Another step in my search for the ronin spirit, a quote from swordmaster Miyamoto Musashi.
Category Archives: Companions on the Road
Nothing outside
The sort of women that would look at us and consider us gnats
There this meme doing the rounds – and yes, I already told you that I can’t see why they call’em memes, but anyway…
The idea is to list five (or ten, depending on what version you find) women writers that have somehow influenced you and your world-view.
And there’s a lot of people listing fiction writers – and indeed I think I will do a women fictioneers post, maybe next week.
Right now, though, I think I’ll do my own list of authors that were and are indispensable to me… and I’ll focus on nonfiction.
But I think I’ll do six – just to be my usual wayward self.
And as a bonus, I’ll also give you a book title to check out.
Here goes, in random order…
The Yellow Cruise
In 1928, French (but of Belgian origin, and born in Naples) industrialist and explored Georges-Marie Haardt set up an expedition through Africa, using cars provided by Citroën.
The adventure was such a success – and a publicity triumph – that four years later Haardt did it again, this time crossing Asia following – more or less- the Silk Road.
The 1928 adventure had been called The Black Cruise (Croisière noire) – so the 1931-1932 expedition became The Yellow Cruise (Croisière jaune).
The official name was 3e mission G.M. Haardt – Audouin-Dubreuil.
The idea was simple – 13.000 kilometers, from Beirut to Beijing. Continue reading
The Man that would be Indy: William M. McGovern
The list of real-life characters that supposedly inspired the fictional character of Indiana Jones is long and varied.
Roy Chapman Andrews is usually at the top of the list – even if both Spielberg and Lucas denied they ever heard about him before they filmed Raiders of the Lost Ark.
But what about William Montgomery McGovern?
Today, McGovern is not very popular.
The son of a globetrotting couple (his father was an army officer), McGovern put together an impressive curriculum.
He studied Buddhist philosophy in Japan, then moved to the Sorbonne first and the University of Berlin later, finally getting his PhD in Oxford. He was then lecturer and/or examiner in Oriental
Studies at the University of London. Continue reading
Strange, far places
Today is H.P. Lovecraft’s 125th birthday, and here on Karavansara HPL is sort of a patron saint.
Can we really say something new, original and interesting about the Old Gentleman?
Well, I just saw this, posted online, repeatedly.
That’s HPL’s most famous quote, probably.
And while I repeated it often, like some sort of mantra, there is another quote by the Master of Providence that really is my favorite.
The Lovecraft quote, as far as I’m concerned. Continue reading
World Elephant Day
So, depending on your time zone, yesterday was the World Elephant Day, or today is the World Elephant Day for a few hours yet.
Elephants are majestic animals, creatures of wonder that have been with us throughout our history.
Transportation, heavy lifting, war machine, simple show of might and power, avataras of wise gods… humans have cast the elephants in a lot of roles.
And then there’s ivory, of course – a precious commodity, and the main reason why African elephants are an endangered species.
Now, when I think of elephants, there’s four things that come to my mind, as in a rush… Continue reading
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