Zen. I like the word ‘Zen’, the phrase ‘Moment of Zen’ and the general understanding of it. Not the (original) religious infliction from the East, but the one more closely in tune with the infamous ‘Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance‘ by Robert M. Pirsig. There you go, the inspiration for the title of this post.
I’ll come right to the point then. Today was the most beautiful day in Amsterdam of 2008, so far, if you ask me. More beautiful than some of those summer days you’ve all witnessed in my photos and videos.
I can honestly and wholeheartedly say the balance of seasons in the Netherlands has shifted in the last 15 years. Spring time morphing into summer, summers are almost as wet as the fall and autumn is just extremely forgiving. I don’t know how else to describe it. Oh yeah, winters…we haven’t seen a proper one since 1995, the last time the Amstel River and canals actually froze up. Snow drizzle here and there, but increasingly mild and wet. (Yeah, Les, the Dutch love to talk weather :-p)
Anyhoo, leaving this perhaps confusing introduction (although I think there will be some coherency in the next paragraphs) behind us, here’s the bicycle observation part: (after hitting the play button, on mouse-over, hit the full screen button on the bottom right)
Fast forward. Just a few hours ago I came down with the flu. Calculating the magnitude of my shivers, shudders and coughs, I suspect it’s decided to set up shop and infect my bodily functions for quite some time.
I feel as if I needed to get punished (or leveled) for a preposterous amount of Moments of Zen today, this fall, summer and spring. Signed, sealed and delivered by Mother Nature, restoring balance among the critters that occupy her planet. Wait a minute, isn’t that Yin & Yang?
That, or I lost my Mojo.
Goldmember, The Dutchman.
Flu induced couch potato, watching 'Spy Bound'.
WHAT TO DO NOW?