Yes, Hurricane Irene blasted into town right as things started. The amazing thing is, not only did it not ruin the wedding, it only seemed to make it better.

They decided to have the ceremony right where they planned it anyway. And thanks to the wonderful spirits of everyone there, it didn’t seem at all forced: huddled under umbrellas around the wedding party as rain came down, we laughed and choked up as they exchanged their vows. It seemed the harder it rained, the broader the smiles became and the louder we cheered.

Back at the tent, wet and wild, a mariachi band played, we sipped drinks from the open bar, stocked with local spirits, and even engaged in a little croquet when the rain turned misty between downpours.

The ground beneath the tent slowly flooded, and the dance floor became a muddy mess. Unperturbed, my cousin had us grab some bales of hay that had earlier been used to lay home sawn pine planks across for benches. We cut them open and spread the dense dry grass over the puddles. Pretty soon we were good again, dancing in our saturday best over the spongey hay.

The party continued until well after midnight at which point people started heading to nearby hotels and such. Originally many had planned to stay overnight in tents, but in the end only one couple did that – and stayed dry despite Irene’s howling rain. A few of us, including myself, slept in the farmhouse.

The next morning people came back for a relaxing breakfast of eggs, bacon, flatbreads, croissants, muffins, and coffee. We spent a few hours cleaning up the worst of the mess, and then just enjoyed the freshly washed world.

I found the whole thing super inspiring.

Christa put up some pictures of Scotland. What a beautiful country, fascinating history, and friendly people. I highly recommend a visit.

Also moving forward: I closed on my new house in Henderson – very excited about that. Should be moving in soon. Also managed to get an offer in on another house for my mom. With any luck that will close by the end of September.

And then I can chill for a bit.

We discovered an issue with the septic system that required a $12K repair. The seller was unwilling to adjust the price, and in fact demanded more money for the house after we discovered the flaw. Some might call that “crazy”. We gave them a few days to come to their senses, but to no avail. So we’re moving on to another place. Oh well.

None of that got in the way of a lovely 10 days in Scotland, though. Had a great time with two friends checking out Edinburgh, Inverness, Loch Ness, and Invergarry. Man, what a gorgeous and charming country. I’d done Edinburgh six years ago with Sophie, along with Glasgow and the Orkneys. There’s really so much to see.

This trip we focused on castles. Saw seven in all (if I’m remembering correctly) and that’s not counting the castle-like place we stayed in last few nights. They varied from military outposts to luxurious mansions, currently used to crumbled remains. We also went to some Highland Games and watched strong men throw heavy things around.

I’m back in the US now, and after a brief stay near Lake Champlain in Vermont I’m driving down to Rhode Island to hopefully wrap up housing for my mom. Then it’s back to Las Vegas where I can start settling into my own new place.

Here’s the RI house, and here’s a video tour that my sister and I made for the family. We made videos of five houses in all, but this one ended up the clear winner.

And here’s the place I’m getting. I ended up choosing a condo unit so there’s less to worry about when I’m out of town. Which was nearly 50% of the time last year, and about 60% so far this year.

Both places need a little sprucin’ up, but that’s part of the fun of owning a home! Now I’m off to Scotland for a couple weeks, but after that it’ll be all about sprucin’ and movin’. I’m excited to settle in, and to see my mom and Tim do the same. I think I’m sleeping a bit better, too.

I rented a convertible Mustang for the occassion. On the 4th we put on a Chuck Berry CD and I sat in the back with the top down, cruising with the folks and watching fireworks.

A couple days later I drove up to Gainesville to visit my great friend Dina and attend a wedding as her +1. The wedding was on Lake Rabun in Georgia. I’ve never spent any time in Georgia before, only having passed through once in 1994 drive up the east coast.

Let me describe a scene:

I’m sitting in a handmade rocking chair in a rolling green field and sipping cool sweet tea. It is evening and has only just started to cool down from a sweltering day. The drops of sweat have stopped running down my back, having never made it through my tee to the dress shirt. I’ve loosened my tie and undone the top two buttons to help. A lovely friend of mine is close at hand.

The field is a lush clearing shaded by forest on both sides. A trickling stream winds through. We jumped across the stream just a moment ago. Behind us are rows of simple white benches by an archway woven of branches. The bride hung her mother’s veil on the archway so it could flow in the breeze while she and her groom exchanged their vows.

Just moments ago these two lovely people that I barely know promised each other the rest of their lives. A few hours earlier we had joined them by the side of the nearby lake; swimming, laying on the dock, and swinging carefree from the second floor of the boathouse, through the air, and plummeting into the inviting water below. But just now I saw them dressed in fine greys and whites, handsome and beautiful, as they spoke to each other here in this field.

Right now the newlyweds are a further down the field greeting friends and family, while my friend and I listen to a beautiful song, Atoms of Ashes.

It’s performed by an unassuming couple nearby singing sweet harmonies and taking turns playing acoustic guitar and banjo. They’re beautiful beings, and there’s a simple authenticity coming from them that quickly cuts me down to pure experience.

There’s no way any recording can capture everything that went into that perfect moment, but listening to their six-song EP over and over on the drive from Gainesville to the airport brought me back to this place. It’s my favorite bit of music in a long time.

The bride and groom come over and listen to the last couple songs before the bartender moves her wares from this twilight field down to the tent where the reception will be. Soon the guests migrate as well.

We walk past the tent to a dock along the riverside where several well kept boathouses line the shore. Some children are looking at a nest of baby birds in the rafters as we explore. The water winds around a bend and out of sight and I half expect to see a riverboat roll by, steam and smoke from the stack as her big wheel paddles the water. The air is still humid but as the light goes so
does most of the heat.

A seven member blues band comes to life in the tent, where they’ve installed a checkerboard dance floor for the occasion. The bride and groom share their first dance, and then join with their parents. Someone tells me I look wistful as we watch.

Later I’m sitting on the dock with my friend, feet dangling over the water while we eat seared salmon and smokey cheese grits. Blues is playing in the distance and southern voices are conversing all around nearby. I tell my friend that every single time I enter a new place and meet new people I am overcome by how wonderful they are, how rich their lives, how good their souls. And I wonder what that says about the rest of humanity, the multitudes hidden from us by isolation and ignorance and so easily assumed to be less than the beautiful, shining stars and galaxies that they are.

A little while later we’re dancing like maniacs and laughing at ourselves and each other. The singer blows a mean harmonica from behind his dark sunglasses, trading off licks with the mustachioed lead guitarist while the rhythm section drives the songs like trucks in a convoy. We dance until I can no longer keep up wiping the sweat off my forehead, at which point we seek out one of the oscillating fans set up at the corners of the floor and try not to steal all of the airflow from those still dancing.

We doze on and off in the van that takes us back to the hotel, our bobble heads swaying back and forth as the driver winds us down the road. Gusts of cool air come through the passenger window on the hard right turns and tickles our skin.

…

The next day we have lunch at a place called “Goats on the Roof” which features, among other attractions, goats on the roof.

And the day after that we wake up in a tent in Tallulah Gorge State Park, and enjoy a beautiful hike alongside the river, passing waterfalls, until we get to Sliding Rock where we slide down the rock and into a refreshing natural pool.

Like I said – an amazing trip.

Sometime back in April, a few days after starting work at the Thalana lab, one of the students came by to show me a DVD he and his brother had made. It was a 50 minute film about life in the local township. We watched it together, and though it was in Zulu he did his best to translate for me on the fly.

I thought it was a very cool little film, and right after watching it, even though I wasn’t sure how I’d pull it off, I offered to add subtitles, and asked if there was any way I could get an English translation of the script. He said his brother could translate it for me, and a week or so later they brought me some 24 handwritten pages along with a DVD copy.

Adding the subtitles was a big job, but I was excited to do it and didn’t want to let the kids down. I spent several days lining them up as best I could. It was slow going entering in all the time stamps and text – it took lots of guesswork and deduction since I didn’t speak the language – but eventually I showed them what I had and they were very happy. They told me they didn’t actually believe that I’d be able to do it. We spent a couple more days going over it together to correct my mistakes.

Here’s the end result:

Life Goes On

I think it’s pretty special to have something like this – a film about a disadvantaged area made by the residents themselves. It gives a rare peek into the look and feel of South African township life, and some of the things the kids here are thinking about. I can write my impressions of the place on this blog, but this is their world through their eyes.

Given how often indie film projects fall apart even in the best of circumstances, with the challenges these kids face I’m amazed it got made at all. And by tenth graders, no less. Truly some ambitious and impressive kids.

Birthday morning, after a lovely breakfast at our B&B overlooking Nice, we borded the TGV back to Paris. Later that evening we met up with a some of my Dad’s friends for dinner – a married couple, one American, one Tunisian French, that published a journal of their adventures in Paris several years ago. I read and enjoyed their book and so the evening was a super treat: a wonderful home-cooked four-course meal, good wine, and great conversation with some charming locals.

My Dad gave me a perfect gift: a patchwork teddy bear decorated with prehistoric rock engravings.

The trip is almost over!

Totally awesome day for me. Seven kids from The Location packed into my Kia Picanto and came over to record some tunes. And record we did: four songs in less than eight hours. We used pre-recorded backing tracks that the kids brought, but we wrote the lyrics on the fly in a workshop style, sitting around with pen and paper as the music played in the background and stepping up to the mic and recording parts as they were completed.

Here’s the lyrics to my rap:

Dutchboy here in the KZN from the USA ya I came a long way
Spent 19 hours in a 747 bringing tech to the people so they can get paid
I’m here and I’m ready to see the change
Ya my brothers and my sisters gonna turn the page
Ambition, persistance, we go the distance no resistance
Ya these smart motherfuckers gonna make it rain
If you get in the way you gonna feel the pain
No we don’t waste time locking ass with clowns
Cause we fly getting high not putting other bitches down
Look around, time to rise, lift this town
Shit don’t happen when you fuss and fight
But we gonna make it happen ’cause we do it right.

I don’t have the lyrics for the other guys, but here’s a pic of the SMASH HITZ gang. Want more? Check out our smooth R&B track BABY GIRL. I sing the second verse and background on the chorus.

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Most of them don’t speak English, but as I left two days later I still heard them singing one song:

So Hard

I’m corrupting the youth!

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