stuff on, there is a smiling person waiting to help you put your things into bins. You do not need to take your shoes off and very interestingly, I have not had anyone stamp or check my passport in terms of Immigration since I arrived.

Anyway the flight from Milan to Corfu is all of two hours but I had to go to Athens first for the transfer. Athens airport is unbelievable. Like in the Milan train stations, there are designer stores, leather goods, luggage stores, olive oil and liquor stores throughout the airport as you are coming off the plane. On the plane, they actually served food--a whole meal. How's that for a retrospective. Since I arrived at night, I didn't see much of Corfu until the next morning when I was greeted with the sunrise above.

And as the sun went higher in the sky, this is what I saw.

I hope that you are also looking at the photos in the albums so that you can see it all.

Corfu Town is very quaint old town. I loved walking around the area and just looking at all the old buildings.

Most of the streets in the area are pedestrian only although from time to time a person drives. I guess you can do what you want if you can get away with it. So between beach and pool and old town, I spent a few days doing not much of anything.

It is on the week-end that I went to the art class. It was a wonderful experience. One woman, Kim, was from Surinam which was pretty unusual (about as unusual as someone from Belize being there). It has been said to me that my grandmother came to Trinidad from Suriname but since no one in the family would talk about it, there was no way for me to pursue it. Kim, told me all about art events going on in the Caribbean. I might go to Surinam for one of their events. Now that is a trip to consider since there are still descendants of maroons (They are not called that in Suriname) but anyway, rebellious Africans who ran away from slavery and maintained their original culture and traditions in the interior. Suriname is a former Dutch colony know as Dutch Guyana (not the right spelling). I'd like to think that my grandmother was a part of that so that I could explain where my rebellious nature comes from. Hmmm. Very interesting!!

I did two sculptures in the two days of class. One I completed as far as I could, the other still needs to be painted. Here is the project that is close to completion. You can also see my other one on the left in the picture. If you go to the gallery, you will see what other women created during the time. When finished, she will be holding a mirror in her hands.

The other is a mother swinging her child in her hands. Now begins the nightmare of carrying these for the rest of the trip. Fortunately, they are lightweight but they are large. The mother and child is at least 2 feet tall. OMG, as is said. I didn't think about logistics when I got into this!!!

The Errant Priest in Milan or Guess What I Didn't Get You?

noreply@blogger.com (Iya Omitade Ifatoosin--Crown of Water) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 05:17:00 +0000

Can you guess? Milan is a city of great style. What you see here is the area of all of the fashion designers. What I envisioned is a tall, thin lovely Black woman (who also happens to be a Yemoja priestess) and her successful natural hair designer (who designs her hairstyles for this show) with a runway show of African clothes right down the middle of this grand walkway. Who needs Prada?

How did I get to Milan. By train, of course! It was a very short trip about a little more than an hour. Wonderful. Got off the train, Voila, there was my hotel. It was a kind of posh place in the sense of it was quite glitzy.

Milan is a very livable city. It has a much more relaxed atmosphere than Venice. There is a Metro to take you wherever you need to go. I appreciated it greatly and it got me to think a lot about dedication, adoration and where we stand in the perpetuation of our beliefs. Very distressing to me is the fact that everywhere I have been, graffiti has come before. Graffiti is everywhere and it is quite alarming that in these great cities of fashion, commerce and ancient buildings that there is a thread (sometimes much bigger than a thread) of alienation that runs through the society and that causes young people to express their existence in that way. In a City that hosts the Last Supper, there is graffiti on the buildings not far away. This sense of alienation is something that we see and experience in our own community. I wonder what we are doing to get to the heart of the matter?

This isn't the greatest picture but what struck me was the amount of work put into all of the buildings but particularly the buildings of belief. As I sat in front of this church that sits right in front of the fashion center, I could not help but admire the pure dedication to detail. And, I thought to myself that if any person looking at this building did not have a religion, then the building, on its own, could certainly make you want to become a part of this church. Without knowing anything of the religion within, you must feel that these people are dedicated to the honoring and mystifying of their beliefs. I could see and feel why people hold on so firmly to the Catholic Church.

In the posterity that we leave regarding the beauty and mystery of Orisa, where do our individual shrines that usually get buried with us when we die, fit into this grand scheme? How can out children get attracted to it's beauty if there are no visible, public shrines in its name?

The Errant Priest on a Private Moment

noreply@blogger.com (Iya Omitade Ifatoosin--Crown of Water) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 20:26:00 +0000

Before I start this. I want you to begin to hum the tune to "I Love a parade". OK, do you have it in your mind?

Now, the words to the song are, "I love a bidet, oh, I love a bidet".

In Italy I have been reintroduced to the bidet. What a wonderful invention. You use the toilet and then you move over so that you can wash up--so fresh, so clean. You know the commercials with the bears and the mother is cleaning little bits of toilet paper off the baby bear's bum? Well, there'll be none of that with a bidet. "I love a bidet"!!

The Errant Priest in Florence--Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Iya Omitade Ifatoosin--Crown of Water) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 19:15:00 +0000

I am putting this picture up again because it is important to understand something about this building. The construction of the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore also known as the Duomo began in 1296 but it was not completed until 1436. The three buildings that make up this church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site just as Ifa has been Inscribed in 2008 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (originally proclaimed in 2005). You will notice the word "intangible". What makes one thing a "Site" and the other an "Intangible". Could it be that our lack of substantial building, indicative of our departing from the path of our most ancient ancestors, the Nubians, is the reason?

This particular building got me to thinking more about building something beyond one's lifetime. In this particular case. One man got the vision and started the building but he had to depend on another person sharing his vision and taking it to the next level and then someone beyond him and so on. Certainly there were changes, additions and personalizations but it remained essentially the same.

What type of cultural support is needed for something of this nature to happen? Do we have the Will for it to happen?