Migrants and refugees

I am at a loss really what to say or think about the current situation whereby thousands upon thousands of refugees and economic migrants pour across Africa and the Middle East in search of safety and a better life in Europe.

Having myself left Zimbabwe in the late 1980's for similar but nothing like as desperate reasons, I have huge sympathy and empathy with them. To feel otherwise would be hypocritical in the extreme quite apart from being uncompassionate. 

Who cannot be moved by the dreadfully sad stories and film footage emanating out from the Mediterranean Sea and borders of Hungary? 

However I do also recognise that Europe is not without its own problems and issues. Adding several millions of people who do not for the main part share its history, religious or cultural traditions will pose difficulties. The far right and left of our political parties will feed off of them - and target them with their bigotry and inhumanity. 

I feel that without the West becoming involved militarily and diplomatically in the political carnage that has erupted in the Middle East the horror and awfulness will continue. Russia building bases will not help unless they share and become a part of an agreed solution. Arab nations must take the lead on confronting the religious discrimination and radicalism as well as house the refugees in safety until they can return to rebuild their shattered nations and communities. 

Perhaps Cameron et al are correct: the borders must close - but so too must our nations combine in a military and humanitarian campaign to replace the current evil with compassionate democracies. 

East vs West

Today I visited Barking.

It is a market day there and the road outside of the railway station was filled with stalls and the cries of stall holders. Nothing strange or different in that. 

However, it didn't take me long to notice the price of goods was a throw back to the seventies: a pair of shoes for £5, a watch, battery and strap for £6 ... it went on like that from stall to stall. At the far end, a lone black man was playing church choral music on his stall selling cd's. Another stall was selling items of clothing from cardboard boxes: £2 each or three for a fiver. You could smell the cheap cotton as buyers eagerly sorted through the boxes looking for something that fitted them or their children. 

The coffee shops had their regulars sitting on the pavements - mainly old but both white and black and in the public house nearest the station, old men sat and stared into their pint glasses, ignoring the man sitting opposite and facing them directly from another table. 

You could smell the poverty. With every colour of skin and faith on the street, they seemed bound by a common poverty as much, I suspect, as a mutual fear of each other. Young and old they bustled about the daily grind of the East End. 

Captain Cook was married in the local church and the Abbey was once the second wealthiest in the land before Henry VIII had it dissolved. Glory past, glory gone: I couldn't wait to return to the palpable yet relative richness of Shepherds Bush market in west London.

Oh! to be wrapped - not hidden - from view?

I recall the absolute horror expressed by the British media at the sight of their football captain, David Beckam, wearing a very stylish sarong and sandals on a night out with his wife, Victoria. 

I was originally introduced to sarong wearing in the early 1980's by a partner who was often well-ahead of the pack when it came to fashionable attire (he wouldn't leave the house without an almost indistinguishable touch of make-up, his man bag and being fashionably late for everything!). 

Beach goers around the Mediterranean are of course assailed by immigrants selling either beach sheets with brightly coloured "eastern" designs or sarongs - usually tasseled as if Arabian. 

The sarong is of course still widely worn by men and women throughout the Far East - but rarely seen in the West away from the beach or pool. This is a shame. 

Historically it must have come fairly soon after the loin cloth ceased being made with leather and was replaced with a more delicate hand-woven cloth. The Scots and Irish of course have not extended much further than that (and I'm a Scot!) with their kilts - and although some would say they brave an artic freeze below ... their's is actually a far healthier attire than that of their trousered relatives south of the border. 

There are a number of different ways to wear a sarong and of course with different lengths down the leg. This makes it a thoroughly practical dress, easily adjusted and of course as colourful or drab as the occasion requires.

Men's fashions have changed must over the years but there does seem to have been in the latter half of the twentieth century at least, a preference for greater constriction: tighter suits, trousers and under-wear. And with it a declining sperm count and higher number of men with fertility difficulties. The medical advice? Wear looser clothing, ditch the briefs and give your bits space to breathe!

And so I respectfully propose that we re-invent the sarong and claim it for our own (as we have done tea, etc) and look for Paul Smith et al to develop and market a very British sarong for the street, the office and general everyday use. 

However for now, I suspect, that I am one of many who fold theirs away each autumn and sigh as we look forward to it being taken out and put in the suitcase when the next warm holiday approaches. How very British!

Body modifications - a prick of a fad?

Look around the carriage of your average train and note the number of people - of all ages - with some form of piercing or tattoo on show.  Gone are the days of just women sporting ear rings or decadent / camp men imitating Boy George. Piercings and their colourful cousins, tattoos, are here with a vengeance and with them a new concept: body modification. 

I have just been reading the aptly titled Piercing Bible by Elayne Angel - an expert in the subject and engaging writer, who maps the rise in its modern popularity as well providing an insight into some of the colourful characters behind the 1970's and 1980's revival of what is actually an incredibly ancient practice.

I am the product very much of an era that  disapproved of difference and if tattoos were considered at all it was with strong disapproval. Men with earrings belonged to primitive tribes - or had sailed around the world ( probably gathering anchor tattoos along the way). I gather the gold earring was meant to pay for a decent funeral wherever the hapless sailor died. 

As a school boy I learnt about piercing via an unusual route: primitive rock art in Central and Southern Africa abounds with images of men who we believe had been infibulated as a part of a ritual or rite of passage to prevent intercourse. In this type of male piercing the foreskin is stretched forward over the glans in order to permit a sharp spike to be pushed through. In Borneo a similar practice occurred but was / is done directly through the glans not to prevent sex -  but enhance the experience for the female partner.

Tattooing isn't quite such a traumatic experience as the needles used only penetrate a few microns in order to enable the ink or dye to penetrate the surface. History tells us (with obviously very few preserved examples) that this was practiced by our very earliest ancestors. Many cultures today continue to daub themselves in this way and it is probably safe to say that their art is copied by the modern primitives as some tattoo'd people call themselves.

Piercing takes the observer to arguably another level. Where one could and may do tut tut at the sight of a tattoo and judge its owner, there is a perception that it represents little more than a rebellious streak. Women with them were previously judged 'common' until the press noticed the wife of a British politician sporting one on her ankle.Pierced ears are probably still de rigeur women while men can sport earrings if they are wealthy, eccentric, or play football - but not in business, law or senior management! 

After reading Elayne Angel's book, my early understanding of the practices of the rock artists has changed and doubly increased my abhorrence of female infibulation and circumcision - the always non consensual mutilation of young girls predominantly in Africa. So too has been my unquestioning acceptance of male circumcision as a cultural right (and to some rite): what parents think or believe that they are doing when they agree or request that their newly born son be circumcised is difficult to comprehend in the light of modern medical thought. I think I'm correct in saying that Princess Diana put a stop to it in the Royal family. Our Roman civilisers did not approve of the 'Jewish practice' and even experimented with foreskin restoration. 

The modern fashion and portfolio of piercings do arguably emanate from three enterprising fans of the practice - Doug Malloy, Fakir Musafar and Jim Ward who operated out of Los Angeles in the 1970's and 1980's (and of course the so-called Punk rebellion). In addition to experimenting and providing exotic sounding names to different piercings, they also constructed a mythology and history - much of it fantasy. Elayne Angel studied and worked with these three men which adds considerable gravitas to her book and expertise in the subject.

Among the most infamous myths is of course the story of the Prince Albert. For the uninitiated this is a modern version of the rock artists' infibulation and involves a metal ring being inserted through the urethra. Eye watering or what? According to Malloy, this was named after Queen Victoria's consort who he claimed was the most famous person to sport one. A great story but there's apparently no evidence to support it! However this did not stop me recently convincing - with incredible ease - an American friend that all male members of the current British Royal family sport them ... well - Zara Phillips did have her tongue pierced didn't she?

Which returns me to the general perception or acceptance of piercings. Just like the scars of genital circumcision, the vast majority are apparently hidden from public view and the idea of them remains socially frowned upon. The issue that concerns me most, however, is that of choice. 

When I see a Muslim, Jew or male member of the so-called upper middle classes (Christian or secular), I sadly see a baby that was in all likelihood traumatised by a painful procedure carried out by adults exercising their dominance over him. I certainly don't see an informed adult voluntarily undergoing an operation that will have an unalterable effect upon him later in life. However when I see a person - usually a young person - sitting opposite me on the train with more metal than the Bank of England, I do conversely know that I am looking at someone who has consented to the body modification that he or she has had done: a question of personal choice rather than custom or questionable medical practice. Times certainly are a-changing ... 

A political convenience?

The announcement yesterday that Nigel Evans, Deputy Speaker in the House of Commons, had been arrested for allegedly sexually assualting two people he had considered to be his friends is a disturbing new political drama being played out in Westminster - and I suspect over the shire tea cups as well: you see gay people just can't help themselves can they? They have to rape and assualt others - albeit low lifes such as themselves.
The arrest and charges do come at an interesting time:
The gay Equal Marriage Act is due for tabling and debate this session of Parliament, although it will not appear as a part of this week's Queen's Speech outlining the session's agenda. How convenient to have a controversy at the heart of Westminster if you are looking for a reason to side-line an issue that is likely to prove every bit as devisive in the Tory shires as in the House? "Now is not the time to be debating the rights of gay people when one of the highest democratically elected officers of the land is under investigation for crimes of a sexual nature. Let the dust settle so that we can discuss and consider the issue of equal marriage in a quieter moment ..."
That Nigel Evans is a Eurosceptic and consequently at odds with the mainstream Tory administration, just adds to the rich mix of political intrigue. Because the so-called public interest dictates that people accused of sexual misconduct can be named while their accusers remain anonymous, an apparently unblemished character is set for many weeks of scrutiny as well as the worst sort of tabloid innuendo. The truth will not formally emerge until the police have concluded their enquiries in June or thereabouts.
In cases such as this ALL parties should be anonymous until the matter has been resolved in court. I am strongly defensive of the notion that we are all innocent until proven guilty. Based upon his statement and what few facts have so far been shared, I don't suspect him to be guilty of anything other than a poor choice of friend and sexual partner.

Change by consultation or imposition?

My organisation is undergoing extensive change at the moment. Some jobs are going; new systems are being introduced; new offices and in all a general bustle as people look and feel vulnerable with this snippet of information and then relaxed as they hear differently.

Nothing ever stays still - that is the central premise behind the Zen Buddhist proposition of wabi sabi. Accept change and the suffering associated with trying to oppose it will of itself diminish or disappear. We are always looking in whatever business we do, for ways to make efficiencies, reduce costs, simplify our messages and so on.

At a lunch last Friday where this topic was discussed by a small group of colleagues, the consensus was that while morale was low, none could see any other way of effecting change other than in the manner it was currently being approached. However that agreement was conditional: some thought that perhaps the wrong people were being consulted over the proposed changes, that solutions were premeditated and the leadership failing to understand the core business. Trust - a huge word in any organisation - was bandied about.

This notion of managerial ignorance brought to mind the wise counsel of Basho who, when asked how best to write poetry, said: "If you want to learn about the pine, go the pine; if you want to learn about the bamboo, go to the bamboo. When you have become one with them, then your poetry will come by itself."

It is indeed not only arrogant of leaders to impose solutions on those they lead (we know best) but also foolish. The people who know best are generally those who are closest to the service being delivered and, if treated as equal partners in the business of change, will embrace it and even possibly improve upon it.

One man
and one fly in this enormous
guest room.
(Issa)

Passwords

If there is one thing that I would assign to Room 101 it is passwords.

Go to the bank to draw money - what's your pin? Turn on iTunes - what's your password? Blogger - what's your password? Email, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram - what's your password? ...

We are a generation obsessed, it seems, with stealing and protecting our identities. The more complicated our lives become in terms of technological dependancy, so the more open we are to deception. To combat it, we devise ever more complicated password strategies and of course Rule #1 is NEVER use the same password on two different applications ... and #2 is to keep changing them. Many applications insist on bizarre combinations of numbers, letters, capitals and symbols.

My memory has never been great (my few lines in school plays were often delivered via the prompt off-stage) but until recently it has been reliant upon the hidden pocket book with all my passwords carefully disguised: an apple to indicate my iTunes account password ... a £ sign - the bank ... I joke of course, but I can see why there is a growing demand for "secure" app's for use on iPhones etc and in which to encrypt and store passwords from prying eyes, and yet keep them close at hand; and I of course now have one such (marvellous) app. on my iPhone.

Now what was the password to open it, again?

Technology without limits

I am at severe risk of saying the same things again about the incredible advances in technology that I have seen during the brief course of my working life (circa 40 years). However today I splashed out on a small Jawbone Jambox speaker with which to amplify my iPod .... and all the while going through my head was that what I really wanted was an amplifier to play the music from the cloud rather than any particular music player.

Fast forward two hours of extremely impressive amplified music from the iPod - and I decide to pair the Jawbone Jambox with my iPad (which has no music stored physically on it) to see if I could access the music from the cloud.

Of course I could! That is such a blindingly obvious use of it that none of the Apple assistants I spoke to thought it important enough to mention ... and it being such a preposterous idea anyway I naturally didn't dare to ask!

So now from the comfort of my 19th century campaign desk I can access the internet, listen to music playing from the cloud and when finished, put the tiny little ghetto blaster that the Jawbone most certainly is, iPad and remote keyboard away in one of the drawers: much as a general might have had his staff do in the field before breaking camp - though then it would have been charts, a field log, nib pen and bottle of Indian ink. And of course because all this is operated either over the internet by wifi or Bluetooth ... there isn't a cable in site!

Forty years ago I recall planning to spend the money I had saved while on National Service (Rhodesian Army) on a portable cassette tape recorder and player, that I would eventually build a huge library of classical music and hold musical soirees in my rooms (I was always a little camp in my ideas ...). I did buy that tape machine and over the years it has been replaced with others - a Sony Walkman, a portable CD player, a mini CD player and at least two iPods. Jeff and I got rid of our vinyl record collections some years ago but do still have an impressive collection of CDs to play on the Bang and Olufsen (another great British invention by the way!) that is 'plumbed' into the house.

Of course we don't know where it will end ... and I hope it never does. Future generations will look back on our current technology and wonder how on earth we managed with it; however I am starting to wonder how on earth we managed without it!

Miharu-koma

Today two young people (twelve year olds) visited from Fukushima to see the garden in Holland Park that was created to commemorate the Japanese gratitude for the assistance provided by the British last year after the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami.

They are the second party that has brought with them a traditional toy from the Fukushima region: the first gift was an Akabeko (red ox) and today's was a very handsome black Miharu-koma (horse).

I love the stories behind these toys which are not just given as playthings but also as a talisman against misfortune and (if cared for) source of good luck. The first is obviously tao in origin but the latter more confucian and a method of teaching children to care for their worldly goods.

I admire the simplicity of their toys and as I look at these two with their unblemished lacquer and paintwork, my mind is cast back to the exhibition I saw last year that had on display a small collection of very simple wooden dolls that had been found in the rubble left behind by the tsunami waters. In their utter simplicity there was a discernible poverty that told much of the dolls' creator and child or children who must have loved them as only a child can.

Buddhism attaches great importance to the wealth that is to be found in worldly poverty and 'original mind'. In a simple child's toy there is a reminder that we can find enlightenment by adopting a child's mind.

More thoughts on technology

I always buy a fresh notebook before starting on my holiday: the thin, iconic, Moleskin type being best suited to my needs. This trip that tradition was repeated, but, no sooner had I placed it on the ledge beside me (seat 3K) than I thought: that's daft - what do I need that for? I've an iPad now - what do I need that for? Time will tell no doubt over the next fortnight in Palm Springs.

I remember some years ago amazing myself with the ability of the Apple iPod to let me listen to music and write blogs … flying over the Atlantic - and last year I purchased perhaps rather too quickly, a BlackBerry PlayBook. Today, I feel as if things have finally come together. The iPad is the ideal size for my largish fingers and the notebook software removes the need for pen and paper to accompany me for scribbling my thoughts.

Artistically though, I doubt that the iPad or similar will ever trump or upstage the tactile and rounded feel of pen and paper when writing creatively. I play with Haiku and yet enjoy to turn pages of the same haiku in its various stages of creation as thoughts and emotions combine with words - only to be struck out and re-phrased.
In work I still take one of many Moleskin notebooks to meetings and am known for my fairly diligent note taking in dealings with colleagues. I like a record and to be able to quickly flick back through my scrawls for reference.

As something of a techno-phile I am still absolutely in awe of the iPad (3rd generation) and can only re-iterate my previously blogged thoughts on how technology has changed my world quite apart from anyone else's: in one very slim little machine (though it has no moving parts) I have a library of books, gallery of photographs, catalogue of music, ability to converse by email or other social media with people all over the world - instantly - and a host of other benefits.

Looking around the Concorde lounge in Terminal 5 this morning I was struck by just how many people were either using or had beside them an Apple iPad or similar.

I used to wonder where it would all end and the impact on people but now I just take for granted the fact that technology will continue to change and move on … benefiting many and confusing some (myself included). It is the new reality and if there is one fact worth observing from this blog, it is that children born today will not only grow up benefiting from this technology, but will themselves probably take it all for granted in the same way that my generation (as opposed to my grand-parents') have accepted aircraft travel.

How short a time ago it was that we considered a mobile phone to be cutting edge ...