While sketching the cannon Ball Tree one morning at the Botanical Gardens I met a gentleman from Aptos, California, an elderly gentleman who was on a visit to the Island of Penang. The first thing he said to me was that he like my energy and would like to take a few pictures of the skecth I was working on and from then on we got along promising that I would call him the next day and take him places. I like the man as he reminded me of a few of my former cohorts at the Zen Center in Sausalito, California when I was living at Green Gulch Farm, in Marin County. Gary is into organic farming and the hare Kirsna Movement and is ahealth fanatic when it comes to food and beverages. He used to teach ESL among other things and was cosidering teaching in any of the countries in South East Asia,Penang included.
The next day I picked up gary at his place called the Hutton Lodge, a new hotel that caters mostly to foreigners seeking for a budget lodging. Later we headed out ot the USM muzium Gallery where I showed Garry the sketches I was working on the long scroll measuring no less than a hundred feet. he seemed to enjoy his visit to the Muzium and later we had lunch at the Minah restaurant where Gary picked out all the vegetable dishes he could lay his hands on and piled his plate with a little rice added to it. It was a funny sight to see tis American vegetarian eating these assorted dishes which normally for a local would seem odd.
I mentioned to gary of the possibility of sending my son next year to the States for his college education and wondered if he would be interested in helping out with the arrangement for his relocation. Gary was delighted to do it and suggested that the area where he is from has a very good college where my son can attend. He would not mind being an uncle and get my son broken into the American life. I saw a glimpse of hope in this meeting for my son's future in America as he will be completeing his secondary education by the end of the year and this means that his foreign student status would end and he would have to deal with finding his way of staying here unless I can get his citizenship issue solved before then. I am torn between sending him back to the States and having him stay her
e with me and a part of e wants him to have the opportunity to experience America like I did.
Upon discussing with my son about the possibilities of his venturing into the unknown on his own in the States where he is a citizen, he seemed tempted but still held reservations as I am sure he is not overly confident at this time and age. I would want to believe that I had planned my children's life to such that they would eventually end up back where they were born after they had had a good experience of life on the other side to the planet, after they had tasted what it is like to be poor and humbled by the experience of not having. I had every intention of them knowing their father's identity and his religion and cultural upbringing so that they can have a base to work from in their own lives, they at least know their roots and what they choose to do with it is for them to figure out in the future whereever they may end up. I have always maintained that i would like their lives to be as colorful if not more so than mine and returnig to America I am positive would open all sorts of doors and windows of opportunity for this. I know waht they will go through will not be easy but it will always be a challenge and great for their character building.
Gary Harold left yesterday morning for KL and will be there with his brother and his Hare Krishna friends, from there they will head for the Mauritius where they will spend ten days. What will come out of this chance meeting God only knows and if this gentleman is as genuine as he seems perhaps my son will find a footing in the United States and a wise teacher to boot.
The next day I picked up gary at his place called the Hutton Lodge, a new hotel that caters mostly to foreigners seeking for a budget lodging. Later we headed out ot the USM muzium Gallery where I showed Garry the sketches I was working on the long scroll measuring no less than a hundred feet. he seemed to enjoy his visit to the Muzium and later we had lunch at the Minah restaurant where Gary picked out all the vegetable dishes he could lay his hands on and piled his plate with a little rice added to it. It was a funny sight to see tis American vegetarian eating these assorted dishes which normally for a local would seem odd.
I mentioned to gary of the possibility of sending my son next year to the States for his college education and wondered if he would be interested in helping out with the arrangement for his relocation. Gary was delighted to do it and suggested that the area where he is from has a very good college where my son can attend. He would not mind being an uncle and get my son broken into the American life. I saw a glimpse of hope in this meeting for my son's future in America as he will be completeing his secondary education by the end of the year and this means that his foreign student status would end and he would have to deal with finding his way of staying here unless I can get his citizenship issue solved before then. I am torn between sending him back to the States and having him stay her
e with me and a part of e wants him to have the opportunity to experience America like I did.Upon discussing with my son about the possibilities of his venturing into the unknown on his own in the States where he is a citizen, he seemed tempted but still held reservations as I am sure he is not overly confident at this time and age. I would want to believe that I had planned my children's life to such that they would eventually end up back where they were born after they had had a good experience of life on the other side to the planet, after they had tasted what it is like to be poor and humbled by the experience of not having. I had every intention of them knowing their father's identity and his religion and cultural upbringing so that they can have a base to work from in their own lives, they at least know their roots and what they choose to do with it is for them to figure out in the future whereever they may end up. I have always maintained that i would like their lives to be as colorful if not more so than mine and returnig to America I am positive would open all sorts of doors and windows of opportunity for this. I know waht they will go through will not be easy but it will always be a challenge and great for their character building.
Gary Harold left yesterday morning for KL and will be there with his brother and his Hare Krishna friends, from there they will head for the Mauritius where they will spend ten days. What will come out of this chance meeting God only knows and if this gentleman is as genuine as he seems perhaps my son will find a footing in the United States and a wise teacher to boot.
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