Back in London, in December, I saw Rachel in a panto at her school. I made a movie and I know everyone loves to see their friends on film so, for those of you who know her or know of her, enjoy:
Friday, February 24, 2006
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
I'm not a conspiracy theorist but...
there are some gaps: 
- Cheney didn't have the right license for the game he was hunting
- he has yet to speak publicly of the the incident
- the press was not informed right away
- was the VP drunk while hunting? is that why he didn't issue a statement or head a press conference right away?
- why are White House doctors still attending to the patient?
- why did the local sherrif call the case closed even while saying he hadn't talked to the victim yet?
- why all the jokes from the White House itself?
- why all the "blame the victim" rhetoric?
- we've seen "the west wing"; when something like this happens, you immediately go to the white house press corps. why did the vp think it best to have a private citizen leak the story to the press? is it perhaps because there were lies being told and having the press sec. tell them would be much more serious than a private citizen?
What could have been a minor blurb is now major news because of the White House's poor communication and extreme ineptitude. Or, perhaps it's a major story because there's something fishy going on... my money's on the drunkeness.
Saturday, February 11, 2006
the loss of engagement...
As most people are aware, right before the State of the Union address, Cindy Sheehan was arrested for wearing a t-shirt in the House's gallery that read, "2,245 Dead. How many more?" It is apparently illegal to protest, demonstrate or otherwise disrupt the proceedings within the Capitol Building. Most people know this story but it bears repeating. Also, read this article. Sheehan is quoted as saying,
I've been bemoaning for a while the complacency that has slipped into our society. Short of implementing a draft, how do we recapture the passion that accompanied Vietnam? Nothing is capable of shocking us anymore and even the most disgusting corruption fails to bat eyes.
Earlier this week there was a speaker on the stage of the Union Theatre; Francis Bok is from Southern Sudan. He was captured at the age of 7 and forced to work as a slave for a full decade of his life before escaping "to the U.S." His speech would normally have grabbed my attention and held on. The struggle for freedom and the human propensity to never give up would normally have pulled me in. This night however, I found I wasn't able to listen. Not because I wasn't interested or felt no compassion but rather because I felt (feel) full. I felt that I couldn't bear to hear any more of the world's woes or any more tales of suffering and injustice. My inability to listen has worried me a lot.
So, how do we get back? What do we have to do? How do we engage? The "American Dream" has gone from a dream for personal betterment and a dream for our children to a dream to regain those freedoms that we once took for granted. Our nation was founded on the principles of equality and freedom but those ideals have been sacrificed in the search for safety. How many of us find ourselves wondering now who's listening to our conversations? Who's reading this post and jotting down notes? Who doesn't like what I had to say about Iran? Who's reading my emails and is it making us safer? Is it making us more engaged or turning us off. I can't listen to stories of struggle because the struggle we're all in is too all-consuming. So I ask again, how do we engage this struggle and how do we pull in the troops? We can't continue down this trail. We can't go into the future longing to first regain the past. I've felt like many, that we're waiting for the hurricane to end so we can assess the damage and think about rebuilding. It feels as if the storm is raging and all we can do is sit it out; we can do nothing to lessen the damage. We, like this post, talk in circles with no conclusion while the foundation is uprooted. What do we do?
Cindy said, "I think the state of the union is very perilous. President Bush is fighting an immoral war, and all I did was wear a T-shirt, and I'm the one who got arrested.'' It's bigger than that tho. We've all become suspects; guilty until proven innocent. We need to raise up before the damage is irreparable.
"That's when the enormity of my loss hit me. I have lost my son. I have lost my First Amendment rights. I have lost the country that I love. Where did America go? I stated crying in pain.''I'm sure I'm not the only one who recognizes those feelings and indeed knows them intimately. Sure, I've never lost a loved one to this war but we've all lost something. What's become of our country? What's become of our prized rights? What's become of our so-called, "moral responsibility"? Where is the American Dream now? What is the American Dream now?
I've been bemoaning for a while the complacency that has slipped into our society. Short of implementing a draft, how do we recapture the passion that accompanied Vietnam? Nothing is capable of shocking us anymore and even the most disgusting corruption fails to bat eyes.
Earlier this week there was a speaker on the stage of the Union Theatre; Francis Bok is from Southern Sudan. He was captured at the age of 7 and forced to work as a slave for a full decade of his life before escaping "to the U.S." His speech would normally have grabbed my attention and held on. The struggle for freedom and the human propensity to never give up would normally have pulled me in. This night however, I found I wasn't able to listen. Not because I wasn't interested or felt no compassion but rather because I felt (feel) full. I felt that I couldn't bear to hear any more of the world's woes or any more tales of suffering and injustice. My inability to listen has worried me a lot.
So, how do we get back? What do we have to do? How do we engage? The "American Dream" has gone from a dream for personal betterment and a dream for our children to a dream to regain those freedoms that we once took for granted. Our nation was founded on the principles of equality and freedom but those ideals have been sacrificed in the search for safety. How many of us find ourselves wondering now who's listening to our conversations? Who's reading this post and jotting down notes? Who doesn't like what I had to say about Iran? Who's reading my emails and is it making us safer? Is it making us more engaged or turning us off. I can't listen to stories of struggle because the struggle we're all in is too all-consuming. So I ask again, how do we engage this struggle and how do we pull in the troops? We can't continue down this trail. We can't go into the future longing to first regain the past. I've felt like many, that we're waiting for the hurricane to end so we can assess the damage and think about rebuilding. It feels as if the storm is raging and all we can do is sit it out; we can do nothing to lessen the damage. We, like this post, talk in circles with no conclusion while the foundation is uprooted. What do we do?
Cindy said, "I think the state of the union is very perilous. President Bush is fighting an immoral war, and all I did was wear a T-shirt, and I'm the one who got arrested.'' It's bigger than that tho. We've all become suspects; guilty until proven innocent. We need to raise up before the damage is irreparable.
Odana Rd...
has long been an enigma for me. I've heard it mentioned, I've even been on it once or twice but the over-all idea of Odana Rd had escaped me. That was, until I took an extended walk on Thursday afternoon. Ostensibly, the walk was to familiarize myself with my extended neighborhood and it did. Odana Road turned out to be nothing more than urban sprawl at its most disgusting. It's ALL strip malls and car dealerships as far as the eye can see. I did find a few things of note however and it's all within walking distance. I spent some time looking at a couple different furniture stores just for fun. There's a cheap-o movie theatre to check out. I found a Nicaraguan restaurant that I'm eager to try and 2 very tasty-looking Indian restaurants. In addition, there is an Indian supermarket that looks very promising and a Christian Family Store! There are a couple different paper/scrapbook stores and another that specializes in crap, floor-to-ceiling. All-in-all Odana Road is revolting but hiding a few gems. ANYway...nice life.
In other news, you're all urged in the most emphatic/homo terms to check out "The Entertainment Beat with Frances Gumm". It's a podcast featuring some dude doing a spot-on impression of Judy Garland. Judy Garland hosting a radio show is hilarious. I've spent a few hours convulsing with giggles. You need to check it out if only to appreciate the impression.
In other news, you're all urged in the most emphatic/homo terms to check out "The Entertainment Beat with Frances Gumm". It's a podcast featuring some dude doing a spot-on impression of Judy Garland. Judy Garland hosting a radio show is hilarious. I've spent a few hours convulsing with giggles. You need to check it out if only to appreciate the impression.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
it's sad but inspiring...
I'm at work, listening to a bunch of brave kids speak about their experiences with HIV/AIDS. Every year I see these inspiring children and counselors speak about their lives either living with the disease themselves or how they were affected by the infection of someone else. What they're doing is trying to raise awareness and money for Camp Heartland. It's a place in the Minnesota woods where kids come together to share their experiences and feel community that is perhaps lacking in their home lives. There is still so much prejudice and fear surrounding people with this disease. Camp Heartland works to dispel that fear and foster understanding. Check out their site: www.campheartland.com
*also, blogger did not recognize the word 'HIV' and suggested a few replacements-that's ruff
*also, blogger did not recognize the word 'HIV' and suggested a few replacements-that's ruff
Friday, February 03, 2006
kinda...
-knock, knock!
-Hello?
-Hey, just wanted to stop by and say 'hey'! We took over the place next door and figured you should know.
-Aren't you those guys that we don't get along with?
-Yeah, but we like everyone to think we're friendly.
-We didn't get along with the last group over there either.
-Well hey, we kept a bunch of people that don't really like you, they're just under new management. Hope you don't mind-we're gonna go ahead and keep a bunch of weapons right there, just for storage. Oh and don't worry about all those weapons on the other side either.
-umm...
-Hey, what're you wear...you guys aren't heathens in there are ya?
-...
-Shit man, my boss doesn't really approve of that lifestyle.
-...
-Anyway guy, it would be great if you didn't arm yourself.
-We just want to turn the lights on.
-Dude, I bet you got lotsa oil tho.
-Yeah but we like to sell it to you and your friends.
-Yeah man, it'd be ruff if you stopped selling - can you just use candles?
-So, you're saying, you have a history of not liking us, you kicked next door's ass, you're gonna keep your weapons all around us, your boss appears to dislike our beliefs, you want our stuff and you want us to just chill without any protection?
-Totally, so we're cool then?
us. iran. extremely simplified.
-Hello?
-Hey, just wanted to stop by and say 'hey'! We took over the place next door and figured you should know.
-Aren't you those guys that we don't get along with?
-Yeah, but we like everyone to think we're friendly.
-We didn't get along with the last group over there either.
-Well hey, we kept a bunch of people that don't really like you, they're just under new management. Hope you don't mind-we're gonna go ahead and keep a bunch of weapons right there, just for storage. Oh and don't worry about all those weapons on the other side either.
-umm...
-Hey, what're you wear...you guys aren't heathens in there are ya?
-...
-Shit man, my boss doesn't really approve of that lifestyle.
-...
-Anyway guy, it would be great if you didn't arm yourself.
-We just want to turn the lights on.
-Dude, I bet you got lotsa oil tho.
-Yeah but we like to sell it to you and your friends.
-Yeah man, it'd be ruff if you stopped selling - can you just use candles?
-So, you're saying, you have a history of not liking us, you kicked next door's ass, you're gonna keep your weapons all around us, your boss appears to dislike our beliefs, you want our stuff and you want us to just chill without any protection?
-Totally, so we're cool then?
us. iran. extremely simplified.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Variety is the spice...
One of the things I love about my job at the Union Theatre is the sometimes dada-ish arrangement of events. On Friday evening I worked a performance by "internationally recognized" Canadian tenor Ben Heppner which was really great. That was followed up on Saturday with a beat poetry competition and a concert by Daara J, a hip-hop group from Senegal. Usually when I know I'm working a hip-hop show I get a bit apprehensive. This is based solely on previous events that have just sucked. Daara J however was really amazing and the guys were great backstage. Go to this site and listen to the selections. Tonight I'll be at work once again for the CD release of a local Irish/Celtic band called Rising Gael. Anyway, it was a great weekend of some really really cool music from opposite ends of the spectrum.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Little things make me happy...
I got home after a less-than-stellar day on Wednesday to find a package waiting for me. This package was from Germany and instantly put me in a happy mood. My wonderful friends Sabine and Niklas took the time to send me a few things to remind me of my time with them. Sabine found a gorgeous picture book entitled, "Deutschland; so schoen ist unser Land". It's so nice and will give me an excuse to practice my language skills. Also included were some Milka pralines which I believe is a brand only found in Germany. Niklas also got involved with a drawing he'd done for me and a paper airplane and boat he had made. He also made me this Christmas card which I think may be the most adorable thing ever. I feel like some sort of proud uncle. Anyway, I was in the best mood for the rest of the day after getting a package from Europe.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
hmmm...
I've finally been reading about Alito. For the longest time, I've felt very bad because I disliked him just because Bush nominated him. That's really a poor reason to be against a nomination but so it was. Today, though, after my reading, I have actual reasons which pleases me in a strange way. Most importantly, I am very leery of his past support for unchecked Presidential power. I also don't like that Alito was prepared for the Senate hearings by the same people that gave legal advice to Bush on the NSA phone taps. So much is just rough. Anyway, after my reading, I was out walking and this poem came into my head (it's cliche but that's what I do):
TO The States, or any one of them, or any city of The States, Resist much, obey little;
Once unquestioning obedience, once fully enslaved;
Once fully enslaved, no nation, state, city, of this earth, ever afterward resumes its liberty.
Oh Walt, you speak such truth! Anyway, ponder the meaning, think about current events, discuss.
Keeping with these events, I want to take a moment to recount a highlight. Yesterday, during the hearings there was a rather heated exchange between Senator Kennedy and Senator Specter over the subpoena of documents from the Library of Congress. The exchange basically went like this:
Kennedy: "I want to see these things about his possible involvement with a racist/misogynist organization at Princeton."
Specter:"Screw you Ted, you can't bring this up now. If you wanted these documents you shoulda said something earlier."
K: "Uh, I totally wrote you a letter on December 22."
S: "There's a huge difference between sending a letter and receiving a letter. I take great umbridge that you presume to tell me what mail I got."
K: "So...about the documents..."
S: "I am the chairman! (mutters about the difference between sending and receiving)"
*Later*
K: "I'd like to enter these documents into the record."
S: "What are they Ted?"
K: "This is the response I got from you saying that you received my letter of December 22. And this one is my response to your response."
S: "Oh."
Democratic political bloggers: "Oh shiiiit, Ted just put the smack down!"
Republican political bloggers: "Ted Kennedy is fat!"
*Later* in a break...
S: "Well, I got the letter but I didn't know it was important. If he really wanted those things he should've said something to me at the gym."
K: "I haven't been to the gym in a while."
OK, sorry about the script. I was feverishly watching the drama play out on-line. In other news, Alito's wife ran out of the hearings in tears. We think it was a publicity stunt to garner public sympathy. Gag me! In another exchange, things went kinda like this:
Senator Kohl: "What do you think about O'Connor's dissent about government seizure of private property?"
Alito: "That's a tough call, some people will be mad, some will be happy. It could be good or bad."
Kohl: "So, basically you have no thoughts and you're wasting my and the nation's time."
Alito: "..."
This post is officially out of control. Please call your Senators. There are important things we need to protect: privacy, congressional oversight, non-discrimination laws, juristic freedom, checks and balances. Remember Whitman's words and for God's sake call somebody.
TO The States, or any one of them, or any city of The States, Resist much, obey little;
Once unquestioning obedience, once fully enslaved;
Once fully enslaved, no nation, state, city, of this earth, ever afterward resumes its liberty.
Oh Walt, you speak such truth! Anyway, ponder the meaning, think about current events, discuss.
Keeping with these events, I want to take a moment to recount a highlight. Yesterday, during the hearings there was a rather heated exchange between Senator Kennedy and Senator Specter over the subpoena of documents from the Library of Congress. The exchange basically went like this:
Kennedy: "I want to see these things about his possible involvement with a racist/misogynist organization at Princeton."
Specter:"Screw you Ted, you can't bring this up now. If you wanted these documents you shoulda said something earlier."
K: "Uh, I totally wrote you a letter on December 22."
S: "There's a huge difference between sending a letter and receiving a letter. I take great umbridge that you presume to tell me what mail I got."
K: "So...about the documents..."
S: "I am the chairman! (mutters about the difference between sending and receiving)"
*Later*
K: "I'd like to enter these documents into the record."
S: "What are they Ted?"
K: "This is the response I got from you saying that you received my letter of December 22. And this one is my response to your response."
S: "Oh."
Democratic political bloggers: "Oh shiiiit, Ted just put the smack down!"
Republican political bloggers: "Ted Kennedy is fat!"
*Later* in a break...
S: "Well, I got the letter but I didn't know it was important. If he really wanted those things he should've said something to me at the gym."
K: "I haven't been to the gym in a while."
OK, sorry about the script. I was feverishly watching the drama play out on-line. In other news, Alito's wife ran out of the hearings in tears. We think it was a publicity stunt to garner public sympathy. Gag me! In another exchange, things went kinda like this:
Senator Kohl: "What do you think about O'Connor's dissent about government seizure of private property?"
Alito: "That's a tough call, some people will be mad, some will be happy. It could be good or bad."
Kohl: "So, basically you have no thoughts and you're wasting my and the nation's time."
Alito: "..."
This post is officially out of control. Please call your Senators. There are important things we need to protect: privacy, congressional oversight, non-discrimination laws, juristic freedom, checks and balances. Remember Whitman's words and for God's sake call somebody.
Monday, January 09, 2006
everything old is new again...
It's a new year...on a new continent...I thought it was time for a new look. Tell me what you think. I'm afraid the banner may be a little too channel5 news...
Saturday, January 07, 2006
I went for a little walk...
I went for a walk today to see what I could see/glean of my new neighborhood. I found a few things that stuck.
1-The Hooters sign. What?
2-Huh?
3-Overheard at the hobby shop: a discussion between ugly middle-aged men about the finer points of model railroading. Is it acceptable to feature an "hourly rates sign" on your model motel? Only if there are tiny little pinups of naked "chicks" visible through the model doors and windows. This conversation then developed into the ugliest one telling the others about the time he almost went to the Playboy mansion. His wife ("the wife") gave him permission to cheat on her as long as it was with someone who had a household name. I pretended to browse until I couldn't listen to the story any more.
I enjoyed my walk.
1-The Hooters sign. What?
2-Huh?
3-Overheard at the hobby shop: a discussion between ugly middle-aged men about the finer points of model railroading. Is it acceptable to feature an "hourly rates sign" on your model motel? Only if there are tiny little pinups of naked "chicks" visible through the model doors and windows. This conversation then developed into the ugliest one telling the others about the time he almost went to the Playboy mansion. His wife ("the wife") gave him permission to cheat on her as long as it was with someone who had a household name. I pretended to browse until I couldn't listen to the story any more.
I enjoyed my walk.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Dear Ambition,
Remember us? I don't know what happened but I miss you and I want you to come back. Was it the move? Do we only work in London? I was so sure that what we had was special and that we could keep the spark Stateside. What happened to all the plans we made? We had such zeal in London, we were really clickin' for a while. I've been lost without you. I saw a future with you and now that we're not together, I don't know what I'm doing. The desires and lust for life that I so fleetingly felt have left me now feeling lost once again. I know we can rekindle the flame if we just work at it a little. Will you at least see me now and then until we can figure something out? Please call or just stop by. In the meantime I will (hopefully) be looking for you.
miss you,
Jason
Remember us? I don't know what happened but I miss you and I want you to come back. Was it the move? Do we only work in London? I was so sure that what we had was special and that we could keep the spark Stateside. What happened to all the plans we made? We had such zeal in London, we were really clickin' for a while. I've been lost without you. I saw a future with you and now that we're not together, I don't know what I'm doing. The desires and lust for life that I so fleetingly felt have left me now feeling lost once again. I know we can rekindle the flame if we just work at it a little. Will you at least see me now and then until we can figure something out? Please call or just stop by. In the meantime I will (hopefully) be looking for you.
miss you,
Jason
Monday, January 02, 2006
Buh Bye 05...
Hello everyone. I'm very sorry for the lull that has occurred on this page since my trans-Atlantic journey. Never fear however because the dust is finally settling and I should soon be back on a schedule.
I have found and moved into an apartment on Madison's lovely West Side. I'm still getting things sorted out but the outlook is good. I'm really happy with this place and all of it's amenities: spacious rooms, lots of closet space, private-ish bathroom, in house laundry, large balcony, fireplace in the living room, gym, free tanning bed, outdoor pool, indoor hottub, free breakfast M-F, and the first month of rent was free. Also, it's not a retirement village which is good. My only complaint right now concerns Madison Metro. I've lived in Madison a little over 5 years now off and on. I still have a very hard time trying to understand the bus schedules and maps. Today, on two separate occasions I tried to get a bus to Target and ended up getting so sick of waiting that I went back home. After the second attempt I discovered that apparently January 2nd is a holiday for Madison Metro so service was running on a holiday schedule. Is that weird or just annoying? I'm sure I'll be able to figure it out soon though and then hopefully, in a little while I'll be able to get myself a car.
Anyway, as it is a new year, I've decided that the best thing to do would be to reflect on the MANY shitty things of 05 but maybe dig out the good things as well:
Bad:
-Tsunami (even though it happened in 04, I'm counting it)
-Hurricanes
-Earthquake
-London Bombs
-So many plane crashes
-Mr. Bush took office again
-Diva was put down
-the Gateway got stolen
Good:
-I done graduated College
-I got to spend half a year living abroad
-I met an amazing group of friends
-The year began and ended with European adventures
-Smoked mozzarella between lemon leaves
-I read a lot of awesome stuff
-I worked on two movies
-I got a sunburn in November and swam in a Sea
If you've got any additions, I'd love to hear them. Take care all you dispersed people, Happy New Year, I miss you (those of you who are away) and I'm glad to have you back (those of you that are here).
I have found and moved into an apartment on Madison's lovely West Side. I'm still getting things sorted out but the outlook is good. I'm really happy with this place and all of it's amenities: spacious rooms, lots of closet space, private-ish bathroom, in house laundry, large balcony, fireplace in the living room, gym, free tanning bed, outdoor pool, indoor hottub, free breakfast M-F, and the first month of rent was free. Also, it's not a retirement village which is good. My only complaint right now concerns Madison Metro. I've lived in Madison a little over 5 years now off and on. I still have a very hard time trying to understand the bus schedules and maps. Today, on two separate occasions I tried to get a bus to Target and ended up getting so sick of waiting that I went back home. After the second attempt I discovered that apparently January 2nd is a holiday for Madison Metro so service was running on a holiday schedule. Is that weird or just annoying? I'm sure I'll be able to figure it out soon though and then hopefully, in a little while I'll be able to get myself a car.
Anyway, as it is a new year, I've decided that the best thing to do would be to reflect on the MANY shitty things of 05 but maybe dig out the good things as well:
Bad:
-Tsunami (even though it happened in 04, I'm counting it)
-Hurricanes
-Earthquake
-London Bombs
-So many plane crashes
-Mr. Bush took office again
-Diva was put down
-the Gateway got stolen
Good:
-I done graduated College
-I got to spend half a year living abroad
-I met an amazing group of friends
-The year began and ended with European adventures
-Smoked mozzarella between lemon leaves
-I read a lot of awesome stuff
-I worked on two movies
-I got a sunburn in November and swam in a Sea
If you've got any additions, I'd love to hear them. Take care all you dispersed people, Happy New Year, I miss you (those of you who are away) and I'm glad to have you back (those of you that are here).
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Meanwhile, back in America...
After six somewhat glorious months, I am now back in the USA. Monday was one of the longest days ever and after a grueling 18 hours of travel I arrived safe and sound at my parents' house in Watertown. Since then I've been busy getting some Christmas shopping done, getting a cell phone, looking at apartments, etc. I'm also trying to just relax a bit.
Already I've begun to miss London. It seems the grass actually is always greener on the other side. There are of course, a number of things that I don't miss at all:
the bank, crazy cars, the buses, etc... But, there is a big list of stuff that I do miss: my friends, accents, colorful money, Indian food, etc... Today I had the strangest desire to get on a bus and head to Soho to look at used CDs. I'm kinda nervous about my adventures being over and facing some sort of real world. The midwestern accent is really annoying me right now, as is small talk overheard in stores. The snow's charm is quickly fading and the lack of a coffee-house is very noticeable.
I've had/am having many thoughts about my time abroad. Putting these thoughts into words is proving very difficult though. This is the only reason it's taken me so long to update. I think though that I can say a few things:
Travel, whether for a long time or just a weekend is really something that should be required. The knowledge and understanding gained from forcing oneself out of their comfort zone and into someone else's world is not something that can be taught. Through experience only do we learn about one another and the mysterious x factor that makes us all unique. I think that too often we get bogged down in our surroundings and fail to notice the little things around us and the quirks and habits of our humanity. You'll excuse the cliche but it's true. It takes living outside the US to really point out what makes us Americans. I have a renewed sense of patriotism and protest brewing inside which will hopefully linger long enough for action to be made. There's something about living here, in all our comfort that makes us lazy and complacent. I hope that the feelings I have don't fade too fast. All my life I've read history and I know a lot of facts. It's difficult though to put a human face to the events and see broad occurrences through the eyes of a bystander. Some of the most enduring memories for me will be stories I was told by people coming from backgrounds completely different than mine. There's also something innately wonderful about seeing places that are sort-of like home but not. The little things that get taken for granted get writ large and you get to see how the other half lives.
Anyway, this post is meandering and very reminiscent/nostalgic. I hope you're all having a wonderful holiday season. I'll write more when my new computer comes.
Already I've begun to miss London. It seems the grass actually is always greener on the other side. There are of course, a number of things that I don't miss at all:
the bank, crazy cars, the buses, etc... But, there is a big list of stuff that I do miss: my friends, accents, colorful money, Indian food, etc... Today I had the strangest desire to get on a bus and head to Soho to look at used CDs. I'm kinda nervous about my adventures being over and facing some sort of real world. The midwestern accent is really annoying me right now, as is small talk overheard in stores. The snow's charm is quickly fading and the lack of a coffee-house is very noticeable.
I've had/am having many thoughts about my time abroad. Putting these thoughts into words is proving very difficult though. This is the only reason it's taken me so long to update. I think though that I can say a few things:
Travel, whether for a long time or just a weekend is really something that should be required. The knowledge and understanding gained from forcing oneself out of their comfort zone and into someone else's world is not something that can be taught. Through experience only do we learn about one another and the mysterious x factor that makes us all unique. I think that too often we get bogged down in our surroundings and fail to notice the little things around us and the quirks and habits of our humanity. You'll excuse the cliche but it's true. It takes living outside the US to really point out what makes us Americans. I have a renewed sense of patriotism and protest brewing inside which will hopefully linger long enough for action to be made. There's something about living here, in all our comfort that makes us lazy and complacent. I hope that the feelings I have don't fade too fast. All my life I've read history and I know a lot of facts. It's difficult though to put a human face to the events and see broad occurrences through the eyes of a bystander. Some of the most enduring memories for me will be stories I was told by people coming from backgrounds completely different than mine. There's also something innately wonderful about seeing places that are sort-of like home but not. The little things that get taken for granted get writ large and you get to see how the other half lives.
Anyway, this post is meandering and very reminiscent/nostalgic. I hope you're all having a wonderful holiday season. I'll write more when my new computer comes.
Friday, December 16, 2005
Time flies...
It's hard to believe that I've been here for 6 months but I have apparently. The time has come to return to the U.S. This will be my last post from the UK but never fear, I will offer a post-mortem on my experiences from the U.S. Later ya'll.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Deutschland Part 2
Once again I spent a lovely weekend in Germany with my friends Sabine and Niklas. As always, it was great to get away from London for a weekend. It was especially nice to get the chance to see Germany at Christmas (read: Weihnachten). Germany is, as one may expect, very German and Christmas is especially. On Friday evening after a delicious meal we headed to the town square in Saarlouis to walk around the Christkindl Markt. Although a rather small market, it was really cool and I had my first Gluehwein which was surprisingly good and rather potent.
On Saturday after sufficient vacation-sleep-in Sabine and I drove to Trier. Trier is Germany's oldest city and is very pretty. The market here was much larger and full of people. We ate Dampfnudel mit Vanillesoße und Kirschen and it was awesome. Here's a picture of it:
On Saturday after sufficient vacation-sleep-in Sabine and I drove to Trier. Trier is Germany's oldest city and is very pretty. The market here was much larger and full of people. We ate Dampfnudel mit Vanillesoße und Kirschen and it was awesome. Here's a picture of it:
So, we ate, we saw sights that were really old and then we went home and out to dinner with some friends of Sabine's at Margaretenhof which was just as wonderful as last time.
Sunday was similarly great. Helga (Sabine's mom) had some friends over from her karate class for breakfast. I was very nervous to speak German all weekend around so many natives. I'm very out of practice. After breakfast we went to Saarbrücken and I got to drive. I can now say I drove on the Autobahn! Saarbrücken is the capital of Saarland and is a gorgeous little city. We looked at an old church and the Schloß, both of which were really cool and very impressive considering they were completely destroyed in WWII and rebuilt to be as they were. The castle had an invisible art display outside that I was very enamoured with. Apparently a number of students from the local art school began stealing the rocks that made up the public square in front of the castle's main enterance. They always replaced them with others while they did their work so noone knew anything was missing. Slowly, they carved the name of a Jewish cemetary in Germany onto the underside of each stone and then replaced it in front of the castle. The result is that everything is exactly as it was before their art except that no people know and hopefully think a bit as they walk. The hidden nature of the names is just so powerful; everyday people walk over their history and give it little thought but now this "display" kinda forces the question of what became of so many nameless, erased people and histories. The names of dead more-or-less, inscribed in stone and present in thought yet hidden from sight. Anyway, I think it's a fuckin' amazing idea.
Saarbrücken's Christmas market was also huge and we ended up there at just the right time to see der Weihnachtsman (Santa Claus/Father Christmas) fly over the market and give a speech to the crowd. More local food followed at a brewery before we went back to Saarlouis. It was by all accounts a fabulous weekend with good friends.
Thursday, December 08, 2005
hmm...
In Britain, as I understand it, when a man gets knighted he becomes Sir (his first name) and his wife is called Lady (his last name). So, when Sir Elton gets married, what will they call his husband?
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Because the hardest part of leaving is always what gets left...
allow me to introduce some of my friends (like contestants on a dating show):
Alicia is from Spain (or, as she says, eSpain), she's a wonderful flamenco dancer and has a dry, hilarious sense of humor. She can speak Spanish (eSpanish), English and German.
Anna is a feisty gal from Finland. She's also a professional football (soccer) player for Chelsea Women. She's always on the go and pinning her down could be tricky. Anna knows where to buy American foods in London and has surprised me a couple times with peanut butter.
Look out for Jenny. She's a passionate, firey Italin vixen on the lookout for men. She enjoys a good night out and at one time was a proish rollerskater back in Italia. Beware, if Jenny fancies you, you're finished. She gets the guy she wants and is never afraid to approach him.
Marcelo is a no-nonsense kind of guy from Brazil. He's seen the world and knows what he wants (usually whoever's around). Marcelo one time told me the difference between a straight Brazilian guy and a gay one - three beers. He's a whizz with the languages and is fluent in four (Portugese, English, Spanish and Dutch). He's in London to eventually get his masters in English Literature. He's a fun guy who's always ready with a cutting remark.
"Nobody puts Baby in the corner." and nor would they Lucia. She's a sexy Slovak who can cut a mean rug. She is also a linguist and sometimes works as a translator (most recently changing a thesis on the structural integrity of bridges from Slovak to German-whew) She's always ready for fun so who's coming with her? Beware, she's a whirlwind in heels.
No party would be complete without Amie. Although she's from Britain she speaks Italian and Russian fluently and can always be heard shouting in some combination of the three. Stop and say 'Allo' to her. She's got a wicked collection of music from various locales and we make quite the scene when dancing in her living room. She was at one time a judge for a competition in Amerstam sponsored by 'High Times'.
Richard hails from South Africa and can speak English, German, Dutch and Afrikaans. He can always be counted on for a witty joke. On a recent trip to Zambia he got me a bracelet made of elephant hair. He's always a lot of fun and keeps the girls laughing.
Olga is from Moldova. She is quite frankly the most sexual of us all which is saying something with this group. She's full of spunk and is always intrigued with the news I tell her. She's a joy to watch on the ice but don't make her go too fast unless you want to hear her shriek.
Meike is a mate from Down Under. She likes a good time but unfortunetly gets stuck on business trips with the bosses quite often. She has a wild streak hidden beneath that facade and it gets uncovered whenever we go out.
Katarina is a wild and crazy chick from Slovakia who has sadly moved back to Bratislava. She still keeps us laughing though
with her emails and phone calls. She parties like nobody's business and has the fashion sense to match. Katka gets a lot of proposals from Middle Eastern steel men so, jump in the queue before it's too late.
So, these are some of my London friends. I hope they don't mind their pictures being up or what I had to say about them. They'll be the hardest thing to leave behind when I take off to go back home. Say Ciao.
Alicia is from Spain (or, as she says, eSpain), she's a wonderful flamenco dancer and has a dry, hilarious sense of humor. She can speak Spanish (eSpanish), English and German.
Anna is a feisty gal from Finland. She's also a professional football (soccer) player for Chelsea Women. She's always on the go and pinning her down could be tricky. Anna knows where to buy American foods in London and has surprised me a couple times with peanut butter.
Look out for Jenny. She's a passionate, firey Italin vixen on the lookout for men. She enjoys a good night out and at one time was a proish rollerskater back in Italia. Beware, if Jenny fancies you, you're finished. She gets the guy she wants and is never afraid to approach him.
Marcelo is a no-nonsense kind of guy from Brazil. He's seen the world and knows what he wants (usually whoever's around). Marcelo one time told me the difference between a straight Brazilian guy and a gay one - three beers. He's a whizz with the languages and is fluent in four (Portugese, English, Spanish and Dutch). He's in London to eventually get his masters in English Literature. He's a fun guy who's always ready with a cutting remark.
"Nobody puts Baby in the corner." and nor would they Lucia. She's a sexy Slovak who can cut a mean rug. She is also a linguist and sometimes works as a translator (most recently changing a thesis on the structural integrity of bridges from Slovak to German-whew) She's always ready for fun so who's coming with her? Beware, she's a whirlwind in heels.
No party would be complete without Amie. Although she's from Britain she speaks Italian and Russian fluently and can always be heard shouting in some combination of the three. Stop and say 'Allo' to her. She's got a wicked collection of music from various locales and we make quite the scene when dancing in her living room. She was at one time a judge for a competition in Amerstam sponsored by 'High Times'.
Richard hails from South Africa and can speak English, German, Dutch and Afrikaans. He can always be counted on for a witty joke. On a recent trip to Zambia he got me a bracelet made of elephant hair. He's always a lot of fun and keeps the girls laughing.
Olga is from Moldova. She is quite frankly the most sexual of us all which is saying something with this group. She's full of spunk and is always intrigued with the news I tell her. She's a joy to watch on the ice but don't make her go too fast unless you want to hear her shriek.
Meike is a mate from Down Under. She likes a good time but unfortunetly gets stuck on business trips with the bosses quite often. She has a wild streak hidden beneath that facade and it gets uncovered whenever we go out.Katarina is a wild and crazy chick from Slovakia who has sadly moved back to Bratislava. She still keeps us laughing though
with her emails and phone calls. She parties like nobody's business and has the fashion sense to match. Katka gets a lot of proposals from Middle Eastern steel men so, jump in the queue before it's too late.So, these are some of my London friends. I hope they don't mind their pictures being up or what I had to say about them. They'll be the hardest thing to leave behind when I take off to go back home. Say Ciao.
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