Entries this day: AM George_Meegan_stories george_meegan saintly_charity_auction_dinner zzzzz_GET-CC_slumber_party

AM

11:01am AKDT Monday 15 August 2005

I saw a whale today; nothing like a whale ringing a bell at Sea World, but I saw the little bit of spray as he vented his blowhole and then he submerged.

I was amazed that the Happy Wonderful Girls were able to teach each other. We called and woke up Hanayo cause she works late in Namihei.

I got a letter from Hitomi last night, basically apologizing and telling me she'll give me space.

George Meegan stories

7:28pm AKDT Monday 15 August 2005

Listening to George Meegan: amazing stories.

here are samples. Just a snippets from his myriad thousands of stories.

I finally reached the barrel
and I could see in the rusty water
animals doing the breast stroke.
I knew they were healthier than I
for I could not have done the breast stroke at that time.
I dipped my bottle into the barrel
and I was so weak
I could hardly lift the bottle to my lips.
but I did and found something interesting
my stomach had become a trampoline.
I swallowed water
and it bounced out like [ppshsssssssst].
and I thought
well at least that's progress.
so I drank more.
and reached a state
of water into the left side of my mouth
and spraying out the right side of my mouth.

- - - -

do you have a wallet?
how much money is in there now?
[1000 yen ($10)]
That's how much money I had when I started
that money will have to last you 10 years.
I had no money.
I didn't need money.  I only needed food and water.
People will support people who are living their dreams.
I learned about the good side of humans.

I also learned about the dark side of humans.
(graphic story of a south American war general kidnapping, raping, killing, dumping a woman)

- - - -

My diet was not like your diet on the boat.
Some of you are vegetarian.
Some of you don't like natto.
Some of you prefer vanilla over chocolate.
My diet was different.
My diet was *anything* I could put into my mouth.

- - - -

I arrived in the valley and the cloud turned out to be
*billions* and zillions of insects.
people wore stockings over their faces
to keep the insects out of their eyes and other openings

- - - -

the houses don't have roofs.
the children would say "water from the sky!
how fantastic; how impossible"

- - - -

I shouted up at the window
"have you any food?"
The answer came back
"no. have you?"
"yes! I have a coconut!"
"well, come up; let's have coconut!"

- - - -

I reached the man who continued to stare at me.
He said, "we haven't had any travelers in weeks"
I could see why; the rain was relentless;
pouring buckets down everywhere.
It was pouring in rivers off his black UFO hat.
I said, "I can see why you haven't any travelers these days.
When is the dry season, your tourist season?"
And the man said
"this is the dry season."

- - - -

I went over the Panama Canal.  
Over the bridge that you went under.
I crossed the jungle.  I was in Panama City.
Suddenly, I was held from behind by two guys.
Now there was a gentleman in front of me.
There is communication with the eyes
and he said, "I'm going to kill you"
and he threw from one hand to the other this knife
He thrust forward and I twisted away and he missed
I couldn't believe it!
*he* couldn't believe it!
We were both astonished.  Everybody was astonished.
I thought, "good move, George."
now he was more angry
and he made a decision; he had missed.
he would not try the same move again
So he raised the knife up here 
and I saw the light reflect on the knife
the blade came down here, and my old royal navy shirt,
somehow,
now this is a miracle, truly
the knife came down here
and I could see this Mike Tyson sized guy here pushing,
but the knife was stuck.  He couldn't move it forward 
and he couldn't move it back.
it was in this moment that a Panamanian police car
a Guardia Ceville, and the man's name was Santiago
and he drove up and the people were able to escape
Wow.

- - - -

I received a little weenie sausage
from a little tin of sausages
and I was so weak that it took 15 minutes
for me to put the sausage into my mouth
and I realized what was the problem:
the roof of my mouth had fallen onto my tongue
and I thought
I think I need a doctor.
I found a doctor in Panama
and the doctor said,
"Meegan,
you have scurvy."
I'm the only man you will ever meet who has had scurvy.

george meegan

8:28pm AKDT Monday 15 August 2005

I talked to George Meegan privately for a bit after all the others had walked away. I told him I was looking looking looking looking for what I am supposed to be doing.

He said of course it's a personal question, but just stay open.

saintly charity auction dinner

9:15pm AKDT Monday 15 August 2005

Good thing no one shows to silent football anymore cause I thought there was a game and invited people, but the T-club, where I thought the game was to be held, was fully occupied by the private dinner that had been purchased for 60,000 yen or so.

The woman who bought it invited her cabin attendant, the person who makes rice on the boat, her teacher (Pat), the cruise director, and someone else kinda random, but that makes sense.

I was really impressed that she didn't persuade her friends to just chip in and gorge. What a saint!

zzzzz GET CC slumber party

4:33am AKDT Tuesday 16 August 2005

The GETs and CCs had a slumber party tonight, which was basically just a hang out and eat and paint nails and watch movies and take the Purity Test party. Maryann (who administered the Purity Test many times during her dorm days at Rice University (!)) spilled out a great number of the questions from memory. We patched together some others and made a 100 question test. I had hoped that we would all take the test, but just a few people read the questions privately and recorded their scores.

Yuuka fell asleep during the event...

This was also the night the GET Girls had a date with Shunji (my 73 year old student) who fed them lots of sushi and champagne.