"South" Can Proceed Forever

Flying south.  You forget that “south” can proceed forever.  It is not the same as proceeding along the circumference of the earth, east or west, crossing time zone after time zone and wake up in the morning sun after leaving the same morning sun twelve hours ago.  We left as the sun was going down.  It’s still rather dark and we’ve been up in the air for many hours now.  

I just finished John Abbott’s “The Empire of Russia” written in the middle nineteenth century.  The typeset would be challenging for most of the insect world.  “Bravo Books” was not considering the geriatric market when they got the public rights to this work and reprinted it. Reading with the dim light provided by my seat here in 39F, was wanting.  I went and stood in the galley and sipped a glass of flat wine and read thirty pages while people entered and left the bathroom.  Catherine the Great rather deserved the name.  Pity about poor Peter III.  Paul I was decidedly feeble.  Nicholas I was lead one way or another a lot more easily than my re-read of “War and Peace” might suggest with him looking so august on horse back.  Trying, slowly, to come to terms with the remarkable Russian narrative. 

Up ahead a video is on, of course.  It’s a black and white movie with Chinese subjects.  They just had a tug of war match and now all the participants are running off somewhere.  I’m glad I’m not joining.  My older one is playing something that looks like Candy Crush.  But is probably named something else.  The younger one is completely captivated by her movie.  My wife is, similarly held, with her mouth open, staring forward.  We each have our own strategy to make the time go by. 

The last time I was in Jakarta, I will always recall.  Stuck in traffic, I watched the debate between Donald and Hillary, the second of the three.  I was patiently waiting for her to mop the buffoon up as I recall.  Traffic was slow.  We took lots of side street short cuts.  And I didn’t care where we went.  I was glued to this live debate.  And of course she won, on substance, and none of it mattered as the coelurosaurian roared and entertained.  Hard to imagine that this preparatory period was only a bit more than twelve months ago. 

This all came about rather quickly and haphazardly.  Warmth, at low cost.  Go to Lombok.  There were cheap flights.  There was a cheap place to stay that would treat my family nice.  Now we're en route.  Objective: Do nothing.  Please dad.  Off to the right a white guy is battling a Chinese woman in the ancient art of stick fighting.  There is sexual tension.  It is demanding my attention.  I'm parrying best I can, with the stick of my mind.  The black and white movie in the distance is less confrontational. I wish they’d both disappear from my field of vision.  Never easy to do nothing.  

Thursday, 12/28/17