*Jakarta Globe, 9 December 2009

With fluffy pillows propped around me, I bounced on the soft white sheets of a bed in Mexico City’s new airport hotel, ecstatic to have electricity and a modern toilet at arm’s reach.

These may be simple necessities for some, but following a sojourn on a Mexican farm, they were luxuries for me. Less than 12 hours before, I had been deep in the hills, toiling away on one with none of the amenities listed above — unless one counts the compost toilet.

Finca Tres Mundos is a concept farm owned by Elham, an Iranian-American, and her Mexican husband, Luis, who decided to build a sustainable farm on the mounds of Mazatepec. They constructed a stone house on the top of a hill, an adobe mud hut at the bottom and sprinkled two donkeys, three sheep, two dogs, a cat and half a dozen chickens in between.

To reach the farm, it took over an hour to clear the massive metropolis of Mexico City — which has spread its growing tentacles of white-washed houses onto the mountainsides like an unstoppable disease — to Xalapa in the east.

From there, it was a 40-minute ride into the forest and the village of Mazatepec, where the bumpy main road can only handle one truck at a time, donkeys tied to the side of buildings bray incessantly and the local butcher sells her wares on the verandah of an abandoned building. Then, after 10 minutes of walking and lugging my 15-kilogram backpack over hills, slopes, muddy paths and a stony creek, I finally arrived.

A family of four Mexicans greeted me in front of the hut where volunteers sleep. Mariana, a 30-year-old painter and muralist, was farm-hopping around Mexico with her family, home-schooling her daughters, Paula, 12, and Valentina, 6. The children’s father was a bullfighter who Mariana eloped with at the tender age of 17 and divorced a few years ago. She was now with her sculptor lover, Cesar.

At first, I had been concerned about the sleeping arrangements, as the family was already occupying the place and there was naught inside the hut except for a large table piled with sleeping bags and thin mattresses. Elham, sensing my distress, pulled out another table from under the mattress-laden one and presented my “bed” to me with a smile. I spent my nights huddled next to a snoring Mariana, fancying myself to be in a war refugee camp — minus the bombs or killing rampages, of course.

My first sunset was spent roasting marshmallows by a bonfire and attempting to understand the Spanish jokes. Since there was no electricity, it was dark, save for the sky’s cloak of stars. Our dinner was simple: roasted potatoes, tomatoes and onions, and lemon juice as a dressing. As night fell, the temperature dropped, forcing us to head into the main house where we played card games by candlelight.

The following day, I worked with Cesar to take down the roof of a cob hut that was to be rebuilt into a chicken coop. Cesar barely spoke English and my Spanish was no better, so instructions were acted out like a game of charades.

After the laborious job of dismantling the roof and running away from angry wasps that were living in the wood beams, I was ready for more ladylike duties and turned to separating squash seeds, to be dried and roasted, with Elham.

At the farm, even the basics required effort. The compost toilet was an open-air two-tiered wooden shack with a cement seat to squat on. Bodily fluids amassed at the lower level, which smelled like a horse stable due to the wood chips masking the odor. What was most disconcerting was the quiet — how I missed the sound of flushing!

The problem with having one toilet for seven people occurred in the mornings when I, busting for the loo, would usually find someone already there before me. But at night, I discovered that counting stars could help pass the time.

Showering was another matter. On this farm, the act of bathing demanded planning and patience, as it involved using a bucket system and boiling water 20 minutes beforehand.

“The bucket system turns most people off,” said Elham, telling me of a previous volunteer who hadn’t bathed for over a week. These days, volunteers will find a sign in the adobe hut that reads: “In consideration of others, all visitors must bathe AT LEAST once every four days.”

Life here wasn’t much different from that of poor Indonesian villages, where poverty imposes these conditions upon its residents. Yet here were individuals putting themselves through the difficulties and hassle voluntarily.

Still, I was glad I tried it out. Even if only to discover that I, spoiled city child, was not cut out to be a traveling farmer. It took all of 48 hours before I sprinted back to Mexico City as fast as the bus could take me. After all, I had basic needs that had to be met. And a hot power shower in the winter was one of them!

Comment at end

7th December, 2009

Hizb ut-Tahrir (Party of “Liberation”) recruits Midlands youth to “liberate” British soldiers (permanently) in Afghanistan

Birmingham Brothers Fighting for Taliban

(Original source here, Sunday Mercury.)

I originally spotted this article linked from here. It might be educational to spend a few moments reading this before you get to the main article here about recruiting gullible, and then brainwashed British youth for Jihad. This is a thread from the Muslim Public Affairs Committee. Note the signature at the end of the commenter who thinks HuT cannot be blamed for British Afghanistan/Taliban joiners. Is there ANY other religious grouping in Britain which is clearly so AGAINST another?

‘NO’, is the answer you were searching for. Even the hateful BNP is against other races, not religions (purportedly).  Islam seems, from all the evidence, to be a political/religious organisation, not purely a religious live-and-let-live, love-thy-neighbour setup. If you have ever been persuaded to conclude otherwise you need to do some research. None of this is to say that ALL Muslims think in this way. Far from it.

But it is to say that ALL those willing to die and kill for a (political) religion in this world today are, or purport to be, Muslim. (21 of 22 conflicts in world are Muslim. See here.)

‘The Muslim Public Affairs Committee began with a handful of individuals on an e-group back in the year 2000 when the Palestinian Intifada began and has grown into a movement with branches across the country and Britain’s biggest Muslim website.

MPACUK is driven by dedicated volunteers with an elected and accountable leadership. It is a not-for-profit organisation dependent upon donations from the public.

MPACUK VISION

Our aim is to empower Muslims to fulfil our Islamic duty to strive for justice.

Muslims will strive for freedom for the Ummah, enabling a revival of Islamic civilisation.

Muslim countries will be free from oppressive regimes, occupation and outside interference, and the rights of all citizens will be safeguarded.

Muslim minorities will be able to live as equal and valued citizens, free to practice their faith and free from discrimination or demonisation.

A secure Muslim Ummah will fulfil its Islamic responsibilities toward Allah’s creation, supporting the universal rights of humanity.

MPACUK are committed to building a movement that will make this vision a reality insh’Allah.

MPACUK CORE PRINCIPLES

MPACUK’s work is defined by 4 core principles:

Reviving the fard (obligation) of Jihad

Jihad means the struggle for justice in the way of Allah, and MPACUK aims to empower Muslims to fulfil this Islamic obligation through intelligent political action to protect the Ummah. We believe that pro-active engagement in mainstream media and politics, as active citizens, is the most effective solution to bring about an ethical foreign policy, defend civil liberties and combat Islamophobia.

Anti-Zionism …’  (read more here)

Sunday Mercury Article follows:

THE former Midland recruiting chief of radical Islamic group Hizb ut-Tahrir has revealed how he recruited hundreds of Midland students – including six who went on to fight for the Taliban.

The 29-year-old says he signed up Muslims attending Aston University, University of Birmingham and the University of Central England.

He also claimed half a dozen Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT) recruits went to fight as Taliban soldiers against UK troops in Afghanistan, warning that others could still join terror groups.

Earlier this year, the Sunday Mercury reported that British troops had discovered an Aston Villa tattoo on the body of a dead Taliban fighter in the battlefields of Hellmand province.

UK soldiers also said they heard Brummie accents amongst the enemy, adding to fears that brainwashed Birmingham Muslims are fighting against our boys.

And in an exclusive interview the former HuT recruitment chief, who now opposes the extremist party, said his former recruits had become Jihadists.

“I remember one group of members from Birmingham, including two brothers from Perry Barr, who went to fight in Afghanistan,’’ he recalled.

“They were recruited by HuT and given their extremist ideology.

‘‘They believed it was their religious duty to fight against British soldiers invading Muslim lands. No one could stop them, they wanted to take part in Jihad.’’

He added: “People radicalised by HuT go on to join Jihadi organisations, I have seen it happen. There is a strong ideological connection with terror groups.

“There will still be individuals who start in HuT and go over to fight in Afghanistan and become terrorists.

‘‘HuT strongly supports the insurgency and the Taliban’s ideology.”

The former recruitment boss claims to have been beaten up, threatened and intimidated by members of HuT since leaving the group – which supports the introduction of harsh Shariah law in Britain and previously called for a holy war against Jews in Israel.

Hizb ut-Tahrir, which translates as ‘party of liberation’, also believe that British Muslims must fight integration in society and aims to create a global Islamic superstate.

The group has been banned in Germany for its anti-semitic views, and the Conservatives have promised to outlaw the party if elected next year.

Khalid Mahmood, Muslim Labour MP for Perry Barr, said: “These boys going over to fight in Afghanistan is no real surprise to me. Groups like HuT have been operating like this for quite some time, recruiting people into the nexus of terrorism.

“We need greater controls on groups like HuT. Over the past decade it has changed its website and PR and the government hasn’t banned it but we need to keep a very close eye on the group.

“Because we respect human rights and civil liberties, HuT has been allowed to continue but these people do not respect those things. They are turning our youngsters into killers, either at home or overseas.

‘‘They need to be held accountable.”

Hizb ut-Tahrir held a summer conference in Birmingham, with pictures on its official website showing primary schoolchildren taking the microphone to speak to a crowd of hundreds.

Our source said that he joined HuT at the age of just 15.

“I had college lecturers who came to my school and addressed our class, they spoke about the HuT ideology,” he said.

“They made you feel like an outsider in Britain and told you that you were part of a global brotherhood of Muslims who could rule themselves according to the Quran.

‘‘It was a very attractive message for young people like me who hadn’t seen a lot of life and were vulnerable to indoctrination.

“The first roadshow I attended was in Birmingham in the mid-90s. They picked at any issue they could find to separate Muslims from British society.

“These weren’t just some guys, they were doctors, lawyers, respected people who you could look up to.”

As he progressed through the ranks of HuT, the future head of recruitment for Midlands universities says he was taught how to indoctrinate youngsters by destroying their normal values and promoting Islamic extremist views.

“Once that has been done you start to talk about homosexuality being unacceptable, imposing Shariah law, fighting for Islamic freedom in Kashmir and destroying Israel,” he said.

“I used to give Friday sermons at universities in Birmingham and recruit new members from there. The whole point was that individuals would influence other individuals and the whole thing would snowball.

“While I was looking after the Midland universities we brought in hundreds of members. They went out into society to become doctors, accountants, teachers and to pass on the HuT ideology where they could.”

But a spokesman for HuT – whose media relations are managed by Imran Waheed, a former NHS psychiatrist at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital – dismissed allegations of violence and extremism as “nonsense”.

“It is well-known that Hizb ut-Tahrir is a political movement which only utilises intellectual and political means in its work,” he said.

“Hizb ut-Tahrir does not and has never engaged in violence or intimidation and is not linked to any other group.”

Fears over Islamic students becoming involved in terror attacks were raised in April when ten Pakistani students accused of being members of Al Qaeda were arrested in Manchester and Liverpool, accused of plotting an Easter bombing campaign.

Charges against the group were dropped, though eight were later deported as a threat to national security.

HuT has effectively been banned from speaking at UK universities by the National Union of Students’ “no platform” policy, which means it cannot take part in official debates.

But in May 2008 John Holmwood, a professor from Birmingham University’s sociology department, shared a stage with a Hizb ut-Tahrir member in a secularism debate that was advertised to students as a HuT event.

Researcher Hannah Stuart, from think tank The Centre for Social Cohesion, said: “In its own words, HuT tells its members to ‘keep your ideology in your heart’.

“They are just about avoiding being banned as an extremist group but events like the one in 2008 give them legitimacy. They need to be stopped.”

A spokesman for the University of Birmingham said that the threat of extremism was taken “very seriously” and that any incidents were dealt with at senior levels within the university.

The Home Office maintains a list of “proscribed” extremist groups which are banned in the UK but HuT is not among those organisations.

A spokeswoman said: “Decisions on proscription must be based on evidence that a group is concerned in terrorism.

‘‘Hizb ut-Tahrir is an organisation of concern and is kept under continuous review.”

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling said this week that the Conservatives could outlaw organisations like HuT – and that extremist groups would not be able to hide behind “a veil of moderation”.

Ends article. Back to top.

Ed: The constituency from which two brothers were recruited into the Taliban, is that of Khalid Mahmood. Mahmood was a parliamentary private secretary, and one of those who wrote the infamous and disgusting letter to Tony Blair urging him to quit as party leader (and the country’s PRIME MINISTER!!! … the bloody gall of him/them!)  in September, 2006. Scroll down here – near to the end to read.

REMINDER

Since the article fails to remind us you need to understand that proscribing Hizb ut-Tahrir is NOT that easy in Britain. No-one knows this better than Tony Blair who tried to ban it afer the 7/7/2005 bombings in London, and was advised against by various interested pressure groups, and the Police and legal sources, including those who understand the Human Rights Courts in the EU. For an earlier view of the October 2009 Tory call to ban HuT and an explanation of why Blair failed, and the Tories too will fail,  if they even TRY, read this.

SHAME of Chakrabarti says this:

“He [Tony Blair] rightly says that he’s been a great one for tough talk and tougher legislation, and yet his approach hasn’t changed at all. He seems to have learned nothing from recent events.

It seems he no longer has much truck for fundamental human rights at all and he’s talking quite actively about deporting people to face torture around the world – that is completely unacceptable and plays into the hands of terrorists.

Also the idea of criminalising those who condone, glorify or justify terrorism anywhere in the world is now on his shopping list – deeply dangerous, deeply counterproductive.

We don’t win by mimicking the profound authoritarianism of those who are plotting against this country. I think it is very worrying that the Prime Minster has jeopardised our national unity today both in terms of community relations and in terms of consensus politics.”

She is a great one for talking UTTER ROT!

The comment of this dreadful and destructive woman was in reaction to THIS (below) re Blair’s proposals after the terror bombing of our tubes and a bus in 2005 in which over 50 were killed.  (Just to clarify for you, in case you thought it was about about wearing a t-shirt with ‘B*****cks to Blair’ on it!)

Politicians, police, campaigners and community leaders give their responses to Tony Blair’s plans to deport foreign nationals who encourage terrorism and ban the Islamic organisations Hizb ut Tahrir and Al-Muhajiroun.

[Ed: This deeply dangerous and deeply counter-productive woman too should be deported, imho! SHE is a danger to British and western civilisation, and the sooner we realise it, the better.

And here Human Rights Watch calls for the Afghan government to keep its promises to Afghan women. Perhaps Chakrabarti could shift herself and her distorted views of freedom and rights to Afghanistan and help them. They are NOT living in a free, tolerant country as we are. YET.]

The head of the Crimean Interior Ministry, Gennadiy Moskal, has drafted new legislation to ban extremist groups in Ukraine (Ukrayinska Pravda, October 27). These groups include HuT who are already banned elsewhere in the region and are suspected of planning to spread into Europe through the Ukrainian back door. (Ed: HuT is heavily criticised here.)

Quote:

“Unfortunately in Ukraine we are faced with the problem that neither Hizb-ut-Tahrir al Islami (Islamic Liberation Party), al-Takfir wa al-Hijrah (Excommunication and Exile) and other terrorist, fundamentalist and extremist groups are not banned,” Moskal said (Ukrayinska Pravda, October 27). Hizb-ut-Tahrir is banned in many countries.

In the Crimea there are upwards of 100 members of Islamic fundamentalist groups who have arrived as political refugees from countries where they are outlawed.

Moskal pointed to how blasé the authorities had been in registering the Vozrozhdeniye newspaper which propagates support for an Islamic Caliphate and the ideas of Islamic fundamentalists. The SBU has blocked two websites –www.vozrojdenie.crimea.ua and www.qirim-vilayeti.org– run by Hizb-ut-Tahrir.

On July 19, Hizb-ut-Tahrir and its NGO, the Crimean Muslim Community Davet, held the Fifth Islamic conference in Simferopol entitled “From capitalist oppression and injustice to the light of the caliphate” (www.maidanua.org, July 24). 800 people took part in the conference (www.poluostrov.net, July 24).

RELATED

Hizb ut-Tahrir in Britain

• October 2007:  To Islamists – Some Plain Talking
• July 2008: ISLAMISTS – Accept democracy in western lands or GO! Just GO!
• July 2008: YouGov, Students radicalised: ‘Islam on Campus’ blames Hizb ut Tahrir
• July 2008:  Hizb ut-Tahrir & the Caliphate Fantasy
• January 2009: Would YOU die, or kill for religion?
• January 2009: Lord Ahmed THREATENS to mobilise 10,000 so Wilders visit OFF!
• March 2009: How many Jihadist websites shut down in Britain? You’ll be surprised – Or maybe not
• March 2009: Pajamas TV OUTS the Sharia/Islam project: Frank Gaffney video
• March 2009:  Blair, Philippines – the ‘battle about Islam’ uppermost for peace
• March 2009: Why is the “Quiet Muslim revolution” so “Quiet”?
• March 2009: Arrest Super-Jihadist Anjem Choudary (Part 2)
• April 2009: Sharia Downing Street petition: Brown says “no but… yeah, but”
• April 2009: Hizb ut-Tahrir – The ‘Liberation’ party – on Blair’s ‘Change’ calls
• April 2009: We now have ‘12 Sharia Courts’ in Britain. Thanks Gordon.
• April 2009: Obama: We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation
• April 2009: “Born a Muslim”? NOT in MY name!  I reject it. ALL of it
• April 2009: Islamists behead little girls – graphic video
• May 2009:  Brown: Don’t say terrorists are Muslims
• May 2009: Muslims in Britain have ZERO tolerance of homosexuals
• May 2009: BBC pays out £30,000 to upset Muslim (MCB leader)!!!!!
• May 2009: Radical British Muslims Guilty of Bomb Plot on Publisher of Mohammed book
• June 2009: As we SCREAM about corrupt politicians, THIS goes on unnoticed in London
• June 2009: Court:  Self-proclaimed leader of Al Qaeda in Britain accused of inciting assassination of Blair and Brown
• June 2009: Calling All Men – Ban the intimidating insulting burka

Something must have really got to me this year!

• July 2009:  Hizb ut-Tahrir in Londonistan – a Cumulation of Caliphate Creeps
• July 2009: Honour? These Islamist cowards don’t know the meaning of the word. Kick ‘em out!
• July 2009: Quran & “kaffar”. Martin Bright is “speechless”. WHY? Is he stupid?
• July 2009: Videos – HuT in USA. “spread Islam or die trying”. OK, if you insist
• July 2009: 10% of European Muslims believe attacks against civilians “morally justified”
• July 2009: British NON-Muslims turning to Sharia law
• July 2009: Scotland’s Nationalists reach out to Sharia Finance
• Aug 2009:  PC Oz: Who’s afraid of mentioning Islamist terrorists?

ETCETERA

Gaddafi says on Swiss minarets decision:  It is “inviting Al Qaeda attacks” AND “we won’t build churches.” (WOW we non-Muslims will surely miss THAT freedom!)

A new concept picture has been designed and revealed by Dave Kang, which shows a small hut carved out of a tree trunk and what looks like a minifig inside. Here’s what Dave said,

What’s your favorite thing about this piece?

The colors are warm and cozy.

What’s happening in the image?

A minifig is about to enter a town in the middle of the forest. He is about to enter the big mysterious hollow tree.

Is there anything else you’d like us to know?

The sky is not finished!

A hut in rural India – 84 Kos Brij Yatra, originally uploaded by Photography24×7.

Exposure:0.003 sec (1/350)
Aperture:f/2.8
ISO Speed:100

Pemerintah sejak akhir 2007 telah mewujudkan upaya peningkatan kesejahteraan guru melalui wujud nyata sertifikasi guru untuk mendapatkan tambahan penghasilan satu bulan gaji.Dan menurut data dilapangan mungkin sudah hampir separuh dari keseluruhan guru mulai mendapatkan ataupun lagi menjalani portofolio untuk mendapatkan tambahan penghasilan itu.Namun tampaknya kebiasaan buruk sebagian oknum guru masih belum bisa di lepaskan dari kehidupan sehari-hari.Guru sebagai seorang yang harusnya digugu dan ditiru dengan begitu mudah menjatuhkan martbatnya sendiri meskipun gaji sudah mengalami penambahan.
Miris rasanya ketika 2 tahun terakhir ini pada tiap tanggal 24 Nopember ketika saya berada di kedai buah saat membelikan oleh-oleh untuk guru dari anak saya, pada saat yang bersamaan pula beberapa orang ibu nyeletuk sambil membayar buah yang ia beli bertanya pada pemebeli di sebelahnya ” ibu mau beli buah untuk gurunya juga”?
Lantas Ibu itu menjawab “ia bu gurunya minta dibelikan apel, karena hari guru katanya”.Dan kejadian seperti itu juga dialami ibu-ibu lainnya yang berada di kedai buah tersebut.
Alangkah rendahnya kita.Saya sebagai guru merasa malu, betapa kita sudi merendahkan diri dengan mengemis minta dihargai dengan harga yang begitu rendah.Umpamakan kita bisa mendapatkan 5 kilo apel dan buah lainnya, tas, pakaian dll, tapi sebegitu rendahkah kita.Kewajiban siswa memang untuk menghargai dan menghormati gurunya, tapi kewajiban kita untuk mendidik dan mengajari mereka dengan penuh kasih sayang itu lebih berharga dari apapun, bahkan sampai kita sudah dipanggil oleh Allah.
Sedangkan manfaat dari apa yang kita minta berupa makanan hanya bertahan paling lama satu minggu dan setelah itu martabat kita tak lebih baik lagi di mata masyarakat.
Lalu apalah artinya kita disebut sebagai guru.Ironi memang saat seorang guru mengingatkan bahwa mengutip uang dari siswa untuk cenderamata di hari guru, malah ia akan dituduh sok alim, sok suci.Kata mereka “cuma sekali setahun, jadi apalagi yang bisa disumbangkan siswa untuk menghormati gurunya”.
Padahal menurut saya penghormatan tak seharusnya diminta tetapi tergantung apaka kita pantas untuk dihormati.Jika siswa terkesan dengan kita pasti mereka menghormati kita.
Sebagai guru kita memang buka pekerja instant seperti pembuat kue yang begitu dikerjakan maka secepatny menjadi kue dan bisa dinikmati.Kita membutuhkan team work dan waktu yang panjang untuk melihat hasilnya.
Yakinkah anda bahwa mungkin siswa yang pernah anda perlakukan kasar tepai dengan niat tulus demi kebaikannya, suatu saat anda jumpa dengannya dalam keadaan berkedudukan tinggi begitu mengahargai anda, memeluk anda, memberikan tiket pesawat gratis untuk anda pulang ditambah uang transport?
Ia begitu terkesan, sambil menitis air mata berkata ” pak, waktu itu saya sakit hati sama bapak, bapak tendang saya, saya pulang mengadu ke orangtua dan orangtua saya marah pada Bapak, dan Bapak cuma bilang * dia anak saya, saya sayang dia dan saya ingin dia jadi orang berhasil karena saya lihat ia mampu *
beberapa tahun saya ingat itu pak.Tapi pengalaman hidup saya membuat saya sadar, bahwa kalu mungkin saya bapak biarkan saja dengan keadaan saya waktu itu, saya takkan berhasil seperti saat ini.
Maafkan saya pak, pemberian saya hari ini bukan sebagai pembayaran tetapi ikhlas dari lubuk hati saya, karena bapak tulus mendidik sata sebagai anak sendiri.
Dan akan lebih banyak kejadian aneh yang akan anda temui yang mungkin tak terlintas dibenak anda jika anda mendidik siswa anda dengan ikhlas, tanpa pamrih.Kita sudah punya gaji dan pemerintah sudah menambah perhatiannya untuk kesejahteraan guru.Bukankah orangtua menitipkan anaknya disekolah untuk di didik? meskipun sebagian orantua kadang malah mengadukan gurunya ke polisi karena anaknya di pukul guru,Na’uzu billahi min zalik, Sesungguhnyalah tak ada guru yang sengaja mau mencelakakn muridnya.

manche bilder brauchen keinen weiteren kommentar. das hier gehört dazu:

RZHKVX6TWQF4

This photograph was taken while I was on a trip volunteering overseas.  I helped to lead a team of people to the area around Kep where we built houses and dug wells for some of the poorest people in the community.

the bag-carried charms of lonely school-girls

blue crushed dreams drowned at noon-day

vented fortunes melted and re-created

morphed laughters reflected in a magenta pool

shadowy remains of the over-large green lantern

vultured skulls swinging by their guitar strings

music honeyed lions pondering the dancing stars

there a stare – here a smile – everywhere death

paper-thin mannequins feasting on shrimp salads

oceanic largesses buttoned and stored sideways

sun-dried tomatoes drank with overmuch salt

zion led saints proportioning those fairly decked nuns

swing crushed remains – the bread cracks of yore

the vegan induced convulsions of some carnivore

emperor dreamed lords dressed in nakedness

street whispered symphonies overtaken with sun-dried laughters

slithering oysters wrestling with some stranded toe

darling buds gnashing their teeth as they gently kiss those receding winds

suffocated wedding bands recalling past conquests

suffused pleasures desiring a proper vessel

the sweaty palms of boys chained in boarding schools

green sullied roof tops laced in brown jacaranda leaves

death masked violins overran with a craving for strings

there be but a remainder of mats – herded feet whistling their displeasure

overmuch excitement – the sure emblem of lovers at war

gloried bosoms rounder than the fairest august apple

middle apportioned fortunes starved of the seasons fallings

i pose a conundrum – suppose i cared

those circular yearning s teasing the pathetic fortunes of our failings

trombone led bands cowering beneath flute dresses

museum honeyed murals of masters unknown

leather clobbered loins remained upon the chiefest lizard cliffs

shop stewed beans rustling in their metal prisons

willows distantly dancing a fresh of the flowing muds

the punished sounds of choirs hanged at dawn

boot driven passions remained on a plastic plate

a loose lip here – a shoe there – everywhere death

numidian mushrooms sheltered beneath kilimanjaros shoulders

kissed birds overcome with grief

the booked imaginings of shy pupils giggling in rain

pampered lobsters sunbathing in their coffins

oiled thighs standing erect besides michelangelo’s david

yellow scented lusts of husbands given over to theatre

comedy driven longings – the perpendicular stares of wronged lover

the karoo streams – kalahari basins – toureg chants – gorgon encampments

they all be but simple venison servings

table laid charms bottled in salt

how fair are those dancing bears – even the same fur-less devils

suspended aloft that soon disappearing iceberg

night stars rushing purposefully to their deaths

sychellian crustaceans wallowing in grief

the bushveld  tropics leaning gently upon fair mozambique’s cheeks

soon-approaching monsoons announcing their arrival in himalayan chants

train hurried suns murmuring for a lack of attention

the haired touching of lovers stranded at and in the sea

easterly badlands housed in some papal estate

toe-tugged yearnings elegantly decked in straw skirts

of epher’s children – salute them with a gentle tug in either direction

craven red shoes seated upright in some rainy mud hut

of mau mau and his abandoned harlots – whistle only and touch not

burning forests housed wholly in her mouth

olympian straits considered and rejected

righteousness forced upon unwilling saints – they chose sin instead

snow-covered churches overcome with laughter

coat pocketed jealousies of rivals resorting to righteousness – dueling

scorched lands immigrating downward and into hell

cherry scented mustangs awash in fresh aloe

dew carried feet refusing the flung serving of fresh boots

the remaining african horn fed to the nomadics of eritrea

diseased waters bottled and sent to epher’s descendants

soap deprived ankles painted in valley yellow

dark suns prejudiced at the sight of blue oranges

suited bullfrogs desiring an audience with the priest

mournful dirges of some tragic anthem lorded over the plains

serengeti woodlands teaming with overmuch grasshoppers

lateral – dental – palatial

the rice grown hatreds of aphrite’s rude cousins

millet rinsed touchings of loves and lovers clothed in burnings

sight condemned ancients rehearsing their final movements

hurried motionings of sharks harpooned at the high deserts

drunk instructors condemned to the wine cellars

drought moustaches grown arrogant with the occasional brush

ankle dipped hands dancing on freshly painted ceilings

roman centurions sheepishly waiting upon the priests

the back covered lashes of whips crying at dawn

zebra teethed lions lying sideways – the feed was much

meditating monks nightly preaching patience as they doubt its efficacy

rib jointed searchings of parents transfixed upon some tragic statute

guitar stringed understandings of lovers soon to be loosened

hurricane gales refusing freely gifted medications – they instead desire destruction

church chimed machinations – the loud shadows of sarcadortal hems

leather-covered sweaters speaking of soon returning father abraham

marsh covered bibles resurrected to their mournful parents

papered lips pretending to care yet found out

fortuned souls buried in moses’ bosoom

piano starved school children emaciated and in need of fresh cassava

drunk pilgrims desecrating their holy places

curses courtiers given over to overindulgence

pleasured hips forgetting how to dress

earth abused servants despising their hoes

equator neglected bears doubly aggrieved

polluted musics distilled in yellow barley

tomato crushed dreams of lovers separated by war

tributaries of untamed passions spewing from eva’s bosom

tribal instincts of mothers caressing their pops – confused loves

crucified sailors condemned for purity of passions

the yellow ribbons circling about in their blue trousers

bus driven fears of known futures

boiled mannequins cascading in sheltered rage

the oiled ankles of lovers destined to fail

teaming marshes pregnant with the anticipation of your impending hanging

what would shylock do

such purity contained in those unassuming holy loins

not a penny more or less

the weighty pendulums of earthly expectations placed shoulderwise

upon such lowly flesh – pray for his rich poverty

freely consider the run – jonah did

circular chains layered outwardly upon her cheeks

wandering stares of the decomposing tortoise

craged backs of prisoners rejoicing at the sight of a whip

unseemly lovings of the nile priests

snow married rains competing for the mastery

roaming preachers begging for fresh underwear

any recall the simple pleasures of death

hyacinth troubled waters refusing to suffocate

consider the daffodils and their fair cousins – the black mamba

following – continue your runnings

street dancing muses overtaken with giggling willows

haggard poets taking up whistling

layered burnings of victims returned from their nightly flames

the bleached denials of lovers untrained in the art – of lying

caressed lips of saints hanged and burned by the eclipse

green creeks snaking around eva’s proud towers

ever populated with the bagged trifles of smiles sealed and delivered

expected rains falling only the honest sinners

touch not but freely reach

the flasked remains of wars forced upon the innocent

dirt condemned shoulders praying for rain

honeyed nights scribing the moanful chants of reunited lovers

built ruins of some ancient king – god

boot-straped cowboys jeaned and straightwith saddled

onion ringed stairs of pilgrims unfurling their carpets in prayer

stoned devils loosened on an unassuming friday afternoon

the shamelessly chanted charms of choirs rehearsing compassion

free range grains frustrated at the sight of a sickle

garden manufactured sandals covered in cassava peelings

the red vases of fortunes’ train soon approaches

temple plundered riches housed in some temple

boat driven suspenders tugging the wily doe

arabian summers spend it hibernation

square run destinies married to music slithered hands

love-worn seagulls taking up residence on greenland’s beaches

the pilgrim stares of submerged penguins

superfluous gains of tormentors destined to burn

collected unicorns aimlessly peddling their air cycles

terrace covered nakedness of summers spent at the arctic

zerubabel conducted symphonies arrested by the passing eclipse

the retrograde joys of past loves recalled in regret

of pains  known and grown out of – try harder

vase-shaped frustrations – even the same man nurtured

sandals of ambitions dead at birth

any care pass along the rope – how make you a proper noose

how sweet the contradiction daily raping humanity

baleful mourns of innocence hushed in the still of the night

bewildered stares fixed upon the priestly robes of the temple vultures

scavengers given over to overmuch prayer – before consuming their flesh

teeth mapped meats shaking with fear

with love and for love yet always serving self

hades scented saints marching triumphantly towards their sabbath pews

those proper passions gently housed in some harlots bosom

care consider her kind

rude awakenings of skirts hugged one upon another

round fingers – the meandering coins emblazoned with sea fortunes

sword kissed deaths transfixed upon some tragic mount

that they too desire to commune with father moses – any care find him

knee-nursed yearnings of some crawling pop

kettle-whispered lovings of mothers overcome with joy

loves journeyed in darkness only to be condemned by the searching light

some waffled longings of imprisoned cousins – twice removed

fortunes plundered and straightaway surrendered to mightier foes

watched yearnings of those round face anthills

care imitate the socialized hatreds of the sheppard

joyous singings at the news of the stranded winters upon the seas

today be the burial of some tragic figure – some son of three parents

scared remains of lovers burned in love – rather it be love that burned then -

or love caused these burnings – love burned them – in a word: they be dead

the dragon costumes singularly common yet without a mother

companies of soldiers bewailing their blood-muddied swords

pure-bred expectations of fathers married to daily runnings

parisian harlots – even those decadent damsels of notre dame

lamp lighted walkings of some painted corridor

symphonic laughters given over to overmuch prayers

recall the butterfly laced travels of righteous odysseus

the drought peopled apartments quietly screaming for chardonnay

touched purities of priests aggrieved in spirit yet glad in the flesh

palm lined libraries of cairo giddily seated adjacent jerusalem’s famous lamps

summer covered carpets laced with gerbera ferns

nightly runnings of forbidden lovers conspiring their next escapes

apostolic sureties of saint eva – blessed be her musical loins

poems collected in empty wooden wine skins

coerced laughters masked in the lying giggles of the anaconda

prayerful knees of the arabian monk wrestling with an empty sea shell

rehearsed returns of the blue women of the green lagoon

liberian tiles refusing their ordained marriages to cuban cements

any care hear of the loud shrills of the debauched crickets

plimsol expectations of princes ignored in plain sight

the returned piercings of lapped waters dancing in a great danes mouth

restrained sheep recalling their wild histories as dakota mustangs

of sacrifices a dove yet wholly unrepentant

rosy mornings carried in an empty jar

that the sistine chapel was erected by a harlot – aye even eva

that most righteous and upwardly decked saint of the weeping sheets

known of most for her convulsing inducing hands

virgin pilgrims remained upon their store-bought piety

some raisin cured yawns of the whited sepulchers housing her blessed remains

glass layered centuries of accusations returned and loosened

sweet-honeyed chirpings of the wooly mammoth

crane-spoted hyenas jumping rope in the serengeti plains

crowned turtles desiring the company of boiling lobsters

any recall the tearful repentances of proud nabucco

slaves become masters and enslaving their fellow slaves

how that in running – they instead lost themselves

have a care

That is all for right now…

Mary Kate sieht total cool in diesem Hut aus. So einen Habe ich auch und ich style denn auch immer zur Sonnenbrille, denn das sieht einfach total gut aus.

Part two. The Fudge Hut! I miss the Fudge Hut.

I remember seeing this wonderful house on another website. I then decided to give it a go with two of my students, they loved it and I have now made it with all my students. I created windows in the walls and designed a table and chair to fit inside. As you can see it looks great and my students love to keep their treasures inside. click here for original design

a beautiful popsicle stick house with table and chairs

my design for a popsicle stick table

my design for a popsicle stick chair

This new baby and her sister are sitting in their newly built home.

This family were living on just 50p a day and this was the first home the family had owned.  Someone had donated a piece of land in Cambodia’s Siem Reap area and a team of friends and I built a small hut on stilts.  The hut was simply made from bamboo and palm leaves nailed to a wooded frame.  The family had saved for over two years to some of the materials needed.

Soapbox Expeditions