Why do I always think of the best nicknames after the fact?
When I was a freshman at theatre design conservatory one of our assignments was to design a soup can label. I made a label that my design teacher loved. It was very sleek, very modern, and was for gazpacho. I did not think of the Razpacho play until long after I had turned in this project.
Why oh why did I only think of "Razputin" recently?
I should have considered this nickname sometime in the winter of 2007.
Behold, Rasputin.
Razputin
Uncanny or what?
When I was a freshman at theatre design conservatory one of our assignments was to design a soup can label. I made a label that my design teacher loved. It was very sleek, very modern, and was for gazpacho. I did not think of the Razpacho play until long after I had turned in this project.
Why oh why did I only think of "Razputin" recently?
I should have considered this nickname sometime in the winter of 2007.
Behold, Rasputin.
Razputin
Uncanny or what?
I am just over 25% done with Peace Corps. I cannot believe it.
A plane crashed at the Kingston Airport last night, about 5 miles from my house. I heard nothing but woke up to quite a commotion in Port Royal this morning.
I also woke up in the middle of the night last night to what was quite possibly the most extraordinary symphony of dogs barking I have ever experienced. This all happened about 4hrs after the plane crash and might be related. There is really no way of knowing. I did not wake up because of the dogs barking (I woke up from a bad dream and was incredibly thirsty) but I noticed the dogs barking because it made it that much harder to fall asleep.
Work is going well, although can be frustrating at times. We keep on having mechanical problems getting the aquaria up and running and it takes a long time to fix stuff around here. Hopefully once the center is up and running I will be able to spend more time doing outreach and education and less time trying to get ornery saltwater pumps to work. The past three weeks have been really slow, with lots of people on leave and not a lot going on.
I miss Ghana pretty bad but it is hard to pinpoint what I miss. I also miss Seattle, but in a totally different way.
I think that when we miss something or someone we not only miss that person or that thing, but we also miss the self that they bring out in us. Having identity reified by familiarity is a blessing and a curse I suppose. There is great liberation to be found in changes of context, but this process can still be lonely and scary. It is true that no matter where you are you are always in your own company, but I think the Xhosa saying that that "people are people through other people" is incredibly powerful and incredibly true.
I am reminded of the famous admissions essay prompt for Amherst College that went "Sartre said, 'Hell is other people'; but Streisand sang, 'People who need people/Are the luckiest people in the world.' With whom do you agree and why? Don't be icky."
I love this prompt, but it is too binary and taken literally as an either/or option it misses the point. The balance between self-definition and existence of self through encounter is the key tension in the dynamics of identity. I doubt if there is a clean resolution or perfect balance. So maybe a key to happiness is finding beauty and peace in eternal struggles like this one while also avoiding being icky?
Happy tidings of Yule, everyone.
A plane crashed at the Kingston Airport last night, about 5 miles from my house. I heard nothing but woke up to quite a commotion in Port Royal this morning.
I also woke up in the middle of the night last night to what was quite possibly the most extraordinary symphony of dogs barking I have ever experienced. This all happened about 4hrs after the plane crash and might be related. There is really no way of knowing. I did not wake up because of the dogs barking (I woke up from a bad dream and was incredibly thirsty) but I noticed the dogs barking because it made it that much harder to fall asleep.
Work is going well, although can be frustrating at times. We keep on having mechanical problems getting the aquaria up and running and it takes a long time to fix stuff around here. Hopefully once the center is up and running I will be able to spend more time doing outreach and education and less time trying to get ornery saltwater pumps to work. The past three weeks have been really slow, with lots of people on leave and not a lot going on.
I miss Ghana pretty bad but it is hard to pinpoint what I miss. I also miss Seattle, but in a totally different way.
I think that when we miss something or someone we not only miss that person or that thing, but we also miss the self that they bring out in us. Having identity reified by familiarity is a blessing and a curse I suppose. There is great liberation to be found in changes of context, but this process can still be lonely and scary. It is true that no matter where you are you are always in your own company, but I think the Xhosa saying that that "people are people through other people" is incredibly powerful and incredibly true.
I am reminded of the famous admissions essay prompt for Amherst College that went "Sartre said, 'Hell is other people'; but Streisand sang, 'People who need people/Are the luckiest people in the world.' With whom do you agree and why? Don't be icky."
I love this prompt, but it is too binary and taken literally as an either/or option it misses the point. The balance between self-definition and existence of self through encounter is the key tension in the dynamics of identity. I doubt if there is a clean resolution or perfect balance. So maybe a key to happiness is finding beauty and peace in eternal struggles like this one while also avoiding being icky?
Happy tidings of Yule, everyone.
I fully realize that getting the the Bear Corps Act passed into law and establishing Bear Corps is no easy feat, but I would like to point out that there is historical precedence of a bear being a part of an armored corps.
That's right. In World War II, a Polish artillery regiment had a bear that fought alongside them.
There is a pretty good wikipedia article about this bear. The bear also made badass of the week sometime ago.
If bears can leave their native lands and serve overseas in the name of war, surely they would also be willing to do so in the name of peace, right?
This idea is undoubtedly the best idea I have ever had. Who wants to sign my petition?
That's right. In World War II, a Polish artillery regiment had a bear that fought alongside them.
There is a pretty good wikipedia article about this bear. The bear also made badass of the week sometime ago.
If bears can leave their native lands and serve overseas in the name of war, surely they would also be willing to do so in the name of peace, right?
This idea is undoubtedly the best idea I have ever had. Who wants to sign my petition?
Years ago, inspired by boredom (and also possibly alcohol) I made a map showing monkey distribution around the globe.
The other day I got to thinking and I hypothesized that Peace Corps volunteers are disproportionately represented in monkeyland and totally under represented in bear country.
Fortunately, Mary was willing to work on this problem, and my hunch was correct. This map shows PCV, Monkey, and Bear distribution around the world. The results are very troubling.
One way to rectify this problem is to send PCVs into Bear Country, but this is ridiculous for reasons so obvious that they do not merit mention. A much more practical solution is for the US Government to launch BearCorps and send Bears to deserving places.
A petition is imminent. Now is the time for action.
Lastly, I know that the map mistakenly suggests that Polar Bears live in Antarctica. While this is sadly not the case, hopefully the first BearCorps volunteers will go to Antarctica and give that part of the world the Bears it deserves.
The other day I got to thinking and I hypothesized that Peace Corps volunteers are disproportionately represented in monkeyland and totally under represented in bear country.
Fortunately, Mary was willing to work on this problem, and my hunch was correct. This map shows PCV, Monkey, and Bear distribution around the world. The results are very troubling.
One way to rectify this problem is to send PCVs into Bear Country, but this is ridiculous for reasons so obvious that they do not merit mention. A much more practical solution is for the US Government to launch BearCorps and send Bears to deserving places.
A petition is imminent. Now is the time for action.
Lastly, I know that the map mistakenly suggests that Polar Bears live in Antarctica. While this is sadly not the case, hopefully the first BearCorps volunteers will go to Antarctica and give that part of the world the Bears it deserves.
Oh, hello friends.
A few things.
Life is going pretty well here in Port Royal. They are keeping me really busy at the lab, and for the most part I am enjoying what I am doing. By the end of this experience I will know more about saltwater aquaria than I ever imagined I would know (as of this writing this is already true).
Last week I got to go diving for the first time since coming to the island. Three dives, none deeper than 40 feet or so. All dives were coral survey dives, and my job was to run the surveyors tape if the transect marker line was broken. Saw some pretty cool creatures. It was a good day.
I spent today at work, but will be hanging out with some other PCVs this weekend and will celebrate Thanksgiving with them.
I am about two weeks shy of being one-quarter through with Peace Corps. This is a pretty weird thought. The days have sometimes been slow, but the weeks have flown past. I hear that Peace Corps Time seems to accelerate as you get further along. I can believe it.
A couple stories in brief.
Story the first: There was a christian revival meeting in the street outside my house the other night when I wanted to go to bed. I went out for a minute to see what was going on, but ultimately decided that the whole affair was not for me. So I was in my room, trying to fall asleep, and generally none too pleased with what was going on. Then I reached up to get my water bottle, and managed to knock the heaviest book on my bookshelf (Infinite Jest) off the bookshelf and right onto my junk.
Story the second:
Yesterday I had this conversation with a friend from home who shall remain nameless.
Me: I saw the most amazing stingray this afternoon.
FFH: In the water?
Me: No. It was out walking around in a three piece suit. That is why it was so extraordinary!
It took some explaining before I understood that this person was actually asking if I was in the water. The answer is no. I was in a boat. But the stingray was amazing. They move beautifully.
A few things.
Life is going pretty well here in Port Royal. They are keeping me really busy at the lab, and for the most part I am enjoying what I am doing. By the end of this experience I will know more about saltwater aquaria than I ever imagined I would know (as of this writing this is already true).
Last week I got to go diving for the first time since coming to the island. Three dives, none deeper than 40 feet or so. All dives were coral survey dives, and my job was to run the surveyors tape if the transect marker line was broken. Saw some pretty cool creatures. It was a good day.
I spent today at work, but will be hanging out with some other PCVs this weekend and will celebrate Thanksgiving with them.
I am about two weeks shy of being one-quarter through with Peace Corps. This is a pretty weird thought. The days have sometimes been slow, but the weeks have flown past. I hear that Peace Corps Time seems to accelerate as you get further along. I can believe it.
A couple stories in brief.
Story the first: There was a christian revival meeting in the street outside my house the other night when I wanted to go to bed. I went out for a minute to see what was going on, but ultimately decided that the whole affair was not for me. So I was in my room, trying to fall asleep, and generally none too pleased with what was going on. Then I reached up to get my water bottle, and managed to knock the heaviest book on my bookshelf (Infinite Jest) off the bookshelf and right onto my junk.
Story the second:
Yesterday I had this conversation with a friend from home who shall remain nameless.
Me: I saw the most amazing stingray this afternoon.
FFH: In the water?
Me: No. It was out walking around in a three piece suit. That is why it was so extraordinary!
It took some explaining before I understood that this person was actually asking if I was in the water. The answer is no. I was in a boat. But the stingray was amazing. They move beautifully.
I am in Jamaica and enjoying it.
My project is working with the Port Royal Marine Lab. I love it. I am living in Port Royal, work is down the street. A couple days ago we pulled a ten foot (dead) hammerhead shark out of the water. The shark is now in a tank with some preservatives, but it still stinks to high heaven. It has been a pretty weird few days.
I will write a fuller reflection on PC up to this point. Leaving Ghana was emotional, but my reception here has been wonderful.
I posted some pics of Ghana. They are on flickr. Enjoy. By the way, this girls is standing on a three inch layer of peanuts.
( a few more here, including a pic of ObamaCollapse )
My project is working with the Port Royal Marine Lab. I love it. I am living in Port Royal, work is down the street. A couple days ago we pulled a ten foot (dead) hammerhead shark out of the water. The shark is now in a tank with some preservatives, but it still stinks to high heaven. It has been a pretty weird few days.
I will write a fuller reflection on PC up to this point. Leaving Ghana was emotional, but my reception here has been wonderful.
I posted some pics of Ghana. They are on flickr. Enjoy. By the way, this girls is standing on a three inch layer of peanuts.
( a few more here, including a pic of ObamaCollapse )
A friend recently said that after three weeks in a foreign place, you could write ten books, but after a year you would be hard pressed to write a good letter describing your place.
I've been here three months and I realize that most of my writing concerns me (boring) and not the environment here (interesting).
That said, a lot of what was really foreign and interesting at first now seems so completely normal that it is hard to write about. Amazing how relative normativity is.
Here are some things that merit mention.
1) There are WAY more animals here. It is actually really nice being able to throw orange peels or whatever on the ground knowing that a goat will soon make quick work of your trash. The animals are pretty entertaining too.
2) There are WAY more babies here. I am not sure if I have ever been to a place this fecund.
3) The tropics are, uh, entropic. They are entropical. Things deteriorate here in a manner that is pretty hard to fathom in the states. And yet...things also work. It is hard to really describe the aesthetics of decay and function here. I was in a minibus yesterday on my way from Fufulso to Tamale. We drove into an enormous downpour and everyone inside the car got soaked because the car was pretty much the most porous vehicle ever. Big holes in the floorboard, lots of holes in the roof. And yet, the car worked well enough to make the trip so despite being "decrepit" it was not truly "broken" in any functional sense.
4) In a homogeneous environment, difference really pops. I still have a hard time believing that I stand out as much as the other white people I see wandering around from time to time. But I know I do. I must. Even if I am wearing Ghanaian clothes.
I've been here three months and I realize that most of my writing concerns me (boring) and not the environment here (interesting).
That said, a lot of what was really foreign and interesting at first now seems so completely normal that it is hard to write about. Amazing how relative normativity is.
Here are some things that merit mention.
1) There are WAY more animals here. It is actually really nice being able to throw orange peels or whatever on the ground knowing that a goat will soon make quick work of your trash. The animals are pretty entertaining too.
2) There are WAY more babies here. I am not sure if I have ever been to a place this fecund.
3) The tropics are, uh, entropic. They are entropical. Things deteriorate here in a manner that is pretty hard to fathom in the states. And yet...things also work. It is hard to really describe the aesthetics of decay and function here. I was in a minibus yesterday on my way from Fufulso to Tamale. We drove into an enormous downpour and everyone inside the car got soaked because the car was pretty much the most porous vehicle ever. Big holes in the floorboard, lots of holes in the roof. And yet, the car worked well enough to make the trip so despite being "decrepit" it was not truly "broken" in any functional sense.
4) In a homogeneous environment, difference really pops. I still have a hard time believing that I stand out as much as the other white people I see wandering around from time to time. But I know I do. I must. Even if I am wearing Ghanaian clothes.
Send off party was unbelievable. I have no idea how many people made it out, but the love was overpowering.
This will be the last post to this blog for awhile. Want to read what i am up to? Check out this blog, <a href="http://themostamazingthingjusthap
I will post here from time to time, but it will be rare.
Flying out tomorrow afternoon. Checking out of the hotel in five hours or so. Sleep is still a while off. Tomorrow will be a long day.
Love you all.
This will be the last post to this blog for awhile. Want to read what i am up to? Check out this blog, <a href="http://themostamazingthingjusthap
I will post here from time to time, but it will be rare.
Flying out tomorrow afternoon. Checking out of the hotel in five hours or so. Sleep is still a while off. Tomorrow will be a long day.
Love you all.
I promised to post my schedule, so that my whereabouts were sort of known during these last days I am in Seattle.
Sorry I did not do that. For the record though, I have had very little time that could be considered good "drop in" time.
But here is the sched, as best I can figure it for the rest of my time here.
Today: Currently working on getting my shit together at my mom's house. Inidentally, it looks as though I will have absolutely no problems keeping within the baggage requirements. It looks as though I will have ample room, will be a good 25% below the baggage weight restriction, and can even take a pillow (or two) with me. This makes me happy.
The rest of the day today is well and truly booked. Tomorrow is somewhat open, as I need to go shopping with Liz Nixon for party food, and I think my parents might want to do something as well.
I will be at Critical Mass tomorrow for at least the start of the ride. Sara and I have tickets to go see Circus Contraption at 8, but I will be there for the beginning.
Saturday all day party at Gasworks. Be there or be square.
I think Sunday is reserved for family.
Monday morning I am outta here.
Time is flying by. I think at some point you realize you can never be fully ready, but you are ready enough to go ahead with it and hang on tight and know that everything will be ok.
But this is still hard. This is very very hard. Been weepy here and there. I expect Monday will be a very difficult day indeed. I feel so lucky to be going to Philly of all places, where I can see my brother and get a hug.
Sorry I did not do that. For the record though, I have had very little time that could be considered good "drop in" time.
But here is the sched, as best I can figure it for the rest of my time here.
Today: Currently working on getting my shit together at my mom's house. Inidentally, it looks as though I will have absolutely no problems keeping within the baggage requirements. It looks as though I will have ample room, will be a good 25% below the baggage weight restriction, and can even take a pillow (or two) with me. This makes me happy.
The rest of the day today is well and truly booked. Tomorrow is somewhat open, as I need to go shopping with Liz Nixon for party food, and I think my parents might want to do something as well.
I will be at Critical Mass tomorrow for at least the start of the ride. Sara and I have tickets to go see Circus Contraption at 8, but I will be there for the beginning.
Saturday all day party at Gasworks. Be there or be square.
I think Sunday is reserved for family.
Monday morning I am outta here.
Time is flying by. I think at some point you realize you can never be fully ready, but you are ready enough to go ahead with it and hang on tight and know that everything will be ok.
But this is still hard. This is very very hard. Been weepy here and there. I expect Monday will be a very difficult day indeed. I feel so lucky to be going to Philly of all places, where I can see my brother and get a hug.
Oh, hello LJ. Been awhile.
Quick update: I fly outta here on the 1st of June, pretty early in the aye em.
My going away party is at Gasworks Park on the 30th of May (last saturday of the month) and is an all-day drop in sort of affair. All are welcome. I'll have some grills going, bring some food or drink if you like. Adult beverages should be kept as discreetly as possible because I do not want to get into any trouble and I reserved the picnic area so I am liable. I will get there pretty early (10 or 11am or so) and intend to stay until after dusk.
Sara and I went tandem bike camping with Point 83 on the first weekend of May. All was well, until less than a mile into the return trip the rear derailer succumbed to chain suck and tore out the helicoil and bent the hanger. Alas, Galatea is out of commission and will likely remain so until I get back from PC. I just do not have the time to fix her right now, unfortunately.
We got back into Seattle in the afternoon of the 3rd and by that evening were in Bellingham asleep aboard my friend Christian's 27' Ericson sloop. The next day we set sail for Port Hardy, and by the following Sunday had made it as far north as Port McNeil. This is a distance of something a little greater than 250 nautical miles although the exact distance I do not remember. From Port McNeil we took a VERY long bus ride to Victoria and spent a couple days in Victoria before coming back to Seattle late Wednesday.
Ironically enough, after well over 100 hours on a small sailboat, it took Sara less than half an hour on the Victoria Clipper to toss her cookies. To her credit, the motion of the clipper is pretty uncomfortable, I foolishly adivsed against dramamine, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca was in the middle of a full gale during the crossing. It was blowing 40kts easy and there is hardly a boat that is comfortable in that amount of wind; especially not a big overpowered underloaded catamaran with a bunch of superstructure. As far as seasickness goes, she was a champ and by the end of the trip had managed to get down a couple saltines, some water, some ginger ale, and a lara bar.
Lastly, my remaining days in Seattle are EXTREMELY BUSY. This weekend I am OOT for a quick overnight sailing trip. Next weekend my mom is having her committment ceremony and I will have lots of family obligations starting Thursday. Plus I have my own to do list of things I must do and things I want to do. Still, spending time with friends is an enormous priority for me, as is getting some bike time in, some sailboat time in, and some pints in. Wanna kick it? Drop a line. My evening are pretty filled but my schedule flexes a little bit and I am all about making time for the people most important to me.
Quick update: I fly outta here on the 1st of June, pretty early in the aye em.
My going away party is at Gasworks Park on the 30th of May (last saturday of the month) and is an all-day drop in sort of affair. All are welcome. I'll have some grills going, bring some food or drink if you like. Adult beverages should be kept as discreetly as possible because I do not want to get into any trouble and I reserved the picnic area so I am liable. I will get there pretty early (10 or 11am or so) and intend to stay until after dusk.
Sara and I went tandem bike camping with Point 83 on the first weekend of May. All was well, until less than a mile into the return trip the rear derailer succumbed to chain suck and tore out the helicoil and bent the hanger. Alas, Galatea is out of commission and will likely remain so until I get back from PC. I just do not have the time to fix her right now, unfortunately.
We got back into Seattle in the afternoon of the 3rd and by that evening were in Bellingham asleep aboard my friend Christian's 27' Ericson sloop. The next day we set sail for Port Hardy, and by the following Sunday had made it as far north as Port McNeil. This is a distance of something a little greater than 250 nautical miles although the exact distance I do not remember. From Port McNeil we took a VERY long bus ride to Victoria and spent a couple days in Victoria before coming back to Seattle late Wednesday.
Ironically enough, after well over 100 hours on a small sailboat, it took Sara less than half an hour on the Victoria Clipper to toss her cookies. To her credit, the motion of the clipper is pretty uncomfortable, I foolishly adivsed against dramamine, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca was in the middle of a full gale during the crossing. It was blowing 40kts easy and there is hardly a boat that is comfortable in that amount of wind; especially not a big overpowered underloaded catamaran with a bunch of superstructure. As far as seasickness goes, she was a champ and by the end of the trip had managed to get down a couple saltines, some water, some ginger ale, and a lara bar.
Lastly, my remaining days in Seattle are EXTREMELY BUSY. This weekend I am OOT for a quick overnight sailing trip. Next weekend my mom is having her committment ceremony and I will have lots of family obligations starting Thursday. Plus I have my own to do list of things I must do and things I want to do. Still, spending time with friends is an enormous priority for me, as is getting some bike time in, some sailboat time in, and some pints in. Wanna kick it? Drop a line. My evening are pretty filled but my schedule flexes a little bit and I am all about making time for the people most important to me.
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