The People You Meet

The previous post showed photos from one of my book signing events in Aruba. During the course of a previous event that week, I met a fellow from Poland, John T. He had the most fascinating life story I’ve heard to date. First, here is a photo of John and I, on his 84th birthday.

polandJohn was in the Polish Underground during the Second World War. He fought the Nazis and the Russian Communists. His brother was involved with another resistance group which was sometimes at odds with John’s. As the war came to an end, John escaped from Poland (to avoid the Soviets) and ended up in Germany of all places before making his way to America. He was very successful in business and now visits Aruba, Poland, and other places every year. What a guy!

You never know what a person has accomplished until you take the time to speak with them for a few minutes. I have the good fortune to be able to engage people from all over the world and all walks of life at my book events and in my travels. This is one of life’s great pleasures that I can not say enough about. It’s better than anything on TV; that’s for sure. So get out there and talk to somebody!

John, it was an honor to meet you and shake your hand. I wish you another 84 years and the best of everything. You earned it!

Published in: on January 25, 2009 at 11:02 am  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Short History of Aruba

Aruba Short History by Dr. J Hartog is a handy reference guide for those curious about Aruba’s past. It provides information on the native indians who first inhabited the island all the way through the time when the Esso refinery was the largest in the world.

auahist1

You can find the book at the Samsom Bookstore on L.G. Smith Boulevard as well as at the DeWit-VanDorp main store in Dakota, not far from the airport. Among the many amazing fact in the book is that the population of Aruba in the mid-1920’s was 6,500 and in the mid-1970’s was more than 60,000. That’s quite an increase.

There’s much more in the book including a brief overview of the Esso Refinery days, some details about the Second World War, and bits of insight into local culture. This little book is worth the 14.50 florins you’ll pay.

Published in: on January 20, 2009 at 9:42 am  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , , , , ,

Rembrandt at the Prado

The Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain is currently hosting an exhibition of Rembrandt’s work. Of course, he has to be one of the most famous Dutchmen the world has ever known. And he deserves it. His paintings are nothing short of spectacular. I remember studying them while in film school. Much can be learned about story telling from his work. Here is a video showing some of the paintings on display. (Spanish speakers will enjoy the commentary.)

Sadly, the exhibition ends on 6 January 2009. The good news is that you can find a few Rembrandt’s in most great museums. If not, there are excellent books which render the images true to the originals. Every respectable home library should have a book like this on the shelf.

Who is your favorite painter?

Published in: on January 3, 2009 at 2:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Good For The Goose…

The Grumman Goose was a legendary airplane. It served all types of functions, including shuffling people like Hemingway around the Caribbean. It was a rugged, sturdy design, capable of landing on land and sea, a fine example of great aeronautical engineering. Of course, history marched forward and the goose became a relic. Until… a couple of people set up shop to build them again. Here’s a photo of their Goose:

She may not be the most handsome aircraft, but she does conjure up plenty of emotion. The plane evokes the glory days of aviation, of island hopping, of finding that place that no one else has yet found. Hmmmm…. maybe I’ll write a story featuring this plane. It’s been a long time since I read Lost Horizon.

I sincerely hope this company finds great success. I’d love to see this modern version of the goose flying. Wouldn’t mind flying one myself.

Published in: on December 24, 2008 at 2:37 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »