Bollywood oldies

As a little boy, on our family´s holidays to Spain, I would lie in my tent in the middle of the day tuning in to Moroccan or Algerian radio stations to listen to the strange and exotic music from across the Mediterranean. This knack for what is now called `world music´ (I guess as opposed to unworldly music, by Ligeti, Berio, Penderecki and the likes)has taken me from the Mahreb (Cheb Khaled) and Egypt (Um Khalsum) accross the Levant (Wadi al-Safi) and Pakistan (Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan) to India. It started with a compilation of Raj Kapoor's early work and it fanned out from there. By now the whole family can sing along tunes like "Mera Naam Chin Chin Choo" without knowing what the songs are all about. Much to my amazement, Youtube has recently seen a bunch of clips from Bollywood oldies. After decades, I finally get to see the faces that go with the music. Well, not actually, because the songs were performed by Mohammed Rafi, Geeta Dutt and Asha Bhosle.

The Right Foot of Doom

Leon's new splint is a bright fire truck red contraption, nicknamed The Right Foot of Doom :-)

Claudia & Sicko | bad news

Claudia is weggeroepen wegens familieomstandigheden. Haar vader is ernstig ziek thuis. Ze is nu samen met Leon in San Diego en zorgt voor Mario sr.

Claudia has been asked to come to her father's house because of family matters. Her father is seriously ill and is at home. She is now in San Diego and takes care of Mario sr.

motivational

el-moto, originally uploaded by [sic].

Admitted, blatant plagiarism, but I couldn't help myself when I read this quote under an email message.

Sunday

Mad hatter from Leeuwarden

Famous Dutch opera singer Ernst Daniel Smid hosts “Wondrous Ways”, a television show on the serendipity of personal history. On April 21st, brothers of my former lodge were featured as extras in an episode on Adam Zelle.

Adam made his fortune as a hatter and stock broker in Leeuwarden. Nevertheless, he was denied membership of the prestigious Freemason’s lodge De Friesche Trouw (Frisian Faith), one of the first lodges founded in The Netherlands (it was the 20th in the year 1782, originally a soldier’s lodge associated with Prince Frederic). The ballot (ostracism) though, was against him, on account of his lack of intellectuality. He was tolerated only, as a visitor from a Rotterdam lodge. Unfortunately, he would never gain the prestige and acknowledgement he was looking for. His daughter Margaretha, however, did. She gained international fame as Mata Hari!

The television show doesn’t really explain the reason why Adam Zelle was denied membership. The records are confidential, but generally a candidate must be a free man of good reputation. Free meaning here: coming of free will, believing in a supreme being and being aware of one’s own limitations in knowing truth and not being drive by dogmas. Good reputation meaning here: being of good character and not obviously wanting to join the fraternity for reasons of prestige. After all, the lodge is a place where members compare insights, experiences and beliefs to help themselves find a way to become better husbands, fathers and members of society.

As the lodge in Leeuwarden is practically too remote for a weekly visit on the Friday evening, I have decided to join the ranks in one of Holland’s youngest lodges Herrezen Land (Land Reclaimed) where I’ve recently entered the columns as a master freemason. The lodge in Almere is young and has a rich and varied membership, with brothers from Greece, Egypt, Iran and Iraq.The tv show is online on: http://player.omroep.nl/?aflid=4442305. More information on freemasonry can be found on: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasonry.

niaby