African Women Dancing – African Soukous Dance

Movies shape how we see the world. Movies also shape the world we expect to see when we go out into it. Few things inspire us to travel like a well chosen backdrop. It paints romantic visions in our heads, visions that often linger for years. Watch Soloist Online Free

Sometimes the reality of a place matches or exceeds our vision, and sometimes it falters. In the end, anything that inspires us to travel, to break the bonds of the everyday, is a force for positive change.

Here are a few films, old and new, that have inspired me to travel or that kept me sane between journeys. I hope they do the same for you.

The Mosquito Coast (1986) – Based on the bestselling novel by Paul Theroux. Disgruntled inventor Harrison Ford takes his family to the jungles of Central America to found a town and goes insane in the process. Filmed in the lush, steamy jungles of southern Belize, the film and the book inspired me to travel to Nicaragua’s Mosquito Coast back in 2000.

The Story of the Weeping Camel (2003) – The most accurate film I’ve ever seen on Mongolia’s south Gobi region. Apart from a few minor scenes, the film was shot by following the day to day lives of a family of nomads. As luck would have it, the filmmakers arrived during the camel birthing season. A natural drama ensued when a mother camel rejected its calf, endangering the life of the newborn creature. The reconciliation between the two camels, brought about by a traditional shamanic ceremony, is one of the most moving scenes ever set to film.

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The Tempest (1982) – A little-known film by John Cassavettes, starring a very young Molly Ringwald, Susan Sarandon, and Raul Julia. The Tempest is a loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s play, filmed on a stunning Greek island in the Ionian Sea. I first saw this back when cable TV was new, during a free weekend preview of the movie channel. It had me dreaming Mediterranean dreams long before I was old enough to know where the Mediterranean was.

Mountains of the Moon (1990) – Based on the life of Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton. Burton spoke some 29 languages and dialects, was a prolific writer and translator, and one of the greatest explorers and travelers of all time. He was the first European to enter the Ethiopian city of Harare, was co-discoverer of the source of the Nile, and was one of the few foreigners ever to make the pilgrimage to Mecca in disguise. Burton was also a master of the sword. On one expedition he fought off an attack by Somali tribesman that saw him wounded through the mouth by a spear, the scars of which are visible in all his later photographs. Whenever I begin to feel like I’ve accomplished something, Burton’s example puts me to shame.

Before Sunrise / Before Sunset (1995/2004) – The quintessential traveler’s films, Before Sunrise and its sequel Before Sunset perfectly capture the feeling of the all-consuming road romance. They go further in considering what would happen if we said ‘yes’ instead of ‘no’ at that one crucial juncture that could change the course of our lives. Set in Vienna and Paris (respectively), both films are steeped in Old Europe’s streets, and they capture those rambling traveler’s conversations better than any other film I know.

Summer Lovers (1982) – Every guy’s Mediterranean dream – a summer-long threesome on a beautiful Greek island. It’s a film about freedom, individualism, charting your own course and creating your own personal morality. It explores what it’s like to completely let go of the preconceived, immersing yourself totally in the present. Stunning scenery and an absence of tan lines make this classic a winner.

High Road to China (1983) – A little known and vastly underrated film by Tom Selleck. This film captures the spirit of high adventure and stubborn independence, and includes jaw-drop footage of Central Asia and the Himalayas. Plus, it’s got biplanes in it. Who wouldn’t want to rip around the world in one of those?

The Lover (1992) – Lush scenery of French colonial era Vietnam circa 1929: crumbling moss-eaten architecture, exotic street scenes, slow lazy ceiling fans, and lines of afternoon light casting rectangles of shadow through slatted wooden blinds. The film reminds us that sometimes those blinds also conceal illicit pleasures. You can almost feel the heat and humidity steam through the lens. And the heat between the main characters doesn’t hurt either… The Lover perfectly captures the feeling of old Hanoi.

The Dreamers (2003) – A shocking coming of age story set in Paris in the turbulent summer of 1968. A young American exchange student goes to the decadent City of Lights to study French, where he falls into a bizarre love triangle with a brother and sister and is drawn into their strange, sheltered world. Though controversial when it was released, the film is oddly enchanting rather than lewd, and it conveys a vivid sense of what Paris must have felt like during that turbulent summer of riots when social norms were shattered.

Lost in Translation (2003) – This film portrays the dazzling disorientation of Tokyo and the loneliness and exhaustion of culture shock better than any I’ve ever seen. It reminded me of the many times I’ve been cast adrift on a hostile shore, and it brought back so many vivid memories of everything that’s surreal about Tokyo, where.

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The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) – Based on the posthumously published diary of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara, the film chronicles his coming of age journey through South America. Shot on location in Argentina, Chile, Ecuador and Peru. I read the original book of Guevara’s travel journals years ago, and feared the film would be an overblown foreshadowing of the world figure he would later become. That wasn’t the case. The movie stayed true to the road trip lark of the book, complete with the sort of South American scenery that’ll have you lacing up your hiking boots before the credits begin to roll.

The English Patient (1996) – Romance and archaeology in the Sahara desert in an age when high adventure was still a possibility, and when parts of the globe remained undiscovered. The film contains stunning desert footage, and was based on the real-life search for the lost city of Zezura. Yes, it’s a bit of a chick flick, but if you love the desert you only have to switch off the sound and feast on the imagery.

So that’s it. Twelve picks to inspire wanderlust and Vagabond Dreams.

What are your special travel films? I’d love to hear about them.

How to get rid of Man Boobs

1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

         Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

 2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress;

         My God, in Him I will trust.”

         

 3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler[a]

         And from the perilous pestilence.

 4 He shall cover you with His feathers,

         And under His wings you shall take refuge;

         His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

 5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,

         Nor of the arrow that flies by day,

 6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,

         Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

         

 7 A thousand may fall at your side,

         And ten thousand at your right hand;

         But it shall not come near you.

 8 Only with your eyes shall you look,

         And see the reward of the wicked.

         

 9 Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge,

         Even the Most High, your dwelling place,

 10 No evil shall befall you,

         Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;

 11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,

         To keep you in all your ways.

 12 In their hands they shall bear you up,

         Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

 13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,

         The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

         

 14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;

         I will set him on high, because he has known My name.

 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;

         I will be with him in trouble;

         I will deliver him and honor him.

 16 With long life I will satisfy him,

         And show him My salvation.”

 

 

This psalm in particular shows the necessity of angels.

 

The words to which this psalm is directed depict someone who is in close relationship to the Lord, someone who has set his or her love upon the Lord according to verse 14. It is not a relationship that is unknowing; or conducting in the dark, the person who is in this type of the relationship with the Lord knows his name indicating the personal nature of the relationship also from verse 14.

 

The relationship is secret in nature, and occurs in the secret place of the Most High. What verse 1 reveals is that there is a secret place set aside in the context of the relationship with the Lord.

 

The presence of angels is part of this “secret place.” 

 

Verse 11 says, “For He shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.”  

 

A related verse from is from 2 Thessalonians Chapter 3 verse 16 which says,” Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.”

 There are many ways and situations in which peace is needed and also where angels are needed. There is never going to be a time where you do not need angels.

 The authorship of this psalm is unknown, but there is some speculation around Moses being the author, while the only psalm attributed to Moses is the nearby psalm 90.

 The particular troubles cited in this psalm, indicate dangers throughout both the day and night and in the distance and close by or within sight.

 The type of dangers mentioned don’t go well towards a long life, yet this psalm talks of a long life as part of the blessings given.

 There is pestilence, plague which is widespread. Arrows flying by the day, unknown troubles at night that can have frightful connotations.

 The particular troubles cited in this psalm might be different today either by nature or degree but as time has evolved there is not construct that has arrived where someone can say that the world is a safe place for a given individual.  In the Middle Ages, there was the great plague where as the plague ran through towns, there was very little defense available for people to protect themselves from its insidious nature and even if a recurrence of something like this happened today, there might be similar difficulties in finding adequate protection

 There has yet to be a construct within an era to where you could say, everyone is now safe and sound. To some degree you can insulate yourself from trouble, but not totally. In these present times, the night still is foreboding outside the city and the comforts of the home or hotel.

In the rolling landscape of what is out there, real troubles can arise.

 It is well documented that there are dangers in this era, and part of them is as a result of new technology, which advances both remedies and dangers. .

 The major point, is that today of course there might not be arrows flying by day, but there is danger nonetheless of a somewhat equivalent nature.

 There is never going to be an upcoming era to where no angels are needed.

 And society can not arrive at a construct where the need for angels is done away with by advancements of any type.

 The reality is that in the context of a relationship with the Lord, angels are part of the provisions of the Lord within that relationship and thought can be given as to the reality of their presence and what it might mean and how angels are given charge over all your ways, meaning that angels come into any given scenario.

 It is proper in the context of the relationship with the Lord to call upon his angels and to have a greater awareness of the closeness of their presence.

 Verse 12 clearly indicates the hands on presence of the angels, where it says,

  In their hands they shall bear you up,

    Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

The angels are there to help keep you standing, and on your way.  The words of this psalm are directed to an individual who is on the move and isn’t hiding out from the troubles around that are described in this psalm. This individual needs assistance in his journey that is of a supernatural origin.

There is an enabling presence to the angels, who will help you keep moving. In the context of the relationship the angels are already there but they can be spoken to and specific things can be addressed to them.

 Daniel had a deep and prayerful relationship with the Lord. Yet he wasn’t oblivious to angels, their presence and necessity. The Lord also dealt with him through angels at times. In the Daniel, Chapter 6 verses 22 and 23 it says,

“My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.”

 Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God.”

 The vortex of this was that God send the angels and Daniel believed in God. Even within his own vaulted position, Daniel needed angels.

 A major theme here is the dash against the stone, which could stop a traveler on his journey.  The dash could also represent a temptation, which may divert someone from a good path. But of course there could be a series of temptations, and therefore there is more than one possible dash or more than one scenario where the angels are needed. Indeed there are many possible dashed against the stone.

 A temptation could be innocuous, or it could be something insipid or dangerous to your journey but from this verse we can see the enabling presence of angels is helping on your paths, getting you where you need to be in any possible way and they have the intelligence to discern for you in situations. They are aware in advance of your plans and where they might bring you. Since they are send by the Lord, you can derive from the actions of the angels some of what the Lord is thinking about and planning for you.

 The dash could be a temptation or it could be something else, but it represents any possible impediment and also a situation where the angel needs to come in with hands on help. They are actually directly intervening according to this psalm, possibly in all your ways.

 It may be that the sojourner doesn’t even have an exact awareness of the posing dangers, and the angels do see it and intervene accordingly. But they are also lifting up away from danger and into maybe a real opportunity. So it is awareness not only of getting away from things, but also going forward into real opportunities through the help and aid of angels.

One major point is that clearly, the angels are watching this individual on a step by step basis. So in dealing with angels, you could ask that they watch over your affairs, far and wide and over the particulars of anything that is concerning you.

 The stone in the context of this psalm is symbolic of an impediment or obstacle, as to the ways of the Lord. In a practical sense, they may have had leather sandals then but nothing like the tough boots we might have today for shoes…

 In Isaiah Chapter 62 verse 10 it says,”

        Go through,

      Go through the gates!

      Prepare the way for the people;

      Build up,

      Build up the highway!

      Take out the stones,

      Lift up a banner for the peoples!”

 

The stones obviously list here as an impediment, or an obstacle, that is in the way.

 The angels are a mighty and supernatural personal presence.  .

 There is still the need to pay attention to the natural order. When Jesus was tempted in the desert, Satan quoted this verse on angels.

 Luke Chapter 4 verses 9 thru 12 read as follows,

  9 Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: 

      ‘ He shall give His angels charge over you,

      To keep you,’

 11 and,

      ‘ In their hands they shall bear you up,

      Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”

12 And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’”[

Jesus is retorting to Satan with scripture from the book of Deuteronomy Chapter 6 verse 16. .

 Apparently in this case, the height of the temple may have been overlooking a 450 foot cliff.

 The point is that although the angels can be summoned, and this is a truth from this Scripture confirmed further by Jesus, there is the balanced issue that there needs to be a respect for the natural order and don’t start something that is really tempting fate.  You don’t go over Niagara Falls in a barrel and ask for ask for angelic protection.

 You don’t jump into a surging sea and then call for a rescue. There are many other types of nuances to tempting the Lord.

 In the Acts of the Apostles, we see that Peter and Cornelius were visited by angels in arranging their meeting.  Peter walked with Jesus, yet also was visited by angels and needed angelic assistance.

 Philip’s meeting with the prominent Ethiopian for the purposes of the enlightenment he sought and found from Philip and his explaining the Scriptures and his subsequent conversion, was a meeting brought about and arranged by an angel.

Both of these meetings in Acts were positive connections and for enlightenment.

 Angels are there not only for protection but also for meetings and advancement of the Kingdom in positive ways and in your way as you advance in the Kingdom..