Thursday, March 29, 2007
panda-chariots & a Yellow world
An uneasy feeling shifted in the room. It was hard to pin-point, but something felt off and out of context. All of us were normal people - we had a day job, were under-appreciated but decently paid, and possessed a small social circle of our own.
Yet somehow we were on the dusty wooden floor. Each with a different color linen, laid out like pathetic beach blankets.
Suddenly, a dwarf with acromegaly started pacing back and forth. He was disproportionate, but somehow his distinct and jutting jaw equalized his hastily swinging arms. He was perfectly balanced in his own way.
He stopped his pacing, and asked, "hey, does anybody have chocolate?" It turns out he's diabetic as well. Everyone in the room shuffled in delayed reaction, surprised at the existence of sound. I miraculously found a Lindor truffle in a plastic candystore bag. He happily gobbled up the candy and said, "come with me. I'll show you something."
I followed like an automaton, trying to suppress my curiosity. I was leaving the tribe behind. But... did I have something better to do?
The world outside was yellow. As if the whole earth was an egg yolk. It felt like ages since I had been outside, and I didn't remember it being yellow. But I guess that's the way it works. Nobody gets to decide what color the world will be.
We hopped in a cab - the man with acromegaly sat in the driver's seat. "I'm a taxi driver," he said curtly. I sat in the back seat. He drove down the street like a trained race car driver, which was a much needed technique. While cars stayed obediently in their own lanes, camel and lama carriages would squeeze through wherever there was space. It was slightly thrilling and dare-devilish to play chicken with the camel-carriages. You can see the snout of the camel almost swipe the windshield and feel its warm grunt as it passes by (not an entirely pleasant experience).
We saw a long-limbed panda pulling a chariot. "I haven't seen those in a while," the man said with slight amusement. I nodded in silent agreement, but tried to sneak a glance at the rare sight. It was my first time seeing such a thing.
... it's been a while since I had such a Murakami-esque dream. I wonder where that man was going and what he wanted to show me...
Yet somehow we were on the dusty wooden floor. Each with a different color linen, laid out like pathetic beach blankets.
Suddenly, a dwarf with acromegaly started pacing back and forth. He was disproportionate, but somehow his distinct and jutting jaw equalized his hastily swinging arms. He was perfectly balanced in his own way.
He stopped his pacing, and asked, "hey, does anybody have chocolate?" It turns out he's diabetic as well. Everyone in the room shuffled in delayed reaction, surprised at the existence of sound. I miraculously found a Lindor truffle in a plastic candystore bag. He happily gobbled up the candy and said, "come with me. I'll show you something."
I followed like an automaton, trying to suppress my curiosity. I was leaving the tribe behind. But... did I have something better to do?
The world outside was yellow. As if the whole earth was an egg yolk. It felt like ages since I had been outside, and I didn't remember it being yellow. But I guess that's the way it works. Nobody gets to decide what color the world will be.
We hopped in a cab - the man with acromegaly sat in the driver's seat. "I'm a taxi driver," he said curtly. I sat in the back seat. He drove down the street like a trained race car driver, which was a much needed technique. While cars stayed obediently in their own lanes, camel and lama carriages would squeeze through wherever there was space. It was slightly thrilling and dare-devilish to play chicken with the camel-carriages. You can see the snout of the camel almost swipe the windshield and feel its warm grunt as it passes by (not an entirely pleasant experience).
We saw a long-limbed panda pulling a chariot. "I haven't seen those in a while," the man said with slight amusement. I nodded in silent agreement, but tried to sneak a glance at the rare sight. It was my first time seeing such a thing.
... it's been a while since I had such a Murakami-esque dream. I wonder where that man was going and what he wanted to show me...
Es ist ganz gut.
Hopefully I will get to see some of this
on Easter Monday.
And be entranced by this
during my up-coming Easter weekend trip. The beer should be fantastic too.
on Easter Monday.
And be entranced by this
during my up-coming Easter weekend trip. The beer should be fantastic too.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Officer, is that a baguette, or are you happy to see me?
I jogged for the first time in Paris. It's not the best of places to work out, given the traffic, slow-moving people, and plenty of dog/bird/human feces that decorate the streets. Oh well, 'tis life.
Luckily, I live near Jardin de Luxembourg, where plenty of joggers can be spotted in their natural habitat. Even though the garden is closed around 5pm, it's still a safe and nice neighborhood to jog around.
Le Jardin de Luxembourg
It's a nice haven from the city-life.
So, I was feeling unusually athletic (read: jogged once around the garden perimeter), but eventually my legs came to a hault. A series of photographs caught my eyes. They were mostly photos of workers in Niger and Mali - cotton-picking, copper-making, salt cultivation, leather tanning, and farming. It was an interesting collection, but the caption was obviously highlighting the hardships of the workers.
One of the photos that captivated me was of a man who was knee-deep in a pit of leather tanning material. The caption read: "This 'petit paradise' in the Niger basin is thriving, but at what price? It is a pit of deadly toxins." I'll have to go back tomorrow with a camera.
Along that street, there was a swarm of police officers. I looked around, and realized that the entire street had police cars lined up with groups of 5-10 standing around. Then, I saw what was happening - they were rationing out baguettes to these officers (some were cozily sitting in the police cars with bottles of wine). I'm not quite sure what the occasion was, but probably 30-40 police officers were standing around and waiting to get their baguettes on that street. I wonder if they do that every day. One of them said something to me, but I couldn't quite understand. I kept on walking by the baguette-eating officers.
Luckily, I live near Jardin de Luxembourg, where plenty of joggers can be spotted in their natural habitat. Even though the garden is closed around 5pm, it's still a safe and nice neighborhood to jog around.
Le Jardin de Luxembourg
It's a nice haven from the city-life.
So, I was feeling unusually athletic (read: jogged once around the garden perimeter), but eventually my legs came to a hault. A series of photographs caught my eyes. They were mostly photos of workers in Niger and Mali - cotton-picking, copper-making, salt cultivation, leather tanning, and farming. It was an interesting collection, but the caption was obviously highlighting the hardships of the workers.
One of the photos that captivated me was of a man who was knee-deep in a pit of leather tanning material. The caption read: "This 'petit paradise' in the Niger basin is thriving, but at what price? It is a pit of deadly toxins." I'll have to go back tomorrow with a camera.
Along that street, there was a swarm of police officers. I looked around, and realized that the entire street had police cars lined up with groups of 5-10 standing around. Then, I saw what was happening - they were rationing out baguettes to these officers (some were cozily sitting in the police cars with bottles of wine). I'm not quite sure what the occasion was, but probably 30-40 police officers were standing around and waiting to get their baguettes on that street. I wonder if they do that every day. One of them said something to me, but I couldn't quite understand. I kept on walking by the baguette-eating officers.
Bizarro
It makes you do a double-take. A Dali-like humor canvassed on a building tarp on Ave. Charles V near the Champs-Elysee.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
p.289 the great adapters
After a week of information overload, I arrived at the oldest town in Germany - Trier. The Roman influences are little to be seen, except for the colloseum between the valley and occasional dig-ups of artifacts - yet the city thrives on the touristic image of Ceasar and the Roman Empire.
When we left the Netherlands for Germany, snow was powdering the terrains and pine trees. A breathtaking site, but I was too shy to take any photos.
I came back to Paris a little wary from travel, but mustered enough energy to make it to a houseparty. Glad I did - reunited with a HK connection and met a bunch of funny Cameroonians.
When we left the Netherlands for Germany, snow was powdering the terrains and pine trees. A breathtaking site, but I was too shy to take any photos.
I came back to Paris a little wary from travel, but mustered enough energy to make it to a houseparty. Glad I did - reunited with a HK connection and met a bunch of funny Cameroonians.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Prattling around in Praha
I was fortunate enough to stay in Praha for a short weekend trip. Many a people have lauded Prague and said it was a must see part of Europe. I often wondered why they couldn't outright tell me why. Now I know - it's just too darn difficult to describe its magnificence in words.
The city is an amalgamation of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Art Nouveau, and Cubist - a schmorgasboard of ancient and modern art.
Nomadlife Praha - Charles Bridge & Prague Castle
Prague Castle - all the architecture in Praha are beautiful, but this one stands out the most. It was first founded in 880 A.D., but the most distinguished cathedrals were built in the 14th century by Charles IV- only to be completed in the 1920s.
St. Vitus Cathedral
Gorgeous...
The John Lennon Wall
Here's my mark...
One of my favorite stories in Praha was about the John Lennon Wall. During Soviet times, young cultural rebels mourned the death of the star by creating a mock grave. Since the Beatles and John himself were viewed as a "Western" culture icon, this was taboo under the Soviet regime. Every night, the guards would come and whitewash the wall, and every day, people came to express themselves (Monty Python's "Life of Brian," anybody?). This soon became a political protest, as the graffiti and expressions became a political attack of the Stalinist regime. The graffiti finally won over when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1989.
http://www.bagism.com/library/lennonwall.html
Today, the graffiti has mixed messages, as tourists are free to touch and write over the wall. Nonetheless, some of the messages are very sincere and quite clever. Some historians mourn the loss of the anti-Soviet art, but I think there is something to be said about a "peace wall" like this. I wanted to leave my mark too (picture on the right). I wrote "hooray (banzai) for peace" in Japanese and a girl kissing the John Lennon art - in retrospect, a little stupid. I should have put more thought into it.
Jenny demonstrates how it's done (I believe she wrote in Kiswahili, showing off her vocab she picked up in Kenya - Safi...).
As long as we are on the topic of communism, here's something else that reminds Czech citizens of the effects of communism. This is a series of statues on a hill, where a man is falling apart.
A stone nearby reads: The memorial to the victims of communism is dedicated to all victims, not only those who were jailed or executed, but also those whose lives were ruined by totalitarian despotism. The City of Prague, The Municipal District of Prague 1, and the Confederation of Political Prisoners Built the Memorial in 2002.
When one is in Central and Eastern Europe, it is inevitable to run into reminders of the Soviet times, whether it be physical or simply in dialogues with people. But for the most part, the young generation wants to move on, and they embrace ambitions that align with Western capitalism (not because they completely agree with Western ideology, but more so because they agree with modernity). Comfortable living and the ability to achieve economic and social success is something to be desired and to be proud of.
Oh, I'm so in love with these wooden toys!
They are comical, warm, and a great way to expose kids to physics. I was tempted to buy everything in this store - these toys are just so clever! (Much better than the fancy electronic or overly anatomically correct dolls these days). It just tickles your creative spirits... I could have played there for hours...
And food was great too. Above is a dish called Svickova (pronounced "Svich-kova") - roasted pork in sour cream and pickle sauce, served with Czech dumplings (which is basically steamed buns). Delicious!
Another distinctly Czech food I had was fried cheese (it's Marta's favorite food). The best way to describe it is to imagine that you are having mozzarella cheese sticks in the shape of French toast - and then eating them with mayo tartar sauce. Wash it down with beer. (Come to think of it, how is different than a Wisconsin diet?)
Dobre Pivo = Good Times, Good Friends
Hu? Fang Hu - that's who! Jenny was my super-amazing hostess for the weekend in Praha. She knows Praha like the back of her hand, and she knows how to party. This photo is for Devrim (for linking up two formidable Asian women in a "drink Devrim under the table coalition").
Pivo love. (*Pivo = beer) My favorite was Kozel dark. Mmm... delicious.
Andel house - a gathering of internationals living in Praha.
I was definitely missing out - I'm glad I had a chance to visit Praha. Return visit? - who knows...
The city is an amalgamation of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Art Nouveau, and Cubist - a schmorgasboard of ancient and modern art.
Nomadlife Praha - Charles Bridge & Prague Castle
Prague Castle - all the architecture in Praha are beautiful, but this one stands out the most. It was first founded in 880 A.D., but the most distinguished cathedrals were built in the 14th century by Charles IV- only to be completed in the 1920s.
St. Vitus Cathedral
Gorgeous...
The John Lennon Wall
Here's my mark...One of my favorite stories in Praha was about the John Lennon Wall. During Soviet times, young cultural rebels mourned the death of the star by creating a mock grave. Since the Beatles and John himself were viewed as a "Western" culture icon, this was taboo under the Soviet regime. Every night, the guards would come and whitewash the wall, and every day, people came to express themselves (Monty Python's "Life of Brian," anybody?). This soon became a political protest, as the graffiti and expressions became a political attack of the Stalinist regime. The graffiti finally won over when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1989.
http://www.bagism.com/library/lennonwall.html
Today, the graffiti has mixed messages, as tourists are free to touch and write over the wall. Nonetheless, some of the messages are very sincere and quite clever. Some historians mourn the loss of the anti-Soviet art, but I think there is something to be said about a "peace wall" like this. I wanted to leave my mark too (picture on the right). I wrote "hooray (banzai) for peace" in Japanese and a girl kissing the John Lennon art - in retrospect, a little stupid. I should have put more thought into it.
Jenny demonstrates how it's done (I believe she wrote in Kiswahili, showing off her vocab she picked up in Kenya - Safi...).As long as we are on the topic of communism, here's something else that reminds Czech citizens of the effects of communism. This is a series of statues on a hill, where a man is falling apart.
A stone nearby reads: The memorial to the victims of communism is dedicated to all victims, not only those who were jailed or executed, but also those whose lives were ruined by totalitarian despotism. The City of Prague, The Municipal District of Prague 1, and the Confederation of Political Prisoners Built the Memorial in 2002.
When one is in Central and Eastern Europe, it is inevitable to run into reminders of the Soviet times, whether it be physical or simply in dialogues with people. But for the most part, the young generation wants to move on, and they embrace ambitions that align with Western capitalism (not because they completely agree with Western ideology, but more so because they agree with modernity). Comfortable living and the ability to achieve economic and social success is something to be desired and to be proud of.
Oh, I'm so in love with these wooden toys!
They are comical, warm, and a great way to expose kids to physics. I was tempted to buy everything in this store - these toys are just so clever! (Much better than the fancy electronic or overly anatomically correct dolls these days). It just tickles your creative spirits... I could have played there for hours...
And food was great too. Above is a dish called Svickova (pronounced "Svich-kova") - roasted pork in sour cream and pickle sauce, served with Czech dumplings (which is basically steamed buns). Delicious!
Another distinctly Czech food I had was fried cheese (it's Marta's favorite food). The best way to describe it is to imagine that you are having mozzarella cheese sticks in the shape of French toast - and then eating them with mayo tartar sauce. Wash it down with beer. (Come to think of it, how is different than a Wisconsin diet?)
Dobre Pivo = Good Times, Good Friends
Hu? Fang Hu - that's who! Jenny was my super-amazing hostess for the weekend in Praha. She knows Praha like the back of her hand, and she knows how to party. This photo is for Devrim (for linking up two formidable Asian women in a "drink Devrim under the table coalition").
Pivo love. (*Pivo = beer) My favorite was Kozel dark. Mmm... delicious.
Andel house - a gathering of internationals living in Praha.
I was definitely missing out - I'm glad I had a chance to visit Praha. Return visit? - who knows...
Death and Taxes
You can run, but you can't hide...
If there's one disadvantage of being a US citizen who moves during the year, it's this thing called tax forms. They're like rodents - you think you're out of the woods when you get half-way through the form, and then you see "See form XXXX". The tax forms have other little baby tax forms, which are linked to more information you have to dig up from your past year. Your very own "decide your own adventure series: IRS version".
And this darn 3-tier system... first there's Federal tax, then there's State, and if you're lucky, you get to pay Local tax too. Multiply that by however many times you move, and you've got a major migrane.
Thank goodness for e-forms? Not so much. For some reason or other, I get booted off of the eligibility list. So I'm just doing it the old fashioned hard-copy way for most of them.
In the end of the day, it's a wonder why US taxes need to be this difficult. Other countries directly calcuate a % out of your monthly paycheck - end of story. The amount of energy wasted on shuffling paper or electronic files seems awfully wasteful (not to mention the IRS agents who come physically knocking on your door for $16 error on your tax several years back (seriously, this happened to my history teacher) - who pays for those expenses? Oh- that's right. Tax payers.)
2 forms... 6 more to go...
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Business & then some...
Let the traveling begin.
Mar 7-8 Svitavy, Czech Republic
Mar 9-11 Prague, Czech Republic - meeting Fang and Marta
Mar 19-21 Roosendaal, Netherlands
Mar 22-23 Trier, Germany
Apr 27-May1 Istanbul, Turkey (!!!) - with Mel and Emir
May 4-8 Cairo, Egypt (& Sinai or Dahab) - with Adam & the rest of the funky bunch
I'm definitely hitting those places I've always been taunted about. I've been squealing with joy all day :)
Mar 7-8 Svitavy, Czech Republic
Mar 9-11 Prague, Czech Republic - meeting Fang and Marta
Mar 19-21 Roosendaal, Netherlands
Mar 22-23 Trier, Germany
Apr 27-May1 Istanbul, Turkey (!!!) - with Mel and Emir
May 4-8 Cairo, Egypt (& Sinai or Dahab) - with Adam & the rest of the funky bunch
I'm definitely hitting those places I've always been taunted about. I've been squealing with joy all day :)
