Mister Ian's Weblog

Blog

  • Bruce Cockburn the Mystical Musician

    Well, what can I say. I’m not the first to say that, mystic and really deserves that. Though the term has its connotations which he wouldn’t want.

    I’ve been a fan of his for more than 25 years. The first album I really heard was Dancing in the Dragons Jaws from 1979 and it had a hit of sorts, Wondering Where the Lions Are. This song was partially inspired by Charles Williams‘ book The Place of the Lion. And Charles Williams due to this book was a friend of C.S. Lewis! Read the reviews on Amazon. I don’t see the book in the Calgary Public Library.

    And on the web site with the comments, now I understand more about the lyrics after all these years! I know the meaning of the lion symbol. I’m not giving it away here, read the site.

    At a concert while I was in university we waited after the show at the Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary and there was Bruce backstage. So we went and shook his hand and got autographs. I sure wish I had kept it. That was with my old friend Roger who was and is a guitar player and a great fan and even asked Bruce something about tuning which he answered. No eliteness about the man, certainly.

    Believe it or not, the following song was written May 27, 1970!

    Golden Serpent Blues

    She moves like a golden serpent all day long
    Moves like a golden serpent all day long
    She lights the candle when the day is gone

    She likes to give me honey when I’m down
    She likes to give me honey when I’m down
    If I ever was a king y’know she was the crown

    She carries all the lines down in her palms
    She carries all the lines down in her palms
    She can drive away the devil with a song

    Here is another very recent song on his album You’ve Never Seen Everything:

    Open

    I never lived with balance
    I always wake up nervous
    Light comes at me sideways
    I hold my breath forever

    I never lived with balance
    Though I’ve always liked the notion
    I feel an endless hunger
    For energy and motion
    Open
    Open
    Open

    I never lived with balance
    I want to feel you near me
    There’s an aching in my hipbone
    Want to let my heart drop open
    It’s daylight in the city
    There’s thumping in the stairwell
    Kundalini sunrise
    A clamouring of church bells
    Open
    Open
    Open

    You like to let me worry
    But I don’t take you for granted
    Come over here and kiss me
    I’m savouring your picture
    The street is filled with noises
    Life going up and down
    Light comes at you sideways
    Enfolds you like a gown
    Open
    Open
    Open

    And there are many, many other depths to his music. I really think he is of the level of some of the great mystical poets. That is the thought that came to me today while driving.

    Here is a site with a full listing of his albums.
    And here is the official site with all the tracks to play. Note that the official site has some troubles loading sometimes.

    I could go on and list more of the great expressions of his music and may do that later.

  • Another boring post

    So do I have anything interesting to say?

    Well I went for dinner at the Al-Kout mall food court! There is a Thai “fast food” place there called Marina Thai along with the Burger King, Pizza Hut, Cinnabon, Tandoori Fast food and a Chinese place. I wanted to try the Thai food and actually it wasn’t too bad for KD 1.5. Does thinking you got value for your money make the food taste better?

    An interesting experience, how flavors and smells bring back memories. I felt that I was transplanted back to two or three years ago in Shanghai when I went to a mall food court and had noodle soup. Must have been the spices and listening to too much Bruce Cockburn while driving. Check out his site and I think I’ll do a separate posting about him. The noodle soup in Shanghai was fresher of course. It was very interesting in Shanghai, they have a big stainless steel vessel of boiling water with a hole in the top. And they put all the noodles in a basket and immerse it in the water. And when it is nearly cooked they add the meat or fish and cook it, then toss it in a bowl with spices and halas it is ready. (Halas is actually Arabic 😉 meaning finished, done).

    Nothing much interesting in the day at work. (Well actually it was interesting for me, but for you Dear Reader, not so interesting, about gas compression equipment) I got to work in West Kuwait at 7:00 a.m. after the 45 minute drive was there 5 minutes and got a phone call to come back for a meeting all the way back in Ahmadi at 8:00 at Unity Center. Unity Center was built in 1953! It was the first KOC Ahmadi employee club.

    Tonight lazy, no gym, but now that Marcus and Katrina are back at Dive Caroline, diving again is planned for Thursday. Though it could be chilly, the water is rumored to be 16 degrees or so!

    Tomorrow the gym. The problem here is the waistline of my pants keeps shrinking, even my belts are shrinking. Maybe it is the weather.

  • Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) Logo Origin

    Apparently the logo, seen in its dynamic form here, the KOC logo of a falcon or hawk has an interesting origin. Some time ago, after oil was discovered in south Kuwait, some people were out hunting when they say a falcon hovering above a spot in the desert. They went to that spot and there was oil — the first oil find in North Kuwait. Believe it or not.

    Since 2008 (and up to 2017) the latest official logo is the following:

  • Car Shopping

    Time to look for a vehicle, buy or lease, new or used, not decided yet. Some people lease, some buy used. Let’s see… I was certainly ignored in the dealerships. I guess I don’t look wealthy enough.


    Nissan Patrol From KD 10500 to KD 11100 KD

    Nissan Armada KD 11150 to KD 11850
    Nissan Murano KD10500
    Nissan Altima KD5150
    Toyota Prado 8 cylinder KD 17000 KD
    6 cylinder KD 12000
    Used Prada, 2004 model KD 7000
    Used Vitarra I don’t like the Vitarras. They are thinly built, I guess you could say. And I’ve heard they are not lasting as long mechanically.

  • Driving – yet another post

    Driving back from the gym today. First at the left turn at the light a woman driver in full veil was doing the unoffficial left turn from the second lane, or was it the first lane? She didn’t know the difference!

    Then closer to home, another car driving along with a lady driving with about a four year old sized boy standing in her lap between her and the steering wheel!

    Wow!

  • Wet Traffic Circles

    Another thing to watch out for. As if it doesn’t just take eyes in the back of your head. One of the traffic circles that I often pass by gets lots of water splashed on the road by the water tankers which spill while breaking and turning into the circle.

    And on the roads here, even though it rained recently, any water on the road turns the film of dust etc. on the road to being more slippery than ice.