The BBC envisions a world without planes.
An intriguing sort of piece inspired by the Eyjafjallajökull chaos. Don't miss the point--it's not about the current event at all. I think it's about the mystique of travel itself, and the inherent wonder of aviation that can be so easy to forget.
Here's another look at Japanese universities and the whole inherent system there, written by a foreign "salaryman" living and working in Tokyo. Check it out.
On a side note, a friend of mine who lives and works in Tokyo is the international manager/representative of an up-and-coming Tokyo rock band called Molice. They call themselves "Blade Runner Music" and they're currently trying to win a contest for a chance to play at a festival in Canada, so I encourage my readers to click here and vote for their video. Even if you're not interested, do my friend a favor--no registration required, all you have to do is click!
Showing posts with label travel thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel thoughts. Show all posts
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Sunday, October 25, 2009
The Great Experiment
This is the blog post I've been turning over in my mind for the past two months, and I'm finally going to put it up here. A bit of a retrospective.
My life is generally incredibly busy--nearly every single day I spent in LA last month I was seeing people, friends, family, acquaintances--exploring, running around, doing all sorts of things. For a brief summary:
- Saw a bunch of great concerts (rock shows mostly), including The Killers, Green Day, Akron Family, Goodbye Motel, and The Faint.
- Saw and spent a lot of time with many friends (as well as acquaintances and family).
- Went to two(ish) Dodger games.
- Went to two tapings of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
- Made some money, enough to finance a new guitar! (There's a great saga about my new guitar, but let's just say for now that I'm very happy with what I got)
- Contacted friends from Russia, as well as some from Israel. (Skype and Vkontakte are great--VKontakte is the Russian ripoff of Facebook)
- Wrote the following text from my laptop, but my battery died before I could post it. It was a very "LA" sort of moment, and I wanted to preserve it...
< I'm sitting just outside a Coffee Bean & Teal Leaf at The Grove on 3rd&Fairfax in Los Angeles. I'm sipping a pumpkin Ice Blended. I'm watching the "trolley" leave, and in the last ten minutes I've heard Hebrew, Japanese, Spanish, and two other languages that might have been [Korean and perhaps Filipino. This is without a doubt the most cosmopolitan place I've seen in this city, with the possible exception of LAX.]
>
- Found some very good deals on things., and sold a couple old things too.
- Got my computer fixed, installed both Snow Leopard and Windows 7 on it, and upgraded the RAM.
- Collected things for Japan, acquired a TON of information, as well as books and supplies.
- Learned more about LA, and found some cool new places!
- Played a lot of guitar.
- Got some new clothes.
- Volunteered at the OCC Run/Walk at CBS Studios
The following text was written about one month ago and never posted. I feel so much different now from how I felt then, so I'm glad I wrote this.
< But today was different. I realized that I have ten days left, and I've been running around trying to do as much as possible as if to flesh out my curriculum vitae for a big interview coming up. I've been growing restless, living in my parents' house that no longer feels so much like my home. I had been away from this blog for a while in part because this particular post has loomed large over my head. I thought that I would write the post looking back on my summer abroad immediately once I returned home, but I didn't. I wrote a couple short posts about what I'd been doing during my return and a post about Birthright that ended up being more hortatory encouragement than searching exposé. It feels really good to get back to blogging--back to writing. One thing I have been doing, especially having new instruments in the house, is playing the guitar. I notice improvement every time, just like I've noticed personal improvement every time I've gone out to play tennis with Kyle, and that's really exciting for me. [Note added later: I notice the same thing now with my Japanese speaking and understanding, and it was similar with Russian language earlier this summer. Круто, or すごい, so to speak] A major goal of this whole fifteen months of study abroad is to develop personal confidence--a sense of self. It's a part of growing up, and I struggled with confidence for much of my childhood. When I'm playing "Thunder Road," it's really for me. Depression gives way to the more comfortable occasional melancholy of being young. Anxiety releases, and I find myself with some things that are lasting, permanent, and meaningful, all as I recognize my deeper sense of self through greater perspective. The result is growth, and I feel older and more mature. When this year 2009 began, I told myself that it would be a good year, and certainly better than the last. In truth it's been intense, and often very difficult, but it has been the sort of hardship that leads to profound growth, and I have indeed grown more than ever. To be honest, I was afraid of what the result would be, so it has been an encouraging surprise and an exciting journey for me to find that what I thought and hoped mattered to me really does matter, really is there, more than I could have realized, and the effect is something like trying to listen to music on a loud plane when the engined slow as you get closer to where you want to go and the music stays with you and seems all the clearer without so much noise. Music has a powerful way of affecting emotions.
Having grown up in LA, I have in my life spent lots of time in a car. Since I have been driving, I have always felt that I should be a good driver, though once I had been driving for a year or so, I realized that I like to drive fast and in control and to listen to music. In my life I often drive fast, trying to accumulate destinations. I want to say that I've been there. I craved the feeling of connectedness and wonder and joy that comes from experiencing something amazing. I craved it so much that I kept looking for it in all sorts of places.
Going abroad is like the final test, the ultimate, or to continue the analogy, maybe something like driving that car out past the familiar roads, away from the city, and searching because you have to find your own road.
>
Maybe that last bit it is somewhat cheese, but I've grown more in the past five or six months than I have ever thought possible. The absolute truth is that I'm having the time of my life here in Japan, and I feel more relaxed and more secure and generally happier with life than I have in many, many years. There is a song I listened to dozens of times this summer, more than any other song--"Soul Meets Body" by a band called Death Cab For Cutie. I'll let whoever reads the lyrics interpret them:
I want to live where soul meets body
And let the sun wrap its arms around me
And bathe my skin in water cool and cleansing
And feel, feel what its like to be new
Cause in my head there’s a greyhound station
Where I send my thoughts to far off destinations
So they may have a chance of finding a place
where they’re far more suited than here
And I cannot guess what we'll discover
When we turn the dirt with our palms cupped like shovels
But I know our filthy hands can wash one another’s
And not one speck will remain
And I do believe it’s true
That there are roads left in both of our shoes
But if the silence takes you
Then I hope it takes me too
So brown eyes I hold you near
Cause you’re the only song I want to hear
A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere
Where soul meets body
Where soul meets body
Where soul meets body
And I do believe it’s true
That there are roads left in both of our shoes
But if the silence takes you
Then I hope it takes me too
So brown eyes I hold you near
Cause you’re the only song I want to hear
A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere
A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere
A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere
A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere
Even now, I feel nostalgic looking at those lyrics. Now, for the first time since I've ever had a conscious awareness of such a concept, I feel that I am in the right place at the right time, and I'm totally loving it.
I've made a Flickr account (link) with some of my best pictures from this summer. The plan is to periodically add pictures to it, from my various adventures in life--only my absolute best or perhaps most interesting photos. Check it out!
Now, obviously, this post is much, much different from what it would have been two months ago when I thought I'd actually be writing it. I wanted to talk about all the new perspective I've gained on life, thoughts on speaking and hearing a different language, thoughts on comparing cultures, thoughts on my own life and thoughts on America too. Fact is, I've been doing that a lot anyhow, but it's always worth mentioning.
I've said many times that I experienced a lot of culture shock in Russia, and that it took about five weeks for me to come to terms with it and feel more comfortable. Fact is, I still don't particularly like Russian culture. Russian people that I met in Russia would tell me that life in Russia is difficult, and it's also difficult to LEAVE Russia, should they so desire. What I got from my host mother on the issue is that leaving Russia is basically not an option, so it's not worth thinking about. Everyday life was often full of apparent inconsistencies. There's a stereotype of "the typical Russian soul," and foreigners seem to love joking with Russians about what the Real Russian Soul might actually be. Russians I met and asked about this question were often mildly amused, and one friend of mine compared it to the idea of the American Dream (occasionally, American Spirit), as in a very broad cultural ideal for which an attempt at definition is often suggested but rarely attempted.
Perhaps the fact is that Russian culture is simply different. As an American who has been rooted in America for at least four generations no matter how you look at it, I had a hard time adjusting to my first time living in a foreign country--especially in one with a reputation for life being hard. Russian history is full of hardship, to put it very simply, but I discovered in Dostoevsky and in the people I met in Russia a certain determination for life that I found very powerful. It was this determination that made me think I might want my university program to end up being ILVS (International Letters and Visual Studies) after all, with a focus on Literature: comparing Japanese and Russian, to be exact. (So now in Japan, I've organized a weekly Russian Literature class that I'm doing for credit--entirely in Russian, of course.) Even though "Russian Culture" and life in Russia doesn't particularly interest me, maybe it is in the Russian Soul that I've found something to fascinate me.
In Israel as well, I found an unexpected connection. I was raised in a nonreligious household but with certain cultural ties to secular American Judaism and New England Protestantism that helped defined me also. By the circumstances of my life growing up, or for whatever reason, I felt more connected to Judaism, so I did the Birthright program in Israel. What I found was a place and a culture that I loved without expecting to love (as, I suppose, love often happens), a connection I wasn't expecting to feel, and an unexpectedly amazing experience.
It's true that experience is what you make it, and for me and where I was in life, I needed perspective on myself. I needed to get away. I'm glad that my computer was broken for two months, that I felt out of touch in Russia. Going abroad was something I knew I needed, and it's been really good for me. Looking back now, I have so much appreciation and gratitude for where I've been--and it's true what they say, that going through hard times makes a person stronger. I've grown up a lot. I love my life now, and I have a much better sense of myself. It would be foolish to suspect that I know where I'm going, but I'm really not so worried about it anymore.
April 27, during a rather difficult time for me. This is a photo of my Japanese 2 class at the end of the year--on the far right next to me is Koizumi-sensei. I have very few pictures from my last semester at Tufts; this is a tiny glimpse at where I was coming from.
Drinking a Baltika 7 at a rock club in Saint-Petersburg. I've mellowed out a lot; I'm a lot less uptight than I have been for a long time. (As Russian beers go, I don't recommend Baltika 7.)
With my new Israeli friend Dean, in Israel of course. He's one of the great new people I've met, and I'm glad to say we've kept in touch since then too.
Photo from the choir performance during my last week in Russia. The girl in the salmon-color top is Nadezhda, the lead singer from Лесной Пегас (Forest Pegasus), a really awesome band (they're from Псков/Pskov, actually) in Russia that you should check out. She was our choir director, and the guy at the far right is Sasha, our guitarist and musical director. We had a great time in the choir, and I was glad to learn some Russian songs! My love for music, both to create and appreciate, is another part of me that solidified this summer. From right: Sasha, Leo, me, Olivia, Nadezhda, Clare, Alena, Heather.
Our group leaders in Israel, at the very end of the program at the airport. The guy in green in the middle, Shahar, was our main guide and group leader. Like other group leaders for outdoor educational trips I've been on, he had a great personality and an awesome humanity about him. I learned a ton from him and from all of these people, and I found them all to be incredibly inspiring. I can't wait to go back to Israel again someday. From left: Abra, Gordon, Shahar, Jason, Avishai.
With my friend Sasha, in front of that Vasileostrovskaya metro station in Saint-Petersburg. I met with Sasha at great length three or four times after I met him, to talk about language and culture. From these meetings, I learned a great deal about culture itself, and I saw valuable perspective on myself as an American. I learned how to use the phrase "in my country" with respect, as I saw myself as a person of substance from a specific place that actually does have a culture.
I have an enormous amount of respect for these guys. That's Dean on the left, and my other friend Amos on the right. They're both officers in the Israeli Defence Forces. I'd never really known any soldiers before, but these guys are my friends. Not only that, but I feel a personal connection to what they're fighting for that goes beyond my friendship with them. This was new for me, and as I thought about what it would be like for me to do what they do, I felt great respect and admiration for them. They're real, good people, doing the best they can, and they're part of something that makes them strong in a way I'll likely never know. Even though I ought to hope I'll never have to do what they do, part of me really, truly wanted to be in their boots, and I felt a glimmer of understanding for what it is that makes young people, perhaps especially young men, want to put on such a uniform.
On board one of the tall ships at the Tall Ships' Races 2009 festival. I reconnected with my love of sailing and ships and the sea, and made a personal resolve to return to it at some time in the future. I also experienced one of the most beautiful moments in my recent memory, as the ships were leaving port and sounding their horns.
Photo from when I saw The Killers live at UC Irvine last month. I love going to rock shows, and this was certainly a great one. I'm proud of the photo with all the lights and confetti, but besides all that, it's indicative of part of what makes it so cool to go to shows.
On May 12 in Chicago, I saw Bruce Springsteen with my best friend Zach. It was my third time seeing Springsteen, probably my favorite musician and performer of all. At that time (or any time, really), the company of Zach and the Boss was exactly what I needed. Besides that, it was a hell of a great show! In a massive arena (it's where the Chicago Bulls play), we were in the pit, about ten people back from the very front. AMAZING.
With my friend Vitaly and his son Kiril (probably the cutest kid ever to exist), in Saint-Petersburg. Vitaly was enormously kind and generous to me, and he invited me to visit him and his wife and son at their house outside the city. I had a great time, and as a guest in someone else's home I felt humbled as I learned about what their life is really like. Vitaly is a computer programmer working for Smolny (and, by definition I suppose, for Saint-Petersburg State University), and he's one of the nicest, funniest guys you'll ever meet. Plus, he and his wife are really into anime and love the show Babylon 5, my favorite tv show ever.
With my friend Viktor in a Petersburg metro station. This guy is a ton of fun. I spent a lot of time with him and another friend named Ruslan toward the end of my stay in Russia this summer, and I learned more about what life in Petersburg is like for someone around my age. We had a great time walking around the city, going to a hockey game, discussing the finer points of language (swear words), and we're still keeping in touch too.
The only decent picture I have of me with my Russian host mother Sveta. This was taken on my very last day in Russia, mere seconds before I dashed out the door to get to the airport, courtesy of a very kind acquaintance who saved me a TON of time and money by driving me there. Sveta was really wonderful--a practical and personable woman who cared about my well-being, physically, mentally, and in terms of my education as well.
Photo with my brother Matt at Lowry's steak and chop restaurant in Los Angeles, courtesy of my grandmother and her husband. Another thing that's happened in the past year is that I've grown a lot closer with my brother, and for that I am so, so glad. Matt is awesome, and actually, today (Oct 26) happens to be his 23rd birthday. Happy birthday, Matt! Now come visit me in Japan and we'll go clubbing!!
Photo on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, with my dad, Judie the makeup artist, and a totally awesome Australian rock band that is about to take the world by storm. I was photographer for the band at their showcase at The Roxy, and then we all went out afterward. Opportunities like this wouldn't exist without my dad, and I'm glad I've gotten to know him better this summer. Check out his new website!!
Photo with my friend Ido in Tel-Aviv, on my last night of traveling abroad this summer. Goldstar beer is ridiculously tasty. I had a fantastic time in Israel that whole day, and it's entirely thanks to my friends there--Pri especially, as well as Ido, Mor, and Shani.
In Vyborg (near Finland!), my second-to-last weekend in Russia. We visited the old castle, and there I got to try on some knight's gear. I then proceeded to defend the honor of my dear friend Alena, another wonderful person I met abroad. I'm still in touch with her, too--earlier this week, we talked for an hour entirely in Russian. Благодаря Skype!
Photo with my mom (!) on my second-to-last day in LA (September 28) before leaving for Japan. I spent most of the day with her, and we had a really wonderful time. I love my mom!
I'd say this was a rather amazing summer.
My life is generally incredibly busy--nearly every single day I spent in LA last month I was seeing people, friends, family, acquaintances--exploring, running around, doing all sorts of things. For a brief summary:
- Saw a bunch of great concerts (rock shows mostly), including The Killers, Green Day, Akron Family, Goodbye Motel, and The Faint.
- Saw and spent a lot of time with many friends (as well as acquaintances and family).
- Went to two(ish) Dodger games.
- Went to two tapings of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
- Made some money, enough to finance a new guitar! (There's a great saga about my new guitar, but let's just say for now that I'm very happy with what I got)
- Contacted friends from Russia, as well as some from Israel. (Skype and Vkontakte are great--VKontakte is the Russian ripoff of Facebook)
- Wrote the following text from my laptop, but my battery died before I could post it. It was a very "LA" sort of moment, and I wanted to preserve it...
< I'm sitting just outside a Coffee Bean & Teal Leaf at The Grove on 3rd&Fairfax in Los Angeles. I'm sipping a pumpkin Ice Blended. I'm watching the "trolley" leave, and in the last ten minutes I've heard Hebrew, Japanese, Spanish, and two other languages that might have been [Korean and perhaps Filipino. This is without a doubt the most cosmopolitan place I've seen in this city, with the possible exception of LAX.]
>
- Found some very good deals on things., and sold a couple old things too.
- Got my computer fixed, installed both Snow Leopard and Windows 7 on it, and upgraded the RAM.
- Collected things for Japan, acquired a TON of information, as well as books and supplies.
- Learned more about LA, and found some cool new places!
- Played a lot of guitar.
- Got some new clothes.
- Volunteered at the OCC Run/Walk at CBS Studios
The following text was written about one month ago and never posted. I feel so much different now from how I felt then, so I'm glad I wrote this.
< But today was different. I realized that I have ten days left, and I've been running around trying to do as much as possible as if to flesh out my curriculum vitae for a big interview coming up. I've been growing restless, living in my parents' house that no longer feels so much like my home. I had been away from this blog for a while in part because this particular post has loomed large over my head. I thought that I would write the post looking back on my summer abroad immediately once I returned home, but I didn't. I wrote a couple short posts about what I'd been doing during my return and a post about Birthright that ended up being more hortatory encouragement than searching exposé. It feels really good to get back to blogging--back to writing. One thing I have been doing, especially having new instruments in the house, is playing the guitar. I notice improvement every time, just like I've noticed personal improvement every time I've gone out to play tennis with Kyle, and that's really exciting for me. [Note added later: I notice the same thing now with my Japanese speaking and understanding, and it was similar with Russian language earlier this summer. Круто, or すごい, so to speak] A major goal of this whole fifteen months of study abroad is to develop personal confidence--a sense of self. It's a part of growing up, and I struggled with confidence for much of my childhood. When I'm playing "Thunder Road," it's really for me. Depression gives way to the more comfortable occasional melancholy of being young. Anxiety releases, and I find myself with some things that are lasting, permanent, and meaningful, all as I recognize my deeper sense of self through greater perspective. The result is growth, and I feel older and more mature. When this year 2009 began, I told myself that it would be a good year, and certainly better than the last. In truth it's been intense, and often very difficult, but it has been the sort of hardship that leads to profound growth, and I have indeed grown more than ever. To be honest, I was afraid of what the result would be, so it has been an encouraging surprise and an exciting journey for me to find that what I thought and hoped mattered to me really does matter, really is there, more than I could have realized, and the effect is something like trying to listen to music on a loud plane when the engined slow as you get closer to where you want to go and the music stays with you and seems all the clearer without so much noise. Music has a powerful way of affecting emotions.
Having grown up in LA, I have in my life spent lots of time in a car. Since I have been driving, I have always felt that I should be a good driver, though once I had been driving for a year or so, I realized that I like to drive fast and in control and to listen to music. In my life I often drive fast, trying to accumulate destinations. I want to say that I've been there. I craved the feeling of connectedness and wonder and joy that comes from experiencing something amazing. I craved it so much that I kept looking for it in all sorts of places.
Going abroad is like the final test, the ultimate, or to continue the analogy, maybe something like driving that car out past the familiar roads, away from the city, and searching because you have to find your own road.
>
Maybe that last bit it is somewhat cheese, but I've grown more in the past five or six months than I have ever thought possible. The absolute truth is that I'm having the time of my life here in Japan, and I feel more relaxed and more secure and generally happier with life than I have in many, many years. There is a song I listened to dozens of times this summer, more than any other song--"Soul Meets Body" by a band called Death Cab For Cutie. I'll let whoever reads the lyrics interpret them:
I want to live where soul meets body
And let the sun wrap its arms around me
And bathe my skin in water cool and cleansing
And feel, feel what its like to be new
Cause in my head there’s a greyhound station
Where I send my thoughts to far off destinations
So they may have a chance of finding a place
where they’re far more suited than here
And I cannot guess what we'll discover
When we turn the dirt with our palms cupped like shovels
But I know our filthy hands can wash one another’s
And not one speck will remain
And I do believe it’s true
That there are roads left in both of our shoes
But if the silence takes you
Then I hope it takes me too
So brown eyes I hold you near
Cause you’re the only song I want to hear
A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere
Where soul meets body
Where soul meets body
Where soul meets body
And I do believe it’s true
That there are roads left in both of our shoes
But if the silence takes you
Then I hope it takes me too
So brown eyes I hold you near
Cause you’re the only song I want to hear
A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere
A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere
A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere
A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere
Even now, I feel nostalgic looking at those lyrics. Now, for the first time since I've ever had a conscious awareness of such a concept, I feel that I am in the right place at the right time, and I'm totally loving it.
I've made a Flickr account (link) with some of my best pictures from this summer. The plan is to periodically add pictures to it, from my various adventures in life--only my absolute best or perhaps most interesting photos. Check it out!
Now, obviously, this post is much, much different from what it would have been two months ago when I thought I'd actually be writing it. I wanted to talk about all the new perspective I've gained on life, thoughts on speaking and hearing a different language, thoughts on comparing cultures, thoughts on my own life and thoughts on America too. Fact is, I've been doing that a lot anyhow, but it's always worth mentioning.
I've said many times that I experienced a lot of culture shock in Russia, and that it took about five weeks for me to come to terms with it and feel more comfortable. Fact is, I still don't particularly like Russian culture. Russian people that I met in Russia would tell me that life in Russia is difficult, and it's also difficult to LEAVE Russia, should they so desire. What I got from my host mother on the issue is that leaving Russia is basically not an option, so it's not worth thinking about. Everyday life was often full of apparent inconsistencies. There's a stereotype of "the typical Russian soul," and foreigners seem to love joking with Russians about what the Real Russian Soul might actually be. Russians I met and asked about this question were often mildly amused, and one friend of mine compared it to the idea of the American Dream (occasionally, American Spirit), as in a very broad cultural ideal for which an attempt at definition is often suggested but rarely attempted.
Perhaps the fact is that Russian culture is simply different. As an American who has been rooted in America for at least four generations no matter how you look at it, I had a hard time adjusting to my first time living in a foreign country--especially in one with a reputation for life being hard. Russian history is full of hardship, to put it very simply, but I discovered in Dostoevsky and in the people I met in Russia a certain determination for life that I found very powerful. It was this determination that made me think I might want my university program to end up being ILVS (International Letters and Visual Studies) after all, with a focus on Literature: comparing Japanese and Russian, to be exact. (So now in Japan, I've organized a weekly Russian Literature class that I'm doing for credit--entirely in Russian, of course.) Even though "Russian Culture" and life in Russia doesn't particularly interest me, maybe it is in the Russian Soul that I've found something to fascinate me.
In Israel as well, I found an unexpected connection. I was raised in a nonreligious household but with certain cultural ties to secular American Judaism and New England Protestantism that helped defined me also. By the circumstances of my life growing up, or for whatever reason, I felt more connected to Judaism, so I did the Birthright program in Israel. What I found was a place and a culture that I loved without expecting to love (as, I suppose, love often happens), a connection I wasn't expecting to feel, and an unexpectedly amazing experience.
It's true that experience is what you make it, and for me and where I was in life, I needed perspective on myself. I needed to get away. I'm glad that my computer was broken for two months, that I felt out of touch in Russia. Going abroad was something I knew I needed, and it's been really good for me. Looking back now, I have so much appreciation and gratitude for where I've been--and it's true what they say, that going through hard times makes a person stronger. I've grown up a lot. I love my life now, and I have a much better sense of myself. It would be foolish to suspect that I know where I'm going, but I'm really not so worried about it anymore.
April 27, during a rather difficult time for me. This is a photo of my Japanese 2 class at the end of the year--on the far right next to me is Koizumi-sensei. I have very few pictures from my last semester at Tufts; this is a tiny glimpse at where I was coming from.
Drinking a Baltika 7 at a rock club in Saint-Petersburg. I've mellowed out a lot; I'm a lot less uptight than I have been for a long time. (As Russian beers go, I don't recommend Baltika 7.)
With my new Israeli friend Dean, in Israel of course. He's one of the great new people I've met, and I'm glad to say we've kept in touch since then too.
Photo from the choir performance during my last week in Russia. The girl in the salmon-color top is Nadezhda, the lead singer from Лесной Пегас (Forest Pegasus), a really awesome band (they're from Псков/Pskov, actually) in Russia that you should check out. She was our choir director, and the guy at the far right is Sasha, our guitarist and musical director. We had a great time in the choir, and I was glad to learn some Russian songs! My love for music, both to create and appreciate, is another part of me that solidified this summer. From right: Sasha, Leo, me, Olivia, Nadezhda, Clare, Alena, Heather.
Our group leaders in Israel, at the very end of the program at the airport. The guy in green in the middle, Shahar, was our main guide and group leader. Like other group leaders for outdoor educational trips I've been on, he had a great personality and an awesome humanity about him. I learned a ton from him and from all of these people, and I found them all to be incredibly inspiring. I can't wait to go back to Israel again someday. From left: Abra, Gordon, Shahar, Jason, Avishai.
With my friend Sasha, in front of that Vasileostrovskaya metro station in Saint-Petersburg. I met with Sasha at great length three or four times after I met him, to talk about language and culture. From these meetings, I learned a great deal about culture itself, and I saw valuable perspective on myself as an American. I learned how to use the phrase "in my country" with respect, as I saw myself as a person of substance from a specific place that actually does have a culture.
I have an enormous amount of respect for these guys. That's Dean on the left, and my other friend Amos on the right. They're both officers in the Israeli Defence Forces. I'd never really known any soldiers before, but these guys are my friends. Not only that, but I feel a personal connection to what they're fighting for that goes beyond my friendship with them. This was new for me, and as I thought about what it would be like for me to do what they do, I felt great respect and admiration for them. They're real, good people, doing the best they can, and they're part of something that makes them strong in a way I'll likely never know. Even though I ought to hope I'll never have to do what they do, part of me really, truly wanted to be in their boots, and I felt a glimmer of understanding for what it is that makes young people, perhaps especially young men, want to put on such a uniform.
On board one of the tall ships at the Tall Ships' Races 2009 festival. I reconnected with my love of sailing and ships and the sea, and made a personal resolve to return to it at some time in the future. I also experienced one of the most beautiful moments in my recent memory, as the ships were leaving port and sounding their horns.
Photo from when I saw The Killers live at UC Irvine last month. I love going to rock shows, and this was certainly a great one. I'm proud of the photo with all the lights and confetti, but besides all that, it's indicative of part of what makes it so cool to go to shows.
On May 12 in Chicago, I saw Bruce Springsteen with my best friend Zach. It was my third time seeing Springsteen, probably my favorite musician and performer of all. At that time (or any time, really), the company of Zach and the Boss was exactly what I needed. Besides that, it was a hell of a great show! In a massive arena (it's where the Chicago Bulls play), we were in the pit, about ten people back from the very front. AMAZING.
With my friend Vitaly and his son Kiril (probably the cutest kid ever to exist), in Saint-Petersburg. Vitaly was enormously kind and generous to me, and he invited me to visit him and his wife and son at their house outside the city. I had a great time, and as a guest in someone else's home I felt humbled as I learned about what their life is really like. Vitaly is a computer programmer working for Smolny (and, by definition I suppose, for Saint-Petersburg State University), and he's one of the nicest, funniest guys you'll ever meet. Plus, he and his wife are really into anime and love the show Babylon 5, my favorite tv show ever.
With my friend Viktor in a Petersburg metro station. This guy is a ton of fun. I spent a lot of time with him and another friend named Ruslan toward the end of my stay in Russia this summer, and I learned more about what life in Petersburg is like for someone around my age. We had a great time walking around the city, going to a hockey game, discussing the finer points of language (swear words), and we're still keeping in touch too.
The only decent picture I have of me with my Russian host mother Sveta. This was taken on my very last day in Russia, mere seconds before I dashed out the door to get to the airport, courtesy of a very kind acquaintance who saved me a TON of time and money by driving me there. Sveta was really wonderful--a practical and personable woman who cared about my well-being, physically, mentally, and in terms of my education as well.
Photo with my brother Matt at Lowry's steak and chop restaurant in Los Angeles, courtesy of my grandmother and her husband. Another thing that's happened in the past year is that I've grown a lot closer with my brother, and for that I am so, so glad. Matt is awesome, and actually, today (Oct 26) happens to be his 23rd birthday. Happy birthday, Matt! Now come visit me in Japan and we'll go clubbing!!
Photo on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, with my dad, Judie the makeup artist, and a totally awesome Australian rock band that is about to take the world by storm. I was photographer for the band at their showcase at The Roxy, and then we all went out afterward. Opportunities like this wouldn't exist without my dad, and I'm glad I've gotten to know him better this summer. Check out his new website!!
Photo with my friend Ido in Tel-Aviv, on my last night of traveling abroad this summer. Goldstar beer is ridiculously tasty. I had a fantastic time in Israel that whole day, and it's entirely thanks to my friends there--Pri especially, as well as Ido, Mor, and Shani.
In Vyborg (near Finland!), my second-to-last weekend in Russia. We visited the old castle, and there I got to try on some knight's gear. I then proceeded to defend the honor of my dear friend Alena, another wonderful person I met abroad. I'm still in touch with her, too--earlier this week, we talked for an hour entirely in Russian. Благодаря Skype!
Photo with my mom (!) on my second-to-last day in LA (September 28) before leaving for Japan. I spent most of the day with her, and we had a really wonderful time. I love my mom!I'd say this was a rather amazing summer.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Rising Sun
Excerpt from an email sent to my brother earlier this summer while I was in Russia:
On Jul 30, 2009, at 6:59 PM, Alex Michaelson wrote:
I had a thought today, regarding some more reasons why I want to go to Japan. The culture absolutely fascinates me, and I feel drawn and connected to it. For one thing, I've heard many times that Japan as a nation is having a sort of national identity crisis, and that intrigues me in my own search for identity. The class I took called Introduction to Japanese Culture was fascinating, and the journaling I did for that class did a lot for me. [Moreover,] there are themes in [many] of the cultural products I've seen that I really like and feel drawn and connected to--the human drive toward happiness, [intense psychological confrontation], a penchant for random silliness, a sensitivity for wonder and romance, and technological awesomeness.
I've always known that I would study abroad, and Japan became my choice for several reasons, not to mention many of the wonderful and intriguing cultural products themselves. As I've grown to know myself better from perspective and experience I've gained this summer, I look forward now to Japan as a fantastic opportunity to continue doing what I set out to do--in simplest terms, to develop a confident, secure self. That comes from perspective, experience, personal space, self-reflection, and conditioning.
Everyone says it's going to be amazing, and it should be good for me too, whatever that means.
But I don't worry about what that means so much as I used to. I'm concentrating now on living my life the way I want to live my life, not on what may or may not be "good" for me.
Visa: obtained.
Flight: confirmed.
Housing: confirmed.
Airport transportation: scheduled at both ends.
Orientation schedule: received.
Shopping: almost finished.
Packing: in progress.
Six days.
On Jul 30, 2009, at 6:59 PM, Alex Michaelson wrote:
I had a thought today, regarding some more reasons why I want to go to Japan. The culture absolutely fascinates me, and I feel drawn and connected to it. For one thing, I've heard many times that Japan as a nation is having a sort of national identity crisis, and that intrigues me in my own search for identity. The class I took called Introduction to Japanese Culture was fascinating, and the journaling I did for that class did a lot for me. [Moreover,] there are themes in [many] of the cultural products I've seen that I really like and feel drawn and connected to--the human drive toward happiness, [intense psychological confrontation], a penchant for random silliness, a sensitivity for wonder and romance, and technological awesomeness.
I've always known that I would study abroad, and Japan became my choice for several reasons, not to mention many of the wonderful and intriguing cultural products themselves. As I've grown to know myself better from perspective and experience I've gained this summer, I look forward now to Japan as a fantastic opportunity to continue doing what I set out to do--in simplest terms, to develop a confident, secure self. That comes from perspective, experience, personal space, self-reflection, and conditioning.
Everyone says it's going to be amazing, and it should be good for me too, whatever that means.
But I don't worry about what that means so much as I used to. I'm concentrating now on living my life the way I want to live my life, not on what may or may not be "good" for me.
Visa: obtained.
Flight: confirmed.
Housing: confirmed.
Airport transportation: scheduled at both ends.
Orientation schedule: received.
Shopping: almost finished.
Packing: in progress.
Six days.
Friday, September 18, 2009
"Go have fun!"
That's what the employee at the window at the Consulate General of Japan said to me today when he handed me my passport complete with multiple-entry Japanese visa good for 15 months.
I can hardly believe that I'm leaving now in 11 days. A year is a long time, and Japan is far away. It's going to be so good for me though, and I truly felt nothing but excitement at the Consulate today when I picked up my visa. When the man handed it to me at the window, I thanked him and then just stood back and looked at the visa for about a full minute. The man asked me whether everything was alright with it, and I said yes, it's great, it's fine, thank you! "Take it to the airport with the Certificate of Eligibility," he said. "Go have fun!"
That's what I aim to do.
I'm in another in-between period right now, nearing the end of my six weeks in LA between summer travels and my year abroad. I've accomplished nearly everything I was serious about doing during this time--I've made some money, spent as much time with friends as I could, traveled around the city, discovered the library, gotten some things to prepare for my trip, gotten my computer fixed (and even upgraded), and even gotten a new guitar. I haven't been blogging, reading, or working out as much as I'd like to, but that has taught me some important lessons about free time, routine, and personal space. Anyhow, I've been doing those things and actually a lot of cool stuff, but something peculiar seems to have happened.
Peculiar? Maybe not so much. I'm referring to what it was like to come back to LA after such a crazy summer of traveling. My dad picked me up at LAX and took me back to the house, and when I walked in...it just didn't feel like coming home anymore. I've grown up a lot in the past several months of my life, and part of that is wanting to move out and away. I'm looking forward to having my own place in Japan--even though it will be tiny, it will be mine and mine alone.
I'm a sentimental guy, that's no secret. I finally finished Travels With Charley, and Steinbeck says a lot of great stuff in it, but in the final chapter he says this about a great journey:
"I speculated with a kind of wonder on the strength of the individuality of journeys and stopped on the postulate that people don't take trips--trips take people. [...] Who has not known a journey to be over and dead before the traveler returns? The reverse is also true: many a trip continues long after movement in time and space have ceased."
The thing about that book is that it took me at least two years to get through it. "How boring it must have been!" one might think--but no, I actually enjoyed it so very much that I kept stopping to let it soak in. I could always tell that Steinbeck was also a sentimental guy, and his ideas have a way of really getting to me.
It's late again and I'm thoughtful.
Downtown LA on Monday. That "US Bank" building is the tallest in LA and across the street from the huge Central Library, where I found and checked out a copy of Dogs and Demons: Tales from the Dark Side of Japan by Alex Kerr, on the recommendation of a friend who experienced the JET program as a teacher of English in Japan for a few months. The building on the right, in California Plaza (between 3rd and 4th streets on Grand) houses the Consulate General of Japan on the 17th floor. Can you believe that these clouds and tall buildings are Los Angeles, of all places? Maybe the palm tree is a clue, but it didn't feel anything like the LA I knew. I rather liked it, though. Downtown LA is pretty damn cool.
I can hardly believe that I'm leaving now in 11 days. A year is a long time, and Japan is far away. It's going to be so good for me though, and I truly felt nothing but excitement at the Consulate today when I picked up my visa. When the man handed it to me at the window, I thanked him and then just stood back and looked at the visa for about a full minute. The man asked me whether everything was alright with it, and I said yes, it's great, it's fine, thank you! "Take it to the airport with the Certificate of Eligibility," he said. "Go have fun!"
That's what I aim to do.
I'm in another in-between period right now, nearing the end of my six weeks in LA between summer travels and my year abroad. I've accomplished nearly everything I was serious about doing during this time--I've made some money, spent as much time with friends as I could, traveled around the city, discovered the library, gotten some things to prepare for my trip, gotten my computer fixed (and even upgraded), and even gotten a new guitar. I haven't been blogging, reading, or working out as much as I'd like to, but that has taught me some important lessons about free time, routine, and personal space. Anyhow, I've been doing those things and actually a lot of cool stuff, but something peculiar seems to have happened.
Peculiar? Maybe not so much. I'm referring to what it was like to come back to LA after such a crazy summer of traveling. My dad picked me up at LAX and took me back to the house, and when I walked in...it just didn't feel like coming home anymore. I've grown up a lot in the past several months of my life, and part of that is wanting to move out and away. I'm looking forward to having my own place in Japan--even though it will be tiny, it will be mine and mine alone.
I'm a sentimental guy, that's no secret. I finally finished Travels With Charley, and Steinbeck says a lot of great stuff in it, but in the final chapter he says this about a great journey:
"I speculated with a kind of wonder on the strength of the individuality of journeys and stopped on the postulate that people don't take trips--trips take people. [...] Who has not known a journey to be over and dead before the traveler returns? The reverse is also true: many a trip continues long after movement in time and space have ceased."
The thing about that book is that it took me at least two years to get through it. "How boring it must have been!" one might think--but no, I actually enjoyed it so very much that I kept stopping to let it soak in. I could always tell that Steinbeck was also a sentimental guy, and his ideas have a way of really getting to me.
It's late again and I'm thoughtful.
Downtown LA on Monday. That "US Bank" building is the tallest in LA and across the street from the huge Central Library, where I found and checked out a copy of Dogs and Demons: Tales from the Dark Side of Japan by Alex Kerr, on the recommendation of a friend who experienced the JET program as a teacher of English in Japan for a few months. The building on the right, in California Plaza (between 3rd and 4th streets on Grand) houses the Consulate General of Japan on the 17th floor. Can you believe that these clouds and tall buildings are Los Angeles, of all places? Maybe the palm tree is a clue, but it didn't feel anything like the LA I knew. I rather liked it, though. Downtown LA is pretty damn cool.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
The Return
(Pictures to come--it will be more interesting then)
7-9 August: Last days in Saint-Petersburg. Final exam, final meals, final grades, SKA hockey game, walking around the city, Lenta-Fest part 2 and subsequent picnic, jazz club, watching the bridges, sunrise, making Uzbek friends and discussing shwarma across borders, great times hanging out with Russian friends Viktor (BROTHERRRR) and Ruslan (the wizard), the Central Naval Museum, trip to the airport, and the airport itself. My culminating ultimate moment in Russia came at the end of the band's set at the jazz club--I had finished my delicious drink and was starting to think about leaving, but a random guy struck up a conversation with me (in Russian of course):
Random guy: "Hey, do you know who else plays here?"
Me: "No, I don't know--it's my first time here. I think there's a calendar hanging on the wall over there."
Random guy: "Oh, it's my first time here too. Are you from Petersburg?"
I HAVE ARRIVED!! I thought to myself. My last night in Russia, and I am mistaken in not only appearance but also in language--for a local!!
I was detained and interrogated for at least 40 minutes by El Al Airlines personnel because apparently I was suspicious for several reasons: having such a ridiculous itinerary, only planning to be in Israel for one day, not being able to produce proof of where I would be in Israel and for how long... but I made it through. It was sort of cool actually because I knew I had nothing to hide... but I suppose if I'd had something to hide, it would have been hell, and with security like that, how could anyone pull something off?
10 August: Israel again. An amazing day, all around--it's so wonderful to have friends all over! I got a ride from the train station in Tel-Aviv to Pri's house, where I had one of the best breakfasts EVER. Fresh egg, fresh-baked cake, a fresh REAL cappuccino, cottage cheese, Israeli salad, and other cheese and other food that I simply didn't have room for. Her mom took me into the city, and we had a great conversation regarding culture and politics and everyday life along the way. I spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon walking around the city, exploring markets and shops and taking lots of pictures before I headed to the beach. There's a pretty big Russian population there too, and I found a couple of Russian bookstores. On the beach, as I was setting up and preparing to sun myself, an attendant came over and started telling me in Hebrew about how I need to give him a certain amount of money in order to use the benches and lounges on the beach. I understood what he was getting at, though I asked him whether he could speak English. I did actually learn a few Hebrew phrases, one of them being "I don't speak Hebrew." I wanted to ask him whether I could simply lie on my towel on the sand for free, but he didn't understand me, so I asked him in Russian, and he understood! It was an amazing linguistic experience. And so I sunned.
I lay on the beach listening to kids next to me speaking Hebrew and cursing in Russian until Pri arrived, so then I swam in the Mediterranean while she watched my bag. Warm sea is wonderful!! Made me want to visit a tropical island sort of place. After that, we headed over to pick up other friends, and then spent the evening hopping around cafés and bars and restaurants in Jaffa, and I had some wonderful falafel and Goldstar beer (yes, legally!). It was so nice to hang out with them, talking about life, but by the end of the night my exhaustion from traveling caught up with me (and I suppose the Goldstar didn't hurt) and I slept in the car on the way back. It was a great day.
Then it was more travel--car, train, plane, bus, van, bus, car, in that order, all in one day, from Pri's house in the Ramat Gan suburb or Tel Aviv to Rachel's house in Lexington, Massachusetts. I studied Hebrew on the plane to New York, and found that I really enjoyed it. No problems with US Customs:
Customs Officer: (Reading my declaration form) "You have food?
Me: "Some packaged snacks."
Officer: "Go to the red lane."
...>
Customs Officer (Red Lane): "Do you have any meat?"
Me: "No."
Officer: "Go ahead."
I hefted my luggage out to the ground transportation curb, and immediately was greeted with a sort-of seedy private "cab" driver, who said something like "Hey buddy, need a ride?" and I ignored him, a response that would have been normal in Russia. "HEY, YOU COULD AT LEAST SAY NO!" he yelled at me once I had passed, apparently hurt. It made me think of basic human interactions across cultural boundaries, and, well, a lot of other things, but that's coming up in a future post.
Hanging out at Tufts and around Boston for two days was a ton of fun. I really wanted to do it, because I knew that by spending a year studying in Japan, I would be forfeiting a lot of time spent with Tufts friends. Fortunately, many of them were around campus even though it was three weeks before the start of classes, and I got to see a whole lot of wonderful people. I felt for the first time that I am really starting to appreciate my university. It's amazing what a couple of months abroad can do. I'll post pictures later.
Then it was overnight Greyhound (oh, yes) to Washington, DC, to spend three and a half whirlwind days with lots of family. There were actually a lot of Russians on that bus, though I was tired and didn't talk to them. Let it be said that Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan at 3:30 in the morning is not a fun place, but I really don't mind--I've gotten quite used to carrying luggage and waiting and making connections. Actually spending time in Washington was really wonderful, and I got to see three aunts, my grandfather, my great-uncle, a great family friend, and more--an awesome 98 year old friend of my grandfather (and his wife) had us over for coffee and lent me a book of essays by Amos Oz, insisting that she carry the tray herself. The woman speaks four languages--English, Spanish, Russian, and Yiddish. I also got to have brunch, courtesy of some kind and apparently connected family members, at the Cosmos Club by Embassy Row. What a meal! And then it was the Air and Space museum too, dinner in Bethesda, and a diner in Virginia. Finally, I got to Dulles, and it was strange to know that I was heading back to my parents and the house I grew up in. For the first time in my life, I arrived home to a house that really didn't feel so much like my home anymore. I guess that tends to happen.
I've now been back in Los Angeles for about eleven days, and I've been back in America for two weeks. It was strange to come back to New York--I was sitting next to a couple of Orthodox Jewish guys on the plane, and I was happily studying Hebrew from one of the books I picked up while there, with Dostoevsky in my bag. I arrived to another different culture, and America that looked significantly different from the one I had left.
What a month it's been. What a couple of months. Hell, what a year! I've been so busy running around Los Angeles in the past 11 days or so that I've hardly had time to reflect, but I've got my computer back now (thank you, Apple!) and I have a lot to say. Expect more updates and reflections over the next month, leading up to my departure for Japan.
7-9 August: Last days in Saint-Petersburg. Final exam, final meals, final grades, SKA hockey game, walking around the city, Lenta-Fest part 2 and subsequent picnic, jazz club, watching the bridges, sunrise, making Uzbek friends and discussing shwarma across borders, great times hanging out with Russian friends Viktor (BROTHERRRR) and Ruslan (the wizard), the Central Naval Museum, trip to the airport, and the airport itself. My culminating ultimate moment in Russia came at the end of the band's set at the jazz club--I had finished my delicious drink and was starting to think about leaving, but a random guy struck up a conversation with me (in Russian of course):
Random guy: "Hey, do you know who else plays here?"
Me: "No, I don't know--it's my first time here. I think there's a calendar hanging on the wall over there."
Random guy: "Oh, it's my first time here too. Are you from Petersburg?"
I HAVE ARRIVED!! I thought to myself. My last night in Russia, and I am mistaken in not only appearance but also in language--for a local!!
I was detained and interrogated for at least 40 minutes by El Al Airlines personnel because apparently I was suspicious for several reasons: having such a ridiculous itinerary, only planning to be in Israel for one day, not being able to produce proof of where I would be in Israel and for how long... but I made it through. It was sort of cool actually because I knew I had nothing to hide... but I suppose if I'd had something to hide, it would have been hell, and with security like that, how could anyone pull something off?
10 August: Israel again. An amazing day, all around--it's so wonderful to have friends all over! I got a ride from the train station in Tel-Aviv to Pri's house, where I had one of the best breakfasts EVER. Fresh egg, fresh-baked cake, a fresh REAL cappuccino, cottage cheese, Israeli salad, and other cheese and other food that I simply didn't have room for. Her mom took me into the city, and we had a great conversation regarding culture and politics and everyday life along the way. I spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon walking around the city, exploring markets and shops and taking lots of pictures before I headed to the beach. There's a pretty big Russian population there too, and I found a couple of Russian bookstores. On the beach, as I was setting up and preparing to sun myself, an attendant came over and started telling me in Hebrew about how I need to give him a certain amount of money in order to use the benches and lounges on the beach. I understood what he was getting at, though I asked him whether he could speak English. I did actually learn a few Hebrew phrases, one of them being "I don't speak Hebrew." I wanted to ask him whether I could simply lie on my towel on the sand for free, but he didn't understand me, so I asked him in Russian, and he understood! It was an amazing linguistic experience. And so I sunned.
I lay on the beach listening to kids next to me speaking Hebrew and cursing in Russian until Pri arrived, so then I swam in the Mediterranean while she watched my bag. Warm sea is wonderful!! Made me want to visit a tropical island sort of place. After that, we headed over to pick up other friends, and then spent the evening hopping around cafés and bars and restaurants in Jaffa, and I had some wonderful falafel and Goldstar beer (yes, legally!). It was so nice to hang out with them, talking about life, but by the end of the night my exhaustion from traveling caught up with me (and I suppose the Goldstar didn't hurt) and I slept in the car on the way back. It was a great day.
Then it was more travel--car, train, plane, bus, van, bus, car, in that order, all in one day, from Pri's house in the Ramat Gan suburb or Tel Aviv to Rachel's house in Lexington, Massachusetts. I studied Hebrew on the plane to New York, and found that I really enjoyed it. No problems with US Customs:
Customs Officer: (Reading my declaration form) "You have food?
Me: "Some packaged snacks."
Officer: "Go to the red lane."
...>
Customs Officer (Red Lane): "Do you have any meat?"
Me: "No."
Officer: "Go ahead."
I hefted my luggage out to the ground transportation curb, and immediately was greeted with a sort-of seedy private "cab" driver, who said something like "Hey buddy, need a ride?" and I ignored him, a response that would have been normal in Russia. "HEY, YOU COULD AT LEAST SAY NO!" he yelled at me once I had passed, apparently hurt. It made me think of basic human interactions across cultural boundaries, and, well, a lot of other things, but that's coming up in a future post.
Hanging out at Tufts and around Boston for two days was a ton of fun. I really wanted to do it, because I knew that by spending a year studying in Japan, I would be forfeiting a lot of time spent with Tufts friends. Fortunately, many of them were around campus even though it was three weeks before the start of classes, and I got to see a whole lot of wonderful people. I felt for the first time that I am really starting to appreciate my university. It's amazing what a couple of months abroad can do. I'll post pictures later.
Then it was overnight Greyhound (oh, yes) to Washington, DC, to spend three and a half whirlwind days with lots of family. There were actually a lot of Russians on that bus, though I was tired and didn't talk to them. Let it be said that Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan at 3:30 in the morning is not a fun place, but I really don't mind--I've gotten quite used to carrying luggage and waiting and making connections. Actually spending time in Washington was really wonderful, and I got to see three aunts, my grandfather, my great-uncle, a great family friend, and more--an awesome 98 year old friend of my grandfather (and his wife) had us over for coffee and lent me a book of essays by Amos Oz, insisting that she carry the tray herself. The woman speaks four languages--English, Spanish, Russian, and Yiddish. I also got to have brunch, courtesy of some kind and apparently connected family members, at the Cosmos Club by Embassy Row. What a meal! And then it was the Air and Space museum too, dinner in Bethesda, and a diner in Virginia. Finally, I got to Dulles, and it was strange to know that I was heading back to my parents and the house I grew up in. For the first time in my life, I arrived home to a house that really didn't feel so much like my home anymore. I guess that tends to happen.
I've now been back in Los Angeles for about eleven days, and I've been back in America for two weeks. It was strange to come back to New York--I was sitting next to a couple of Orthodox Jewish guys on the plane, and I was happily studying Hebrew from one of the books I picked up while there, with Dostoevsky in my bag. I arrived to another different culture, and America that looked significantly different from the one I had left.
What a month it's been. What a couple of months. Hell, what a year! I've been so busy running around Los Angeles in the past 11 days or so that I've hardly had time to reflect, but I've got my computer back now (thank you, Apple!) and I have a lot to say. Expect more updates and reflections over the next month, leading up to my departure for Japan.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Поступок
Literally, this word means simply "action" or "deed" -- something that one does. However, its connotation is of something profound or great, something significant.
It's the end of my Russian summer, and this will most likely be my last post while in Russia. I have the rest of today, then tomorrow and Sunday to spend in the city, and then Sunday night at 9pm I'm heading to the airport.
I had an invitation to go to Moscow for a night, but I chose to spend that time here instead, seeing a couple of museums that I wanted to see (The Arctic/Antarctic museum, the Maritime Museum, and maybe the Railroad Museum), seeing the city, and mostly spending time with some of my new Russian friends. I wonder whether a younger me would have jumped at that chance to go to Moscow. But now I have friends in Russia, and most likely whenever I return here I would make a trip to Moscow. I'll see it eventually. Like I said several weeks ago, I'm starting to see the bigger picture as something not quite so intimidating and scary. I suppose that tends to happen as people grow and age, deal with life and experience, and begin to comprehend existence.
I had a good conversation with one such friend a couple of days ago as we walked around the lines and prospekts of Vasilevsky together, concerning the steps that one takes in life. He mentioned the word поступок, the title of this post, and he told me about an American short film he had heard of that concerns a young man (not older than 25) who decides to leave his job and ride a bicycle around America for a year, armed with a video camera. (I'll find the name of the film later, as I must go to lunch very soon.) Such a drastic thing to do, yes! But I told me friend (Sasha is his name), I understand that somewhat. In some way, all young people go through this process when they go out into the world, and it can be something like that poem Ithaca that I posted here last month. For me, I simply knew that I had to go out into the world, a feeling that I couldn't avoid. Russia for me has been a great experiment, and I will wrap up that idea further when I get home.
This is the end of my summer in Russia, but I have gained so much from the experience. All that's left now is a couple of days--exploring this afternoon, clubbing tonight, museums tomorrow, packing, spending time with friends, and that will have been two months. Where did these months go? I'm left with an ability to speak conversational Russian, some random souvenirs, over a thousand photos, memories, thoughts and epiphanies, perspectives, and many new friends (I met a guy from Hong Kong yesterday and we ended up talking for three hours). One day I will return here. I've learned so much!
I spoke with my 89-year-old grandfather in Washington DC yesterday about some of these things. He's experienced so much in his life; I can't wait to see him next week.
On to the next adventure.
But first, our last Russian Table lunch!
It's the end of my Russian summer, and this will most likely be my last post while in Russia. I have the rest of today, then tomorrow and Sunday to spend in the city, and then Sunday night at 9pm I'm heading to the airport.
I had an invitation to go to Moscow for a night, but I chose to spend that time here instead, seeing a couple of museums that I wanted to see (The Arctic/Antarctic museum, the Maritime Museum, and maybe the Railroad Museum), seeing the city, and mostly spending time with some of my new Russian friends. I wonder whether a younger me would have jumped at that chance to go to Moscow. But now I have friends in Russia, and most likely whenever I return here I would make a trip to Moscow. I'll see it eventually. Like I said several weeks ago, I'm starting to see the bigger picture as something not quite so intimidating and scary. I suppose that tends to happen as people grow and age, deal with life and experience, and begin to comprehend existence.
I had a good conversation with one such friend a couple of days ago as we walked around the lines and prospekts of Vasilevsky together, concerning the steps that one takes in life. He mentioned the word поступок, the title of this post, and he told me about an American short film he had heard of that concerns a young man (not older than 25) who decides to leave his job and ride a bicycle around America for a year, armed with a video camera. (I'll find the name of the film later, as I must go to lunch very soon.) Such a drastic thing to do, yes! But I told me friend (Sasha is his name), I understand that somewhat. In some way, all young people go through this process when they go out into the world, and it can be something like that poem Ithaca that I posted here last month. For me, I simply knew that I had to go out into the world, a feeling that I couldn't avoid. Russia for me has been a great experiment, and I will wrap up that idea further when I get home.
This is the end of my summer in Russia, but I have gained so much from the experience. All that's left now is a couple of days--exploring this afternoon, clubbing tonight, museums tomorrow, packing, spending time with friends, and that will have been two months. Where did these months go? I'm left with an ability to speak conversational Russian, some random souvenirs, over a thousand photos, memories, thoughts and epiphanies, perspectives, and many new friends (I met a guy from Hong Kong yesterday and we ended up talking for three hours). One day I will return here. I've learned so much!
I spoke with my 89-year-old grandfather in Washington DC yesterday about some of these things. He's experienced so much in his life; I can't wait to see him next week.
On to the next adventure.
But first, our last Russian Table lunch!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Блин!
Literally "Pancake!" though it is used to mean "Darn it!" or "Oh, crap!"
I have nine days left, and life here is packed with all sorts of stuff. I have lots of pictures! Unfortunately, I can't expect to be able to upload more pictures until I'm back in California.
Last Sunday was the National Navy Day in Russia, and these sailors were marching down the street at 8am last Friday, in front of the university building along the embankment.
Earlier this week, I had dinner with a couple of new friends--one from Germany, the other from Poland. I think, really, that getting to know new international friends is one of the most fulfilling parts of being abroad.
Scene from the celebration on the strelka (embankment; spit) of Vasilevsky Island on Sunday.
Here's what the stage looked like. It translates to something like "Happy Russian Navy Day!" The flag you can see waving is the symbol of the Soviet navy. The flag of the modern navy is a simple cross that looks very much like the flag of Scotland.
A photo-shoot for a wedding, witnessed from within the krepost' (fortress) at Novgorod, one of the oldest cities in Russia (founded 1150). As one of the other students commented, "I now pronounce you Mullet and Wife."
This is Nastia, one of our tutors here in the program. Really, I wanted to take a picture of this roadside cafe here, but it was less awkward with Nastia posing. Notice the phrasology on the counter.
We saw Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake at the Aleksandrinsky Theatre on Monday. It was only the second ballet I've ever seen, as far as I remember. It was actually not amazing--the orchestra and dancers were often noticably not synchronized. As my host-mother commented, "that orchestra is only there to earn money--better to have seen it at or not seen it at all!" But it was a fun experience.
Mister Muscle.
On the bus to Novgorod: "Want to get out? YELL!"
The fortress (kremlin) at Novgorod.
Scene from the fifth-floor window of our university building.
Sometimes, Russia just doesn't make sense. In fact, it happens a lot, and Russia seems to be known for it. Near Nevsky Prospekt one day a week or two ago, the glass seems to have inexplicably fallen out of the frames in this bus stop. But life goes on around it.
Billboard advertising the upcoming Navy Day. "Glory to the Russian Fleet!"
A scene from last month, as a local takes her bear out for a walk. Actually, she was charging money to have people get their pictures taken while holding the bear.
Like I said, making friends and getting to know international friends has been perhaps the single more fulfilling part of being abroad so far. My brother said to me, though, that it's impossible to comprehend how the experience of being abroad will affect every part of you. For one thing, though, I've gained great respect for those who are learning new languages and living in a foreign place. Many regions of the world are not so linguistically homogenous as the US, and communication can be a challenge all the time. I have great respect for those who move to a place like America in search of some opportunity, even though they may not speak good English.
It's also made me consider the experience of being an ex-pat in general. Last week a new friend of mine, a young robotics engineer from Murmansk (yes, THAT Murmansk!) took me to dinner at a Chinese restaurant, and we talked for over three hours (in English). It was a fantastic experience. I noticed that he would always refer to America as "your country" or English as "your language" and it made me feel somewhat unusual. I had never had occasion to feel such a connection with my homeland, but I suppose it did make me feel more American. Interestingly, though I think the Russian national anthem is a better song than the American anthem, it's nearly as notoriously difficult to sing. Go figure. I may feel more American, but it doesn't mean I love our national song!
Now a couple of short videos:
Square in front of the Hermitage.
The crowd at the Navy Day celebrations.
I haven't said a lot of personal stuff recently, so I'd like to say a few things. First, I seem to have come to terms with Saint-Petersburg. It really is a beautiful city, though it has taken a long time for me to comprehend the differences in culture and so-called "quality of life" here, as well as the language barrier and distance from home. It IS a hard language. I still don't honestly love Russian culture in general, but there are many aspects of the culture that are interesting or amusing or generally good to experience, and it's cool to be able to speak conversational Russian now. I've had many inconveniences, but there's no doubt I'll look back on this experience as being amazing and formative. The dead computer was a big setback and not having much money has also been comparatively difficult, but I'm surviving. I've had a lot on my mind, as always, and as my brother told me, being abroad is a huge roller-coaster ride. It's true. I'm glad that I have gained such perspective on life (, the universe, ) and everything. It's important to remember that there can be only forward motion, and no matter what, it cannot be predicted. I've been learning a lot. With all that being said, the last week here will be very busy but a lot of fun, and then I'm really looking forward to the way home and then being in Los Angeles, and then of course eventually to Japan as well. Life happens, and we do our best to live it according to our feelings. I think I'm growing up a lot.
I have nine days left, and life here is packed with all sorts of stuff. I have lots of pictures! Unfortunately, I can't expect to be able to upload more pictures until I'm back in California.
Last Sunday was the National Navy Day in Russia, and these sailors were marching down the street at 8am last Friday, in front of the university building along the embankment.
Earlier this week, I had dinner with a couple of new friends--one from Germany, the other from Poland. I think, really, that getting to know new international friends is one of the most fulfilling parts of being abroad.
Scene from the celebration on the strelka (embankment; spit) of Vasilevsky Island on Sunday.
Here's what the stage looked like. It translates to something like "Happy Russian Navy Day!" The flag you can see waving is the symbol of the Soviet navy. The flag of the modern navy is a simple cross that looks very much like the flag of Scotland.
A photo-shoot for a wedding, witnessed from within the krepost' (fortress) at Novgorod, one of the oldest cities in Russia (founded 1150). As one of the other students commented, "I now pronounce you Mullet and Wife."
This is Nastia, one of our tutors here in the program. Really, I wanted to take a picture of this roadside cafe here, but it was less awkward with Nastia posing. Notice the phrasology on the counter.
We saw Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake at the Aleksandrinsky Theatre on Monday. It was only the second ballet I've ever seen, as far as I remember. It was actually not amazing--the orchestra and dancers were often noticably not synchronized. As my host-mother commented, "that orchestra is only there to earn money--better to have seen it at 
Mister Muscle.
On the bus to Novgorod: "Want to get out? YELL!"
The fortress (kremlin) at Novgorod.
Scene from the fifth-floor window of our university building.
Sometimes, Russia just doesn't make sense. In fact, it happens a lot, and Russia seems to be known for it. Near Nevsky Prospekt one day a week or two ago, the glass seems to have inexplicably fallen out of the frames in this bus stop. But life goes on around it.
Billboard advertising the upcoming Navy Day. "Glory to the Russian Fleet!"
A scene from last month, as a local takes her bear out for a walk. Actually, she was charging money to have people get their pictures taken while holding the bear."I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest." - Sir Winston Churchill
Anyhow, my hair has gotten unruly, as Jeph Jacques would say. I looked into a salon yesterday, but I didn't understand the prices. They had different prices depending on the style, but there were no pictures, and the woman seemed only able to give very basic descriptions of what the styles were, for example "That means bald" or "That means buzzed very short all around" or "That means short here and long here" which I took to be the Mullet. Needless to say, I think I'll wait until I can get one of those $12 haircuts in Harvard Square next month. It'll be worth the extra $8.Like I said, making friends and getting to know international friends has been perhaps the single more fulfilling part of being abroad so far. My brother said to me, though, that it's impossible to comprehend how the experience of being abroad will affect every part of you. For one thing, though, I've gained great respect for those who are learning new languages and living in a foreign place. Many regions of the world are not so linguistically homogenous as the US, and communication can be a challenge all the time. I have great respect for those who move to a place like America in search of some opportunity, even though they may not speak good English.
It's also made me consider the experience of being an ex-pat in general. Last week a new friend of mine, a young robotics engineer from Murmansk (yes, THAT Murmansk!) took me to dinner at a Chinese restaurant, and we talked for over three hours (in English). It was a fantastic experience. I noticed that he would always refer to America as "your country" or English as "your language" and it made me feel somewhat unusual. I had never had occasion to feel such a connection with my homeland, but I suppose it did make me feel more American. Interestingly, though I think the Russian national anthem is a better song than the American anthem, it's nearly as notoriously difficult to sing. Go figure. I may feel more American, but it doesn't mean I love our national song!
Now a couple of short videos:
Square in front of the Hermitage.
The crowd at the Navy Day celebrations.
I haven't said a lot of personal stuff recently, so I'd like to say a few things. First, I seem to have come to terms with Saint-Petersburg. It really is a beautiful city, though it has taken a long time for me to comprehend the differences in culture and so-called "quality of life" here, as well as the language barrier and distance from home. It IS a hard language. I still don't honestly love Russian culture in general, but there are many aspects of the culture that are interesting or amusing or generally good to experience, and it's cool to be able to speak conversational Russian now. I've had many inconveniences, but there's no doubt I'll look back on this experience as being amazing and formative. The dead computer was a big setback and not having much money has also been comparatively difficult, but I'm surviving. I've had a lot on my mind, as always, and as my brother told me, being abroad is a huge roller-coaster ride. It's true. I'm glad that I have gained such perspective on life (, the universe, ) and everything. It's important to remember that there can be only forward motion, and no matter what, it cannot be predicted. I've been learning a lot. With all that being said, the last week here will be very busy but a lot of fun, and then I'm really looking forward to the way home and then being in Los Angeles, and then of course eventually to Japan as well. Life happens, and we do our best to live it according to our feelings. I think I'm growing up a lot.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Холодилник–Приключение
Refrigetator-AdventureIn class today, we were discussing hypothetical additions to the classroom. I meant to say I'd like to add a "refrigerator filled [...with food]" but I misunderstood the word. Learning a language is all about expressing yourself, right? I had misinterpreted the ice cream ad pictured at right (it's nice to be able to illustrate this), but now that I know the word it's actually even funnier. The ad says:
Adventure with Taste!
For the record, Russian ice cream (Extreme cones included) is really good!
So much to say, as always.
So, things have been up and down the past couple of days, but I'm happy to say that the hot water is finally back, as of today! Tomorrow morning I finally get to take a real hot shower, for the first time in almost three weeks.
There are many echoes of the Soviet past here, in everything from the bureaucracy of everyday life to the way the buildings are constructed. Russia is a harsh place, but the people are basically good as in any other place.
Some more scenes from last weekend:
Selling souvenirs in Izborsk. They had a lot of wood-carved stuff, and it was pretty cool. I didn't buy much, but I did buy a bottle of homemade kvas that was amazingly good the first day and then turned rancid. I got lots of great pictures though!
From Saturday, in Pskov. This picture appears to be very random, but there's something hilarious and very Russian happening here. This scene is a bride and groom in their wedding clothes, and it's POURING rain. (The bride is mostly obscured behind the woman in the foreground--unfortunately, this is the only picture I got.) The happy couple had only moments before this picture was taken released two white doves into the sky, despite the downpour. Some Russians, just as some people in any world culture, just love traditions, and this is one of them. On a nice day around the parks of Saint Petersburg, you'll see similarly dressed couples out for photo-shoots. They're really everywhere!
The spring in Izborsk. On the right is a local resident, and the others are Smolny people (second from the left is one of the tutors, a Russian native)--the other two being students in my class. The water was delicious, but from what I know about backpacking, I was wary about drinking very much of it without treatment. I haven't heard of anyone who drank it getting sick though, and the locals use it for everything.So I'm thinking about getting a haircut. It's getting a bit long.
A quick word about Russian hairstyles. Check out the dude on the left of this photo from ГОГОЛЬFEST. Yeah, that's right. The dominant hip style for young Russian men seems to be the mullet (yes, really), but this guy seems to be taking it to a whole new level. I thought briefly today about the idea of going much shorter with my hair, but the last time I did that was in second grade and it was awful. My hair doesn't do anything interesting except poof. When it's really long it gets slightly wavy and if it's at all short (or just randomly at other times) it gets poofy.Regarding my return to America, it's looking more and more like I will return several days earlier than planned, for various reasons including the fact that the trip to Eilat will no longer work out. However, I'd still like to spend two or three days in Israel while I'll have the opportunity, so I'm investigating that possibility. Then I'll fly to New York, and probably straight on to LA sometime around the 14th or so, unless I make some sort of stop in Washington DC or perhaps Chapel Hill NC to see family that I would otherwise not see for quite a long time (and don't see often anyhow).
With all that being said, let me know if you want anything in particular from Russia or from Israel!
Now I'm going to get more personal here.
I finished reading Salinger's Catcher in the Rye for the first time earlier this evening, and I have to say it couldn't have come at a better time. Most American students seem to read it sometime around the tenth grade, but it was never required for any class I was in.
A quick word about literature and required reading:
No matter how accellerated the academic program or how mature the student, you can't expect young people to be ready to have a mature interpretation of a work of literature if they can't relate to the experiences in it. With that being said, however, there is undoubtedly great value in reading for everyone. Furthermore, the experience of reading literature will be quite different for the twelve year old book nut, for the searching young adult, for the middle-aged person, or for much older people. Your own experience has a lot to do with what a work of art or literature means to you.
I'm happy to say that being here not only makes me rediscover the joy of connections with people, but also with academia and literature.
And now for some Holden Caulfield:
"Lawyers are all right I guess--but it doesn't appeal to me," I said. "I mean they're all right if they go around saving innocent guys' lives all the time, and like that, but you don't do that kind of stuff if you're a lawyer. All you do is make a lot of dough and play golf and play bridge and buy cars and drink Martinis and look like a hot-shot. And besides. Even if you did go around saving guys' lives and all, how would you know if you did it because you really wanted to save guys' lives, or because what you really wanted to do was be a terrific lawyer, with everybody slapping you on the back and congratulating you in court when the goddam trial was over, the reporters and everybody, the way it is in the dirty movies? How would you know you weren't being a phony? The trouble is, you wouldn't."
Now here's the thing. A year ago, perhaps, I would have quite agreed with Holden. Now, however, I'm not worried so much by such questions. I don't think this is the kind of thing you can ever "explain" to someone--it's something that people just have to work out. It's very meaningful to me personally to look at this quote and see the grasp for maturity in it, and to realize that my perspective on it now is utterly unlike anything I could have conceived when I thought similarly.
Toward the end of the novel, Holden has a conversation with one Mr. Antolini, a former teacher of his.
"The fall I think you're heading for--it's a special kind of fall, a horrible kind. The man falling isn't permitted to feel or hear himself hit bottom. He just keeps falling and falling. The whole arrangement's designed for men who, at some time or other in their lives, were looking for something their own environment couldn't supply them with. Or they thought their own environment couldn't supply them with. So they gave up looking. They gave it up before they ever really got started."
Now here's another thing. I have had very similar thoughts in my head in the past few months. It's terrifying to think that you might never be in the right place and to keep your eyes so wide open with looking around that you can hardly see and you end up tripping over yourself because you can't see the ground. I'll return to this subject in a bit. Antolini continues:
"Once you get past all the Mr. Vinsons, you're going to start getting closer and closer--that is, if you want to, and if you look for it and wait for it--to the kind of information that will be very, very dear to your heart. Among other things, you'll find that you're not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior. You're by no means alone on that score, you'll be excited and stimulated to know. Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now. Happily, some of them kept records of their troubles. You'll learn from them--if you want to. Just as someday, if you have something to offer, someone will learn something from you. It's a beautiful reciprocal arrangement. And it isn't education. It's history. It's poetry."
This is one of the most powerfully comforting and encouraging things I've read in a long time, and it reminded me of how great literature can be. It was pouring rain out when I read it, and I read it again because it was just so meaningful to me. The truth is, I'm not half so troubled now as I was a year ago, though I certainly do have my troubles.
"Something else an academic education will do for you. If you go along with it any considerable distance, it'll begin to give you an idea what size mind you have. What it'll fit, maybe, and what it won't. After a while, you'll have an idea what kind of thoughts your particular size mind should be wearing. For one thing, it may save you an extraordinary amount of time trying on ideas that don't suit you, aren't becoming to you. You'll begin to know your true measurements and dress your mind accordingly."
And maybe that's about where I am now.
Now here for something different. This is a poem my dad sent me in an email last week:
INTO MY OWN, by Robert Frost
One of my wishes is that those dark trees,
So old and firm they scarcely show the breeze,
Were not, as 'twere, the merest mask of gloom
But stretched away until the edge of doom.
I should not be withheld but that some day
Into their vastness I should steal away,
Fearless of ever finding open land,
Or highway where the slow wheel pours the sand.
I do not see why I should e'er turn back,
Or those should not set forth upon my track
To overtake me, who should miss me here
And long to know if still I hold them dear.
They would not find me changed from him they knew--
Only more sure of all I thought was true.
Robert Frost, what a romantic you are. I get that, though. However, what most intrigues me is that last stanza and the couplet at the end. It makes me wonder about whether I'm changing while abroad. I think a lot, and really, I'm not sure I agree with that last bit of the poem. It's true, these lines of Frost are quite idealistic, but what a curious thing to contrast at the end the idea of remaining the same (yet more so) with the idea of total independence. People have a way of always wishing they were elsewhere, as Salinger pointed out, and I'm certainly no stranger to that feeling. However, being abroad (it's been almost five weeks now, and I'm nearly halfway through my summer abroad) as long as I have now, I've come to realize how important to me are the connections I have back home and the people who have been close to me. So it's true, I am learning to be more sure of all the things I tried so hesitantly to hold on to in the past, and that's a very good thing.
To close, I was never ready to go to college. Two years ago, I was graduating from high school in a ridiculous ceremony at Disney Hall in Downtown Los Angeles, but I was happy to see everyone all together, including my grandmother and grandfather and my cousin and my immediate family. I wasn't thrilled to be going to Tufts, but I was getting more excited for it, and I was really really looking forward to spending a week in Australia in July. Looking back on that time, I had so very much less experience with life, and I was so much more unsure as a person. As much as I probably think too much now, I REALLY thought too much then. When I got to college, I really couldn't deal with the parties, the drinking, the culture, the academia, the people--anything, really. But as a good friend told me, maybe that's what college is for--learning how to be ready for college. There's an interesting way to think about it.
I know that I should be living in the moment here and making the most of the incredible place where I am, but part of that whole process is realizing just how important those connections are to me.
I'm looking to the future, to August 2010 when I return to Tufts, and I'm wondering excitedly what sort of person I'll be. I'll be a lot more mature, I know, and much better able to handle myself as a person. I'm already doing better academically, and though it's still hard sometimes, I'm certain that I'm where I need to be. I always knew that I needed to go abroad--I've known it since I was in high school, or maybe even earlier. It's hard, but I'm doing what I need to do, and if I hadn't gone, I wouldn't have been on the right track to learn how to be happy. When I return to Tufts, I can't wait to see what it will feel like to finally be there and be ready for it. I can't wait to give it a try. I can't wait to see everyone, and to get interested in academics.
Japan is also going to be great. I'll be a lot more in control of my personal space there, and I'm also more interested in Japanese culture. That language might be even HARDER than Russian though. I never actually believed anyone when they told me that Russian is hard. Hah. HAH. Yes, YES, Russian is hard!!
I'm nearly halfway through my summer abroad, and it's proving to be what it needs ot be. Onward and forward.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
БИЗНЕС–ЛАНЧ
I have to start this post by saying it almost didn't happen right now because a mysterious tone and voice just appeared, saying, "WARNING!" and going on to say something in Russian about something happening with the building. We were all about to leave (the message repeated again, and again), but then we found out it was just a test of the system. Oy.
I always say I'm going to do a short post but that never seems to happen. Ah well. I probably won't post anything until Monday, so maybe all the more reason to post now. Photo time:
This is laundry detergent (стиральный порошок) for hand-washing. It's called Meef. In English, Myth. This stuff will get your clothes mythically clean! For legendary comfort!
Last night:
http://www.gogolfest.org.ua/
Аmazing! It included lasers, Ukrainian chanting, accordions, performance art, huge balloons, a dude chain-smoking and playing 6-string bass at the same time, masked figures, and finally running around dancing around the room holding hands in a long line of people. Somehow that last bit was very Slavic. I dunno what the Ukrainian band had to do with Gogol, but they were awesome. Here's their website. And here's their Last.fm page. Are you on Last.fm (<- my page)? I use it to track what I've been listening to and to get more information from artists and bands, as well as to find new music. I highly recommend it, except for the fact that their online-radio service seems to have a fee now.
Also, I wrote a bit earlier about some of the discomfort I've felt around alcohol. I think it's a very individual thing. Part of it was that in more formative years, I never really felt like I had the chance to develop my own ideas on my own terms about it. Last night at the concert, I enjoyed a beer while watching the opening band, and it was great! It's nice to not be so worried about it. Also, I still have an Israeli beer in my suitcase that shouldn't be there when I leave Russia.
Scenes from last night. Crazy laser show technical performance art awesomeness. The first picture, where you can see ГОГОЛЬFEST, is the band before the Ukrainians (check out this page!). It's this guy Yevgeny Fyodorov from the now-popular Russian band Tequilajazz (I ripped one of their live albums yesterday, and it's pretty good stuff). And apparently one of the dudes from Akvarium!
And this guy. Chain-smoking and playing 6-string bass at the same time. Круто.
I also had a moment with the man himself. I ought to read some Gogol now, hm?
Test #2 tomorrow. I'm getting As but I feel I should study more. Seeing Transformers with people after class. Then early Saturday, we all get on the bus to Pskov. I still find it somewhat hard to believe where I am, even when I'm walking up the street at 11:30pm and it's light out and the signs aren't lucid to me. Many of the people on the streets look like anyone you might find in America, except they probably don't speak English and they live in an entirely different culture.
On an unrelated note, I really want to learn Spanish. In a couple of years. I'm sitting in the computer lab / classroom at Smolny and there are some other students in here either online or doing homework. There are two new big white cruise ships parked on the river outside. This morning there were military fighters flying formations over the city, and I don't know why but it was cool to see. Didn't get any pictures of it. All the computers in here are Sun Microsystems "Sun Ray 2" mini-computers, and they seem to work pretty well, though most people brought laptops. On that note, I'm glad my computer is still holding up! When I get back to LA in August, I'll reformat it, do some cleaning, and hope that solves the problem. Which brings me to the topic of going back home.
I'm leaving Russia on August 9, and flying directly to Tel Aviv. However, I've already paid the fee to stay in Israel for an extra 9 days, flying back to New York very very early on the 18th. The plan was that I was invited to stay with one of my new Israeli friends in Eilat for an extended weekend, but the 10th of August is a Monday. So, I thought, I'll fly round-trip to Sofia (Bulgaria) for 5 days and hang out with my mate George! But that trip would be $600. So what am I going to do in Israel for 8 whole days? I won't have any summer money left by then. I'll know a few people from Birthright but I just don't feel confident that I'll feel up to bumming around Israel (WITH my two large suitcases) for so long without much to do. In retrospect, I might feel better if I had elected to come back even two days earlier (on Sunday the 16th, perhaps). I don't know. I can probably find stuff to do and places to stay with people I met, but that might be more awkward than I had thought. Most likely, to change it BACK the way it was, or to any other date, would require yet another $100. Curse indecision. To make matters more difficult, I had originally thought that I might use this time to spend in Washington DC (on my way back to California) with family I don't see often, or at least with friends in California, most of whom will be returning to school sometime around the 25th. It's not that I don't want to go back to Israel. On the contrary--I was so enamored with Israel that I planned this while there and laid down $100 on the spot to extend the trip with no specific plan in mind. Yes, in retrospect, I should have waited on that decision. What's more, I don't actually have a ticket back to California from New York yet, because I wasn't sure when I'd be coming back or whether I might be in Washington. I had also thought that I could theoretically work for a couple of weeks in Boston sometime between August and September, making back some money I'm spending this summer and seeing Tufts friends, but I concluded that it probably wouldn't be the best of ideas. I don't know.
As it is, I'll be heading to Japan at the end of September, sometime around the 28th I suppose. My only plan to return to the US before the following August is to spend my accumulated air-miles to take a nonstop roundtrip from Tokyo to New York to spend five or so days seeing my brother graduate and then returning for classes. I'll get two months off for spring break there, but I wasn't planning on coming home during that time. But then again, I don't know how I'll feel. Ideally, I thought, I'd travel around Japan and maybe visit Taiwan or Korea or something. I really don't know what's going to happen. I'll need to find a house to live in for my senior year at Tufts following that, and I really have no idea what that's going to be like either.
I've been thinking a lot, wondering a lot, and dreaming a lot. Then again, I always do, but the White Nights give me more dreams than I'm used to. Yesterday morning I was awakened a few minutes early by what might have been a nightmare, a literally paralyzing physical force that held me down because the force didn't understand me and I didn't know how to communicate with it, but when I finally was able to move I felt the renewed vital importance of that real effort at communication with it. The force had been around since I was a boy, but I didn't understand it until much later. As I get older and experience more, I realize what's important to me. Often, things that remain can be even more profound than singular moments. Some things will always be there, some things you hope will always be there, and everything seems to change somehow.
Even now, when I witness great talent or dedication, a part of me feels so terribly small and sad, and all my life I've wanted to turn that feeling into motivation. I still haven't quite figured out how.
I have a lot of exciting plans, and I owe it to myself to make the most of them. I'm adjusting to life here, and sooner or later I'll figure out what to do about my travel plans. Everyone tells me how great it is that I'm taking time for myself to explore and do the things I've always wanted, but I suppose I should have known that I wouldn't be able to take my whole heart across the sea with me.
Somehow, things always work out in the end, even though it can be very hard at times along the way.
I always say I'm going to do a short post but that never seems to happen. Ah well. I probably won't post anything until Monday, so maybe all the more reason to post now. Photo time:
This is laundry detergent (стиральный порошок) for hand-washing. It's called Meef. In English, Myth. This stuff will get your clothes mythically clean! For legendary comfort!Last night:
http://www.gogolfest.org.uАmazing! It included lasers, Ukrainian chanting, accordions, performance art, huge balloons, a dude chain-smoking and playing 6-string bass at the same time, masked figures, and finally running around dancing around the room holding hands in a long line of people. Somehow that last bit was very Slavic. I dunno what the Ukrainian band had to do with Gogol, but they were awesome. Here's their website. And here's their Last.fm page. Are you on Last.fm (<- my page)? I use it to track what I've been listening to and to get more information from artists and bands, as well as to find new music. I highly recommend it, except for the fact that their online-radio service seems to have a fee now.
Also, I wrote a bit earlier about some of the discomfort I've felt around alcohol. I think it's a very individual thing. Part of it was that in more formative years, I never really felt like I had the chance to develop my own ideas on my own terms about it. Last night at the concert, I enjoyed a beer while watching the opening band, and it was great! It's nice to not be so worried about it. Also, I still have an Israeli beer in my suitcase that shouldn't be there when I leave Russia.
Scenes from last night. Crazy laser show technical performance art awesomeness. The first picture, where you can see ГОГОЛЬFEST, is the band before the Ukrainians (check out this page!). It's this guy Yevgeny Fyodorov from the now-popular Russian band Tequilajazz (I ripped one of their live albums yesterday, and it's pretty good stuff). And apparently one of the dudes from Akvarium!
And this guy. Chain-smoking and playing 6-string bass at the same time. Круто.
I also had a moment with the man himself. I ought to read some Gogol now, hm?Also, a brief word about the Russian slang word круто (sounds like KRUta). It's basically synonymous to the English "cool" but more like "far out" or "awesome." The best part? Literally, it means "steep." In conclusion, I've decided to incorporate "steep" into my English conversation as well:
"Dude, that show was so steep."
"Yeah man, it was like 89.9º!"
"Dude, that show was so steep."
"Yeah man, it was like 89.9º!"
Test #2 tomorrow. I'm getting As but I feel I should study more. Seeing Transformers with people after class. Then early Saturday, we all get on the bus to Pskov. I still find it somewhat hard to believe where I am, even when I'm walking up the street at 11:30pm and it's light out and the signs aren't lucid to me. Many of the people on the streets look like anyone you might find in America, except they probably don't speak English and they live in an entirely different culture.
On an unrelated note, I really want to learn Spanish. In a couple of years. I'm sitting in the computer lab / classroom at Smolny and there are some other students in here either online or doing homework. There are two new big white cruise ships parked on the river outside. This morning there were military fighters flying formations over the city, and I don't know why but it was cool to see. Didn't get any pictures of it. All the computers in here are Sun Microsystems "Sun Ray 2" mini-computers, and they seem to work pretty well, though most people brought laptops. On that note, I'm glad my computer is still holding up! When I get back to LA in August, I'll reformat it, do some cleaning, and hope that solves the problem. Which brings me to the topic of going back home.
I'm leaving Russia on August 9, and flying directly to Tel Aviv. However, I've already paid the fee to stay in Israel for an extra 9 days, flying back to New York very very early on the 18th. The plan was that I was invited to stay with one of my new Israeli friends in Eilat for an extended weekend, but the 10th of August is a Monday. So, I thought, I'll fly round-trip to Sofia (Bulgaria) for 5 days and hang out with my mate George! But that trip would be $600. So what am I going to do in Israel for 8 whole days? I won't have any summer money left by then. I'll know a few people from Birthright but I just don't feel confident that I'll feel up to bumming around Israel (WITH my two large suitcases) for so long without much to do. In retrospect, I might feel better if I had elected to come back even two days earlier (on Sunday the 16th, perhaps). I don't know. I can probably find stuff to do and places to stay with people I met, but that might be more awkward than I had thought. Most likely, to change it BACK the way it was, or to any other date, would require yet another $100. Curse indecision. To make matters more difficult, I had originally thought that I might use this time to spend in Washington DC (on my way back to California) with family I don't see often, or at least with friends in California, most of whom will be returning to school sometime around the 25th. It's not that I don't want to go back to Israel. On the contrary--I was so enamored with Israel that I planned this while there and laid down $100 on the spot to extend the trip with no specific plan in mind. Yes, in retrospect, I should have waited on that decision. What's more, I don't actually have a ticket back to California from New York yet, because I wasn't sure when I'd be coming back or whether I might be in Washington. I had also thought that I could theoretically work for a couple of weeks in Boston sometime between August and September, making back some money I'm spending this summer and seeing Tufts friends, but I concluded that it probably wouldn't be the best of ideas. I don't know.
As it is, I'll be heading to Japan at the end of September, sometime around the 28th I suppose. My only plan to return to the US before the following August is to spend my accumulated air-miles to take a nonstop roundtrip from Tokyo to New York to spend five or so days seeing my brother graduate and then returning for classes. I'll get two months off for spring break there, but I wasn't planning on coming home during that time. But then again, I don't know how I'll feel. Ideally, I thought, I'd travel around Japan and maybe visit Taiwan or Korea or something. I really don't know what's going to happen. I'll need to find a house to live in for my senior year at Tufts following that, and I really have no idea what that's going to be like either.
I've been thinking a lot, wondering a lot, and dreaming a lot. Then again, I always do, but the White Nights give me more dreams than I'm used to. Yesterday morning I was awakened a few minutes early by what might have been a nightmare, a literally paralyzing physical force that held me down because the force didn't understand me and I didn't know how to communicate with it, but when I finally was able to move I felt the renewed vital importance of that real effort at communication with it. The force had been around since I was a boy, but I didn't understand it until much later. As I get older and experience more, I realize what's important to me. Often, things that remain can be even more profound than singular moments. Some things will always be there, some things you hope will always be there, and everything seems to change somehow.
Even now, when I witness great talent or dedication, a part of me feels so terribly small and sad, and all my life I've wanted to turn that feeling into motivation. I still haven't quite figured out how.
I have a lot of exciting plans, and I owe it to myself to make the most of them. I'm adjusting to life here, and sooner or later I'll figure out what to do about my travel plans. Everyone tells me how great it is that I'm taking time for myself to explore and do the things I've always wanted, but I suppose I should have known that I wouldn't be able to take my whole heart across the sea with me.
Somehow, things always work out in the end, even though it can be very hard at times along the way.
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