Ive been meaning to visit Portland Oregon for the last couple years and finally made it over there. My best friend and I decided to meet up for his birthday as we have never been and wanted see our mutual friends that live there. I have been sitting at my desk all day trying to re-adjust my brain to work and responsibilities after having such a fun time this weekend. There is an amazing natural life to the city in the sense that vegetation/weather are living along humans instead of aside from it that is unlike anything I have ever seen. Vines, lichens and moss unstoppably spread like a Zerg creep albeit peacefully where humans dont physically remove it. We are abundantly blessed in the state of New York for our natural wonders but there seems to be a living being cohabitating with the denizens there. They say the Pacific Northwest is a rain forest which gave me an entertaining glimpse of how indigenous cultures of the Congo or Amazon are connected to their remote and bountiful lands. The houses were cute bungalows that reflected the personalities of the occupants through such things are art installations, urban farming or abject poverty living side by side. The appearance of every block and every neighborhood delivered non stop smiles, wows and grimaces. There was some amazing food such as the pork chops, french toast and brulee oatmeal at Gravy I had for brunch one afternoon. The neighborhoods had such a wide variety of shops, restaurants and exercise studios. On one walk I happened upon Renzo Gracie Portland and was compelled to stop in since Brazilian Jiu Jitsu [BJJ] academies hold a special place in my heart. The owner who welcomed me in an chatted with me for a couple minutes and even invited me to train with them. I had a hard time talking straight because my senses were so distracted by the sounds of bodies parts hitting the mats, the grunts from pressures being applied and the smell of fear and hard work in the air. I havent trained BJJ in months since I was forced to take a break and it made me extremely homesick for it. Until I can go back I have been paying BJJ back what it taught me by spreading its possibilities to those who ask about it and have a couple minutes to feel a couple techniques. On the exercise bright side I went to the most ridiculous climbing gym I have ever seen called Planet Granite Portland and had a blast with the boys. I really love sharing growth I have had through tangible experiences with people I respect and care about. Sweat equity is such a terrific mechanism of communication and bonding. As a whole the city of Portland was amazing and I recommend it to anybody who wants to experience something very out of the ordinary. I look forward to visiting it again and exploring more but more importantly spending more time with the people I know who live there. I am always reminded of Terence McKennas Cultural Operating System talk when I do these West Coast weekend trips... https://youtube/watch?v=O4ZCBrqTNrY
Posted on: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 20:52:07 +0000
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