Archive for March, 2008
I love The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I have listed here my favorite quotes from this beautiful book. This book is an inspiring and motivational read that I love to share with everyone. I hope you enjoy!
- “It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”
- “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
-
“Intuition is really a sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of life.”
-
“When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision. “
-
“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
-
“Every search begins with beginners luck and ends with the victor’s being severely tested.”
-
“When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”
-
“The boy and his heart had become friends, and neither was capable now of betraying the other.”
-
“When you want something with all your heart, that’s when you are closest to the Soul of the World. It’s always a positive force.”
-
“Courage is the quality most essential to understanding the Language of the World.“
-
“To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only obligation.”
-
“I don’t live in either my past or my future. I’m interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living now.
-
“When you are loved, you can do anything in creation. When you are loved, there’s no need at all to understand what’s happening, because everything happens within you.”
-
“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity
- When you are in love, things make even more sense, he thought.
-
Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure. You’ve got to find the treasure, so that everything you have learned along the way can make sense. “
-
“All you have to do is contemplate a simple grain of sand, and you will see in it all the marvels of creation. Listen to your heart. It knows all things, because it came from the Soul of the World, and it will one day return there.”
-
“The alchemists spent years in their laboratories, observing the fire that purified the metals. They spent so much time close to the fire that gradually they gave up the vanities of the world. They discovered that the purification of the metals had led to a purification of themselves.”
- “I learned that the world has a soul, and that whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of things. I learned that many alchemists realized their destinies, and wound up discovering the Soul of the World, the Philosopher’s Stone, and the Elixir of Life. But above all, I learned that these things are all so simple they could be written on the surface of an emerald.”
-
“In his pursuit of the dream, he was being constantly subjected to tests of his persistence and courage. So he could not be hasty, nor impatient. If he pushed forward impulsively, he would fail to see the signs and omens left by God along his path.”
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Tags: book, coelho, favorite, inspiring, list, paulo, quotations, quote, the alchemist
As a writer, I feel it’s my duty to live the biggest life possible by experiencing new uncharted waters. It’s no secret that Prostitution is legal in Costa Rica, I heard the Beetle Bar was the most notorious spot to see the action first hand. With no idea what to expect walking through that door; I was both apprehensive and curious. The inside had a classy sports bar feel to it, lots of satellite TVs playing a variety of sports, NFL being the main attraction. There were about 150 guys; mostly Fisherman, Businessman, and Travelers. The catch was the 350 scantily clad Putas roaming around with a predatory look in their eyes. I must admit, the majority of them were very attractive, some were downright gorgeous (Maxim cover girl hot), and of course there was the C line up (C standing for Cheapskate I guess). I wasn’t expecting to see so many of them, nor was I expecting such beauty to be able to be purchased at the price of 100$ an hour. Interestingly, it was a complete roll reversal, the men sat around leisurely chatting, while the women aggressively eyed, pinched, rubbed, and did whatever possible to get the men’s attention. If only real life were this grand, I would have never left Jaco. I got a real kick out of this; one girl after another would come up and touch me while trying to start a conversation. It was a huge ego boost, this coming from someone who has never lacked confidence a day in his life. I must admit, I was having one hell of a time; it was a little surreal; almost a little hard to believe (emphasis on the word Hard).
I needed to find the source, the man behind the curtain. It wasn’t long before I was talking to the owner. He looked every bit the part, greasy, slimly, with constantly running coke inflamed nose. He would have made the perfect character for a Quentin Tarantino movie. He broke down the rules for me as follows: always negotiate the price before you leave, never leave any valuables around the room, never leave them out of your sight at your room, and treat them with a respect. Putas would leave with these men one after another; most of the men were married, and then they would return an hour later to find another willing husband seeking infidelity. Note to Wives: if your husband and his friends are regularly going on fishy trips to Costa Rica each year, be warned this is why most of them go to Jaco. The thought of over 75% of the men proudly wearing their wedding rings with no shame was disgusting. I had no intention of actually leaving with one of the Putas, but it was an interesting experience nonetheless. I left after a couple hours to try my luck at a real bar, semi aroused with a grotesque feel in my stomach. I couldn’t help but feel pity for all the poor wives of these degenerate men who pay for sex on vacation. I never returned to the Beetle Bar again.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Tags: , beetle bar, costa rica, dirty, hooker, Jaco, legal, married, men, prostitution, Puta
Carmen told me her name was fitting because she likes both Cars and Men; I told her to call me Beer Sex from now on. So let’s get to it, here are some funny jokes, warnings, and bar translations for those who love to drink. First, please rise for the Beer anthem. Remember, beauty is in the eye of the beer holder… “All right, brain, I don’t like you and you don’t like me - so let’s just do this and I’ll get back to killing you with beer”. –Homer Simpson Beer Anthem: Our lager, Which art in barrels, Hallowed be Thy drink, Thy will be drunk, (I will be drunk), At home as I am in the tavern. Give us this day our foamy head, And forgive us our spillages, As we forgive those who spill against us, And lead us not to incarceration, But deliver us from hangovers, For thine is the beer, The bitter and the lager, Forever and ever, Barmen. “He was a wise man who invented beer”. –Plato “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” –Benjamin Franklin A Few Warnings for Alcoholics: Warning: Consumption of alcohol may actually cause pregnancy “Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut”. –Ernest Hemmingway Warning: Consumption of alcohol is a major factor in dancing like a wanker, may leave you wondering what the hell happened to your clothes, may lead you to believe that ex-lovers are really dying for you to telephone them at 4 in the morning, may make you think you can logically converse with other members of the opposite sex without spitting, may cause you to roll over in the morning and see something really scary (whose name, and/or species you can’t remember), cause of inexplicable rug burns on the forehead, may lead you to believe that people are laughing with you, “I drink to make other people interesting”. –George Jean Nathan “You’re not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on”. –Dean Martin A few quick Bar Jokes: Two blondes walk into the bar….You’d think one of them would of seen it! Two friends were out drinking when suddenly one lurched backward off his barstool and lay motionless on the floor. “One thing about Jim,” his buddy said to the bartender, “He knows when to stop.” Where does an Irish family go on vacation?
A different bar. What is the difference between an Irish wedding and an Irish funeral?
One less drunk. “If you ever reach total enlightenment while drinking beer, I bet it makes beer shoot out your nose”. –Deep Thought, Jack Handy “An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools”. –For Whom the Bell Tolls, Ernest Hemmingway BAR ROOM TRANSLATIONS
- “You get this round and the next round is on me.”
(I’ll be leaving before the next round.)
- “Hey, where is that friend of yours?”
(I have no interest in talking to you except as a way to get your attractive friend into a compromising position.)
- “Can I get a glass of white zinfandel?” (Female)
(I’m easy.)
- “Can I get a glass of white zinfandel?” (male)
(I’m gay.)
- “Ever try a body shot?” (Male to female)
(I am even willing to drink tequila if it means that I get to lick you.)
- “Ever try a body shot?” (Female to male)
(If this is how wild I am in the bar, imagine what I’ll do to you on the ride home?)
- “I don’t feel well, let’s go home.” (Female)
(You are paying more attention to your friends than me.)
- I don’t feel well, let’s go home.” (Male)
(I’m horny.)
- “Who’s got the next round?”
(I haven’t bought a round in almost 3 years, but I am an expert at diverting attention.)
- “Excuse Me.” (Male to male)
(Get the hell out of the way.)
- “Excuse Me.” (Male to female)
(I am going to grope you now.)
- “Excuse Me.” (Female to male)
(Don’t even think about groping me, just get the hell out of the way.)
- “Excuse Me.” (Female to female)
(Move your fat ass. Who do you think you are anyway? You are not all that, missy, and don’t think for one minute that you are. And get your eyes off of my man, or I’ll slap you like the slut you are.)
- “What do you have on tap?”
(What’s cheap?)
- ”Can I have a white Russian?” (Female)
(I’m *really* easy.)
- “That person looks really familiar.”
(Did I sleep with him/her?)
- I don’t have my ID on me.” (Female)
(I’m 16.)
- “I don’t have my ID on me.” (Male)
(I don’t have a license since I got pulled over and blew a 0.4 after my last visit here)
“The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind”.–Humphrey Bogart DRUNK TEST A police officer pulls over this guy who’s been weaving in and out of the lanes. He goes up to the guy’s window and says, “Sir, I need you to blow into this breathalyzer tube.“The man says, “Sorry, officer, I can’t do that. I am an asthmatic. If I do that, I’ll have a really bad asthma attack.”“Okay, fine. I need you to come down to the station to give a blood sample.”
“I can’t do that either. I am a hemophiliac. If I do that, I’ll bleed to death.”“Well, then, we need a urine sample.”
“I’m sorry, officer, I can’t do that either. I am also a diabetic. If I do that, I’ll get really low blood sugar.”“All right, then I need you to come out here and walk this white line.”
“I can’t do that, officer.”“Why not?”
“Because I’m drunk.” “Sir, if you were my husband, I would poison your drink”. –Lady Astor to Winston Churchill
”Madam, if you were my wife, I would drink it”. –His reply “Always remember that I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me”. –Winston Churchill I found most of these at this website, I think, the memory is pretty blurred. http://www.lifeisajoke.com/alcohol22_html.htm
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Tags: alcohol, Alcoholic, Anthem, bar, beer, drinking, drunk, jokes, quotes, Test, Translations, traveler, warnings
I heard Jaco was unsafe, dangerous, and a non-stop party; translation: my kind of place. Although, I seek all the beautiful enlightened things in life; it’s when I am scared shit-less that I feel most alive. Some people find character on Mountain tops and Ocean floors, others in the dark recesses of the night; very few find it in both. To quote Andre Gide “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore” The moment I got off the Tico bus, I looked up and saw a huge 420 sign; I guess you can find omens anywhere you look. For the first time in Costa Rica, I actually had a reservation; one laundry room stay was enough for my trip. The main strip was more commercialized then I expected, it had everything you need to feel close to North America, from KFC to Pizza hut, the choices were endless. Referencing my Lonely Planet guide, I booked a room at La Cometa, primarily because the description said it was located in the heart of the city and was one of the original hostels in Jaco; in addition it was owned by a friendly French Canadian. My first night out never ended, I met crazy Louis at the Jungle room, he asked me what I did, “Internet stuff mostly”, and you I replied, “I am the black sheep of the family, I consider myself an entrepreneur of sorts”. Louis had an entourage of party fiends that followed him around like the second coming; he was a great local tour guide and host who made sure everyone found their vibe. From place to place we roamed like kings of the city; no cover, no hassles, no worries. He was jovial and intense at the same time; we shared some common themes when it came to living the Pura Vida life. I pulled the chute when the sun came up, but made plans for another adventure tomorrow. My first night in Jaco was everything I thought it would be: shady, dangerous, and loads of fun.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Tags: 420, bus, costa rica, dangerous, Jaco, La Cometa, Mecca, party, Pura Vida, surf, tico
A second Treasury of Kahlil Gibran
Loneliness
“Life is an island in an ocean of loneliness, an island whose rocks are hopes, whose trees are dreams, whose flowers are solitude, and whose brooks are thirst.”
Merit
“A man’s merit lies in his knowledge and in his deeds, not in his color, faith, or descent. For remember, my friend, the son of a shepherd who possesses knowledge is of greater worth to a nation that the heir to a throne, if he be ignorant. Knowledge is your true patent of nobility, no matter who your father or what your race may be.”
ON LOVE
“I was eighteen years of age when love opened my eyes with its magic rays and touched my spirit for the first time with its fiery fingers, and Selma Karamy was the first women who awakened my spirit with her beauty and led me into the garden of high affection, where days pass like dreams and nights like weddings.”
OF THE FIRST LOOK
“It is that moment that divides the intoxication of Life from the awakening. It is the first flame that lights up the inner domain of the heart. It is the first magic note plucked on the silver string of the heart. It is that brief moment that unfolds before the soul the chronicles of time, and reveals to the eyes the deeds of the night, and the works of conscience. It opens Eternity’s secrets of the future. It is the seed cast by Ishtar, goddess of Love, and sown by the eyes of the beloved in the field of Love, brought forth by affection, and reaped by the soul. The first glance from the eyes of the beloved is like the spirit that moved upon the face of the waters, giving birth to heaven and earth, when the Lord spoke and said, “Let there be.”
OF THE FIRST KISS
“It is the first sip from the cup filled by the goddess of with the nectar of Life. It is the dividing line between Doubt that beguiles the spirit and saddens the heart, and Certitude that floods the inner self with joy. It is the beginning of the song of Life and the first act in the drama of the Ideal Man. It is the bond that unites the strangeness of the past with the brightness of the future; the link between the silence of the feelings and their song. It is a word uttered by four lips proclaiming the heart a throne, Love a King, and fidelity a crown. It is the gentle touch of the delicate fingers of the breeze on the lips of the rose-uttering a long sigh of relief and a sweet moan. It is the beginning of that magic vibration that carries the lovers from the world of weights and measures into the world of dreams and revelations.” Take from A Second Treasury of Kahlil Gibran
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Tags: beautiful, Gibran, kahlil, kiss, loneliness, love, merit, passages, poetic, poetry
An open heart Let everything in without fear; an open heart will always lead to beauty. Open you heart to the people around you, the sun, the stars, and the wonderful experience of life in general. There is only one friend who can never betray you in life; your heart. It will lead you to your smiles, treasures, and true love. Take a moment each day and listen to the sound of its rhythmic beat; and ask it what the best plan is for today. Limited or no expectations Don’t limit yourself with expectations of the grandiose. The less you expect the more you get. If you want to be pleasantly surprised time and time again, expect nothing, want nothing, and just be. Make a point not to plan everyday out, or like me don’t plan anything at all, just step outside and follow your heart to the next pleasant surprise in your life. It’s when we least expect it that our heart fills us with the white light that brightens the day. Virgin Eyes All children are Zen Masters because everything is an eye opening experience. They’re seeing, tasting, feeling, and most important; loving the world for the first time. Try saying to a child with all the enthusiasm in your heart, “Wooowwwwwww Look at that Bridge”, their eyes will light up with wonder and inevitably have a complete Zen response like “AAAHH”, WOW, and so on. There is nothing mundane or boring in life for a child, everything possesses beauty: a Cat sitting peacefully in a window, a Bird singing in a tree, even a little Ant crawling along just trying to make it home alive. When or where we lose this wonder, I don’t know, but it seems to me when we travel a little sense of this child like wonder comes back to us. We want to gaze at Churches, buildings and monuments with delight. Yet, the same delight can always be found right in our own backyard on a cloudy day. Choose virgin eyes and see the world again for the first time. The present moment There is no tomorrow and yesterday is never coming back! Ask yourself each morning, “What do I want to do today; what will make me happy now!” That is the beauty of the journey. When all the routines, expectations, and obligations fall to the wayside; all that is left is your desire; follow this desire in the present moment. Start the day off with that which will make you happy and leave the rest open to new experiences. There are infinite possibilities of happiness; no one can ever hope to obtain them all. If you can gain even a few specks of what will make you happy; then you have done a good job. A journal A journal will bring you back to the thoughts and feeling in your mind. It will show you how your soul has grown and that you have become a different person. Rereading my journals is always fun because it shows me how my heart and mind has changed. This reminder is comforting; change is the only constant in the world. Embrace change and you will always continue to become a better person.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Tags: beauty, changing, experience, eye, heart, journal, journey, life, moment, opening, present, wonder, zen
This weekend I stumbled across on amazing post on one of my favorite travel websites Brave New traveler. The post contained 50 inspiring travel quotes, by Lola Akinmade; that I felt compelled to share with my readers. I have listed my favorite 12 quotes from this post below and a link to the original post at the bottom. I hope you enjoy. Cheers
- “Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things - air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky - all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” - Cesare Pavese
Here is a link to the original post: The 50 Most Inspiring Travel Quotes Of All Time
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Tags: , Emerson, Henry Miller, inspiring, Kerouac, Lao tzu, motivational, quotes, soul, Theroux, travel, Traveling
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
Eleanor Roosevelt
It was a high counsel that I once heard given to a young person, “Always do what you are afraid to do.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall. Confucius
If you aren’t going all the way, why go at all? Joe Namath
“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.” Theodore Roosevelt
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Tags: , Confucius, costa rica, inspirational, inspire, Joe Namath, pictures, quotes, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Roosevelt
The Water-taxi that turned Death into Zen. I love all means of transport, it sounded like a brilliant idea at the time; avoid a 4 hour shuttle bus to Jaco by taking a 1 hour water-taxi from Montezuma. Walking to the beach, I was filled with anticipation and excitement. The first thing our captain said was “it’s going to be a rough ride, any rougher and I wouldn’t dare even try; prepare to get a little wet.” No problem, I thought to myself as they began to hand out heavy duty garbage bags to wrap up our bags.
Standing on the warm sandy beach, the sun warmed my early morning spirit; the Ocean seemed to be inviting us with open arms. The initial ride out was pleasant, I was enjoying every moment on the sea and under the sun. We crossed a threshold, the cross wind immediately picked up, the beach was almost out of sight, and the realization we were on the open sea soon came spraying over the side of the boat. Little by little the waves grew in size; my imagination was wandering in some distant dream until it was sucked back into the now by a huge crash as the Skipper cut the engine. I looked to my side and saw nothing but the deep blue Ocean. My pulse quickened as the engine began to roar into gear once more. The immense waves completely engulfed our little vessel, so big the horizon line was disappearing with each rise up and down, the Ocean slapping us in the face with salt water, as our little boat was tossed left and right. Nobody was enjoying the ride any longer, a quick scan revealed not a life-jacket in sight; the Captain never taking his eyes off the Ocean in front of him. Pleasure soon turned to fear as it often does, gripping the rail at my side with tight white knuckles; I took a recount of my life thus far and couldn’t remember the last time I felt the fear of death.
Death drops the grains of sand in the hourglass ever so slowly. Finally, after almost 2 hours of deep blue, we passed through the eye of the beast and motored into calm water. Relieved, I sat back a felt a heightened sense of being and wonder in my soul; it was a triumphant feeling. I could see the land again, it was a beautiful sight, but the taxi made a sharp left turn and seemed to be heading towards the open sea once more. The words “what the fuck” passed through my mind. The captain pointed out and uttered his first word since the beach “Dolfino”.
It was our reward for bravery in the face of death: a huge swarm of dolphins racing along, jumping high in the sky with magnificent twirls, seeking only the pleasurable. Together with the dolphins at our side, we enjoyed a true Zen filled moment of wonder; we loved their beautiful presence, and they seemed to love ours. Although that will probably be my last water-taxi ride; when Death turns to Zen, it can only be described as: SPECTACULAR.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Tags: , beach, costa rica, death, dolphin, Jaco, Montezuma, ocean, sea, taxi, transport, water, zen
I am a true backpacker in every sense; I try to make the most of every experience. In regards to accommodations, as long as my backpack is safe, it doesn’t really matter. To be honest, I am going to pass out anyways, as long as it’s not on a street corner or in an alley; I’ll be fine.
In comparison to some of the true ghettos I have crashed in, my Costa Rican laundry room was an Oasis. In Nice, it was a cockroach invested cubicle with a dirty mattress on the floor, no air conditioning, and mysterious grease stays everywhere. We had only one rule, never turn on the lights at night, because the sight of that many cockroaches was like the horror movie Arachnophobia redone to be even more grotesque. The true dump in Northern Spain, had what I thought looked like gang graffiti on the wall. Let’s not even talk about what the communal bathroom looked like in Rome; it’s a memory to painful to relive.
I thought we might have to sleep on the beach our second night in Santa Theresa. We begged the owners of Playa Carmen to find us a room for another night. “Well, we have a laundry room”, is all she said. “O.K. fine, we’ll take it.” Not sure what to expect, we went out for a day at the beach. When we returned, we were delighted to find two nice beds, a clean and spacious room, two fans, towels, and private bathroom; the only notable difference was two laundry machines in the corner. It was actually quite nice, it exceeded all of our expectations; they went out of their way to transform a laundry room into a little Oasis for two desperate travelers. We probably could have found another place to stay after New Years, but after we both got laid in the laundry room by two cute Tico girls, the Laundry Cabin became a funny joke and home sweet home. Looking back it was probably the weirdest, yet coolest place I have ever stayed. The journey in life is always what you make of it. To Quote Kahlil Gibran once again: “”Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.”
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Tags: accommodations, backpacker, Costa Rican, ghettos, girls, home, laundry room, Mal Pais, oasis, places, tico, to stay, weird
Kahlil Gibran writes with unparalleled beauty. I wanted to share with my readers all of my favorite quotes. So I decided to combine them into a little poem for your reading pleasure. I hope you enjoy! “Love is trembling happiness”
Sitting in the meadow, the old man suffered with all his heart; shouting into the wind with these words “Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.”
Hearing a desperate cry, a butterfly slowly descended and whispered; “To understand the heart and mind of a person, look not at what he has already acheived, but what he aspires to do”.
I love The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I have listed here my favorite quotes from this beautiful book. This book is an inspiring and motivational read that I love to share with everyone. I hope you enjoy!
