My coming was foretold

[asakiyume]

On Friday at the jail I was noticing how much they announce you're coming--each stage of the way. "Central control, one volunteer up to you," says the guy at the main desk, and then "One volunteer in the sally port," says the guy at central control," and then "Programs, one volunteer in the elevator," and so on. It made me feel, yesterday, like the fulfillment of a very short-term prophecy.

And speaking of sally ports, did you know--I did not, until I Google-searched the word just now--that although the relevant definition in this instance is "a secure entryway (as at a prison) that consists of a series of doors or gates," the first definition is "a gate or passage in a fortified place for use by troops making a sortie," and that if you look up images you will find lots of castles? Yes indeed. Whereas, the sally port at the jail has always made me think of a space station's airlock. One heavy metal door opens, you go in, it shuts, and you're in a tiny room. Then the heavy metal door on the other side opens, and you're inside the jail proper.

(Not only was my coming foretold, but I have an invisible ultraviolet stamp on my hand. I don't know what it says because I can't see it. It's like a stamp admitting you to a club, only really it's to let you **leave** the club, because most people can't. Hotel California and all that.)

And speaking of prophecies, I was talking to one woman about a book she was reading, and as she described the action and the main character's situation, I realized it was a retelling of the Iliad from Cassandra's point of view. It was Firebrand by Marion Zimmer Bradley. So that was really fun and cool. I have not actually ever read any Marion Zimmer Bradley, but maybe I'll read that one, because she's going to write an essay on it. It's long though, wow. Maybe I'll just dip in here and there.

Comments

[xjenavivex.livejournal.com]

Your magical jouney continues, now with prophecy.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Everything's better with a little bit of prophesying :D

[xjenavivex.livejournal.com]

What's for dinner, my wonderful friend?

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Funny you should ask: I was thinking of trying to cook some Indian stuff. Maybe Indian-style spinach and then... not sure what else.

How about you?

[xjenavivex.livejournal.com]

Recipe?

I am microwaving lasagna from a box. It isn't the full family version but the step down so I am going to heat up green beans. I heated a Banquet meal of Salisbury steak and mashed potatoes for Gowan. I did try couscous for lunch in my rice cooker today. It was super easy and awesome.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Mmmm, I love couscous.

I didn't end up doing the spinach, because I looked in my Madhur Jaffrey cookbook and came up with a chicken-in-sweet-red-pepper-sauce recipe (http://www.theworldinmykitchen.com/2011/02/chicken-in-red-sweet-pepper-sauce-go-to.html), with spiced rice. It was pretty good. (I don't want to give you the impression that I cook a meal like that all the time. A lot of times it's just fish sticks from the freezer or broccoli and rice. But tonight I decided to do something special.)

[xjenavivex.livejournal.com]

Stopping by to tell you I made Cuban Chicken and Jerk Chicken this weekend while food adventuring. I like them both.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I want to make Cuban chicken! And jerk chicken! Did you get the recipe online? Can you share?

[xjenavivex.livejournal.com]

Both started with fried green peppers and onion, grilled chicken in a dash of olive oil. The jerk chicken got some of the chicken broth and chuncks of pineapple and jerk seasoning my coworker gave me. I also added a little Thyme. The cuban chicken got two cans of rotel fire roasted tomatoes, a can of mexicorn, and a can of low sodium black beans. I added adobo seasoning, garlic, pepper, oinion powder, a dash of mexican chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes along with a touch of paprika. I cooked both until the thickened and served with rice.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Mmmmm, my mouth is watering. I might try that cuban chicken tonight.

[xjenavivex.livejournal.com]

Oh tomato paste on tge Cuban chicken too.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

thx!

[wuweibaby.livejournal.com]

Open pod bay doors please, HAL


First thing that came to mind ;)

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Right?! I think there's even oxygen in the sally port--in case, y'know... I'm not sure? Or maybe it's a defibrillator. I'll look more closely next time.

[wuweibaby.livejournal.com]

And of course, I love your sketches


Happy Palm Sunday



xoxo

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

I recognize that hand!

I'd always assumed that sally was from French, but actually Latin. (Well, that's underneath French, so to speak)

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Right, Latin is like the bedrock.

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

They give you an ultraviolet stamp at Disneyland, too, if you want to get back into the Park on the same day. They have a special lamp that you hold your hand under to see it/so they can see it.

How neat that one woman was reading something that might interest you.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Yeah, they have that lamp at central control--they can see the mark on my hand when I go in and come out.

Have you read any Marion Zimmer Bradley?

[oiktirmos.livejournal.com]

The ultimate sally port.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWEvp217Tzw&feature=youtu.be&t=18s

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Absolutely!! Yes, totally this.

[syomsong.livejournal.com]

all these gates remind me of Dante... :)

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

There's definitely an aspect of Dante to it!

[syomsong.livejournal.com]

Like army, prison house and some more institutions I happen to know :) Signs, that mark you "a member of this club".

[judo100.livejournal.com]

Is that where the phrase "sally forth" comes from?

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Apparently yes! That's exactly where: (explanation (http://superbeefy.com/where-did-the-expression-sally-forth-come-from-and-what-does-the-phrase-mean/))

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

You coming is foretold, but it's interesting that the prophecy is expected to be fulfilled. When the door opens and you show up, everyone is content - it's when you don't appear that the system starts to worry.

[heliopausa.livejournal.com]

I like this point! :)

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Haha, yes, good point!

prisons

[desmond coutinho (from livejournal.com)]

I think I read this one in a John Grisham book I think it was the Confession. Either that or Sr Prejean's Dead Man Walking which is a lot better than the film. In the sense that it was thoughtful well balanced thoroughly researched whereas the film had two really good actors in it. I have been sending Irom Sharmila Chanu death row books lately just happens. We might be in the middle of a row or she might be giving me the silent treatment or they have gone back to heavily censoring her mail or none of the above. But they mention the ultraviolet thing and for the last bit to the actual death row section you had to put your keys in a bucket which then got hoisted up. According to Grisham I think. Anyway she should have had a hearing last week but I am guessing no judge really wants to be associated with her case coz the police will decide everything and it kinda gets embarrassing for self important people to confront their complete irrelevance. But she may be sent to delhi next week and now is a good time. the delhi students are revolting.

Re: prisons

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I keep seeing news items featuring her, so I feel like she, or her supporters in Manipur, are at least continuing to get her into the public eye. Just the other day there was one about her desire to see Modi. I need to write her a letter; I have some stuff to send her. (You should be getting a letter soon from me, too.)

Re: prisons

[desmondc.livejournal.com]

I didn't notice any support in Manipur. I haven't received any mail from her since February though I write her daily. There was a one day conference in Imphal April 5th I think where it cites nearly a dozen NGOs and CSOs all meeting to support her. None of the people actually visit her because of the illegal isolation order no longer challenged. And in the photos of the day there appear to be about 20 people all told. My guess is you refer to the build up to her last Delhi appearance. Odd thing for anyone with any legal training or who has read a Grisham novel. The judge who gave the judgement of conditional release had never heard any of the evidence. He found her not guilty and then added a six month detention order of some kind just in case his verdict was appealed. I think she could have technically averted that by paying 10000 rupees bail. But the way the system works in India she would have been held in custody until that was processed and the Judge just seemed to want to keep her in isolation for that evening. The following morning she was sent back to Imphal where she remains now and will probably never leave. I am less hopeful now. Without the threat of being sent to a slightly less corrupt system in Delhi she really has no power at all. I was trying to get her to stand for the elections Spring 2017. But you know of that plan and she isn't keen. I got your letter I was going to respond. I think its over now. And I do not believe she has any support in Manipur. Even the internet stuff will end soon. Next landmark will be 2020 twentieth anniversary. She is not newsworthy till then. I doubt she will live that long.

[c-maxx.livejournal.com]

MZB did write some AMAZING books! other issues notwithstanding (so you may not be blindsided). I used to be a total devotee... [still am, if not read recently]

Weren't sally ports also used to contain and examine visitors? "Mmm, this one is a little smelly, shall we make them wash?"

You never read Polack's Langue[dot]doc 1305? I seem to have been one of few US orderers, got an autographed copy...

As to your subject, isn't that where we met???
Do you remember?

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I heard about the other issues. These days I think it's better--at least when you want to read for pleasure--to know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the author.

I don't know about that other use of sally ports, but it definitely seems possible. And no, I never did read Langue[doc]doc 1305, but looking at the writeup on Amazon, it looks very cool!

I'm not sure I do remember--I associate our meeting with your telling me stories of your days on the oil rigs. Remind me! Usually when someone reminds me of something I've forgotten, it quickly blossoms back into consciousness. It just needs the water of other people's words and recollections.

[pdlloyd.livejournal.com]

I love the way you connected the announcements at the prison to prophecy. The Firebrand, iirc, is very much about prophecy, but also about how no one really wants prophecy, or prophets, because the truth can be, well, inconvenient and scary. I used to read a lot of MZB. I hope you will enjoy reading her work, if you decide to try it. Although it may seem, on the surface, to be simple fantasy, I found her work often stirred strong feelings in me.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I didn't get the book out this week, but maybe next week, if my student hasn't finished her essay yet, I could get it out and have it with me, at least, when we talk. I should see her tomorrow, and I'll see how things are going.