It is snowing like a bastard here in Prague! This would be fine, or great even, except that my boots are broken and actually ABSORB water and trap it inside. Pray for my feet.
See you guys for Thanksgiving or soon after
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Pictures!
Ok guys. I´m at a hostel in Barcelona with an unexpectedly sweet internet situation.
Hike outside of Jena, Germany, with Brock and Pavlick (not pictured). Pavlick was our gracious host in Jena, our first real stop in Europe. And before we leave this continent, we´re going back there for one more night. You know what that means... more MarioKart! Ah, sweet sweet European nintendo.
You know, I probably should have chosen a different picture - you know, one that shows you what Jena looks like and not just a bunch of stupid leaves and Brocks. Can't change it now though, so I guess you suckers are stuck with it.
Jena though, it's very pretty from up in these mountains. The high point, literally and figuratively, of the hike was an old watchtower, maybe 100, 150 feet teall. [the rest of this paragraph was deleted at Brock's request. What could have been here??]
Bikeride in Jemelle, Belgium. This is the part of Belgium where they speak French. My negotiation for bike rental went something like this:
The castle on the top of the hill in Vianden, Luxembourg. Check out that sweet foreground object that I included because that´s what I do when I try to be artistical!
[PHOTO MISSING]
Here´s Brock and some statue in the Louvre. We´re pretty sure this is what she was doing before her arms got knocked off.
Here are two from a series of me looking stupid and pointing at things. That bottom painting was right across from the Mona Lisa. In fact, in that photograph, I can probably see the Mona Lisa with my peripheral vision. Ooh and Aah if you like.
That´s Oviedo. Where Katy lives. Pretty, no? In this picture, we are quite near to a giant Jesus statue, perhaps 65 times the size of a normal Jesus. But as you can see, Jesus plays no role in this picture. Unless you consider that he, as his own father, created that sky and those mountains and all things. But then, that means Jesus is in every picture ever taken of everything, which kind of cheapens REAL Jesus pictures. Quite a predicament you're in, Jesus.
It's HAY-zoos en Español. Is it weird that Spanish speaking people name their kids Jesus? Seems a bit, um, presumptuous, might be the word. I mean, I know a lot of people have biblical names (Dan and myself included), but I don't think my parents were going, "hmm, let's name one of our kids after a surviving tribe of Israel and another after a lost Tribe."
Hear that Dan? Your tribe wandered and died! Go Tribe of Benjamin!
On the other hand, I think when people decide to name their kid Jesus, they are indeed thinking "yea, we'll call him Jesus, just like Jesus Christ our Lord. This'll rock." I guess the same goes for Muslims naming their kids Mohammed. You can't draw the guy but you can name your kid after him? It seems strange to me.
This is called [i will insert town name here], Spain, where they have this amazing sculpture thingy, and you stand in the center of it and it echoes the sounds of the nearby waves. Really, it just sounds like you have a derder up to your ear (ask me about derders if you don´t know), but it´s still cool.
Alright, I hope you liked these pictures because I doubt you'll be seeing any more before I get back. Good night.
...Except that I can only use it for 20 minutes at a time. [edit: this post actually took me like 5 of these 20 minute sessions and it was terribly frustrating and now I'm actually in Prague finishing it up... AND I didn´t manage to get the Patrick Swayze picture posted. Sorry!] So I´m gonna throw up some choice pictures from various parts of my trip, without much commentary [edit: internet is free in Prague so I've added a bit more commentary]. Enjoy!
Hike outside of Jena, Germany, with Brock and Pavlick (not pictured). Pavlick was our gracious host in Jena, our first real stop in Europe. And before we leave this continent, we´re going back there for one more night. You know what that means... more MarioKart! Ah, sweet sweet European nintendo.You know, I probably should have chosen a different picture - you know, one that shows you what Jena looks like and not just a bunch of stupid leaves and Brocks. Can't change it now though, so I guess you suckers are stuck with it.
Jena though, it's very pretty from up in these mountains. The high point, literally and figuratively, of the hike was an old watchtower, maybe 100, 150 feet teall. [the rest of this paragraph was deleted at Brock's request. What could have been here??]
Bikeride in Jemelle, Belgium. This is the part of Belgium where they speak French. My negotiation for bike rental went something like this:Me: ¨Je voudrais louer des velos.¨ (I practiced)
Him: ¨I am speaking French. You cannot understand me.¨
Me: ¨Oho! Think again sir. I took 2 years of that language in Middle School.¨
Him: ¨Very well. Let us work out the details of this transaction¨
Me: ¨What?¨
Him: ¨DE - TAILS¨
Me: ¨This is what French sounds like?¨
Him: ¨Pay 20€. Give me Passport. I give bikes.¨
Me: ¨Oh. Okay. Au revoir!¨
Him: ¨I am speaking French. You cannot understand me.¨
Me: ¨Oho! Think again sir. I took 2 years of that language in Middle School.¨
Him: ¨Very well. Let us work out the details of this transaction¨
Me: ¨What?¨
Him: ¨DE - TAILS¨
Me: ¨This is what French sounds like?¨
Him: ¨Pay 20€. Give me Passport. I give bikes.¨
Me: ¨Oh. Okay. Au revoir!¨
[PHOTO MISSING]
Signed printout of Patrick Swayze (!) in the fancy picture room in the above castle. The printout came from the movie "George and the Dragon," where Swayze had a supporting role, playing some kind of idiot. Let me tell you, he really looked the part in this picture.
Other pictures in the picture room included Luxembourg royalty from years past, and the first lady of China.
Other pictures in the picture room included Luxembourg royalty from years past, and the first lady of China.
That´s not a window! (I´m playing the fool) This is at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, which contains a lot of modern art and is awesome. My favorites were ¨One Minute Sculptures¨ by Erwin Wurm. They're just a bunch of silly photographs and I was hoping to find them on the internets and show you to them but I can't. I suppose you'll just have to go to Paris.
Here are two from a series of me looking stupid and pointing at things. That bottom painting was right across from the Mona Lisa. In fact, in that photograph, I can probably see the Mona Lisa with my peripheral vision. Ooh and Aah if you like.
That´s Oviedo. Where Katy lives. Pretty, no? In this picture, we are quite near to a giant Jesus statue, perhaps 65 times the size of a normal Jesus. But as you can see, Jesus plays no role in this picture. Unless you consider that he, as his own father, created that sky and those mountains and all things. But then, that means Jesus is in every picture ever taken of everything, which kind of cheapens REAL Jesus pictures. Quite a predicament you're in, Jesus.It's HAY-zoos en Español. Is it weird that Spanish speaking people name their kids Jesus? Seems a bit, um, presumptuous, might be the word. I mean, I know a lot of people have biblical names (Dan and myself included), but I don't think my parents were going, "hmm, let's name one of our kids after a surviving tribe of Israel and another after a lost Tribe."
Hear that Dan? Your tribe wandered and died! Go Tribe of Benjamin!
On the other hand, I think when people decide to name their kid Jesus, they are indeed thinking "yea, we'll call him Jesus, just like Jesus Christ our Lord. This'll rock." I guess the same goes for Muslims naming their kids Mohammed. You can't draw the guy but you can name your kid after him? It seems strange to me.
This is called [i will insert town name here], Spain, where they have this amazing sculpture thingy, and you stand in the center of it and it echoes the sounds of the nearby waves. Really, it just sounds like you have a derder up to your ear (ask me about derders if you don´t know), but it´s still cool.Alright, I hope you liked these pictures because I doubt you'll be seeing any more before I get back. Good night.
Friday, November 14, 2008
¨Hold on, lemme grab a soda¨
Peculiar title? This is Brock´s mantra. I hear these sacred words At Least 3 times a day, yet I still roll my eyes each time. Today marks the first time I didn´t give him a hard time about his soda intake. Not that hard-time-giving does a lick of good, but I felt I had to try. I hope there are no dire consequences to my lack of vigilance. If Brock becomes diabetic in the next 2 weeks, I will take full responsibility.
By the way, I wrote another entry earlier today. Maybe you read it? Scroll down and take a look-see, because this next paragraph depends on it.
Done? Okay. Profound Realization Number Two: French girls are hot! Actually a lot of them are way too skinny and they all wear just about the same trendy outfit. Usually I´m down on trendiness, but the trends are different here so I´m not used to em. Also they sound awesome when they speak French (the girls, not the trends (trends can´t speak (duh))). Probably if I spent more time there and learned French, the effect would wear off, but for now: French girls are hot!
Next topic: After Rex Pelayo defeated the Moors in Asturias, they got scared or something and went back to Morocco and now Spain is full of Spanish people. The End. But so, Asturias is fiercely traditional and prideful. A lot of kids here are named Pelayo or Pelayon or something. And they have a hundred and ten traditional activities here, most of which involve food or drinking. As with all the places I have been, I was keen on participating in traditional activities, but here, there are just too many.
The best one by far is drinking Sidras (alcoholic, uncarbonated apple cider) that the waiters ¨carbonate¨ by pouring from a very high height. Then you must drink it very fast before the bubbles go away. It´s only about 6% alcohol, but a 70 cL (about 24 oz) bottle costs just 2€. You have to buy a lot, because the waiters only pour your first glass, and when you pour it, it gets all over your pants and the floor and old Spanish guys with their fancy hats and canes have a good guffaw. But then they get up and tell you how to do it right and you get a little bit better at it, holding your pinky just so, and keeping your eyes on the glass, not on the bottle.
Still you spill a lot, but the three of you end up well buzzed for under 15€. The three of you? Yes, Brock, Katy, and you (me). Brock´s girlfriend Katy, who you may remember from Seattle, now lives here in Oviedo. We´ve been staying here with her for the last full week because we like it here so much. And because it´s free and I get my own bed and I don´t have to listen to Brock snore (this is a big deal). AND because when we lugged all our things across town to the train station 4 hours ago and found out we needed reservations and could buy them just around the corner, IF the people who sold them weren´t on strike! But we´re not upset. I mean now. Brock was pissed. He bought a soda.
No! He bought candy! I can´t believe I didn´t mention the candy. It´s not as frequent as the soda, but that guy eats a lot of candy. In Oviedo the frequency has increased to about one new bag a day. It´s hardly his fault though. He has a weakness for gummies, and there are stores Everywhere with gummies of all colors and shapes and sizes literally stacked from floor to ceiling. The man is a sugar fiend. My earlier statement about taking responsibility for his future diabetes? I take that back. It´s way beyond my control.
I´ve gotten off track. We were trying to go to Madrid today but we couldn´t. Supposedly, the workers are not striking tomorrow, so we´ll be leaving in the morning, and without Katy as translator, I´ll be using my rudimentary Spanish to get us food and shelter. Did I mention I lost my phrasebook back in Luxembourg? That thing was awesome. It had all the major languages of Western Europe and how to say things like ¨Hi¨ and ¨How much does that banana cost¨ and ¨I´d like to rent a bicycle¨ and ¨Don´t touch my face¨ in all those languages. But I lost it! So I bought a phrasebook for Spanish people who need to know English here in Oviedo. It works well enough, except that the table of contents and all the explanations of stuff are in Spanish, and the book itself is not sufficient to translate them. Buying it was fun. I went into the bookstore and said ¨No hablo Español. Libro para Ingles ... Español. Por favor.¨ He wasn´t getting it so I just kept going ¨Ingles ... Español,¨ gesturing with my left hand for Ingles, and my right for Español. Eventually we did business and had a good laugh.
That´s enough for now, but here´s a tantalizing tidbit: we fed peacocks today. At a zoo? No. Then how? Maybe one day I´ll tell you the whole story but here´s one hint: it was awesome.
Au revoir!
By the way, I wrote another entry earlier today. Maybe you read it? Scroll down and take a look-see, because this next paragraph depends on it.
Done? Okay. Profound Realization Number Two: French girls are hot! Actually a lot of them are way too skinny and they all wear just about the same trendy outfit. Usually I´m down on trendiness, but the trends are different here so I´m not used to em. Also they sound awesome when they speak French (the girls, not the trends (trends can´t speak (duh))). Probably if I spent more time there and learned French, the effect would wear off, but for now: French girls are hot!
Next topic: After Rex Pelayo defeated the Moors in Asturias, they got scared or something and went back to Morocco and now Spain is full of Spanish people. The End. But so, Asturias is fiercely traditional and prideful. A lot of kids here are named Pelayo or Pelayon or something. And they have a hundred and ten traditional activities here, most of which involve food or drinking. As with all the places I have been, I was keen on participating in traditional activities, but here, there are just too many.
The best one by far is drinking Sidras (alcoholic, uncarbonated apple cider) that the waiters ¨carbonate¨ by pouring from a very high height. Then you must drink it very fast before the bubbles go away. It´s only about 6% alcohol, but a 70 cL (about 24 oz) bottle costs just 2€. You have to buy a lot, because the waiters only pour your first glass, and when you pour it, it gets all over your pants and the floor and old Spanish guys with their fancy hats and canes have a good guffaw. But then they get up and tell you how to do it right and you get a little bit better at it, holding your pinky just so, and keeping your eyes on the glass, not on the bottle.
Still you spill a lot, but the three of you end up well buzzed for under 15€. The three of you? Yes, Brock, Katy, and you (me). Brock´s girlfriend Katy, who you may remember from Seattle, now lives here in Oviedo. We´ve been staying here with her for the last full week because we like it here so much. And because it´s free and I get my own bed and I don´t have to listen to Brock snore (this is a big deal). AND because when we lugged all our things across town to the train station 4 hours ago and found out we needed reservations and could buy them just around the corner, IF the people who sold them weren´t on strike! But we´re not upset. I mean now. Brock was pissed. He bought a soda.
No! He bought candy! I can´t believe I didn´t mention the candy. It´s not as frequent as the soda, but that guy eats a lot of candy. In Oviedo the frequency has increased to about one new bag a day. It´s hardly his fault though. He has a weakness for gummies, and there are stores Everywhere with gummies of all colors and shapes and sizes literally stacked from floor to ceiling. The man is a sugar fiend. My earlier statement about taking responsibility for his future diabetes? I take that back. It´s way beyond my control.
I´ve gotten off track. We were trying to go to Madrid today but we couldn´t. Supposedly, the workers are not striking tomorrow, so we´ll be leaving in the morning, and without Katy as translator, I´ll be using my rudimentary Spanish to get us food and shelter. Did I mention I lost my phrasebook back in Luxembourg? That thing was awesome. It had all the major languages of Western Europe and how to say things like ¨Hi¨ and ¨How much does that banana cost¨ and ¨I´d like to rent a bicycle¨ and ¨Don´t touch my face¨ in all those languages. But I lost it! So I bought a phrasebook for Spanish people who need to know English here in Oviedo. It works well enough, except that the table of contents and all the explanations of stuff are in Spanish, and the book itself is not sufficient to translate them. Buying it was fun. I went into the bookstore and said ¨No hablo Español. Libro para Ingles ... Español. Por favor.¨ He wasn´t getting it so I just kept going ¨Ingles ... Español,¨ gesturing with my left hand for Ingles, and my right for Español. Eventually we did business and had a good laugh.
That´s enough for now, but here´s a tantalizing tidbit: we fed peacocks today. At a zoo? No. Then how? Maybe one day I´ll tell you the whole story but here´s one hint: it was awesome.
Au revoir!
Profound Realizations
If you´re reading this then you already know: I am in Europe. I have been for the last month. And before that I was traveling all round the country, to various interesting and uninteresting places. Some have called me a great world traveler. Some have called me a veteran explorer. Some are even so bold as to dub me ¨Vasco DeGama Resurrected.¨ Others simply know me as a man about town. Others still, they call me ¨Ben, Genius of the West and Far West who knows nothing of the East.¨
To all these admirers and hangers-on I say thanks. And I think it is time that I gave you all something in return for your tireless devotion. You see, when one travels so extensively, one experiences many new things, and one is prone to have Profound Realizations. I wish to impart to you, dear reader, some of these Realizations, so that you may know them without risking world-weariness as I have.
Let us start thusly: I have been many places (as you know) and with many places come many bathrooms, W.C.s, Servicios, outhouses, holes in the ground or what have you. I am a clean man; I shower occasionally, and I brush my teeth twice a day. Sometimes I even floss. But these bathrooms can be dirty, vile places. They might not have decent lighting, or toilet seats. Often, to decrease my total amount of time in the bathroom, I wait patiently, gathering up all my bathroom trips into one Grand Bathroom Trip, where I might use the toilet, wash my face, and brush my teeth all at once (I mean, not like, at exactly the same time, because usually the sink is too far away from the toilet, but I do all that stuff in one trip to the lav). When taking such a Grand Trip, I prepare my toothbrush with toothpaste, I grab a washcloth and some soap, and for a longer trip, I bring a good book (not THE good book mind you, that one´s boring). I like to brush my teeth last, so I set down the toothbrush ever so carefully, making sure it wont tip over, brushing the bristles or the paste against some grimy surface. Then I go about my other chores (also taking care to avoid wet areas when I put my book down). I return to the sink, pick up the toothbrush, and BAM: Profound Realization! The bristles are protected from grime, yes, but the back of the toothbrush is just sitting on that grime. And, here´s the important bit: the back of the toothbrush goes in my mouth too! How many times have I brushed this way? At campground bathrooms and hostel bathrooms and train stations? Dozens! Hundreds!
Yes, reader, it takes many months of travel to discover deep truths such as these. It is my hope that you can benefit from my mistake. I would like to offer a solution to this dire situation, but as yet, I have none. Should I bring some object on which to rest the toothbrush - a buffer zone against the grime? Should I keep the toothbrush in my pocket? If so, do I apply toothpaste beforehand, or do I bring the toothpaste tube with me? Do I take two separate trips the the bathroom?
Alas, each of these attempts has ended in disaster (or an unacceptably inffecient Grand Bathroom Trip). Perhaps after many months more I shall discover the answer. If so, you will be the first to know.
Okay. Enough of my high-falutin´ Ben-the-great-traveler talk. Also, despite my promise of multiple Realizations, this was the only one, and I suspect many of you already knew about it, and maybe even think it´s obvious. But to me it was Profound! So shut up.
It´s a shame, but I can´t post pictures of my trip. I have many lovely photos, and I´m sure you´ll all see them, but internet cafes and library computers and so forth wont let me upload them. Right now, at this very moment, while I´m typing this, and WHILE YOU ARE READING THIS (not really), I am at one of those library computers in Oviedo, Spain. Oviedo is in Asturias, and it is Rich With Tradition. Some Celts settled here some centuries back, and not long after, the dastardly Moors began their conquest of Spain. They almost won too, but Rex (king) Pelayos of Asturias drove them off.
Bah. It´s a good story too, but I just got kicked off this computer. I´ll continue it another time, and impart some of the rest of my adventures.
Adios!
To all these admirers and hangers-on I say thanks. And I think it is time that I gave you all something in return for your tireless devotion. You see, when one travels so extensively, one experiences many new things, and one is prone to have Profound Realizations. I wish to impart to you, dear reader, some of these Realizations, so that you may know them without risking world-weariness as I have.
Let us start thusly: I have been many places (as you know) and with many places come many bathrooms, W.C.s, Servicios, outhouses, holes in the ground or what have you. I am a clean man; I shower occasionally, and I brush my teeth twice a day. Sometimes I even floss. But these bathrooms can be dirty, vile places. They might not have decent lighting, or toilet seats. Often, to decrease my total amount of time in the bathroom, I wait patiently, gathering up all my bathroom trips into one Grand Bathroom Trip, where I might use the toilet, wash my face, and brush my teeth all at once (I mean, not like, at exactly the same time, because usually the sink is too far away from the toilet, but I do all that stuff in one trip to the lav). When taking such a Grand Trip, I prepare my toothbrush with toothpaste, I grab a washcloth and some soap, and for a longer trip, I bring a good book (not THE good book mind you, that one´s boring). I like to brush my teeth last, so I set down the toothbrush ever so carefully, making sure it wont tip over, brushing the bristles or the paste against some grimy surface. Then I go about my other chores (also taking care to avoid wet areas when I put my book down). I return to the sink, pick up the toothbrush, and BAM: Profound Realization! The bristles are protected from grime, yes, but the back of the toothbrush is just sitting on that grime. And, here´s the important bit: the back of the toothbrush goes in my mouth too! How many times have I brushed this way? At campground bathrooms and hostel bathrooms and train stations? Dozens! Hundreds!
Yes, reader, it takes many months of travel to discover deep truths such as these. It is my hope that you can benefit from my mistake. I would like to offer a solution to this dire situation, but as yet, I have none. Should I bring some object on which to rest the toothbrush - a buffer zone against the grime? Should I keep the toothbrush in my pocket? If so, do I apply toothpaste beforehand, or do I bring the toothpaste tube with me? Do I take two separate trips the the bathroom?
Alas, each of these attempts has ended in disaster (or an unacceptably inffecient Grand Bathroom Trip). Perhaps after many months more I shall discover the answer. If so, you will be the first to know.
Okay. Enough of my high-falutin´ Ben-the-great-traveler talk. Also, despite my promise of multiple Realizations, this was the only one, and I suspect many of you already knew about it, and maybe even think it´s obvious. But to me it was Profound! So shut up.
It´s a shame, but I can´t post pictures of my trip. I have many lovely photos, and I´m sure you´ll all see them, but internet cafes and library computers and so forth wont let me upload them. Right now, at this very moment, while I´m typing this, and WHILE YOU ARE READING THIS (not really), I am at one of those library computers in Oviedo, Spain. Oviedo is in Asturias, and it is Rich With Tradition. Some Celts settled here some centuries back, and not long after, the dastardly Moors began their conquest of Spain. They almost won too, but Rex (king) Pelayos of Asturias drove them off.
Bah. It´s a good story too, but I just got kicked off this computer. I´ll continue it another time, and impart some of the rest of my adventures.
Adios!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)