Which Bugs Should You Eat?

There is currently an international push–being spearheaded by the U.N.–to encourage people to eat insects.  Bugs are a very efficient protein delivery system.  According to a recent Time magazine (27 May 2013):

A new U.N. report suggests that nutrient-rich insects are too often overlooked in everyday diets.  Here are some average protein contents (per 100-g servings):

• Crickets:  8-25 g
• Caterpillars:  10-17 g
• Grasshoppers:  13-28 g
• Termites:  13-28 g
• Raw beef:  19-26 g

As I’ve mentioned previously in this blog, grasshoppers are a popular delicacy in Uganda.

Adding to Donovan’s “Hurdy Gurdy Man”

After watching the hurdy-gurdy man in Bruges, Belgium, I kept replaying the 1960′s song by Donovan (1968 to be exact) over and over in my head:

The Hurdy-Gurdy-Man of Bruges, Belgium

 

Histories of ages past/Unenlightened shadows cast/Down through all eternity/The crying of humanity.

‘Tis then when the Hurdy Gurdy Man/Comes singing songs of love. . .

In Donovan’s song, the hurdy gurdy man seems very much a messianic figure.  Is the friendly entertainer in Bruges more than just a hurdy gurdy player?  He definitely seems to be playing ‘songs of love.’

I’ve always wondered why writers don’t add more verses to their songs, particularly for their performances.  So I thought I might add a couple of verses to the Donovan classic:

Visions stir mired dreams/Prophets seek polar seams/Experience the fantasies of time/Constant wails of empty crime

‘Tis then when the Hurdy Gurdy Man/Comes singing songs of love . . .

Next verse, much the same as the first:

Floating lives of empty rafts/Pushed around by vacant drafts/Circling round in lofty search/Aerial homes of eternal perch.

‘Tis then when the Hurdy Gurdy Man/Comes singing songs of love . . .

With my apologies to Donovan.

Donovan, 60s and 70s Icon

The Doors’ Keyboardist Dies at 74

At night, during a recent weekend trip to the Utah desert, I listened to music of the Doors.  I loved their music in the 60s, and I still enjoy it to this day.  I really appreciate the eclectic sounds from Ray Manzarek’s keyboard and Jim Morrison’s opaque imagery and voice.

Unfortunately, on Monday May 20th, 2013, Manzarek died, at the age of 74.  I must be getting old.

According to AP music writer Chris Talbot:

Manzarek founded the Doors after meeting then-poet Jim Morrison in California.  The band went on to become one of the most successful rock ‘n’ roll acts to emerge from the 1960s and continues to resonate with fans decades after Morrison’s death brought an effective end to the band.

 Doors were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Manzarek is among the most notable keyboard players in rock history.  His lead-instrument work with the band at a time when the guitar often dominated added a distinct end-times flavor that matched Morrison’s often out there imagery and persona.

In my formative years, I purchased everyone of the Doors‘s albums, even the disappointing Soft Parade.  I watched Oliver Stone’s movie The Doors (but I haven’t seen the recent documentary) and a few years ago, while in Paris, visited Morrison’s grave at the intriguing Pere Lachaise Cemetary. 

While Morrison was the face of group, it is the keyboard work of Manzarek that I will always remember.  I still enjoy listening to the long version of Light My Fire.  The words are inane, but the keyboard work is truly memorable.

According to Steve Futterman, writing for “Milestones” in Time magazine (3 Jun 2013):

If the soul of the Doors was singer and resident pop shaman Jim Morrison, the musical architect of the legendary band was keyboardist Ray Manzarek.  It was Manzarek’s swirling Vox Continental organ, as well as his imaginative use of piano, harpsichord and tack piano, that gave the group its mysterious sound on recordings.  In performance, his keyboard bass–substituting for the accustomed bass guitar–further lent the Doors a distinctive texture.

The fact that Manzarek’s obit was the principal entry on June 3rd Time‘s “Milestones,” says a lot about the respect that the world has for Ray’s work.

Amsterdam’s Solar Taxi

Amsterdam is alive with all kinds of interesting green activities, most notably bicycle paths everywhere.  Perhaps one of the strangest is the solar taxi.

After spending 2 hours in the city’s reknown Rijksmuseum inspecting the moody landscapes of one of my favorite dutch painters–Jacob Isaakszoon van Ruisdael, I needed to head back to my hotel.  Parked outside the museum–on sidewalk–was an alleged solar taxi.  The bright red taxi looked more like an oriental rickshaw than a traditional taxi.  On the top of the vehicle were several small solar panels.  Boy, did this vehicle look suspicious.  But what the hell, why not give it a try.

So 3 friends and I climbed into the two seater.  The driver, who spoke very good English, said his rig could handle the load.  Who was he kidding?

So, for an outrageous number of euro, we piled in.  And off we went . . . sort of.  We crawled along at a blazing 10 k/hr.

When we came to first bridge up and over a canal, we could hear heavy breathing coming from our driver.  As it turns out, our taxi was more human powered than solar.  But the driver gamely tried to provide some commentary.  He said that he had purchased his taxi from an inventor from East Germany.  Sure, why not, nothing about this operation seemed very remotely plausible.

The taxi went barely fast enough to keep up with the walkers.  But the ride provided an excellent opportunity to talk to the locals and tourists who seemed to enjoy seeing 4 people jammed into a space designed for 2 in a vehicle that looked liked it should be Singapore.  I found myself continually laughing at the absurdity of situation.

Meanwhile, our taxi driver/guide kept trying to talk and peddle at the same time.  He was getting increasing short of breath, and panting heavily.   If he had been a older, I would have worried about him having a heart attack.  He was getting seriously winded.

Well, we made it to our hotel, our driver was eventually able to catch his breath, and we were able to get photographs of our solar taxi, or should I say, our human-powered taxi.  I’m pretty sure an energy balance would demonstrate the impossibility of this being a real solar-powered vehicle.  But who cares, life is an adventure.

Three “Can’t Miss” Unusual Attractions in Bruges, Belgium

Over the last weekend, I visited the historic city of Bruges, Belgium.  It is filled with many attractions including:  a Madonna and Child by Michangelo (one of the few works by the Italian Renaissance master to escape Italy), the Hans Memling museum, the central place with its ornate guild halls, the short canal cruises and horse carriage rides, the excellent restaurants, and the tourists (oh, so many tourists).

But there are 3 somewhat unusal attractions that I highly recommend.  They provide short respites from the crazy crowds that congregate in historic Bruges:

• Friet (frite or french fry) Museum:  Belgium is rightly famous for its “double-fried” frites served with home-made mayonaise, mustard, or some variant, all in a paper cone.  The fry museum presents a wonderful mix of historic facts and humorous tales that highlights not only the frite, but also the potato.  (The latter is believed to have been imported to Europe from the highlands of Peru after the Spanish conquest.)  You can argue with some of the nutritional information presented, but the museum is a great diversion from the nearby mob scenes during the high tourist season.  The highlight of the adventure through the museum is a video presentation of a man and woman making tuneful music on a specially carved potato and a modified paper frite cone.  (You can eat frites at a small kitchen in the basement of the museum.)

The Logo for the 2be Bar in Bruges, Belgium

• 2be Bar:  Belgium is also famous for its beer.  And this bar is a great place to sample (or consume) the local beers.  The entry to this bar contains a long wall displaying hundreds of Belgian and other beers.  And the bar itself dispenses a wide variety of beers.  I decided on a geuze (a mix of older and younger lambic beer that is served in a champagne-type bottle complete with cork) named Mariage Parfait.  The date on the bottle was 2009 (I don’t have the slightest idea if that was a good year for beer).  For me, the geuze had a dry, citrousy, almost sour taste.  However, most describe geuze as having a cidery taste.  Some patrons have complained because the bar doesn’t serve food, but I was able to get some excellent cheese and bread.  Alternatively, you can purchase frites at a shop nearby.

The Wall of Beers at the Entry to the 2be Bar, Bruges

• Hurdy Gurdy Man (performs near the Michangelo church):  In my travels around the world, I’ve seen all kinds of street hawkers and entertainers.  But this guy is the best I’ve ever seen.  He is great.  He smiles, he tips his hat, he lets you play the hurdy gurdy, and he dances with women in the crowd.  He just seems to be having a great time.  And you have a great time just watching him have a great time.

The Hurdy-Gurdy-Man of Bruges, Belgium (An Act Not to Be Missed)

When in Bruges, don’t miss these three attractions.  You won’t be sorry.

Hanging Out with Prisoners in Lira, Uganda

Last week, our group traveled to Lira, Uganda, to construct swing sets at primary schools and rural communities.  The first swing set (a double with 6 seats) was built at School for the Deaf (named Nancy).  The second swing set was for the children of the guards at a nearby prison (for petty thieves).  The prison wardeness agreed to provide labor.

The prison labor worked out so well that we asked about using them on some other jobs.  The wardeness was agreeable.  So the next day we picked up two prisoners–dressed in their bright yellow uniforms–and a guard for a swing set installation at an Anglican-sponsored women’s center.

The prisoners worked hard leveling the land, helping with assembly, digging holes, and mixing and pouring concrete.  After we got the frame for the swing set upright and installed, we adjourned to a Christian (Path Ministries) restaurant on the other side of Lira.  Just the 8 of us:  the driver, the guard, the 2 prisoners, our construction foreman, our in-country coordinator, and us (2 Utahns).

The restaurant specialized in American food, but had a couple of Ugandan dishes.  We tried to get the prisoners and the guard to try pizza or some other American dish, but couldn’t.  We tried to get them to have milk shakes, but they declined.  The waitress said that the locals don’t like milk shakes.  However, the prisoners did try the ice cream.  They also ordered more traditional Ugandan food.

After my pizza arrived, I shared a piece with the guard and one of the prisoners.  I also shared a little bit of my milk shake.  Eventually, the guard ordered a milk shake and the prisoner a smoothie.  I think everyone had a good time.  The one prisoner said he was 16 years old and had received a 4-year sentence for stealing bread.  Sounds like something out of Les Miserables.

While we were eating, the wardeness called and wanted to know where her prisoners were.  I guess she was worried.  When we arrived back at the prison, we were given a brief tour.  The wardeness wanted us to install a volleyball court complete with net.  But the courtyard inside the prison was too small.  She also told me that the doctor thought that the young prisoner who had worked with us was really 18 or 19 years old.

The prison held 128 non-violent inmates, with approximately 30 to a cell.  Conditions are obviously very cramped.  There were no beds; the prisoners slept on the concrete floor.  Conditions were tough, but seemed clean.

The next day, 4 prisoners helped install solar panels on the roofs of the dormitories at School for the Deaf.  We also dropped off materials for a volleyball court (net, poles, ball, and cement) for the prisoners.  The wardeness had decided to install the court across the road from the prison.

African Disco Dancing at a Ugandan Orphanage/Primary School

Yesterday, when our group arrived at an orphanage/primary school near Masaka, Uganda, the students flooded out of their classrooms and regular school was eventually canceled.

A friend and I had come to repair (or fix) some of the playground equipment at the school.  Others in our group were assigned other tasks including surveying the needs at the orphanage.  The list of needs is long.

We started by making repairs to the seesaw (teeter totter) we had installed in February.  A handle had broken off.  We found a new one and attached it.  Hopefully this time we will have a more permanent installation.  Then we moved on to the swing set.  We replaced 2 seats and added an 8th seat.  Our repair work (plus a trip to Masaka to order another seesaw) took all morning and part of the afternoon.

After we had finished our repair work, we hiked back toward the school classrooms.  In the largest, we could hear disco-type music blasting out.  Inside, were students (many orphans) wildly dancing and in the middle were the Utah women we were traveling and working with.  It was wild mass of humanity.  Despite the high temperature and humidity, everyone was having great time dancing.  I retired to a corner of the discoteque to watch the children.

Several children eventually joined me.  Each asking me to dance.  But I could only dance for a few minutes at a time.  I was tired from work, sunburned, and the heat and humidity were oppressive.  But it was great to see the elementary school children and the Utahns (including 3 students from USU) having such a good time.  The kids sitting with me grabbed my hands and helped me watch the dancing.  The Utahns and the Ugandan kids were all so fluid with their dance steps, that I for a moment wished I was 40-years younger.

One of the students sitting next to me and holding on tightly to my hand . . . “adopted” me and didn’t leave my side for the remainder of the afternoon.  She is 12-years-old and adorable.  I wish I could do more to help.  It was truly an afternoon to remember . . . disco dancing at a orphanage in southern Uganda.  How many people can say that they have done that?