i seem to have some kind of virus on my computer that is indiscriminately popping up advertisement windows in internet explorer. mcafee virus scan does not detect it. what do i do?

today is my sixth day on a plant-based raw food diet. i had been reading about it for some time now, and it seemed like a logical experiment to undertake after it occurring to me that i had been eating mostly raw foods anyway.

i know that it's probably too soon to make any sweeping determinations, but there is a remarkable cosmetic difference in my appearance: my skin is clearer and softer, and my eyes are wider than they have been in years. i'm also noticing of a certain attunement with nature; plants and trees that i see everyday are appearing wondrous. it's not unlike a worldview while tripping on mushrooms.

of course, my energy level is much lower than normal, but i'm not sure how much of this is more related to caffeine withdrawals. experienced raw foodists are unanimous in not recommending doing any severe physical exercise during the initial weeks of the diet, but i haven't really been listening.

otherwise, the experience of eating itself is transforming. it's been somewhat of a hassle to eat large quantities of nuts and seeds to prevent weight loss, but i've acquired a newfound appreciation for the distinct and exhilarating flavors of fruits and vegetables that can be described as nothing short of a personal revolution. salt, though raw, is something i'm finding unnecessary to enhance the flavors of vegetables. i can't believe i ever used it!

i expect to discuss these things more as they develop.

odysseus elytis, clearly one of the most invigorating poets of the 20th century, apparently also made collages. sometimes i think that people that are good at one thing must be good at everything.

good god, the mediterranean is calling.

i can acknowledge the suspicion with which we treat claims to the origins of things. but things do have to come from somewhere, do they not? so, posterity's sake - wine comes from azerbaijan, love comes from understanding...but this appetite for escape we may never be able to retrace.

it's been ten months since i've returned to the country, and it'll be ten more until i leave again. everything in between is a history yielding countless origins.

1. the immediately good news:

i've just bought a plane ticket to istanbul...and then on to delhi.

2. difficulties:

i won't be leaving for another ten months.

3. further implications:

there is no return ticket. i don't know what this means, but i did not buy a return ticket. no return ticket! i feel like shouting from the treetops...no return ticket!

1. the world tends to be a baffling place. today i went to hear a lecture by a hindu monk - with white, flowy robes and all - who also runs a microcredit scheme in the sundarbans. the operationalizing of capitalism as religion is fearfully near completion.

2. i used to look at aged women and wonder how beautiful they must have been when they were young. lately, i've been looking at young girls and postulating how strange they'll look when they're aged.

( and other photos from portland & around )

...and reading the travel section just kills me.

necesito volver a perú ya.

while cycling to multnomah falls on the old columba river highway this weekend, we came across a smaller waterfall that was just asking to be climbed.