early evening storm clouds
above wolves
perched like concrete gargoyles
on stone mountain cliffs
they track the dusty footprints of
hippos, rhinos, & elephants
over ashen rock
smoke puffs up from
the steel cement battleship
its iron crane
hoisting up the whale
in the fog
the old man powders himself
with graphite
at sunrise
beneath cherry blossoms
pigs chewing cotton candy bubblegum
& flamingos in a lake
of strawberry milkshake
to celebrate the girl’s birth
a parade of carnations & roses
a banquet of steamed shrimp
filets of salmon
& ham
they dreamed of intestines
swallowing erasers
a window in space
the crystal ball a lens
blowing light through air
its wind
the ghost of
alcohol vapors
ice cubes in water
cellophane jellyfish
under glass
within the glycerin
the diamonds of phantoms
shed tears & sweat
The whole gang
Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a reunion of many of my childhood friends, after not having seen them for several years. Talking with everyone there, it really hit me how much they had shaped my life and Interopia in turn. I’d like to introduce each of them to you.
The Sierpinski of Creation is certainly one of Interopia’s greatest contributions to the world so far. Within the diagram Interopia’s core essence is summarized well. Click on the image above to order a copy for yourself. In the process you will be supporting the Interopia Project, and we thank you for that.
koalas in eucalyptus
the billabong platypus
from the bush
wombat & wallaby
watched the aborigine
hook boomerang in dreamtime
out back & down under
crocs crushed the
joeys of kangas
& dingoes ate babies
it was a good day with no worries
this arvo
we surfed the
great barrier
over sea wasps
i drank beer & placed
a shrimp on the barbie
for my mate
we watched matilda waltz
rainbow iridescent
stained glass prism
potpourri confetti piñata
kaleidoscope
fireworks
at the border of all lands
wood protruded from soil
bark covered the dirt
deer & camels crushed pinecones
& acorns while
monkeys ate peanuts above
bears dwelled in caves of mud
they lived out of cardboard boxes
sculpted homes from clay
the brunette people of the woods were known
for coffee brewed with
chestnut, pecan, & walnut
chocolate, cinnamon, caramel
& cola
violins played
as they tanned the leather
chewed tobacco
got potatoes for supper &
sprinkled them with cumin
in the middle of their land
in the middle of all kingdoms
was a massive lake of feces
taking a canoe into
its murky depths
the excrement grew darker
when coming to the center
recalling a certain land
of carbon smoke & globs of tar
staring down below
you could see…
a perpetual lavender twilight
inhabitants of the gloaming gathered
in the imperial garden
surrounded by hyacinth
irises &
violets
they passed a basket of plums
mangosteen
passionfruit
& grapes
then savored the regional specialty
eggplant seasoned with sumac
accompanied by a dark wine
rich in tannins
each soul was royalty here
clad in a cloak of sea snail ink
an amethyst amulet around the neck
they shared a susceptibility to bruising
under blazing foliage
the fall of monarch butterflies
at autumn sunset
tigers in fields of marigold
farmers harvested pumpkins &
cantaloupe &
carrots &
mango &
tangerines
they ate macaroni & cheese then
dribbled basketballs around
traffic cones
in the great meadow
in a lush field
a mantis perched
on a blade of grass
it was springtime
gators ate turtles &
turtles ate frogs
on lilypads in algae ponds
ferns were half-submerged
the forest was a jungle
of moss carpet stone
vines of ivy hung
from huts in trees
hidden in leaves
covered in clover
envious of others’ dollars
the people of the plants
prayed to snakes of jade
they chopped up parsley
oregano & mint
cucumber pickles
peas & celery
avocado artichoke
asparagus broccoli
okra cabbage
spinach lettuce
kiwi limes & pears
then they smoked marijuana
one of them had the legendary emerald
but no one knew who it was
a vast sea and sky
whales & dolphins & sharks
swam below the waves &
jays flew above
ocean splashed against
the fortress carved from turquoise
periwinkle & cornflower
blew in the cool breeze
the denizens wore denim
to a breakfast of berries
the navy gave the first place ribbon
to the boy who found the robin’s egg
varicose veins
of the sovereign
held the sapphire
to the heavens
through desert and sun
giraffes roamed the sulfur sands
a city made of gold
gave refuge to the jaundiced
beyond amber gates
bees made honey from
the pollen of daffodils
& sunflowers
the little chicks were dancing in the sunshine
lunch upon the gilded tray
began with bananas
& lemons &
slices of pineapple
the main course was turmeric chicken
with a choice of butter
margarine
cheese or
mustard
the sides were corn & squash
finally came custard
made from the yolk of canaries
the topaz sparkled
in the hands of the blonde queen as
trumpets announced the flow of urine
blood in flames
streamed from hearts into
glowing lava flows below
tongues lay sizzling in embers
in the rose garden
of the brick fortress
cardinals ate ladybirds
the wrathful king desired meat
slathered in cayenne ketchup
but was given apples
cherries
strawberries &
watermelon slices
his servants erupted in
fevers & rashes
their lips bleeding
when the velvet curtain was pulled back
the king was applying lipstick
he blushed &
menstruated
upon the royal ruby
lightning struck the stars
blinding the eyes
a new kingdom of snow & moon came to light
frost covered the ribs &
ice covered the bones
polar bears hunted sheep
among cotton fields of
daisies
gardenias &
jasmine
spider silk hung from quartz so
doctors bleached the walls of the
ivory citadel
teeth bit into
coconut flesh &
banana slices
washed down with milk
alabaster dishes of
cauliflower
onion &
garlic rice
sugar
salt &
flour into
whipped cream marshmallow mushrooms
then came lines of cocaine
the semen absorbed by tissue
chalk dust asbestos
blanched the lungs
of the elderly albino
who held the perfect pearl
to the clouds
carbon smoke scorched the night
billowing from coal chasms
where bats roost
soot gathered in blankets
over globs of tar
ravens & crows emerged from
holes in the bitumen
beside the oil river where
rubber tyres float
shadows hid
spiders eyeing
ants trailing
ink down
vinyl
the pupils of panthers closed
charred asphalt twisted
into a central abyss
where gorillas guarded
the dark emperor
of the onyx caverns
a silhouette sat cloaked
on a throne of obsidian
A sneak preview of the upcoming Interopia book The 10th Kingdom by Arem Kahnr, available May 2013
update of WNIREIL
Quickly and surely the website interopia.com has taken the world by storm. The site’s members, who call themselves Interopians, hail from 111 countries, nations that cover a vast majority of the world’s surface. English-speaking countries are those with the most members, but there are notable exceptions. For example, the second-ranked country is Vietnam, where Interopia is currently based. There are also sizable populations of Interopians in Germany, Saudi Arabia, and Russia.
It’s interesting to see the countries Interopia has yet to penetrate. While we are popular in Vietnam and nearby Laos (due to our physical presence), the site has yet to make an impact in other communist countries like China or Cuba, or in the so-called ‘outposts of tyranny’ of North Korea, Burma, and Iran. Much of Africa and Central Asia has yet to discover the magic of Interopia. In Europe, all but Lithuania, Kosovo, and Montenegro have been inducted. The only countries remaining in South America are Bolivia, Paraguay, Suriname, and French Guiana. My good friend Dr. Tiwtta has family in Bolivia, so I blame him for not getting the ball rolling over there.
We look forward to the challenge of putting an Interopian in all 193 of the Earth’s countries…and Antarctica. We will not rest until we attain total global influence. In the comments below, please let us know where you come from, and how you became an Interopian.
How do I come up with my ideas? It’s a difficult question to answer. Sometimes they come gradually, and I seem to take part in their formation. Other times the music, images, words, or ideas just pop right in there, already fully formed. Perhaps an easier question to answer would be “When do you come up with your ideas?” There do seem to be certain points during the daily routine that the number of ideas tends to increase. Below are three of the main moments. As you’ll see, they aren’t exactly the times most conducive to remembering something, and the greatest tragedy is all of those lost thoughts that could have been masterpieces but will never see the light of day.
1. On the Road
Whether driving a car or a motorbike, something about navigating the roads always seems to get the ideas flowing. Sometimes it’s out on the open highway. Sometimes it’s a crowded urban commute. The body often goes on autopilot when maneuvering a vehicle, and the mind is allowed access to the subconscious, harnessing the infinite spring of energy from which we are created. The trick is to recognize and remember when a great idea occurs.
Sometimes I have to repeat the words or tune over and over like a mantra, so that by the time I get to my destination I can still remember it and somehow record it. On longer trips it may be necessary to pull over in order to write down or record the idea. The best option is to have an audio or video recorder always running when on the road, so that no idea can slip away.
2. In the Bathroom
Whether it’s showering, shaving, brushing your teeth, or doing something else, the bathroom is a mystical place that can really jumpstart the creative process. Some say it’s the reflective properties of the mirror. Others say it’s the cleansing powers of water. But the inspirational potential of the restroom is a well documented phenomenon seen throughout history, from Archimedes to Emmett Brown. Even an entire religion, The Church of the Subgenius, has recognized the use of the toilet as a form of meditation.
3. On the Brink of Sleep
It’s that moment when moments themselves begin to cease to exist. The borderland between reality and dream. When the mind turns inward and the train of thought starts slipping sideways until it’s headed towards the land of symbols. This is the hardest moment to capture and bring back, because it can be hard to dip your hand in the sand of this land without getting sucked in. If you do manage to hold onto the strange revelations and return to the conscious world, the urge is strong to allow sleep to overcome you again. But if you can resist the temptation to return to sweet slumber, and if you can somehow document it, then this can be one of the deepest and most rewarding moments of inspiration. Best to sleep next to a notebook and voice recorder.
In which situations do you feel the best ideas come to you? Let me know in the comments below!
I would give anything to read a list of all the strange coincidences I have experienced during the course of my life. Sadly, I’ve forgotten most of them to the depths of time. Which is why I have finally started to write them down when they happen. Though I must recall the sad truth that I have forgotten so many mind-blowingly unlikely coincidences, at least I can take some comfort in knowing that recording a few is better than not recording any. Today comes the second installment in the series.
By day I am a teacher, as you can see from the Education section, and these days I’m doing a lot of tutoring. My oldest student is a Vietnamese man in his 40s. Teaching him is easy because he prepares everything that he wants to be taught and I just have to go in and help him with pronunciation. For the first few lessons, he had me teaching him how to sing English language songs from the 70s and 80s, like disco group Boney M and pop single “You’re My Heart, You’re My Soul“. Lately, he has really been trying to get all the phonemes of English down, focusing on mastering the sounds that aren’t found in Vietnamese, like j, p, th, and z. It was the lesson he had prepared for today that was the coincidence.
After studying animals for a while, he took out another vocabulary list, one with the names of fruit. It was a list of all the fruits in Vietnamese translated into English. In the margin of the paper I read where he had printed out the list from. Interopia.com. I realized I had never told this particular student about my site. He had just randomly found my Encyclopedia of Vietnamese Fruit, printed it out and brought it to class without ever realizing he was showing it to the very creator of that list and owner of that site.
I’d call that a coincidence.
My whole life there have been so many moments that were so coincidental that my mind was immediately blown. When they happened I usually dwelled on them for minutes, hours, or days. Each of them on their own seemed unlikely to happen in any life, but all of them taken together seemed even more unbelievable. If I had made a complete list of these coincidences, it would be an amazing read. Unfortunately, I didn’t make a habit of recording them, and I forgot most of them after a few days.
But not anymore.
From now on, whenever one occurs, I will make note of it here. Since I plan on keeping this site for the rest of my life, in a few decades time there should be a pretty crazy list of coincidences collected. It will also be interesting to hear from all of you about the coincidences that occur in your lives.
Once, when I was about 10 years old, my parents were going to have some friends over for dinner. Half an hour before their arrival, the phone rang. Keep in mind this was in the days before Caller ID, so we didn’t even know who was calling. Immediately, I said “It’s probably them saying they can’t come.” I don’t know why I said that, but it turned out to be true. Either the husband or the wife had suddenly taken ill, and they couldn’t come. My young mind couldn’t believe I had predicted it.
Just a few days ago, I was on my computer. While some of my favorite sites were loading up, I checked to see which of my contacts were online. I noticed my brother had sent me a one-word message. Samsara, it said. I replied Cool, not really knowing what he was talking about. I simply knew it was a Buddhist term. I went back to my browser, and the very first page I saw was from a torrent site. My eyes immediately honed in on the word Samsara. I couldn’t believe it. My brother’s message and my viewing of that site had come within seconds of each other, and before then I had heard nothing about Samsara, the new movie from the makers of Baraka. It just seems like it was meant to happen, especially considering the theme of the movie. I still haven’t seen the film, but I know I must as soon as possible.
According to the book The Celestine Prophecy, these crazy coincidences are like lights that guide us through life. It will pay off to notice them, remember them, and follow them. I will keep you posted on the next one I experience. Let me know about yours.
a fish one day traversed the sea
stopped at shore and sand
yet it had no feet
it could not walk
it never crossed the land
each of us would like to think
we understand the world
but we only know the workings
of the womb in which we’re curled
Click for animation.
interopia 