SOUTH KOREA LIMERICK

There was a young man from South Korea
who was prone to verbal diarrhea.
“But better that kind
than from the behind,”

Said that fast-talking lad from Korea.

PROMPT: Family Member

Describe a family member.

When you are very young, he or she is very tall. As you get older, he or she becomes a manageable size, but tiny new one’s sprout up, and then you start to shrink and the tiny ones cease to be tiny and catch up and surpass one in height.

DAILY PHOTO: Shivajinagar by Night, Bangalore

PROMPT: Physical Exercise

What is your favorite form of physical exercise?

I’m a big fan of them all. I like to move it, move it.

Each in its time.

Though the less special equipment I need access to, the better. I’m a firm believer that one needs only the body and mind to keep a fit body. It’s all a matter of how, how often, how intensely, and how safely one moves one’s body. Gadgety fitness can become too fetishist, and not build integration of the body as much as is ideal.

DAILY PHOTO: Diwali Night, Agartala

PROMPT: Moon

Daily writing prompt
How much would you pay to go to the moon?

Nothing. My philosophy is that if I need technology to function flawlessly every second to keep me alive, I don’t need to be in that place.

Duck Raft [Haiku]

A "raft" (a.k.a. flock) of ducks float on Rudrasagar (Twijilikma) Lake in Tripura, India.
a raft of ducks
glides as a dense pack --
then one goes solo.

Sunrise Fisher [Haiku]

A fisherman paddling a canoe on the Rudrasagar Lake (a.k.a. Twijilikma) in Melaghar, Tripura, India.
weary fisherman 
paddles sunrise-tinged lake
to cast nets.

DAILY PHOTO: Gedu Mia Mosque, Agartala

Front view of Gedu Mia Mosque (Masjid) in Agartala, Tripura, India.
Gate and front of Gedu Mia Mosque (Masjid) in Agartala, Tripura, India.
Side view closeup of Gedu Mia Mosque in Agartala, Tripura, India.

BOOK: “Tell My Horse” by Zora Neale Hurston

Tell My Horse: Voodoo and Life in Haiti and JamaicaTell My Horse: Voodoo and Life in Haiti and Jamaica by Zora Neale Hurston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Author’s Book Site — Zora Neale Hurston Trust

This is a beautifully written and fascinating look at Jamaica, Haiti, Voodoo, Zombies, and the sinews that run between them. The first half of the book reads largely like a travelogue of, and introduction to, Jamaica and Haiti, respectively. In this half, Voodoo is only mentioned here and there as an aside. There is much more discussion of culture, race, and politics, notably the disheartening politics of Haiti. (I should point out for those unfamiliar with Harlem Renaissance figures, this book dates to the 1930’s — so current affairs are not addressed, but — unfortunately — Haiti has a long history of troubles.) The second half of the book delves much more intensely into Voodoo and the supernormal happenings broadly connected to it. Hurston’s exploration is neither as a tried-and-true believer, nor as a hardcore sceptic; rather she takes a more journalistic objectivity.

The language of this book is splendid, and Hurston produces many a quotable line. It is true that the subject matter, Voodoo, is extremely compelling, but this book is more than just a collection of tales of magic, superstition, and the weird. It also offers depth of insight into the cultures of these countries and their peoples. Hurston frequently mentions the differences between classes on the matter of Voodoo, the upper-class rejecting it as mere superstition and the lower classes often engaging with it as a way of life.

I’d highly recommend this book, not only for those interested in learning more about Caribbean Voodoo practices, but also for travelers with an intense curiosity about culture.

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