Tower Envy

Delhi India, January 6, 2007

This story is from my recent Journey in India
The seven hundred year-old Qutub Minar is the tallest free standing brick structure in India. It reminds me of the leaning tower of Pizza. It is all hand carved and is deliberately tilted so that if it should ever fall, it will fall away from people. Our driver and guide; Arun says the tower has been struck by lightening several times. One time the lightning actually blew the top off it. If you look closely you can see that the top two sections are different than the rest from being rebuilt after one of the lightning strikes. The Minar has been used through history by Muslims to call the faithful to prayer. It has a circular stairway inside leading to the five balconies. There is a gate at ground-level and it's locked. People kept climbing up and throwing themselves off the top. Arun says there were six suicides in a row and so the Delhi Authorities finally stopped letting people go up. There are several beautiful structures here at this site including an amazing hand-carved stone mosque.

I'm leaning against the Mosque's Gate. This is a very special place and has been photographed for it's intricate carvings. There is a tremendous feeling of power here. I believe there are nodal points or power points, on the planet that attract civilizations to build on them. There have been many different artisans called to this location. I also think there's a strong sense of competition that shows itself here. Across from the original Minar is a second structure. Over the Centuries many Sultans have competed with their predecessors to create a greater Tower. This huge brick base was a sultan's attempt to out-do the first tower. He built a huge base but never got it completed. This rivalry sounds Freudian to me; Tower Envy?

"Salaam Alekum"

Songkhla, Thailand, 2006

The Major has been showing me around Songkhla so much that this was actually my first chance to just hang out at the beach. When I came out of the water I sat down and looked over to my left.

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There were a horde of lovely Students staring at me and smiling. I got up and said: "Salaam Alekum" (God is with you), to them. They all shrieked with joy and replied: "Malakum salaam"(and with you). How did I know to address this group of Muslims in this fashion? Was it my worldly knowledge of Religion? What it my cunning instinct? No. I had just read a book by Wilbur Smith, and that's what he said to say. (Thanks Scott and Judy for that book.)
The students rushed over and asked me to take a photo of them.

Then They insisted that I join in a photo with them. I can't really explain why this happens so often to me but I love it. And to you wonderful students who made me feel so welcome on the beach of Songkhla today, let me just say "Allah Akbar." God is Great.