1995 3 Months NYC A Jewel Eivissa Tree Abuse ECO Black Friday Bocadillo Danger! Estofado Sangria Rave Cannibis Camino Viejo Neutrinos Weather Roosters JCS The PM Plongeé Smila Customs O. J. Verdict 1995 Eivissa (Ibiza): Fish Monger A Roar MacWorld Padinkos Bye E, Hello GC Gran Canaria Where A Tour How Food Yumbo Las Palmas Playa 1995 Gran Canaria: Potpourri Norteños More Food Irishmen Heading Home USA With Dad Back at Home
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1995 Eivissa (Ibiza): Smila's Sense of Snow
Sunday 1 Oct 1995
Sunday morning; I sleep in until chaotic family noises wakes me. There's not much planned, as is usual for Sundays on Eivissa.
In a recent fax a friend mentioned that he'd just found out that his brother has motor neuron disease, also known as ALS and Lou Gerigh's disease. Since I'd noticed Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time in ECO's library, I re-read it. Very little is said about ALS, but I enjoyed the book more than I did the last time I read it (before I saw the film).
Lately I've been reading 1995 Eivissa (Ibiza): Smila's Sense of Snow, by Peter Hoeg. The story was great, and I really didn't get the novel's big picture until the last paragraph.
The entire family went to a paella party at Peter Grafitti's house, a mansion with fine views high upon a hill just south of Sant Joan. A huge affair, complete with three horses, a rider dressed in classical Spanish horseman style, delicious paella cooked in a meter-wide pan, flaming coffee laced with congac cooked in a pot over the campfire, and the sounds of British English as the predominant language discussing today's Formula One race and a promising new Yemenite featherwieght boxer (born in Sheffield) seen on the telly...
I spoke with Jonathan D., a movie and television producer, about updating the configuration of his PowerBook (which also had its serial port die). With Lance, a powerful bear of an Englishman, I spoke about the proper way to carry ones things about (his suggestion: use a big straw bag). With Michael Mills (at left), who is great company and funny to boot, about subjects in-between. A throughly smashing get-together.
Later we went to an exhibit of fossils that had been partially polished; some were set for hanging, others were put under glass coffee tables. The exhibit was at a place called "The Red House", which lies along the main highway - a two-lane affair that runs the length of the island. The Red House is two buildings that stand side-by-side. The larger building - once a residence - is a showcase for imported furniture and decorating things brought from all over Asia. The outsides are as interesting the insides.
From left to right, things I came across as I walked from the car towards the exhibit - which featured an opening-night buffet and Thai tea, brewed by a real Thai himself (and his friend) - were:
- an old wagon, restored to a healthy state for adorning someone's front yard
- a huge collection of terra-cotta statues ranging from the traditional asian dragons and buddhas to the couple pictured here
- a pile that represented the island's complete stock of imported bamboo
- and lastly, fossils. This image is of a plate of fossils I call "the school of fish". I took more images, but a certain small child decided to play with my camera and erased them. So it goes.
I picked Hunter Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas off Daniel's bookcase and read it this evening. Funny, funny, strange stuff.
It's late; I must get some sleep.
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