And we're back. After three great months of working, meeting, and enjoying life in Norway, I have returned to the homeland. I thought this jumping around would get easier, but somehow the culture shock seems stronger this time. Maybe it's because I could be here awhile, or maybe it's because I'm getting older and am getting a better idea of what I want and where I want to be...or maybe it just goes in waves. Whatever the case may be, I feel small things jumping out in neon color at my eyes. Cross necklaces seem larger than life, the lack of electronic music and over-abundance of health and food ads jump out to my eyes and ears, and sudden urges to spend all day walking downtown from cafe to cafe is difficult. Suddenly when I go out, people from my past magically appear. Randomly running into artists and fashion gurus doesn't happen. Going out every night and meeting beautiful, interesting, international people isn't my current life.
I've always had this pull between enjoying and doing. On one hand I want to enjoy life and the people that share it with me, while on the other hand I feel a strong pull to do something in this world, to leave a positive mark on the world and the people that share it with me. I want to combine these passions and know it is possible...so that's the current goal. I'm swimming with thoughts on how to make an impact and leave a mark, but not sure yet if it's possible to enjoy while my mind and heart drift back across the ocean. I've been told I'm the most wanderlust person in the world, but I don't think it's wanderlust, it's the fact that I refuse to live with regret and miss opportunities. Unfortunately, my opportunities for enjoyment and action seem to take me across the globe, continually leaving me with something lacking. I'll figure this stuff out. I'm just torn at the moment and am ready for an evening of confusion, tea, and good music.
08 June 2009
04 April 2009
Clean Your Boardgames
One of the best parts of living in a foreign country are the funny situations you can get into in another language. I have been working as a bartender at Circa in Tromsø, and one of my favorite parts of the job is that I am totally immersed in Norwegian for 7 hours. As I've learned, if you can communicate with drunk Norwegians you can communicate with anybody. After every night of work we clean up and have a beer together afterwards to wind down a bit. Tonight I was going through the cleaning list with everyone who was just sitting down to have their beer. I came to the item that said we had to clean the "spillbrett" which means (as I learned later) a type of tray that holds our dirty glasses. When I got to the word however, I some how interpreted it, and said it out-loud, as the Norwegian word I know that was most similar: brettspill, which means boardgame. So as I was reading out-loud I said, we have to clean the board games? Who is willing to do that? Everyone of course burst out laughing and told me that I had to wash each letter in the scrabble game before moving on to every horse in the risk game. It was a good laugh and a nice ending to a fun evening. So, as I drank my beer at 5am and watched the sun rise I learned a new word I don't think I'll ever forget.
25 March 2009
One of my favorite places: Schiphol Airport
As the sun rises of Schiphol Airport, I watch as people wander around generally unaware of any time, fashion, or linguistic barriers. The world is here, at the world’s trading post and it seems, if only for a few fleeting hours, that constant motion is the secret to coexistence. As long as everyone keeps moving there are no problems.
It is this Shangri-La that I feel at peace. I spy on people’s passports to see where they are from, I strain my ears in an attempt to understand what language people are speaking, I study people’s fashion to guess where they’ve been shopping, and I become suddenly friendly and energetic despite a day without sleep or showering. I feel like I am a part of the amorphic, ever-changing world and that even if I stand in the middle of the stream, the world will continue flowing in and around me. Even what may be considered annoyances become pleasant. Waiting in line because I’m not from the E.U., watching the passport control flip through my passport, and even getting patted down because I wearing a cowboy hat are all a small part of the game of travel.
There are endless possibilities here. I look up at the screen and can instantly imagine myself traveling in 10 minutes to Lagos, Casablanca, Azzra, Manila. Every corner of the world is accessible and just as common to the person sitting next to me as it is foreign to me. Perhaps cities like Tromsø, Oslo, or Minneapolis seem equally foreign and exotic to them. And therein lies the excitement. Everyone is going to the place where someone just left. There is a constant swapping of people, keeping the scale in balance but increasing the excitement for everyone.
The electric window shades suddenly close and maybe the fatigue of travel sets in a bit, but the din of motion continues to thrill. It’s time to move, to go, to act, and above all, travel.
It is this Shangri-La that I feel at peace. I spy on people’s passports to see where they are from, I strain my ears in an attempt to understand what language people are speaking, I study people’s fashion to guess where they’ve been shopping, and I become suddenly friendly and energetic despite a day without sleep or showering. I feel like I am a part of the amorphic, ever-changing world and that even if I stand in the middle of the stream, the world will continue flowing in and around me. Even what may be considered annoyances become pleasant. Waiting in line because I’m not from the E.U., watching the passport control flip through my passport, and even getting patted down because I wearing a cowboy hat are all a small part of the game of travel.
There are endless possibilities here. I look up at the screen and can instantly imagine myself traveling in 10 minutes to Lagos, Casablanca, Azzra, Manila. Every corner of the world is accessible and just as common to the person sitting next to me as it is foreign to me. Perhaps cities like Tromsø, Oslo, or Minneapolis seem equally foreign and exotic to them. And therein lies the excitement. Everyone is going to the place where someone just left. There is a constant swapping of people, keeping the scale in balance but increasing the excitement for everyone.
The electric window shades suddenly close and maybe the fatigue of travel sets in a bit, but the din of motion continues to thrill. It’s time to move, to go, to act, and above all, travel.
15 March 2009
04 March 2009
Reflection before the next step
I'm trying to figure out what to do next. One idea has been a return to school and in applying I have been vigorously writing essays. I finished my last one tonight, appropriately enough by reflecting back on my most important extracurricular activities. So for all of those music teachers and debate coaches out there, thank you:
As an active and artistic individual, extra-curricular activities have developed my interest in the world and my ability to make my mark on the world. Of the myriad activities I enjoy, debate and music are the most influential on my success and self-development.
My curiosity in hearing and discussing the pros and cons of everything from politics to pop culture developed through my participation in debate and speech activities. As a young high school student I learned the art of public speaking and listening through forensic activities. I studied the science of argumentation and performance, encouraging me to speak in public and engage politically, and developed quick thinking and teamwork skills. I succeeded in debate and speech, reaching the semi-finals at the national tournament and developing a curiosity to learn more about the world. Today I seek to educate myself and participate in thorough discussions of current events thanks to debate. I also have the confidence and skills to think deeply about issues and succinctly share my point of view. These skills are building blocks as I use my voice and reasoning to positively change the world.
Debate may have sharpened my mind, but music has shaped my heart, mind, and soul. From an early age I learned the joy of expressing myself through music. Whether on the piano, guitar, trumpet, harmonica, or with my voice, I have constantly turned to music as a source of inspiration and expression. Years of music lessons have taught me self-discipline and patience; years of performance have instilled confidence and a desire to collaborate with others. Thinking and expressing myself creatively has given me the ability to attack problems from imaginative points of view, as I am accustomed to free thinking, improvisation, and collaboration. This tendency towards collaboration and emotional expression has also been an effective means to breakdown supposed barriers. Regardless of linguistic, cultural, or age differences, I have quickly made friends and found common ground by playing and discussing music. My experience in music has thus prepared me to work with others to achieve goals unattainable to a single individual. Letting go of control and acting as a single part of a bigger whole, as one does in musical ensembles, is an essential skill to create real change to problems that are too big for one person to solve. Finally, music is a refuge of solace. Through music I have maintained sanity and peace through trying times and have learned to manage stress, anger, and ecstasy.
Debate and music are important activities that continue to shape who I am today. I have reached success in terms of winning competitions and traveling internationally to participate in extra-curricular activities, but more rewarding has been the personal development gained from debate and music. I am more active in the world, more skilled at activating the world, and able to react to the world thanks to my participation in activities outside of work.
As an active and artistic individual, extra-curricular activities have developed my interest in the world and my ability to make my mark on the world. Of the myriad activities I enjoy, debate and music are the most influential on my success and self-development.
My curiosity in hearing and discussing the pros and cons of everything from politics to pop culture developed through my participation in debate and speech activities. As a young high school student I learned the art of public speaking and listening through forensic activities. I studied the science of argumentation and performance, encouraging me to speak in public and engage politically, and developed quick thinking and teamwork skills. I succeeded in debate and speech, reaching the semi-finals at the national tournament and developing a curiosity to learn more about the world. Today I seek to educate myself and participate in thorough discussions of current events thanks to debate. I also have the confidence and skills to think deeply about issues and succinctly share my point of view. These skills are building blocks as I use my voice and reasoning to positively change the world.
Debate may have sharpened my mind, but music has shaped my heart, mind, and soul. From an early age I learned the joy of expressing myself through music. Whether on the piano, guitar, trumpet, harmonica, or with my voice, I have constantly turned to music as a source of inspiration and expression. Years of music lessons have taught me self-discipline and patience; years of performance have instilled confidence and a desire to collaborate with others. Thinking and expressing myself creatively has given me the ability to attack problems from imaginative points of view, as I am accustomed to free thinking, improvisation, and collaboration. This tendency towards collaboration and emotional expression has also been an effective means to breakdown supposed barriers. Regardless of linguistic, cultural, or age differences, I have quickly made friends and found common ground by playing and discussing music. My experience in music has thus prepared me to work with others to achieve goals unattainable to a single individual. Letting go of control and acting as a single part of a bigger whole, as one does in musical ensembles, is an essential skill to create real change to problems that are too big for one person to solve. Finally, music is a refuge of solace. Through music I have maintained sanity and peace through trying times and have learned to manage stress, anger, and ecstasy.
Debate and music are important activities that continue to shape who I am today. I have reached success in terms of winning competitions and traveling internationally to participate in extra-curricular activities, but more rewarding has been the personal development gained from debate and music. I am more active in the world, more skilled at activating the world, and able to react to the world thanks to my participation in activities outside of work.
04 January 2009
Blogging bug
The impetus to soon create "meta" blog material is coming over me as 2008 turns to 2009, as Israel invades Palestine, and as I fling myself wholeheartedly into the hyper-connectivity of social networking, wi-fi, and web 2.0+. Check back soon for new material, an updated photo site, and other random musings. In the meantime, you can follow my "micro" blogging on the left column or on twitter. See you soon.
26 September 2008
Exciting
I'm not sure what is more exciting (or scary)...the Twins playoff run or politics in the US at the moment?
03 August 2008
I Feel Fine
According to my blog, the only thing that I've done the past two months is watch Eurovision. Although Eurovision was fun, I have been up to some other things as well. I made the move from North Spain to North Norway where I am working as a tourist guide and enjoying a summer living and being with friends in the Arctic. I'm also preparing to teach this fall in Tromsø, Norway again and have enjoyed music festivals, three different residences, often without internet, and have learned how to construct a tent, make chocolate cake, and appreciate the deep philosophy of "Sex and the City" (which I thought was called Sex in the City, which seems like a more appropriate title). So, all in all, I'm doing well, feeling fine.
But, I don't just want to talk about what I've been doing. I also want to share something exciting: a chance to see not only how I am feeling but how people all over the world are feeling. I just finished watching a lecture about an internet site called "We Feel Fine." It's part art, part data collection, and part web/exploration.. By searching all the popular blog sites for the phrase "I feel" the site collects quotes and photos from blogs and keeps data on what emotions people in different places are feeling at different times. For instance, I learned that 20-29 year olds in Norway feel 2.4 times more free than the average person. Maybe that's why I like it so much here!
So, here's to feeling and feelings.
But, I don't just want to talk about what I've been doing. I also want to share something exciting: a chance to see not only how I am feeling but how people all over the world are feeling. I just finished watching a lecture about an internet site called "We Feel Fine." It's part art, part data collection, and part web/exploration.. By searching all the popular blog sites for the phrase "I feel" the site collects quotes and photos from blogs and keeps data on what emotions people in different places are feeling at different times. For instance, I learned that 20-29 year olds in Norway feel 2.4 times more free than the average person. Maybe that's why I like it so much here!
So, here's to feeling and feelings.
21 July 2008
I'm back...
I have internet, I'm in Norway, I'm working as a tour guide and professor, I'm surrounded by French people, I rarely eat meat, and I will update very soon!
24 May 2008
Chiki Chiki Has Arrived
The big day has arrived. The day Chiki Chiki will become world famous.
Yes, tonight is the once a year extravaganza known as Eurovision. I've written about Eurovision before, but basically it is American Idol meets the Olympics when every European country (plus Israel) showcases their best (or worst) pop act. It produces ridiculously awful men and women scantily clad dancing around while singing in bad Engrish as well as some groups that become quite famous like ABBA. In recent years, there has been a new phenomenon of acts making fun of Eurovision and actually winning like the monster rockers from Finland. This year, a comedian that is on Spain's equivalent of the Late Show decided to make up an awful reggatone song complete with a plastic guitar and a 4 step dance: 1. El Breikindance (the breakdance) 2. El crusaito (the cross) 3. el miquelyakson (Michael Jackson) 4. el Robocop.
And of course, this ridiculous song making fun of the whole process was chosen as Spain's best act. I love it. So tonight Chiki Chiki will show Europe the best (or worst) of Spanish pop (or comedy). There really is no distinction anymore. Just shows th epower of advertising to get us to buy anything they want to make cool. So enjoy Eurovision. I'm ready! And here's Chiki Chiki:
Yes, tonight is the once a year extravaganza known as Eurovision. I've written about Eurovision before, but basically it is American Idol meets the Olympics when every European country (plus Israel) showcases their best (or worst) pop act. It produces ridiculously awful men and women scantily clad dancing around while singing in bad Engrish as well as some groups that become quite famous like ABBA. In recent years, there has been a new phenomenon of acts making fun of Eurovision and actually winning like the monster rockers from Finland. This year, a comedian that is on Spain's equivalent of the Late Show decided to make up an awful reggatone song complete with a plastic guitar and a 4 step dance: 1. El Breikindance (the breakdance) 2. El crusaito (the cross) 3. el miquelyakson (Michael Jackson) 4. el Robocop.
And of course, this ridiculous song making fun of the whole process was chosen as Spain's best act. I love it. So tonight Chiki Chiki will show Europe the best (or worst) of Spanish pop (or comedy). There really is no distinction anymore. Just shows th epower of advertising to get us to buy anything they want to make cool. So enjoy Eurovision. I'm ready! And here's Chiki Chiki:
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