Ali, we salute you! You are missed.

G O O D B Y E . A L I . J A N U A R Y . 2 0 0 7

Please be patient while waiting for your remembrance to appear.

Guestbook   Show guestbook | Sign guestbook   # Page: 1 | 2 |  EntryNo: 20  Date: Thursday 17:38 11.01.2007 Stephen I met Ali in the early to mid-90's not long after he arrived in Portland and began playing on our coed soccer team (Kambucha aka Testro Estro). Ali had come to Portland after having lived through the bombing in Baghdad during the Gulf War. He was always generous, kind, unassuming and respectful toward anyone fortunate to know him (his wonderful heart and soul will continue to inspire kindness!). Ali loved watching films and had come to know his mother's birth country and culture by watching western movies in the 60's (like 007 and The Time Machine). Ali was sometimes awkward socially, I believe, because of his mixed cultural background (Iraqi vs. North American). That is one of the attributes that I found so appealing about Ali - his willingness to be open and vulnerable to the world... Ali will be missed, but his kind spirit will remain within our collective memory...  EntryNo: 19  Date: Wednesday 09:22 10.01.2007 Sam When I first met Ali, we had teamed up trying to start a bonfire in Ayleen's backyard. All the while, we discussed politics, Iraq... but mainly discussed people. That's a very special gift - the ability to discuss people. Talking about how they're all so similar yet different. Discussing their true desires and aspirations. Ali had eyes that could see right through a person, and knew what really made them tick. But he never let that go to his head. I saw him afterwards at other bike socials, but I regret that we never had conversations nearly so deep in the years that followed. You are missed, Ali.  EntryNo: 18  Date: Tuesday 22:34 09.01.2007 Rose R.I.P. ALI. I only knew you from the bike rides. it was always good to see you. You played guitar beautifully and brought along delicious tea and made from scratch brownies from your household. thanks for sharing that and for being you. all the best to your mom.  EntryNo: 17  Date: Tuesday 16:48 09.01.2007 Dan How very sad for Ali to be gone. You just never know what will happen in this life. I remember the very first time I heard him sing, which was at Karaoke at Chopsticks in Dec. 2002, I must confess I didn't know what to think of his voice. He chose, of all things, Stairway to Heaven, a song that people like me raised in the embrace of American/Western pop culture may have worshipped at age 15 (I know I did) but "got over" long ago. So it seemed funny to see this guy singing it with complete sincerity in his gentle falsetto. Subsequently he brought his guitar along on every single MMR and many other rides and I realized that he had a real gift at both playing and singing. As a singer/songwriter myself, but somewhat reluctant performer, I truly admired the way he just did his thing, in his gentle, bend your ear to listen kind of way. The world is so full of shouters, but Ali was the kind who had an important presence precisely because he was unassuming.  EntryNo: 16  Date: Sunday 21:35 07.01.2007 amy i'm so sad when i look at those pictures and listen to ali's songs. i met ali during bikesummer & over the years developed an interesting friendship with him. ali was a special person--i didn't always know where he was coming from. at times ali would say strange things. one time i got angry at him for something he said, and i didn't speak to him for months. then i saw him at the MMR last april after filmed by bike, and he offered me hot tea from his thermos, and asked me why i was angry. we had a very honest conversation that left me feeling so tender and touched that he had sought my friendship. that was my last conversation with ali. i wish i had seen him again but i'm grateful that i had a brief window into his world and that we got to repair a connection. that last conversation inspires me to strive for honesty and respect in all my interactions. peace, ali, may you be loved forever wherever you are.  EntryNo: 15  Date: Saturday 21:56 06.01.2007 Jason Stone I first met Ali at Jeff Bernards Oxbow Bicycle Camping trip in 2002. We spoke about many things, as he was concerned about the upcoming war in Iraq and his family there. That was just one of the many thing I discussed with this beautiful man. A few years later, after many camping trips and other cycling events, he took me under his wing mentoring me on how to play the guitar, while I turned him on to the electric guitar while he played the acustic guitar, and he would cycle over to my house with his hybrib acustic-electric guitar. We even wrote a song together, called "Shine on Through". As soon as it came out, he gave me one of his CD's he just made of beautiful music with his angelic voice over his great guitar playing. I couldn't wait for him to return from his LA trip to show him my new guitar amplifier that we could both plug our guitars into, but he never came back. I will always miss such a beautiful soul. Jason D. Stone  EntryNo: 14  Date: Thursday 23:33 04.01.2007 charlita I met Ali years ago doing T-Horses in the park. he would show up every week (that guy was dedicated once he liked something) with his guitar strung for a lefty, and play beautifully. He was always so helpful and curious. Maybe I didn't try hard enough to know him back then, but i loved seeing him around his soft gentle spirit moving through the world. Thanks for hanging out with us in Portland, and for your beautiful mystery ride song. It's kind of eerie, but lovely and mysterious, like him. blessed be ali. Looking forward to you haunting the ride!  EntryNo: 13  Date: Wednesday 22:43 03.01.2007 West Cougar Thanks Ayleen. That story from the Ambassadorial visit is classic Ali. He went at his own pace, and not for a moment presumed others should slow to his or he speed up to theirs. He was at peace with himself and the world. We all should be so lucky.  EntryNo: 12  Date: Wednesday 22:35 03.01.2007 West Cougar Ali and friends camping on Govt Island » click to enlarge «Indeed Ali will be missed. He was the quintessential ?quiet, unassuming type?. Seeing him arrive for a ride was always a source of joy. It meant in this fast-paced world of change, visiting and riding along side Ali would be like it had always been. It is nice in life to have things that can always be counted upon, and Ali both his presence and his character were steady and dependable, and all the more comforting for it. Peace Ali.  EntryNo: 11  Date: Wednesday 22:09 03.01.2007 Aaron Ali; Words alone are insufficient to express how much you have contributed to the community. You were the zen-master of the bicycling community. Always the slow steady stream, flowing peacefully over the land. I remember being at the ECT clinic and helping brainstorm a bike-light issue that Ali was having only a couple of weeks ago. May your soul lead a peaceful transition and continue to bring warmth. www.yourbodypower.org next page »