The Dog Doesn’t Die

Doesn’t it sound glorious? You pack up the family and move to a mansion in another country, get to know the locals, experience various mishaps that you laugh about later, turn the dilapidated estate into the home of your dreams, and write a book about it. This has just about turned into its own genre. And while I rather enjoy it, not all books in this category are equal. Fortunately, Tahir Shah’s book, The Caliph’s House, is among the best of its type. Unfortunately, it is entirely Unsafe for animal lovers. If you are sensitive to the treatment of animals, you may want to read The Caliph’s House anyway, but be forewarned that there are some cringe-inducing scenes involving animals.

It’s not Shah’s fault, by the way: he’s just reporting what he experienced. The Washington Post described the book as a “black comedy,” and that is correct. Shah is Afghani by heritage and lived in London for many years, which is presumably where he made the fortune that allowed him to purchase the wreck of a home that he and his family moved into. In Morocco, there is a belief that an empty building attracts Jinns, which are invisible spirits that seem to rule most aspects of Moroccan life. It’s all well and good that Shah doesn’t believe in them — the workers who refurbish his new home, the three guards who seem to come with the property, and his indispensible majordomo, Kamal, all believe. So Shah is held hostage to the whims of the Jinn whether or not he believes. I’d head back to London, but Shah is more intrepid than that. Plus, I believe he sees this as a test by the locals (a common theme in the big-house/strange-country genre).

Anyway, this blog exists in part to tell animal lovers whether they’ll be upset by a book due to violence against animals. And as much as I otherwise loved The Caliph’s House, I found it out-and-out creepy in regard to the treatment of animals. Sheep must be killed to placate the Jinn, Shah comes across cats that are killed as a warning to him, Moroccan boys torment squirrels and other animals, a bull is killed, more sheep are killed, etc., etc. It’s pretty ugly.

I still liked the book and recommend it to those who think they can deal with the animal issues.

Twice now, Dave and I have hiked from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon down to the Colorado River, stayed 2-3 nights at Phantom Ranch, and hiked back out. It is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and it takes me way, way, way outside my comfort zone.

This weekend, we decided to do it again in 2009.

Also this weekend, da1baldguy posted a bunch of clips on YouTube showing parts of his hike down and up — in the snow! I’ve been at the Grand Canyon when there were 8 inches of snow, and the views are astonishing. Anyway, here are clips from da1baldguy’s collection:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DH5WFhKGWY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfbtRoJxZ08&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCNXwuUrwI0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfbtRoJxZ08&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYoXBNXruZI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxyzc9MVwYQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5-80dM6znA&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DwV-weedFY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F94VNfSrzOg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw5zrRVdVlY&feature=related

Hugs to da1baldguy, wherever you are!

All my mother wanted for her 75th birthday was to have the whole family together.

It didn’t happen.

My parents live in rural southern Illinois, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours from St. Louis, MO. And if you saw any national weather reports over the last couple of days, you probably noticed that St. Louis had two entire days of freezing rain. Supposedly, the airport was operating pretty well. In fact, American Airlines — the major airline servicing that airport — cancelled the flight Dave and I were to have taken on Thursday, then cancelled our second flight, scheduled for Friday. We could have flown in late in the evening today (Saturday), but assuming the flight arrived on time, we would have gotten in around midnight. And everyone was scheduled to leave early on Sunday. It made the entire trip rather pointless.

 At least my brother, sister-in-law, and niece made it there.

We knew we were in trouble when we flipped on the Weather Channel and saw Jim Cantore standing at 10th and Market Streets in St. Louis. Dave and I looked at each other and said “we’re doomed.” Then I called Mom. We talked about the horrible weather a bit, then I told her that Jim Cantore was stationed at 10th and Market. “We’re doomed,” she said. “It’s not going to happen.”

Jim Cantore = Angel of Death for Travel Plans

There’s more on this little episode below in the first comment.