Books by Eric Douglas

Thriller fiction and Non-fiction

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Touring the town

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Day 2 ended up being tour-the-town day. We ended up taking a tourist train with recorded tour information in several languages. It makes it much easier to get the lay of the land that way.

I’m always amazed when tours mention dates, referring to still standing structures, from 500 to 1000 years ago and include names like Charlemagne. I’m also blown away when I hear names or places mentioned in history like Aquitaine and Richelieu (extra points for the first person to give me the literary reference to Richelieu.)

Probably more interesting about Bordeaux is what happened here in 1995, though. The city had been known as a jewel in France. It was said to be a glorious beauty in its day rivaling all but Paris. But, that beauty had fallen into disrepair. So, in 1995, the mayor launched a revitalization plan. He built a very nice, very efficient tram system to move the people around and began cleaning the facades on all the buildings. With that work and those efforts, the city was also named a UNESCO World Heritage site giving it protection and recognition. It’s a really beautiful city with fantastic architecture, all made from stone.

On an unrelated note, my concern about language has been mitigated because we’ve had a translator hanging around with us the last couple days. She is a young Russian girl living here with her French husband and 4 year old son. She’s been great helping us out. I’m not sure if she was assigned to us, or just attached herself to us, but she’s been there. But, the cool thing is we helped her get a job. All right, not really, but she just interviewed for a job with a company that would rely on her language abilities. During the interview, she said she stumbled a bit with her English. So, she’s been practicing with us the last few days, and when they called her yesterday about the job, she made sure to tell them she had been with us and practicing her English. We all got a good laugh out of it.

Last night we went to the opening of the film festival, complete with local sparkling wine, snacks (the French don’t really call them hors d’ oeuvres), talks, more food and vodka) Nice evening and my friends and I all got to set down front in the VIP section since I am an official participant in the festival. Very cool and a lot of fun.

Last few days, the weather has been pleasant and mild, but they keep saying we are supposed to get rain..

Exhibition in Bordeaux

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Yesterday was a full-on success. And I had a blast.

The opening for my photo exhibit here in Bordeaux was held at a wine shop/gallery that uses their space to exhibit art. The space itself is only about 6 meters wide, but 60 meters deep. The back two-thirds are used for gatherings, tasting and art. Very, very cool place.

When I arrived in Bordeaux after the typical overnight flight, I was pretty shell-shocked. (Have I mentioned my general inability to sleep on planes?) A very tight connection in Paris had gotten my blood pressure up, but it all went well and I made it here without a hitch. I was fortunate enough to get picked up at the airport by some associates of the group putting on the film festival. It’s mildly amusing that I will just get in a car with anyone standing in an airport with my name on a sign…

From the airport, we went straight to the exhibit because I was bringing my photographs with me. We quickly got things sorted out and hung on the walls. The first three or four sets were in an around the wine racks, but then the rest of the images took over the rest of the facility. When I first looked at the walls, I wasn’t sure how it was going to work. They had had local artists paint murals on the walls and I was a little concerned it would distract from the images. But it really seemed to work and the murals just became background. The name of the gallery is L’oenolimit—emphasis on the No Limit. Great place and two new friends (the owners) as well.

After we got the done, it was to the hotel for a couple hours to rest and change clothes and then back to the opening. There were about 40 people there for the opening, which was a little smaller than in Russia, but there were a great crowd, very interested and asked a lot of questions. We were even able to take a walking tour of the photos with me explaining the groups and the situation. It was a lot of fun. And, of course, the owners of L’oenolimit had set out wines for tasting and one of the sponsors of the film festival had set out a selection of snack. All in all, a great day.

Today will be some sightseeing for the afternoon and then to the opening of the film festival itself. We had dinner with an Academy Award winning director last night who created some new animation technique. Should be an interesting evening.

I posted some first day images on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=223280&id=839029017&l=1bef4ccd31.

Next stop, France!

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Tomorrow morning I leave for Bordeaux, France. I’ve never been there. Never been to France at all, and for some reason I am a little more nervous about this trip than any international trip I’ve taken in a while.

I’m going for the third solo exhibit of my Russian photodocumentary, “Russia, Coming of Age.” A couple dear friends are going with me, so I am sure it will be a blast. And it’s not like I’ve never traveled out of the country—this is my third international trip this year alone, and the second new country for the year as well.

I think I’m mildly intimidated by the language. I actually took French in high school and college. So, I should know some, or at least more than I do. But, unfortunately, I remember very little. Every story I’ve ever heard about the French is they tend to be critical of foreigners, and especially Americans, who can’t do much with their language. I am sure it’s not true, or at least no more true than an American’s impatience with visitors here who can’t speak English, but it has me a bit off-kilter.

On the other hand, two events lately have reminded me how very short life can be. In one case a friend of a friend and in another case a family member, but two people have recently have been diagnosed with cancer and within a few weeks been gone or are expected to pass away any day. In just a few weeks they’ve gone from healthy and vital, to gone leaving family and friends struggling to understand what just happened.

Which leads me to my point. I haven’t written much in the last couple weeks as I’ve been home and have just been preparing for upcoming travel and simply taking care of life. Whether travel is your thing, volunteering, painting or whatever, take the time to do it and do it well. Experience life and don’t be afraid to try it. I’ve known too many people over the years who’ve told me they “wanted to try…” but they never got around to it. While I know that is the natural tendency of all of us, I just hate to hear it. I know it represents opportunity lost.

So, assuming I have internet access this next week, I will post my experiences discovering a new place and I’ll let you know if my fears are founded in reality or legend. I hope you take the time to follow along. But, not too much time. Get out and have some of your own experiences while you’re at it.

If you want to practice your French, here is the website for the exhibit: http://cinemarusse.blogspot.com/2010/03/les-evenements-en-cadre-du-festival.html.

Standing up for the Oceans

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I don’t go see many movies. Time, travel, money and life seem to get in the way a lot. I understand I miss a lot of cool stuff, and I love the movies, it just doesn’t seem to work out.

But there was one I really wanted to see. The DisneyNature distributed “Oceans.” So, last night, I trekked off the theater with a couple friends and was not disappointed. Well, not in the movie, at least. It starts a little slow, but where do you start when you’re talking about something as vast and diverse as the ocean? Watching the closing credits, you realize the producers logged literally millions of air miles to make this project happen. I would love to have their budget for a project.

The movie itself was visually stunning. Of course, they focused on the marine mammals (dolphins, whales, sea lions, otters), and the big, cool or pretty animals (turtles, octopus, jellyfish, sharks). Those are the things that attract attention and what people want to see. At the same time, they showed the amazing diversity that is marine life. Favorite laugh line from the narration “Down here, it looks like nature tried everything” or something to that affect, commenting on the incredible variety of shapes, sizes and configurations animals display.

So, what disappointed me? The turn out. Opening night, on the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, and the local theater only had it on one screen. And that theater was only half full at the 8:30 showing. (I just heard that the earlier show was “pretty full”) Granted, school night and all that, but come on.

A few years ago when Mel Gibson released The Passion local churches were renting out movie theaters and taking their entire congregations to see the film. It was a way to initiate discussions. They took advantage of a multi-million dollar marketing effort to get people talking on a local level. So, dive community, why aren’t we doing the same thing? Maybe some of you out there are and I’ve just missed it. If so, way to go! But think about it. What could be better for our business than an hour and a half long exploration of the every ocean on the planet?

A friend asked me yesterday “why isn’t the marine/diving community angry about what is happening to the oceans?” I didn’t have a really good answer to that. We should be, but it seems as if there is no immediate disaster to respond to so we don’t want to deal with coral reefs dying and fisheries collapsing. As divers we have a unique perspective on the ocean that most people will never get to see. We need to stand up and make people want to learn, to understand and to talk about it..

Sandcastle

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I was 11 the first time I saw the ocean.

I always find that interesting in contrast to the fact that I make my living around things to do with the water and ocean and the amount of time my daughters have spent at the ocean—and neither of them is 11 yet. They have probably made 20 separate trips to the ocean. Some day trips, others longer, but still they have spent an incredible amount of time on the beach.

I do remember that first trip, though. It was to Myrtle Beach. Must have been the summer of 78. A long time ago and a lot has changed since then—for me and Myrtle Beach both. . I remember running into the water the first time, like I had done hundreds of times before into Lake Chaweva where I learned to swim and spent most of my summers. I dived into the water and came up sputtering—SALT!!!!! Ok, not my proudest moment, but it was the first time I had seen the ocean.

Obviously, though, that experience left a lasting impression on me. And today, I can tell when I’ve been away too long. I need some ocean time. I miss the ocean and I like to think the ocean misses me. Ok, I realize that might be a bit much, but spending time staring at the ocean calms me and helps me think.

And then there are days like today, when the pressure of the world away from the ocean intrudes on what is supposed to be my restful time. And how do I react? Help the two most precious people in the world build a sandcastle. Dig and stack and pat and play. Dig and find a sand crab. Listen to the girls squeal and then try to find more.

As I was doing this, I asked myself “Is there some metaphor here? Does the sandcastle’s impermanence mean something? The waves will come and take it away. It will be just a memory, and hopefully a memory in the lives of my girls. Like my splash into the ocean the first time.

But then I rethink and say, no, there is no metaphor here. It’s a sandcastle. Don’t over think it. Relax and have fun..

Connections

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I’ve written a lot about the connections we make with people as we travel, and how that is really the point of traveling. If you’re not connecting with people, not understanding people, there is no point.

That said, life sometimes is about the connections we make simply as people come and go through our lives. We meet people, fall in love, become friends and experience a full range of other emotions. The people you expect to play a vital role may not, but other people influence your lives for years to come.
I’ve spent a great weekend with one such family. In all honesty, I have no idea why this family has chosen to be so much a part of my life. I’m confident I’ve not given them nearly as much as they have given me over the years. They’ve been a second family—friends, parents, benefactors, inspirations and cajolers. If it weren’t for this group of people, there is not a doubt in my mind I would not be where I am today—both literally and figuratively.

For a few years we were separated but as we’ve reconnected in the last couple years, its as if there was never any time away. So, I just want to say thank you Simmons family. I am very, very proud to call all of you friends. Jim and Ginny, Dewey and Melissa (Blair), Cameron and Amber and Granny. You are all priceless to me.

The bigger point, though, is those connections we make throughout our lives will change and influence us in ways we will never expect. If you connect with someone expecting something in return, wondering what people can do for you or trying to get something, you might get it, but you’re missing the bigger picture. If you’re afraid to open yourself up because you’re afraid it might be tough, you might get hurt or it might not work out the way you expect, you may be missing something really amazing. Don’t be afraid to open yourself up to possibilities, you never know where it might take you.

Sorry if this line of thought was a little esoteric. It was my musing as I walked down the beach this morning on Topsail Island. A perfect day, not too many people around, the air was warm and the water felt good on my feet. Ironically, other than a couple “good mornings” I didn’t speak to a soul. But, when I turned around, I noticed my own footsteps in the sand. I snapped a quick photo with my phone before the waves took it away. As I thought about it, I realized we each make footprints every day. We just never know how long they are going to last. And when they fade from our vision, they don’t always fade from memory, and those steps may change our lives and the lives of the people around us..

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