I build with wizards, fight with warriors, love with fairies, dance with shaman, study with gods, cook with witches, play with healers, converse with trees, create with artists, laugh with sages, meditate with priests..
We have been blessed with divine gifts, lets focus our abilities and live as agents of great change.. peace
daoud
from humble agreement> acceptance of a seed >thought> gestation>thought >growth> sacrifice> harmony> selflessness> birth of a new life and rebirth of your own. you are glorious, thank you mothers for giving us physical life, for giving us a home, teaching us love. You are Divine. PEACE
-daoud
We are children of love, born in war, conceived with the passion to battle deception & ignorance, to transcend the misfortune of our foreparents, we overcome, build & shine. Our existence, health and strength is a miracle, we are the BEST PART for this I AM thankful.
(25)
PEACE
Daoud
Sinai is amazing, Ras Sinai where we stayed is a beautiful place, the living accommodations are thatched huts and cabanas, inside the floor and walls are lined with woven locally made rugs (Ihad to get one for myself), the combination of brown and the bright colors of the rugs is perfect.
the highlight of the day was snorkeling over the coral reef. The reef begins as soon as you step off the shore and extends about 100 feet at about 3 feet deep. Its filled with an array of different sea life, schools of fish, strange water creatures that inhabit the reef below, fish of various shapes sizes and colors. After about 100 feet off shore the reef ends and theres a sudden drop off, all you see is blue water, the sea floor is no longer visible, because it happens so abruptly its slightly frightening, once you take a moment to adjust its a beautifully humbling & overwhelming experience..
after snorkeling we hung out on the beach, a small group of local Bedouin girls approached us with items for sale, its interesting to experience children doing business, having sales skill and hageling prices, thay had some cool stuff..
the rest of the day was spent chilling by the beach, and taking in the experience, I particularly enjoyed a sea side hammock… more to come
peace
-daoud
http://www.ras-sinai.com/
6am we arrive, its amazing mountainous desert meets the red sea, a small village of thatched cabanas and inhabited huts,by isreali rastas, hippies, the open minded, a few european travelers, and native egyptians… we realx on the beach for a few hours, eat then meet a cool isreali couple that invites us to join them on a trip to an egyptian market. we arrive at the market around 12 pm, there are shops, peddlers, tables full of merchandise everywhere, because we are want to get a fair price we are advised not to take pictures in the market (if they se a nice camera we wont get any deals) Through all the salesmen attempting to draw us into shops, we are drawn to one in particular, its filled with beautiful merchandise..
the owner of the market is real cool.. Muxsley Adams (hope im spelling it correctly) he’s nubian, been married to an american woman in te past so he speaks very good English, i should have asked him how he got his name, anyway, his shop is full of great stuff, he offers us tea and assures us not to ask prices until we have chosen what we want we drink tea and brows through the merchandise, his selection is amazing, from fabrics to stones, woodwork, metals, he even has rare Nubian metal work, in a box he pulled out after we had been there awhile (we were in his store over an hour) Khay got an amazing piece…
After shopping we spent he rest of the day relaxing (we hadn’t slept in two days) the beach is amazing, the people are all really laid back, we found out that many people stay for weeks or months at a time, beacuse its such a remote location the prices are extremely affordable… more to come..
Peace
-daoud
So far, we have been awake in 2 day shifts – we run and experience for two days straight then rest at the end of the 2nd day. A great way to use the time and experience all that is here to see.. So after eating a home cooked meal (I helped,) we ran off to catch a bus 5 hrs to Sinai, Egypt.. We missed the bus (well it was full unless we were down for a 5 hr stand.)
We decided to take the time to explore downtown Tel-Aviv, we wandered the streets, our host called many friends in attempt to find a a location for our 3 hr wait. We ended up in flourantine & running into one of his people, we rested at his place for a couple of hours. The people I have encountered here are very hospitable: their home is your home, we ate drank and talked for a bit.. Then, off to the bus, we hop a cab back to the station, buy tickets and wait a half hour.. the bus ride was cool, it was a nighttime journey through desert.. there wasnt much to see, there is no light in the desert, the stars and darkness are amazing.
we arrive around 1am in Ehlot ..this is the Israeli Miami Beach/Vegas.. boardwalk, shops, people partying.. we walk around for a few hrs, grab some food and see the sights, then catch a cab to the Isreal/Egypt border.. we walked from Israel to Egypt as we enter the Israeli side of border security it’s pretty polished and relaxed, everything is new, as soon as we reach the gate. Khay and I hear music being played over the loud speaker and exchange a surprised look, its the into to rage against the machines, “killin in the name of” one of my favorite songs, and the inspiration of a CDTBK design which comments on the politics in this part of the world (surreal to say the least.) We breeze through the Isreali side of things.
Once we reach Egypt, things are a bit different, the security building is older, less decorative (go figure,) it now about 4am so the staff is a bit grumpy; they are kind of taken back by Our names again. “Where you from, before America?” “not Egyptian?, Nigeria” “where your grandfather from?” In this part of the world they have a hard time understanding the western history and experience of Black people, once they satisfy their curiosity we enter Egypt. Directly outside we are greeted by about 15 Bedoin men dressed in traditional Arab clothing; they control he taxi business. Its amazing these are the men who in the past would have led caravans of camels, now they guide travelers via car and van… We sit and joke with them, and after about an hour and a half wait and enough travelers to fill a van we are off to our location a place call Ras Shatan (devils head) named after a rock that resembles a head over looking the ocean..
more to come…
peace – daoud
So we arrived at the Dead sea just before sunrise. Actually, we arrived simultaneously, it was amazing, humbling, energizing and cleansing.
Imagine a large body of water that is so rich in minerals that it cannot sustain life, yet feels alive. As we entered the sea, there is a layer of mud/clay that very similar to quicksand you walk and sink, once you get past it and are immersed to your waist in the sea, you understand the power of this body of water, it is impossible to sink, you float, you must use your body to remain upright, you float on the water like your a floatation device, it unlike anything else I have ever experienced. It almost an alien experience, otherworldly, which makes sense because it is at the earths lowest point. Its as closest to the core that you can be while on the surface of the earth.
It is bordered by mountainous desert on both sides, you see the country Jordan across the water. The sea is so saturated it feels like oil on your skin, so it never really dries, there are natural hot mineral pools and fresh water Jacuzzis – where fresh water bubbles from the earth to form cool pools. This place is transformative, theres something about being so close to “death” that you become closer to life. Its energizing, the meditation and thought that it inspired is unmatched in my life; so much so that i took few pictures and forgot to take rocks.. i feel i left this place with all that i needed..gotta run.
more to come..
Peace
After a long night talking, eating sharing ideas with our hosts good friends, we woke up and went to the old city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem almost feels like a college town until you reach the old city. Here you are encountered by a lot of security and people traveling from all over the world to the experience the holy place of Islamic, Jewish and Christian faith. Understand Jerusalem is controlled by Jews; there are Christian tourists and pilgrims everywhere, and in the middle of all this from across the wall that divided Palestine from Jerusalem we hear the call to prayer. The juxtaposition of all these now conflicting ideologies and the reality that they are so closely related become undeniably apparent.
Continue reading “Daoud: Message From Isreal (Day 3)” »
So, after clearing airport security at Newark approaching my gate, I’m met with a surprise there is a 2nd security check point – yup after the standard airport security dance there is another before you can board the plane… this is my introduction to Israel.. So 9 hrs in they announce that Israeli policy that all passengers remain seated with no exceptions for the last 45 minutes before landing. That means if you need to use the bathroom your out of luck. By the way this announcement was made 15 before the 45 min lock-down so there’s a mad rush for bathroom time before lock-down lol.
we land, things seem cool, the airport is beautifully designed, we get to the customs window and after a few questions, we are asked to wait on the side (they keep our passports)… a few minutes go by and we are escorted to a waiting area, then ushered into a security office. Interestingly enough, all the security officers are female which makes it less ominous. we are asked a series of questions, whats your fathers name, whats your grandfathers name, are you Muslim, do you know what your name means, did you chose this name or was it given to you? Why did your parents name you Daoud? After being sent back to the waiting area and then called into another office with another female officer, im asked the same series of questions, we actually have a short convo about, why black people give their children “ethnic” names, the reclaiming of heritage and culture (i figure of all places that should be understood here.) Anyway, I’m sent back to wait again.. two hrs pass and then we can finally leave, two black americans in Israel both with arabic 1st and last names may be a bit much for security, yet they got over it!
We meet the friend that is waiting to pick us up, and he drives us to his families home where we are greeted by his mother. She looks like my family; really resembles my grandmothers younger sister, although they are from Yemen, not puerto rico go figure…. And so the journey begins! Tel Aviv is beautiful – it reminds me of california, and Capetown: palm trees ocean and stucko buildings… its only 10 am… we’ll see what the rest of the day unfolds i understand i will soon see jerusalem and the dead sea.. and there are whispers of a few days in egypt… i’l keep you posted..Peace
Day1 Part2
We ended up spending the day at the beach in Tel Aviv with a bunch of new found Israeli friends, people from Ethiopia & Yemen. The sand is like fine powder and the water is warm and crystal clear… we are now off to Jerusalem, with plans to camp in the dead sea tomorrow.
More to come..
Daoud (@daoudabeid)
1) If we live free & in the now, when should we focus on the future? If something is not “right” now can we cultivate it to become so?
2) Is “future” a Fruit of the seeds of now? Can we plant these seeds w/ intention & expectation & be free? A farmer must maintain the crop
3)Or is “future” a reaction to how insight & intuition guides us? The destination guided by the heart? Like the path of the hunter?
4)Can we actually think in the present if intention is for future? if we are thinking/ crafting an idea to be actualized, are we living in the moment?
5)In your opinion what are examples of being with in the “NOW”
6)When in life have you experience freedom? And discovered truth through being?
7)how does “being in the now” relate to stillness?
8)how does “being in the now” relate to motion?
some things to ponder
Peace
daoud
Droppin' Jewels, Word from The Creators | Daoud *Brooklyn Sheikh* June 12, 2011 | 
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