Play Time in Seoul - Happy Armed Force's Day!

I was passing by the shops in the Bukchon Hanok Village area of Seoul,  when I was grabbed by an image in a window, and discovered an exhibition  ......

Play Time-Dana Ramon Kapelian Exhibition, 1-13 Oct 2013, Jongno-gu

The visual artist, a French-Israeli photographer, who studied in San Franscisco, was present and happily signed a card with the soldier image. I commented that it was an appropriate image for Korea's Armed Forces Day. (celebrated every 1st October, to mark the 38th parrallel being taken in the Korean War)  She hadn't made the connection ....

The image made me think of the thin line between play and reality, and how even great empires play at war. The war between the North and South Korea is still being played out, under an fragile truce.  Yesterday's parade was all about a show of strength (see BBC news) another type of exhibition. But it is a more costly game, and countless lives are lost. As the old protest song goes: 'when will they ever learn, when will they ever learn?' 

The exhibition is entitled PLAY TIME  and her other images are previewed here
It is currently on at Gallery Gahoedong 60, presenting the solo exhibition of the Israeli artist, Dana Ramon Kapelian.   She writes about the exhibition: 

The images are about the boundary between a child's imagination and an adults fantasies and actions. It is all in the seer's mind.Things can be interpreted as innocent or devious, playful or full of temptation.

and the text that inspired her .....

In many shamanic societies, if you came to a shaman or medicine person
complaining of being disheartened, dispirited, or depressed, they would ask one of four questions.
When did you stop dancing?
When did you stop singing?
When did you stop being enchanted by stories?
When did you stop finding comfort in the sweet territory of silence?
Where we have stopped dancing, singing, being enchanted by stories, or finding
comfort in silence is where we have experienced the loss of soul.
Dancing, singing, storytelling, and silence are the four universal healing salves.
by Angeles Arrien Ph.D.
(the author of The Four-Fold Way: Walking the Paths of the Warrior, Healer, Teacher and Visionary)

Singing, dancing, stories and silence... I like that.   There is something about becoming like a little child in order to enter the Kingdom of God ....


I'm staying at the Doo Guesthouse.  It's a traditional Hanok style of Guest house. Very Korean.  
I'm taking the opportunity to catch up with some blogging. (I'm surprised to discover its been nearly 3 months - I'll try to fill in some of the gaps with some retro blogging - a new word I've just made up!)  

Not quite what you would call a typical day at the office  but #someonehastodoit. It's just a part of the life on the road, wandering for the love of God

Nasruddin: Your way move forward

I am grateful to Seth at CMS for photo-shopping this picture of me, like Mulla Nasruddin riding a donkey backwards. He did it for my leaving card. The problem is that it looks far too authentic! Maybe its the shape of things to come!

I like the picture because of the plodding donkey carrying its heavy load with the speeding car in the background, blurred as it travels into the future (off to the right? or is the future the other way round in the East, to the left? Like the writing? )   Nasruddin has an eye on the future but is inextricably plodding back into the past at a much slower pace, leaving the bright lights of the shops behind.  And of course he doesn't know where he is going. He trusts his donkey to take him home..... 

  

Your Way Move Forward

I have been asked a number of times where I get my Nusruddin stories from. Well I bought my favourite book ‘Nasreddin Hodja’ in Turkey for about $10. This particular book has wonderful images.  An Amazon search will come up with the goods. click  HERE 

    

But I have also collected a number of other books In Turkish, Arabic, Urdu, Persian as well as English. I can’t read them all, but I do collect them (I’ve heard there is a video cartoon in Russian which I’m on the lookout for). And he goes under many names including Gohar, Hodja, Joha, Effengi, Mullana &/or Mullah Nusruddin. His stories have been related and embellished for centuries, from North Africa to China, from Siberia to Samarkand, in Caravanserai all along the Silk Route. There is something timeless about them.      

And if you can’t get hold of the book this website - seems to have electronic images of every page. Nasruddin would approve!

So why does he sit on his Donkey backwards?

Well I have heard at least four different explanations: 

One day, Nasruddin Hoca was riding home from the mosque on his donkey, and there was a large crowd behind him. Suddenly, he got off, and got on again backwards, facing the animal’s tail. The people naturally asked him what he was doing. 

He replied: ‘I thought about it, and decided to ride my donkey like this, because I have no time for disrespect. If you move ahead of me, then you will be turning your back on me. That would be terrible disrespect. If I go on ahead, I will be turning my back on you, and that is also quite unacceptable. This way, I can go on ahead of you and you can follow behind, and we can still keep looking at each other!  That is the logical way!’

Being respectful, is one of the essentials of entering another culture. facing people, being careful where we point our feet, not turning our back... Not wanting to be disrespectful in any way.

But there are other explanations …….
 

One day Nasruddin was riding his donkey backwards.
- Nasruddin  the people said, you are sitting on your donkey  backwards!
- No, he replied. It's not that I am sitting on the donkey backwards, the donkey is facing the wrong way.

I suppose it is easy to blame others and I certainly have a very stubborn streak in me that insists I am right even when the evidence might suggest otherwise .....

Or alternatively another version of the story 

- Nasruddin  the people said, you are sitting on your donkey  backwards!

- No, Nasruddin replied. My friend here wanted to go one way and I wanted to go the other, so we are compromising.

Compromise is after all, quintessentially English? Well maybe Turkish as well. Whatever culture it represents, compromise is necessary when more than one will is involved... 

Or perhaps my favourite response

 

- No, said Mulla Nasruddin. It's not that I am sitting on the donkey backwards, It's just that I'm more interested in where I am coming from more than where I am going, my friends.

I suppose I have always had an eye for the past, whether dabbling in a little genealogy, or watching a good historical movie (where people dress up in costumes and then kill each other!)

I also believe that 'meaning making' is retrospective. We only really work out what has been happening when we look behind and see the patterns ....  The rest of the time we are in the present, in the moment, trying to work out what is going on. 

 

The picture of yours truely standing in front of a poster of Ahmad Shah Masoud on at Kabul Airport, which is there to inspire people. ‘Your way move forward’ he suggests. 

The Maoris of New Zealand talk of the past being visible and therefore in front of us, whilst the future is hidden and therefore behind. So we should walk backwards into the future with the past in front of us…………… 

That, as Nasruddin would say, is the logical way!

Woking Street Angels - a cold and busy night

Woking Street Angels Report – Saturday 9^th Feb 2013

 
Libby, my partner for the evening wrote up a full and detailed report of the evening which will give you a very good idea of what goes on during a 'typical Saturday night out with the Angels'    (NB I have changed all the names, except mine!)

Two in a space blanket. Just what is needed on those cold nights!

It was a rainy cold evening/night but not quite as cold as predicted so that was a bonus!  ….though by 0430 having stood around trying to sort out a “domestic” for an hour  - it was pretty chilly!! (more later).

Libby and Phil on first tour of duty gave out our “earliest” flip flops at 10:30 – to a lady and her friend who had been to BINGO!! She was tottering on her 7” heels and so thankful to have ff’s to catch the train back to Guildford. Despite her protestation of not being under the influence – we feel she may just have had a sherry or two!!

Quake was open this evening – for a Special Needs Night: it was a well organised evening with plenty of able bodied helpers. We came across an unconscious female lying on the pavement outside around 1045 being tended by an older man who turned out to be her father and two onlookers (one young male and one female: they were disability workers who knew the girl). They all said they did not need help and this was a regular occurrence – girl was out sparko. Police arrived and they were told that no help was needed. Dad kept talking to girl and flicking her face – no response at all for what seemed an age: we were getting quite anxious: they all seemed unperturbed. They did accept offer of blanket. Then, quick as a flash she suddenly came to, leapt up, and walked off with Dad and got into their nearby car!! The young couple explained that she had a known medical condition that they could not disclose. Amazing that she was instantly conscious and OK.

Another meeting by Pete and Jo  was with a quite drunk young black man who professed to be earning £2k a day as a business adviser and offered Pete his card – it was the card of a lady Law specialist. Pete emailed her to alert her that this chap has a stash of her cards!

There were a number of great conversations with men and women on the work of SA and how much appreciated it was which was heartening. A pretty busy night in all  venues.

Whilst walking by McDonald’s at about 1pm we were alerted by a female that there was a girl in there having a cheeseburger who was in a bad way and was a Type 1 Diabetic – Heather was very drunk and very disorientated but gradually came to and started to talk as the cheeseburger took effect and then she had a coffee. She was from Ashford, had come to Woking with best friend Gail (they worked together as hairdressers) but Heather said she had deserted her and Gail had a plan to get home. Heather had Gail’s car keys in her purse. There followed a series of texts/phone calls/visit from friends they had met during the evening in Woking and lots of abuse and ranting – threats to be removed from McD’s if not calmed down. A group of other youngsters nearby offered to help to find Gail in the other clubs: they were brilliant and we gave them all lollies and Street Angel info cards told them to apply to help: especially one lad who was a 'real angel' and managed to somehow get Heather to give him her Dad’s phone number so we could call him to maybe collect Heather – She was very resistant to this: did not want her Dad involved and also had no money for taxi and neither did he - £35. We were about to offer to help towards this when one of the other girls came in and said that the Police would take her home if she was a diabetic but would first have to get para-medics to check her out. She refused. Finally after about an hour it was agreed that the £6 she had would be given to taxi driver and Dad would pay balance when she got back home.  Khalil of Boomerang Taxis took her to Ashford.

At the end of the evening around 03:30 just as all was calming and kebab shops were emptying etc we came across one very distraught young woman being huddled along by another very brisk, efficient lady in cowgirl outfit: as we offered help Susan declined and said they were fine, We watched them hail down a passing Police van and speak to the driver. The van drove off the girls walked towards us – it seems that Grace (distraught one - very pale, tearful and shivering) was concerned about her husband Kevin who was very drunk and threatening to hit her. He was around the back of Weatherspoons in the Car Park area. We went with them to investigate – joined by Susan’s boyfriend (Jeff, bouncer from Chameleon). Kevin was stood still swaying and raging …. swearing obscenities at anyone who approached him or tried to talk to him. Jeff seemed to be doing well – telling him to be a gentleman and take Grace home – all he would say was that he had given her the money for the taxi. She would not go home without him but was worried about what he might do. They finally got into a taxi together at about 0430 – with all 6 angels standing by - we are all anxious about what may have happened but they are married and unless she reports abuse or leaves him nothing will change. We gave her a contact number card and advised her not to go. The other couple were very helpful and Susan who did not know Grace wanted her to go home with them. Kevin at one point went from being aggressive and rude to emotionally and self harming – we all felt that he maybe had taken some drugs. Boomerang Taxis were again helpful took them home, 'cos they knew them well.

Another fight occurred in McD’s whilst we were in there with Heather – two young ladies being abusive were asked to leave by bouncers, would not so were ejected – there ensued a ruckus on the pavement and we called Police to deal with it. The two bouncers were hit and scratched.

£15 found in street by Jo & Jeff – a profitable night! The money was put in the kitty.

We were surprised to meet two Town Marshalls at around 11pm – Arran and Lewis ….they were surprised that we did not know they would be out! Seem to be similar to us but paid and looking at licensed premises and their applications more? It appears that the Town Marshalls are “hands on” in the sense that they responded before the Police to a fight and waded in to try to break it up.

Sorry this is a bit lengthy – busy night!

Vital Statistics 

Space blankets given out : 2

Fleece Blankets given out : 1

Knitted hats given out: 1 

Flip Flops : 5 pairs

Bottles/cans picked up : 38

People helped : 8

Contact cards given out : 2

Conversations over 18s : 17

Conversations under 18s : 4

Lollipops : dozens ! 

Partnership House and the 'end of Western Mission'

I used to work in Partnership House in Waterloo,  London, the 'headquarters' of the Church Mission Society CMS. The local post office used to call it 'Go Forth House' because of the stone inscription across the doorway.  It was the Great Commission according to Mark 16:15  (NEV)

 ‘GO FORTH to EVERY PART of THE WORLD and PROCLAIM the GOOD NEWS to the WHOLE CREATION’     

 
Now the site on 157 Waterloo Road is empty air as it has been knocked down and is being built on .  CMS moved to Oxford back in in 2008.

After being sold,  Partnership House was all boarded up (with squatters living in) until it was finally knocked down.  I travelled past on quite a  few occasions and it looked like Western Mission Agencies (WMA) had indeed shut up shop.  

Some have suggested that mission ended in the 20th century.  People like Vishal Mangalwadi  have suggested we have reached the end of Christendom model and Western Mission. 

But there has been a Global shift. In Church terms the Global North may indeed have been squeezed and shrinking,  but the Global Balloon is expanding in the South.   South America, Africa and Asia are where the church is growing and are becoming the new centres of mission. Mission is no longer from the 'West to the Rest' but (as in the title of a book by Michael Nazir-Ali) it is  'Everywhere to Everywhere'
 

 

Someone sent some pictures to us in CMS which showed PH in the process of being deconstructed  (14 June 2012) 

I thought you might be interested in the attached Pictures of the former Church Mission Society HQ in Waterloo Road which has been bricked up for sometime and was covered in Scaffolding whilst they demolished it.
However I remembered the Phrase above the entrance from Mark 16:15. Well, today I had my Camera for another reason and happened to go that way and they are obviously down to the last part of the entrance/chapel and have uncovered it ready for final demolition.
I always thought it was a pity that this should go and not be listed /moved to another location somehow, but then it was a 1960's office block..... Still I took a couple of poignant pictures of the verse. 

 

 

Yes it is in some ways poignant, but as I have blogged beforehand.  it may be that the Institution is being replaced by a new sense of movement and community. The Good News is still around to be proclaimed to the whole of creation......  

Perception

I went to the opening night of 'Perception' in Southall

My colleague Jonny Baker is part of the London Independent Photography (Ealing Group).    He blogged about the photo exhibition and sent me an invite.  15 photographers were interpreting the theme of Perception in their own way. 

I thought it would be good to go with my son Jonny, who is studying photography and film making. He has his own website where you can see some of his images: a space for brief moments of introspection. There are sections for moving images and iphotographs (instagrams images) as well as a photo blog.

I like the ethnic make up and cultural mix of Southall, where the exhibition was taking place,  although that was not reflected that much in the photographs. There were some great images and a good turnout - wine and nibbles always helps. The Dominion Arts Centre seems to also have a great footprint with many diverse groups using the place.  If you are in the area (up til 6th July)  pop in and have look-see.  

Southall is also a great place to have a curry afterwards... 

Random thoughts

A bit of random fun on Facebook got me thinking .....

The message below - when I did it - produced the result above

1. Go to Wikipedia and hit random. The first random Wikipedia article you get is the name of your band. 2 - Go to quotationspage.com and hit random. The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album. 3 - Go to Flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”. Third picture no matter what it is, will be your album cover. 4 - Use Photoshop or similar (picnik.com is a free online photo editor) to put it all together. 5 - Post it with this text in the "caption" and TAG the friends you want to join in

As someone suggested mine looks like a real album cover. The one I saw on another friends status looked even more convincing ....

A further facebook friend has pointed out 2 websites that generate random covers: album cover generator and fake album cover with both a twitter following and a facebook group.

That got me thinking - how much of what we attribute meaning to is actually random. Meaning making is retrospective. we see patterns and make connections and attribute meaning to what may be otherwise random events. And even if that is so then so what...

It reminded me of something else I read about random tourism. Go to a city / town and using a pack of cards, draw a card - Hearts go straight, Clubs left, Diamond right, Spades back. And walk the number of blocks on the card. Just follow the cards for the day and see what happens.... talk to people, visit places en route....

Maybe we need more 'random' in our lives.... not everything planned ..... more 'wandering for the love of God'......

Back to my random quote:

"Love much. Earth has enough of bitter in it."

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Archbishop at Delhi Brotherhood

I was looking at the Lambeth website at pics of the Archbishop visit to India (I was meant to be there myself). He was recently visiting CMS partner organisation, 'The Delhi Brotherhood'
I enjoyed the photos of the service and the cricket.

Delhi Brotherhood: The Delhi Brotherhood Society was originally known as the Cambridge Brotherhood, where a small number of English priests set out for Delhi in 1877, with the aim of promoting higher education. This they duly did, founding St Stephen's College in 1881 which is now one India's leading universities. In more recent times the brothers have turned their energies to the plight of slum dwellers in the city, with projects currently being run addressing HIV prevention, agricultural projects, as well empowerment initiatives for women and those people with disabilities.

flickr - insight into people's worlds

flikr can provide amazing insights into the 'world of the other' This is but one example. The photos are very evocative. I'm grateful to a friend Colin for pointing these out to me.

  

Afghan LORDّ's photostream

A Hazara woman seems sad and angry because damages to her properties and house by Kuchis and Taliban in Behsud - Kajaw.

In Daimerdad district - Hazara villagers are gathering in a mosque to discuss about the damages of Kuchis war over Hazara people. Thousands of people forced to leave the area by Kuchis which were supported by Taliban

Let us know of other links you find helpful 

GAZA CRISIS January 09

As we watch and hear the news we agonise about what is happening in GAZA.  I have received many heart felt crys for help and include some below  

ben-thomas images 

The images are by a young photojournalist  Ben Thomas, a good friend of my son Jonny, who is currently staying in Ramallah.   He is due back in UK on 20th, after which  I am sure more  will appear on his BLOG and Photo Website. 

Al Ahli Arab Hospital 

The Al Ahli Arab (Anglican) Hospital has been in operation for over 100 years and has a very dedicated medical staff of doctors, nurses, technicians and general services personnel.

During the best of times they are stretched to their maximum meeting the medical needs of this populous community. Now, during the current military conflict with its heavy toll on human life and material, the hospital faces even greater responsibilities and challenges. The result is growing strain on the hospital’s resources. 

Every day since the beginning of military operations, the hospital has received 20-40 injured or wounded patients. A large proportion of them require hospitalization and surgery. These patients are in addition to those with 

non-conflict-related illnesses. About one-fourth of the patients are children.......

In addition, the conflict has brought new type of medical and surgical conditions.
Many medical items are needed, especially bandages and supplies for burns and trauma. The hospital’s windows have all been blown out or shattered from rocket and missile concussion and cold permeates the entire premises. Plastic sheeting to cover the windows could alleviate some of the cold but is unavailable now. Food supplies are scant throughout the Gaza strip and maintaining patients’ nutritional needs at the hospital has been difficult, especially for the most vulnerable. Some medicines and supplies for the hospital have been generously donated but it is impossible to delever these items....

Bishop Suheil S Dawani, Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem  - for more information look at the statement on the Diocese of Jerusalem website

A voice heard in Gaza 

A voice was heard in Gaza. Wailing, weeping and great mourning. Nations weeping for Gaza’s children and would not be comforted because they are no more.

On December 23rd, 2008 on a Sydney Radio interview, I indicated that the forthcoming Christmas celebrations might not be joyous. "Why?" queried the interviewer. "Because" I replied "I feel that something is going to happen in Gaza". The interviewer's response was "you are prophesizing?" "No" I replied. "I have read the signs. The signs were clearly written on the wall." My feelings, my intuition have, tragically, proven to be right. I wish, I pray it was not so.

The besieged and beleaguered people of Gaza have been enduring the un-endurable for too long. Not just now, but for decades. Some Christian leaders remained silent. Some sadly equated the oppressed with the oppressor in their statements. None found their way to Gaza. May God have mercy.

Bishop Riah the former Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem 

Other sources: 

There is more information available on the Faith2share website - see 

* Bibles not Bullets in Gaza

* Christian leaders call for intervention in Gaza

* Diocese in Jerusalem active in Gaza crisis

See also the CMS website for more stories and resources 

 

Gaza: Love and the Enemy

written by a collegue of mine, Tannas Al Qassis,  himself Palestinian 

Anglican hospital at full stretch in Gaza

more from the Diocese about the Al Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza 

Tour of Reconciliation

a podcast about a reconciliation tour with Tanas and Jewish colleague  Joseph Steinberg