I am in BUffalo for a wedding and have W here with me.

A lot of fun stuff has happened so far. It really has. But here are some other things that happened:

• On Thursday, NYC experienced tornado warnings and severe thunderstorms. As a result, we sat on the plane, on the runway, for EIGHT HOURS. Why eight hours? Well, after three hours, anyone who wants to deplane has the right to do so (after that PR nightmare JetBlue had last year). A handful of people wanted off, which means we had to drive back to the gate. Problem is, we were blocked in, so that took forever.
• Because we left the line of planes where we had been sitting for four hours, we lost our place in line and had to get back at the end of the line with 75 planes ahead of us. That was after we were able to get to and leave the gate, which was closed because of lighning and other planes blocking ours.
• Departed apartment: 2:15 pm. Arrived in Buffalo: 12:30 am. Total in-flight time: 45 minutes.
• Since Monday is my 1-year anniversary with W, I had planned a surprise overnight trip to Niagara Falls, Canada. I had rented a room with a heart-shaped tub. Because it was so late when we left, I cancelled the room. They probably still charged it to my credit card because it was less than 24 hours. This I will fight if it shows up on my bill.
  
• When we arrived, the Budget counter was closed, even though the reservation said they were open 24 hours. It took us several tries to locate the Budget van.
• Went for drinks with Leanne and Bob this evening and had a lovely time. Returned to car to find passenger window smashed out and my GPS (purchase price $600) stolen. Should I have left it on the windshield? No. But we were parked on Elmwood and Allen, in a busy area.
• Budget office would not answer and national office could not help. Called 911 and filed police report. Brushed glass off of passenger seat and drove straight to Budget location (on the way back to my dad's). Little troll working behind counter was unhelpful and didn't have another car for us. Didn't offer to call other rental car agencies to see what they had. Two other employees buzzed around behind counter not helping us while troll assisted clueless old people. ("Sorry we can't accommodate you! Let me try to help you find something else!" Um, no.)
• Had to call dad to pick us up. He was surprisingly accommodating. Not sure if it's because W is here, but enjoying lack of martyr syndrome.
  

Fuck whoever stole my GPS. RIP, Mrs. Garrett. Hoping karma will come back to him. Learn to respect other people, you piece of shit.

Labels: bflo, cranky, gadgets, globetrotting

W and I went to Florida for the wedding of his childhood friend. I don't really consider DisneyWorld to be the kind of place I'd ever go as an adult, without kids (and W and I analyzed while there that the ideal age range for a kid to go is between 4 and 13 - old enough to know what's going on but not old enough to be mortified of one's parents). Regardless, we had a really great time.

We stayed at the Disney resort itself - a sprawling maze of themed resorts, heated pools, attractions ams carefully coordinated shuttle buses. We chose the Port Orleans French Quarter, because it was considered a mid-level resort and because we found the theme to be kind of hysterical.



Overall, it was a fine place to stay. The guestroom was decent and the pool was great (I'm such a landlocked girl, far preferring the calm, heated waters of an inground pool over the unpredictable salty, splashy water of the ocean!). The food court, though, left much to be desired (overpriced greasy fare and coffee tasting like styrofoam).

We spent Saturday at the Magic Kingdom, and I was quite surprised at how nostalgic I felt on many of the rides. It's interesting how much an iconic experience gets woven into one's memories. I love that W is up for going all-out when we travel. As soon as we entered the park, we made a beeline for the mouse-ear-embroidered-hat shoppe.

My favorite ride, of course, is still the Haunted Mansion. Small improvements have been made, but overall the experience seemed to be mostly the same.

I also had intangible, find memories of the Enchanted Tiki Room, and was disappointed to find that the annoying parrot from Aladdin (voiced by Gilbert Gofdfry) was added and the show completely changed. It was loud, obnoxious and included music by Miami Sound Machine. When we left the show, I was furiously ranting on about how they shouldn't change a thing and revert back to the 1960s. Despite realizing that I sounded like a cranky old lady, I was still mad. (When I got home, I promptly downloaded the "Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Room" song.)

It's kind of creepy how strongly gender roles are reinforced at Disney. I guess the princesses have become a big "thing," after the new wave of "strong willed but looking for love" Disney cartoons in the early 90s. A new attraction is the "Bibbity Bobbity Boutique" in Downtown Disney, where little girls pick out a princess outfit and have there hair and makeup done in classic Disney princess style. They also get a pink sash to wear, announcing that they've been to the salon (as though the glittery slicked up bun, makeup, tiara and princess costume weren't obvious enough). It made me kind of sad, because I'm sure I would have never been allowed to have the BBB experience, cost wise. Sometimes I wish I had had the experience of having my girlishnss indulged as a child. What would it have been like to have an expensive store-bought official costume and pretty long hair and a tiara?

I was excited to see the Hall of Presidents, where robots of all the old presidents talk and move. I remember it being boring as a child, but I thought it would be better as an adult.

Nope. Boring in 1983, boring in 1988, boring in 2008. The animatronics are pretty amazing though. Maybe if they'd just ditch that colonial times video that takes up half the time, and maybe if they let the more obscure "presidents" speak. (Rutherford Hays, Chester Arthur? Those guys were presidents?? Just saying.)

We had planned on leaving the Magic Kingdom around 2pm, leaving time for a visit to MGM. But before we knew it, it was 5pm!

We jetted over to Epcot with only enough time to ride Spaceship Earth. I had just started bitching about how the ride needed to be updated (the animatronics ended with old computers) when the ride did this awesome interactive thing in each seat. It's hard to explain, but I was impressed.

I wish we had more time at Epcot, since I think I would have really enjoyed it. And man, that globe thing is actually really beautiful! I couldn't stop taking pictures of it.



We watched the fireworks show in a special reserved area for the wedding guests. It was mostly nice, aside from the mother of the bride accusing us of crashing the wedding. No joke, and she didnt even apologize. I'm still fairly pissed off about it.

On Sunday, W and I checked out Celebration. We had heard all kinds of creepy things about it-- new urbanism, Disney ownership, cultish residents, etc -- but I found aspects of it to be quite nice. There are lots of walking trails, a public fountain to play in, rocking chairs by the water, a town square, etc. Don't get me wrong-- it's still not totally cool in my book to create a highly regulated "city" where only upper middle class white families can afford to live, financially and culturally, and is owned by a large corporation and is exempt from county laws and such. I think cities should be inclusive and somewhat chaotic/organic.



One more creepy thing- the town does simulated fall and winter. This means that fake fall leaves are placed on sidewalks during autumn and streetlamps emit small bubbles to mimic snow in winter. I am not joking.

Thankfully, my very first friend from college, Darlene, drive us to both Celebration and Old Town! It was great to see her, and we would never have known about Old Town. Old Town very much reminded me of downtown Vegas-- the old, grittier strip of tourist attractions and faded glamor. It also made me remember a hotel called Wilson World, where we stayed in 1988. I remember it being luxurious, with a gorgeous indoor pool with a huge waterfall I could swim under. I Googled it when I got home, only to find that it's now a Red Roof Inn. (I suspect my perception of "luxury" was not what it is today.) Another surprising and fond memory of Disney!



In my Google search, I found a message board of people sharing memories of the hotel. It was kind of like recently when I realized that several women in my office once owned a cassette tape by a group called The Party that I was once obsessed with. I'm having these experiences a lot recently, where I find someone with the same passionate childhood markers of time that I have. It's thrilling to discuss them.

The wedding was exceptionally classy, though it was difficult to get W to dance. I guess this is one of the drawbacks of not bringing a gay date.

After the wedding, we made our way via shuttle bus to the Boardwalk resort, styled to look like a 1920s boardwalk. W was thoroughly creeped out, but forgot his discomfort inside Jellyroll's Piano Bar (thanks, Darlene!), where two dueling piano players sang and took requests.

As much as I'm not a Disney person, I have to admit that they have their shit together at the resort. A shuttle picks you up from the airport, and they check you in and check your bags going home. The entire resort is connected by a complicated series of highways. Fascinating.

Labels: childhood, deep thoughts, globetrotting

I'm sure many of you are wondering if I've vanished off of the face of the blogosphere! But no, I'm here. In fact, I have so many thoughts swirling around my head these days that I can hardly decide what to write about. And then, when I have the rare moment when I DO have the time to post, I have no idea what to select out of the rolling narrative in my brain.

OK. There are a few things going on that have prohibited me from posting. The first is my new job. I'd love to blog about it, but I know I've become quite findable on the interwebs and I feel like I'd have to self-edit a lot. But in summary, it's an interesting place with lots of good people, and it was an excellent change.

The second thing is a nagging feeling that I've outgrown this space. I still want to write here, and write very honest things, but I feel like I've made a sharp break from the woman who started this blog five years ago. Not in a bad way! But in a way that my life was once shaped by constant introspection and solo activity, whereas now I've kind of started thinking about my life in terms of a twosome. Yeah, that's a new development and a totally new and foreign and scary mindset for me. But also an exciting one, since I often wondered if it was even possible. Part of me feels guilty about it, because I've always been one to roll my eyes at friends who have fallen madly in love and have left our fun little social life and self-proclaimed singledom in the dust. I don't want to be that person who becomes someone new and unrecognizable to the people I've come to love and rely on. But anyway, I've definitely learned a lot about myself in the last year. It was one year ago on Memorial Day weekend that I first met W, and I had no idea that he'd be sitting on my couch right this second watching an old subtitled French movie while I typed away.

Another thing is this: I'm really kind of freaked out about turning 30. I know everyone says that 30 is the new 21 and blah, blah, blah, but I suddenly feel like I'm about to fall out of touch with everything cool. I've prided myself on being hip to the trends for most of my life, and lately I feel like I've been observing them from afar. Suddenly TimeOut magazine seems awfully ridiculous to me.

And then a funny thing happened at Abercrombie and Fitch a few weeks ago. While in Kentucky, I bought a cute pair of running shorts at good ol' A+F. A few of you may know that I once worked there in college. (Pick your jaw up off the floor right now and stop throwing stones.) Anyway, while I felt like I had outgrown the place as soon as I finished winter break of my senior year of college, I still liked stopping in to relive old memories and smell the cologne.

I digress. I returned home and when I pulled off one of the tags, it ripped a small hole in the shorts. GRRRRR. I felt that was pretty unacceptable and since the other tag was still on and I had the receipt, I decided to exchange them at the A+F at South Street Seaport.

I got to the store after work to find all of the windows covered in wooden blinds, which I found strangely annoying. Are they trying to hide something? Anyhow, the very second I stepped in I developed a migraine. The smell of cologne started to make me sneeze and the music was BLASTING. I located the shorts and brought a new pair downstairs with me to the register. The line was frightfully long and one slow-moving model-thin cashier leisurely removed censors from the purchases of two Eurotrash women. And I know they were European because no one in the USA goes shopping to buy five armloads of A+F merch. Plus, they were way too old to be appropriate clientele. My anger bloomed as I look around to see another employee look at the long line and the lone cashier and begin spraying cologne on the clothing rack nearest me. Later, two employees flirt and chat behind the line before asking the cashier if she is the only one ringing. Probably 15 minutes later, one of those flirty employees finally starts using a second register. I figured I had invested about 30 minutes waiting and should stick it out, until I looked down at the new shorts and noticed the thread on the waistband unraveling in my hands. I did not want to go back upstairs for another pair. So instead, I let out an exaggerated groan, threw the new shorts down angrily on the cologne table and stormed out. At home, I sewed up the hole myself.

And one more thing. I have a lot of grey hair suddenly. WTF.

***

So I went to Portland last week, finally, and it was lovely. I visited a grad school friend (Jeanette) and a friend I met in my support group last year (Rachel). It was especially good to see Rachel, since the anniversaries of our mothers' deaths are just weeks apart, and last year she invited me to garden at her parents' house upstate in memory of our moms. We decided to make our visit a yearly event. I bought a lot of shoes for myself and had some excellent food. I'd definitely visit again, but I'm an east coast girl deep down in my soul. There were just too many people out there wearing hemp for my taste.



Then I dog sat for Krissa and Stuart's dog Nano, a brown, hearing version of Mallow. Even though he was nervous to be here and peed every time I brought out his harness, I kinda fell in love with him and miss him dearly.



***

Also, I am getting ready to paint my apartment. I've lived here for more than four years now, and most walls are scuffed up and/or full of wall holes from rearranged art. One part of me is sad about repainting, because my parents and Mira and Jay all helped me paint the entire apartment after I bought it. Changing it feels like closing the door on something. But it's also strangely exciting. Bought the paint today. Stay tuned for photos.

Labels: deep thoughts, globetrotting, newme, nyc

I promise, promise, promise to update this more often, soon. There are never enough hours in the day.

Briefly, I graduated, and I was so, so proud of myself. I didn't realize how much I'd learned about the world until I was near completion of the program and I am so glad I stuck with it even when it was frustrating and confusing and made me want to drop everything and get a degree in interior design.

Now I'm in Portland, OR, visiting some friends. I decided semi-last-minute to come, and cashed in all of my American miles to travel First Class round-trip. And I cannot wait to tell you more about that, and how ridiculously wonderful it is to fly FC, and also how insanely it contributes to the maintenance of symbolic boundaries. That there was a sociological term.

I'm jet-lagged and there is a cute kitty waiting for me in my guest bed. So far, Portland is really cool. Though it's FILLED with hippies. Way too many hippies. I'm an east coast girl at heart.

Labels: globetrotting, school daze

I've been in Kentucky since Thursday with W, visiting his mother on her horse farm. I have taken a zillion photos, but I can't upload them until I get home. Until then, you should know that I:

• rode a horse!
• tasted a Hot Brown
• went to two horse shows
• went to Wal-Mart twice
• saw a bunch of pics of W as a little kid and man, was he cute
• saw some authentic bluegrass
• saw Ironman (meh)
  

I did not:

• drink a mint julep
  
• do any of the work I brought with me

More when I return home.

Labels: globetrotting

Finally, a recap of my surprise weekend trip! Best of all, I was able to quell my natural desire for "peeking" and was thoroughly surprised by everything.

Last weekend's surprise adventure actually started with an outing in Manhattan. W bought us "tickets for a show," and we had to be in the city by 8pm. The venue? Town Hall. I didn't look at any signs posted on the venue marquee or door, nor did I look in the programs that were waiting on our seats. I surveyed the crowd -- people of all ages. A fair amount of grey hair, and a fair amount of kids as well. What the hell was it?

The stage was filled with a selection of tribal-type instruments. The lights dimmed, and a man came onto the stage to welcome the audience. Then, he... STARTED TAP DANCING! Somehow, W found tickets to Tamango's Urban Tap . I'd never heard of Tamango, but it was an hour and a half of improv hoofing. What an awesome surprise!!

Perhaps most exciting before the performance started, I turned to look around and noticed a familiar face in the aisle. I immediately poked W. "Hey, doesn't that look like Bubbles?" I whispered. W turned. "It IS Bubbles!" We couldn't stop staring. He was wearing a Victorian-type short jacket, and I suspect only he could have pulled it off.

The next morning, we hopped into a car and headed to LaGuardia. W offered to tell me where we were going on the way, but I refused. I wanted to keep the suspense going for as long as possible. While I was packing, the not-knowing was difficult. What should I pack? What would the weather be like? But once en route, it was SO relaxing to just know I was headed to vacation and didn't have to worry about the details.

W checked both of us in at the kiosk, and carried my ticket through the metal detector with his. We sat away from our gate, as to not hear the boarding announcement. W told me there were four destinations listed at the gate but I still didn't look up to see where we might be headed.

It was a commuter-size plane, and we had to walk onto the runway to board. The side of the US Airways plane said that it was co-operated by Air Wisconsin, so I thought that might be our destination.

We settled into our seats, waiting for the destination announcement.



Savannah, GA!!!!!

I've never really been to the "deep south" before. (W grew up in Kentucky which to me is the DEEP SOUTH, although he stubbornly asserts that it's the "midwest.")

W hadn't booked a hotel, so we called around and found a room at the Marshall House (our first choice was a quirky B+B and it was already booked). The room was tiny, and not at all cheap, but the location was amazing, the hotel itself was gorgeous and the staff was very kind.

We spent the weekend doing tons of walking (it was chilly but sunny, and nothing on Sunday opened until at least noon), taking in all of the historic southern mansions and the insane Spanish moss dripping from the trees.



Savannah is filled with little historic squares throughout. Each one has benches, gorgeous trees and usually at least one fountain. Apparently, Savannah is home to the second largest St. Patrick's Day celebration in the US! (Who knew?!) They turn all of the water in the town's fountains green near the holiday.



Many of the old mansions have gated gardens that you can often peek into through the street gate. Really, it was like nothing I have ever seen. Second-floor verandas had old-fashioned-looking ceiling fans and wicker chairs, just begging for some iced tea and a mint julep.

We also spend some time in a few old cemeteries. They were peaceful and quiet, intriguing and sometimes colorful.



If you ever find yourself in Savannah, you must dine at the Olde Pink House. I had one of the tastiest meals of my life (the crispy scored flounder) and after dinner we enjoyed some Irish coffees in the cozy downstairs bar (complete with piano player and fireplace). Though I will say the bartender got a little snippy with us once he saw our Yankee IDs (got carded several times down there and LOVED IT). At first the teasing was cute (hey, I'm a proud NYer), but eventually I started to think that he had an issue with fancy Yankees.



On our last day, we took a drive to South Carolina, and checked out Beaufort and Hilton Head. The weather was gorgeous. We indulged in lots of fried seafood (and got a little sun).

Labels: globetrotting

I've been sitting at the laptop for a few hours now, working towards assembling my 2007 tax info. I'm a decently organized person, but I REALLY need to be even better, if not to simply save me this time in early 2009 as I try to figure out what's what. And speaking of being prepared, this week I both let my birth control prescription run out accidentally AND prepped my passport renewal (which doesn't expire until JUNE). Hello, all over the place.

I had my new passport photo taken yesterday. It's crazy to think that it's been ten years since I applied for the last one (my first ever). I do remember looking at it when I received it and thinking that 2008 was eons away, but I don't think I ever gave much thought to the fact that I'd be 29, or wondered what I'd be doing in 2008. At least my new photo looks better (even though it's still not amazing).


Let's pause for a moment and think about how I am going to be 39 (!!!!!!!) the next time this baby expires. Good lord! What will I be doing at age 39? Will I be married? Divorced? A parent? Alive? (Hey, I have to wonder after losing my mom.) In NYC? What about Cleo and Mallow, who will be approximately 17 and 18 years old? What will I look like?

The point of the title is this: While sitting at the laptop, I have the TV on in the background. Amazingly, there was nothing I wanted to watch on E!, so I flipped on the nightly news. First, I picked up on a tres depressing news report about the IMPENDING recession and how we're all fucked (great! just in time for my graduation!), FOLLOWED UP BY a piece on how today is referred to as "Blue Monday" -- the most depressing day of the entire year, seeing the highest number of suicides. NBC's tips for staving off depression? "Smile at people you pass on the street." Maybe this helps, but it just sounded so pathetic after all the gloom and doom.

Labels: deep thoughts, globetrotting, newme

Vegas: what a weird place! Where do I even begin?

First off, there was no eloping. But I really enjoyed seeing all of the tacky chapels!
We flew through Milwaukee, and ended up on some weirdo plane that is often chartered by sports teams (enormous amounts of space between rows, and some seats facing backwards, and yes, we had to sit flying backwards).

We stayed in the downtown area, which is where the "original" Las Vegas began.



It's just further down the street from The Strip, which is what people mostly talk about. The area between The Strip and Downtown is a really fascinating enclave of dodgy motels, bail bond storefronts and old casinos in the process of being torn down.

I had mixed feelings about The Strip, which is largely populated by themed megaresorts. New York New York is complete with a faux NYC facade, Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge. Paris offers an Eiffel Tower. The Venetian is fronted by faux canals and gondoliers. Everything is big, big, big and fake, fake, fake. The Strip isn't very pedestrian friendly, and each resort is so enormous that it takes ages to walk between them.

Inside, in the casinos and past the themed lobbies, everything looks mostly the same -- flashing slot machines galore and gaming tables. The hipper places have younger waitresses and more 20-somethings dressed in low-cut tops. While we were there, I learned Blackjack and Roulette and pumped lots of money into the slots. On our first night, I had the biggest win of the trip on a quarter slot:



I was going to put it towards a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon, but they were booked up. Bummer, since that's something I would have never been able to do as a child on vacation -- the really expensive, elaborate attraction adventure. It was always bare bones for us on the few vacations we took. Because of that, I try to do those things now when I'm traveling.

On our first night in Vegas, we had dinner at an Italian place in NY, NY (which was slightly marred by a horrible backache I developed while in Vegas and still kind of have and which I now think is a pinched nerve) and then saw one of those classic Vegas Showgirl shows with sparkly costumes and boobs. And...it was so disappointing!!! The choreography was off, most women didn't have their "show faces" on and the male dancers were shitty. The thinly-veiled plot was also a disappointment. (It was "women through the ages," which fell short once they reached the 70s.) I still liked a lot of the elaborate costumes, of course, but boo-hiss for the rest! Plus, the jiggling of fake boobs wasn't really very appetizing.

On Saturday, we had breakfast at another resort on the strip offering cheap steak 24 hours a day, followed by a trip to the Liberace Museum. I think the best part of the museum was the animated yet wooden old ladies volunteering there.



This was followed by a little adventure in Bonanza, the self-proclaimed "World's Largest Gift Shop."









Later, after a stop at the Venetian, we saw Zumanity at NY, NY. Zumanity is the "adult" Cirque du Soleil show and let me tell you, it was amazing! I've never seen a CdS show before, and I loved the energy, costumes, style. It was a great way to combine Vegas naughtiness and real showmanship. I highly recommend it.

We decided to try out clubbing and, after waiting in line for ages to get into LAX at Luxor, we stayed for less than 30 minutes and hightailed it out of there. Kristen Cavalari was having her lame-o birthday there that night- was that why it was so packed?

On Sunday night, we spent a few hours at the Palms, made famous by the sluts of the Real World: Las Vegas.



I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed myself there. It was nice to feel all swank for a night, even if the clientèle in all of the clubs there were soulless. We hit up ghostbar, the Playboy Club and Moon. Plus, the views were amazing!

Some Vegas observations and notes:

• Drinks in casinos are FREE! Yeah, seriously. And lots of stuff is dirt cheap. This is because you're spending so much dough on the gambling.
• It's really more a place for older married people or big groups of single friends.
• People kept asking if I was a newlywed.
• If you're not wearing a low-cut shirt at a trendy place, you will look weird.
• A lot of middle-aged folks there wear fannypacks non-ironically.
• You can spot dying old people in wheelchairs at the slots in every casino (even at the Palms!)

The fakeness of the whole place was really fascinating, but began to tire me out after about two days. It wasn't a place I could get a real handle on or figure out. I actually kind of preferred the older stuff that held more interesting and sketchy history. I found myself wanting to explore it like I would a city and not being able to.

I'm really glad I finally checked it out. And I'm even more glad to be back home in Brooklyn!

Bye bye, Vegas!

Labels: globetrotting, observe

This was perhaps the first New Years that I didn't look towards with absolute dread. It always seems like such a big deal -- having to make fabulous plans, find someone to kiss. All that junk. But with a lovely fondue party (with chihuahuas at our side) with friends and a post-midnight jaunt to the East Village there was nary a worry.

Resolutions? Hmmm. Get rid of Britney Spears-esque stomach. Eat healthier. Be more efficient at home (instead of letting clutter build up, tackle it every few days and stick to it until the apartment is tidy, as opposed to putting one thing away and then playing on the Internet for three hours), starting a running routine.

To kick off the New Year, W and I booked a last-minute weekend trip to Vegas. I've never been, believe it or not, and he hasn't been since 1994. We found a hot deal -- 3 nights at the Golden Nugget, flight and rental car for only $360/person! I am envisioning photos of me wearing Nicole Richie-esque sunglasses and a short dress playing the slots, as well as seeing a show involving sparkly costumes and boobs.

Labels: globetrotting, holiday

NYC to Buffalo Road Trip:

9:15 am: I start loading shit into car, including all my laundry for Jerome to do.

9:45 am: Force Mallow into her li'l dog sweater

10:15: Pick up Jim, Gucci and all his chit.

10:20: First stop at McDonald's

10:25: Experience poop cramps.

11:00 am: Start chanting "Mah-Wah. Mah-Wah, Boooonton."

11:05: Run out of stuff to talk about.

12:36: Second stop at McDonald's.

3:00: Drive through Syracuse and detour to Robin's old sorority house. Flash bra at random boys on campus from inside car.

3:45: Talk about sex.

4:50: Pass "Buffalo: An All America City" sign. Make fun of it.

5:15: Drop off Jim and Gucci at Harrigan House. Chong waves from window of house.

5:35: Robin pulls into to Lester house.

5:36: Jerome starts laundry.

Labels: bflo, globetrotting

Holyshitit'sDecember.

Thankfully, W and I took a little getaway to the Jersey Shore this weekend. We just spent one night, but it was the perfect idea. I randomly picked a town (Ocean Grove), and a bed and breakfast, and we had a tasty dinner, massages and enjoyed the season's first snowfall. There's something really peaceful about the beach in the winter with no one around. It's so silent. Gray.



Now it's back to the grind, and I keep on keepin' on writing. Shockingly, I've already written 41 pages of my ethnography, but still have a LOT to go. I am hosting TWO parties the weekend of the 15th, and this shit needs to be DONE before then so I can get baking and shit.

Labels: globetrotting

In Penn Station with Lukasz:

"Where are all the fat people? I don't see any McDonald's. I am disappointed."

Labels: globetrotting, NaBloPoMo, nyc

Travel home was fine, I already miss Abbie, and part of me wants a suburban house. Here are some random observations on Richmond:

1. There are no streetlights.
2. Every street has a median.
3. Everyone has a vanity license plate. For example, "XMAS GRL." Abbie has seen some goof ones, including "GOD LOVER" and "TANS 4 FUN."
4. There are no Asians or Hispanics there.
5. They have Fantastic Sam's*, which, through the window, looks nothing like the Fantastic Sam's of my youth.

Keep in mind, these observations are based on less than 48 hours in Richmond.

*Abbie didn't know what Fantastic Sam's was. This will be blogged about tomorrow.

Labels: globetrotting, NaBloPoMo, observe

Hello from Richmond, VA! I'm here to help Abbie and Andrew paint the inside of their new house -- something I love. Most people find wall painting to be tedious and horrible, but I love it. OK, not the taping. That part I hate. But the actual painting? Yes. I love it.

This is my first time visiting Abbie in Richmond. It's strange, since I feel I know her pretty well. But time and distance and busy-ness prevent us from being physically involved in one another's lives as often as we used to be. It's a very strange thing to realize you know almost nothing about your best friend's daily routine. I kind of feel like I'm tiptoeing around their apartment, studying it like an anthropologist would, mostly (but not always) resisting the urge to peek into drawers and cabinets, noting with interest that I didn't know Abbie used that brand of deodorant, wondering where the butter is for use on my English muffin, cataloging all the sneakers owned by Abbie that I have never seen before. This morning, I woke up an hour or so before Abbie (after falling asleep before 10pm), so I began quietly making coffee. It was strange to open up their giant suburban refrigerator and see it filled with strange things -- bottled Starbucks iced coffee, chip dip, etc. Wow - she has a fax machine! And who belongs to all these business cards scattered about? Why does she own The Last Unicorn on DVD? (????????)

Last night, we ordered delivery (the options were Italian and Chinese). I inhaled my giant chicken parm sub and enjoyed my vacation in suburbia.

Abbie's new house is gorgeous. It's in a suburban area that I actually kind of like -- older houses with character, insanely tall pine trees that have deposited thick, long needles on the lawn, quiet. It has what appears to be four floors, all separated by a short flight of stairs. There are built-ins, people (!!!!!!) and two fireplaces. There are so many closets and cubbies and utility storage areas. It makes me wonder what my next home will be like, and how long I'll stay in my current place. And all the crazy renovations I could do if only I had a ton of money.

Wonder what my distantly-located friends make of the relics of my daily life when they come to visit.

Labels: globetrotting, NaBloPoMo, observe

So I didn't get the freelance job. I was in the running to be the Brooklyn guide on About.com. (Yes, for all of Brooklyn!) My final review said that they were looking for someone with more experience writing web content. I suppose it's actually a blessing, since I switched to pt in order to have more time to chill. As evidence of this, I have almost all of my homework finished already. The sucky part is that I actually did work really hard on my trial site, and now I won't get paid for any of it.

I've been doing a lot of photography for the Brooklyn paper, which is cool and fun.

So! Philadelphia! It was a short, but great, trip. It was just nice to spend a whole day day away with a cute man and spend the time seeing sites, talking and laughing. I liked Philly a lot. It felt like Brooklyn and Boston mated. How much does it cost to buy a townhouse there?



Fall is finally here (I think). Yay.

Labels: globetrotting, nyc, school daze

This post is going to be horribly vague. Sorry in advance.

Yesterday, I found out a juicy piece of information that I would have loved to have had about a month ago. I was so shocked -- it couldn't have been less obvious. It makes me think that despite a tendency to be a glass-half-empty witch, I'm still a little dreamy-eyed when it comes to certain things. Impractically so, even. Naive? Definitely. But also let-down. Why are people so afraid to go after what they want? I shouldn't talk, I suppose, but I'd hope that this information would be shared more freely. Makes me wonder how much of it I've missed.

Labels: globetrotting, newme

That's not totally true. One of them is definitely on a flight and over the Atlantic right now. Lufthansa is not sure where the other bag is.

So let me tell you about my travel hijinx yesterday:

I arrived at the Berlin airport early, as to not miss my flight and in the hope of doing some tourist shopping. Sadly, the only stuff beyond security were a perfume stand and a sad pretzel stand.

My flight to Frankfurt left an hour late, and I only had an hour between connecting flights to JFK. However, the flight attendant assured us that most flights out of Frankfurt were delayed due to thunderstorms, so everyone should be able to make their connecting flights. They even announced a gate change for the JFK flight before we landed, implying that we would make the plane and they knew we were coming. Nevertheless, I ran for the gate when we landed. European airports do this annoying thing where you have to deplane on the runway and then take a shuttle bus to the gate. Think of how much time is wasted doing this for people with connections! Bah! This is what we did.

Inside, I realized I had to go to another terminal, so I ran for about 10 minutes. I had to go through passport control and the security line again, where the guys told me, "JFK? You'd better run!" Really? No shit.

I get to the gate, and everyone has boarded. The ladies go to scan my boarding pass, and it says, "ticket not valid." They spent 5-10 minutes talking in German and searching the computer before they figure out what's happened: I've already been rebooked for a flight a day later. However, since they didn't realize until they tried my boarding pass, they tell me my seat is still open and I can just board. Every time they try to print me a new boarding pass, it prints a ticket for the following day.

Meanwhile, 5-6 other passengers connecting from Berlin make it to the gate (they didn't run as fast as I did), and a flight attendant comes off the plane and tells them snottily that the flight is closed and they cannot board. Thank god I ran so quickly, as I was the only one to be let on! As soon as I stepped on board, the automated voice said, "Boarding complete!"

As you can imagine, my baggage did not make it. After waiting for an hour at the baggage carousel, I had to wait 90 minutes in line outside the Lufthansa baggage office. By the time I got home, I had been up for 22 hours straight.

On the flight, we had to watch a 10-minute video on how to navigate customs in the USA. For some reason, I had never realized what a pain in the ass it is to enter the US, even as a fucking resident! When you go to an EU country, you wait approximately 30 seconds for an agent, get your passport stamped and go on your way. In the US, you must fill out a customs form and wait in line for 30+ minutes. As a VISITOR to the US? You now have to be fingerprinted and photographed. How fucked up is that??? I understand tighter security, but fingerprinting everyone? I can't say that I'd come to the US from abroad for vacation if I had to be so carefully documented. It seems kind of creepy.

Sorry this is so poorly written. I feel like a zombie and just spent an hour going through my mail. I did have brunch at Maggie Brown this morning -- ahhh, American coffee and no weird cheeses.

Labels: cranky, globetrotting, nyc

Damn, the Berlin airport is boring as hell. I had hoped to have a nice lunch and do some shopping, but the only think past security is a sad pretzel stand.

It's rainy and grey in Berlin today. I did some shopping this morning, though not as much as I'd have liked. Most stores don't open until 11 or 12, which meant I walked around sadly gazing into store windows for more than an hour. I then checked out of the hostel, left my bags at the desk, and ran back out in the hopes of getting a few things. I picked up some amazing shoes and a handbag and then ran out of time.

Berlin is definitely one of the most interesting places I have ever visited. I'm not one for history, but so much modern history has happened there! I certainly want to go back again. It's the kind of place I could see myself living in for awhile. And you know I'm a New York snob, so that's saying a lot. You can just feel an energy there.

Now I begin my "Finish Reading Harry Potter Marathon."

Labels: globetrotting

Hello, people. Yes, I did take the EIGHT HOUR WALKING TOUR. And I'm so glad I did, since I saw most of the main stuff all in one crazy day.

Where to begin? First, I am feeling much better. I am still all stuffed up, but now it feels like a normal cold with bad sinus pressure. The cough seems to have almost disappeared (wtf?) but I went to a pharmacy this morning for sinus medication. Of course, no one there spoke decent English, so I tried pantomiming my sinus condition. They sold me a box of medicine that appears to clear sinuses (per the illustration on the box), but it didn't seem to work very well. There goes seven euros.

The tour was a group of about 12 -- some Irish girls, an Australian couple an older American couple, etc. The tour guide was very cute. BUT. His name was Robin and he was American. The sheer thought of yelling out my own name during sex made me so uncomfortable that I avoided eye contact with him all day. He was a great guide and historian and the day practically flew by. He filled us in on a lot of history that I either had forgotten or never learned, like how Hitler actually came to power and what happened when Germany was divided. This sounds stupid, but I didn't realize that all of Berlin was in East Germany, and the entire west part was walled in. I guess I assumed that the dividing line between East and West Germany ran through Berlin. Stupid American.

We saw the location of Hitler's underground bunker, several empty lots where buildings were destroyed in WWII and never rebuilt, crumbling buildings unmaintained during the Commie years and the highlight for me, the Berlin Wall.



The wall fell in 1989. I was 11 years old, and had just begun to become more aware of the world. For some reason, I'm fascinated by Communist times. Probably due to all the anti-Commie propaganda we received growing up! The guide kindly explained the events that led up to the fall of the wall, which occurred ironically the night I went to see NKOTB in concert. Yes, I do remember the date. Do not make fun.

Ahh! I learned so much today! For example, most things were subsidized in East Germany. For example, beer cost East Germans about 80 cents. Soldiers were allowed to cross into East Berlin without a problem, and because West German money was worth so much more, it only cost them about 8 cents per beer. West Berliners could come and go in East Germany (though they were forced to change money and couldn't change it back), but East Germans were not allowed to leave (unless they went to another Commie country and got a Visa first). East Germany was also home to the Stasi, a paranoid secret police that held files on almost everyone, including stolen mail, phone taps, etc. After unification, Germans were allowed to access these files. It often turned out that someone close to them had been an informant to the Stasi. (We read an article on this on Krakow, about a husband and wife who met as underground activists, and she later learned that he was an informer the entire time. By the time she found out, they had been married about 20 years.)

East German crosswalk signs look like this:



It's a depiction of a jolly socialist worker walking happily to work. After unification, the city started changing them over to the standard West Berlin signs, but people rallied to preserve them. Now, they are often installed in West Berlin neighborhoods.

The city is both old and new. On one hand, it astounds me that they were able to rebuild so much so fast, post WWII, or just to imagine the city being decimated. On the other hand, many buildings in East Berlin remain boarded up and falling apart, even though countless cafes and shops have sprouted up everywhere. I can't believe they haven't all been turned into artist lofts and pricey condos.

I also saw the Holocaust Memorial here:



It was abstract, but I liked it. It's actually just a memorial to the Jews, since none of the murdered groups wanted to share a memorial.

There are so many cool shops here that it makes my head spin. Since I was on the tour all day, I've only managed to sneak into a few stores. So far, I bought a cool pillow that depicts an architectural pattern from an East German building torn down. I am going on a shopping blitz tomorrow morning before heading to the airport. Then on to Frankfurt, where I connect to JFK.

Labels: globetrotting

Before I get into the harrowing details of my day, I'l give a brief recap of our last night in Krakow:

Classes ended early, we slacked and packed all afternoon, some people went to town, we got dressed up and had one last dinner at the castle, followed by dancing. The sound system crapped out, but before that we all did a really simple but fun traditional Polish regal dance. I picked Piotr to be my partner, and we were totally the best ones. I got drunk, and then felt even worse re: sinuses, so I went to bed around 1am (I think).




So... on to today. As you know from my earlier post, I missed my fucking flight to Munich-Berlin this morning. Maria and her sister drove me to the airport. I wonder if a cab driver would have gotten me there on time, but whatever. There was a huge traffic jam on the highway. We get to Pope John Paul II Airport (yes, that's what it's called) about ten minutes before my flight. Maria started yelling at the airport staff when they told me boarding was closed (which I figured it would be), so I was mortified. Thankfully, the airline changed me to a flight leaving at 12:50 pm, connecting through Munich and arriving in Berlin at 3:30. However, this meant I had to sit on the floor of PJPII airport for 2+ hours until the check-in for the Munich flight opened, as there are no seats near check-in and the effing airport is so small that you can't check in more than 2 hours before the flight. So, after having tea and cake with Maria, I convinced her I'd be just fine waiting on my own.

Having a head cold and running on less than six hours of sleep, I sat reading Harry Potter. Then I ran into my Gender Prof, Ann! Turns out several people from the program were on my new flight (or leaving around the same time). Ann, bless her soul, actually had two Advil Cold + Sinus tablets in her bag!!! We rushed the check-in line as soon as it opened, and waited for a good 20 minutes while two old people held up the line. I groaned and rolled my eyes, until it was MY turn to check in. And then I held up the line.

You see, my bag was overweight. And not just that -- it was OVER the overweight limit. So the check-in girl made a few slow calls to see how much to charge me, and then just ignored me for awhile, until she told me I could take 4 kg out of my bag and then be charged for the regular overweight rate. Ann to the rescue again, as she had an extra bag for me to use for carry-on stuff.

You'd think it was the first time in history anyone ever had an overweight bag (Ann had one, too). We had to check our bags, bring a receipt across the hall to pay the overweight charge, and then go BACK to check-in for the boarding passes.

After all that, they only had ONE SECURITY LINE OPEN. People, avoid this airport. Please.

Given how the day was going, I was quite sure I would miss my connecting flight to Berlin, which was only 30 minutes after we were due to land in Munich.

However, my luck began to change. The Munich flight was delayed, and I made it to the gate before boarding even started (this even with having to deplane on the runway and take one of those lame shuttle busses to the terminal). The hotel pickup towncar was waiting for me (I had called to reschedule after the morning disaster, and the front desk guy wasn't sure he could rearrange the driver's schedule) and my heavy-ass bag even made it (though it wad the LAST bag off the plane, and I was sure it had been lost somewhere in Munich).

Thanks to Marc for recommending the place I'm staying, Circus. It's actually a hostel -- I know, I know, I rolled my eyes at first, too -- but it's in a great area. I have a private room (which is small but adorable) and it looks like a trendy hotel. The only problem? Even though I booked two months ahead, I couldn't get a room with a private bathroom. Meh!! It's only two nights, so for 50 Euros a night I figured I could rough it. (And, as a note, I'm not even sure what the EUR-USD exchange is -- I think it's kind of similar?)



So. I get to Berlin in one piece and I arrive at the hostel, and the guy at the desk is super helpful. I told him I wanted to go shopping for some "cool, unique Berlin stuff," so he showed me a map, gave me train directions and sent me on my way. I didn't even know what neighborhood I was going to until I looked it up later (Friedrichshain, FYI). Dude, this area was awesome. There was a cool store every time I turned my head, plus restaurants, bars and coffee shops galore. I was a little nervous about taking the subway, as someone told me it was kind of confusing, but I did just fine.

The Berlin subway map looks a lot like the London tube map. But here's the bizarre thing -- the system is kind of run on the honor system! There is no card-swiping to get in!!!! You go downstairs, buy a ticket and insert it into this validator thing that prints the date and time on it. If they do a check and you're caught without you pay a 40 Euro fine. Anyhow, I attribute my time in London and NYC for being able to just hop on and not get nervous or lost. I kind of felt like I just jumped into Berlin life.



There were so many shops that I was a little overwhelmed! I know, hard to believe.

Tomorrow, I have decided to do an 8-hour walking tour of Berlin. I know this sounds insane, but it was highly recommended by the guy at the front desk. An he clearly knows his stuff. Plus, with getting in late today, a full walking tour will allow me to see all the major shit.

I feel like I should go out clubbing or something. But I'm too old, too tired, too sniffly.

Labels: cranky, globetrotting

So I woke up with The Cough and I missed my flight to Berlin because of traffic. I now get to Berlin at 3:30. All I want is some Advil Cold + Sinus and there is none to be found.

Labels: cranky, globetrotting

I had my last class at 9:30 am (that's 3:30 am for most of you). Yay! I'm burned out from reading, and sadly I have two papers to write when I get home.

Anyhow, after more than a week of temperatures in the high 90s, it's down in the 60s today, and cloudy and rainy. Kind of perfect weather for relaxing with Potter and packing. Good thing I brought a huge suitcase, since we received a whole stack of free books from gender class, and I'm wondering where everyone else is going to pack them.

I leave for Berlin tomorrow morning! The city sounds vast and wonderful, so I'm not sure how much I'll be able to do. I think a Communist tour is in order, though.

I'm feeling a little congested today. Meh.

Tonight, we have a farewell party. I am praying it doesn't involve boiled potatoes with dill.

A few random observations and notes from my trip:

• Everyone here seems to wear Tevas
• On one of the first days here, I heard the song, "Winds of Change" playing. It was an Albanian student, playing it on her cell phone. I found this hilarious, as it reminds me of the fall of the Commies, and she's kinda 17 years too late.
• The beds we sleep on here are these weird, sofa-like things with horrible springs
• For breakfast every day, they serve what looks to me to be smoothies. You can drink it, or mix it with cereal in a bowl.
• There don't seem to be any tampons in the stores here
• There are no brownies in all of Poland! WTF? Can someone please make me a batch of box brownies as soon as I land at JFK?
  

Off to get ready for tonight's gala... More from Berlin!

Labels: globetrotting, hee, observe, school daze

I decided to post my Auschwitz photos, as many of my fellow program attendees wanted to access them.

I'm feeling much less cranky tonight, and appreciating the people around me again. I think it's both being on the other side of the Auschwitz trip, and knowing that I can soon order sushi delivery and sleep in my queen bed. Today's meals were dreadful all around -- they ran out of breakfast food, lunch took forever to be served and dinner was barley in cabbage leaves.

My roommate just said, in regards to a speaker tomorrow night, "I'm tired of politics. Especially not mine." Indeed.

A friend who shall remain anonymous sent me this gchat while I was at dinner:

Labels: famous people, globetrotting, nyc, school daze

Where to begin such an awkward post? I survived the day without any awkward bursts of emotion, and am still processing the things I saw.

We began the day at Auschwitz, passing underneath the infamous gate that says, in German, Work Will Make You Free. The sign wasn't as visible as I've seen in photos, since it's so often pictured in the barren winter.

The most surprising thing about Auschwitz was that it kind of looked...pretty. I know this sounds absolutely insane, but Auschwitz I was originally constructed as army barracks, with a lovely row of trees down the main road. It wasn't at all what I was expecting. The old barracks were almost all transformed into museum buildings, each offering a different look at life there. Most moving to me was an entire corridor filled with victims' shoes behind glass, and a piece of fabric made of victims' hair. Only one barrack had been saved in its original interior form - the prison. There we were able to walk down into the basement and see various types of cells. The worst was the standing cell, where four men would have to crawl into a small space and stand in it together all night long.

The gas chambers were all demolished before liberation, in an effort to cover up the crimes. A crematorium still remained, and we were allowed to walk silently through it. I can't think of anything appropriate to describe this, so I will just state it as a fact: I saw the crematorium at Auschwitz with my own eyes. And it looked like several rows of brick pizza ovens. And I can't get over how fucked up that is.

For most of the time, we were bumping up against other large tour groups, including a large group of children. When is it appropriate to introduce this to kids? When should they first see it?

Next, we took the bus to Auschwitz II, known as Birkenau. I don't think many people went to both, but they should have. Birkenau, for me, was much more powerful. In fact, it was just as I'd imagined it: the barracks, the railroad tracks, the barbed wire, the vastness. It's wide open space, where you can roam and reflect, away from the crowds. I was amazed that my 14-year-old mind came up with something so close when I read "Night" so many years ago.

I learned a few things while I was there that made the whole thing even more troubling. Like the fact that the Jews were often made to buy their train tickets to Auschwitz, and, early on when the Jews believed they were being moved to a better place, they actively sought train tickets to get there.

My friend Ana and I were both thinking about ourselves and the statistics, wondering if we would have survived. A large percentage of people who arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau were immediately taken to the gas chambers. Only those who looked as though they were strong enough for heavy labor were chosen to live in the camps. Neither of us think we would have been chosen for work. It makes it impossible to imagine how people did survive. Largely, it was chance.

I wasn't sure if I'd want to take any photos, so I brought my small camera with me. As soon as we arrived, I knew I would. Though I don't think I will post them on Flickr (aside from the one I'm using in this post), at least for now. If you'd like to see them in person, I will gladly show you on my laptop.

I asked our guide how many survivors are still alive. She said that no one knows for sure. It's this vastness and the inability to control any of it that adds to my discomfort. Who is the youngest survivor? And what will it mean when the last survivor leaves this earth?

***

I just read this over, and realized how little justice I can do it with words. I'm sorry I can't come up with anything more poignant than this, at least for now.

Though I will share another story of murder, which we read for class last week. During the war, a small Polish town heard about the Germans' plans for the Jews in the country. Despite never having any seriously bad relations, a group of Poles set out to brutally murder all the Jews in the town. Those who survived the first round were herded into a barn and set on fire. Until recently, the memorial in the town included language suggesting that the Germans were behind the murder there. However, a book detailing the truth came out a few years ago and promoted a national scandal. Poles were comfortable in the role of playing victim, but are now being forced to see that, at times, they were also cruel perpetrators. The mayor of the town, who wanted to do justice to those who were murdered, was harassed so badly by the townspeople that he was forced to emigrate to the United States.

Labels: globetrotting

Well, it took almost two whole

Oh, SHIT. The above was a long post I started when the wifi crashed, and I guess it only saved those first few words. Fuck fuck fuck. That's so annoying.

Anyhow, the post was about how I had a mini-meltdown in town the other day, because I was hot and sweaty and cranky and I ended up staying in town until late in the evening, and I felt like I had no control of my day and was generally bored with the political discussions going on. Plus, a group of younger people have become kind of cliquey and they are always congregating outside my door. Part of me feels left out, but the other part is just generally annoyed with the need for people to join up with a set group.

Maybe I'm homesick, or overtired, or PMSing. Most likely, though, I am just reacting to my impending nervousness of going to Auschwitz. When I am experiencing emotional stress, I tend to become irritable and withdrawn. My roommate is already giving me some flack about it. She's not going, as she's been to other camps before, and is also a Polish Jew. But she's being very vocal about how I "better not come back all upset and overdramatic and looking for comfort from her." Um, what? Trust me, I won't be seeking it in our room. Perhaps that's her own emotional reaction being played out. I just get very uncomfortable when I'm in a group of stressed out people, and they act all loud to compensate for their anxiety. It makes me withdraw more.

It's difficult to communicate cross-culturally in times of high emotion. And today, I am missing New York.

Labels: cranky, globetrotting, school daze

Yesterday I went for a jog in the forest behind the dorm. (I know the thought of me jogging is quite funny. I'm laughing, too.) I realized that I have not felt this relaxed in...years? The air is fresh, there are nature noises, I hear an owl hooting outside my window all day long. I don't have to walk the dog, pay bills, shred credit card applications, rush to the subway, answer the phone, empty the dishwasher. A few people have asked if I'm homesick yet. In some ways, yes. But overall, surprisingly no. Last night, a small group of us had a beer on the terrace of the castle (where we eat our meals, next to the dorm). The weather has cooled down ever so slightly, the lights below us sparkled. We saw a fawn on the walk back.

Every now and then, the discussion about what the castle once was surfaces, which brings me to the next topic. The castle was used during WWII by the general who came up with the idea of Auschwitz. Today, I am giving a presentation in memory class about contemporary German attitudes towards their past. Last night, I spoke at length about it with Helena, trying to describe how much more difficult it is to think about the Holocaust here, and not "there (the US)." I told her how the anticipation of going to the camp was rehashing the things I felt just after 9-11. It was one of those times when my emotions get away from me, and my mouth moves faster than my mind, and things are just bubbling out. I've been thinking of the idea od memorials, and how important it is to convey different emotions in them (not all emotions in all memorials, but a need to present both specific pain as well as moving past it towards the future). Helena responded with something quite profound. She said, "Of course it is more difficult to think about it here. Now you will be a witness." Being in the place where it happened adds an extra dimension (or many) to history. Some of the people going to Auschwitz fear that they won't feel moved enough when they see it. It's so much like grieving and anticipating "anniversaries." The biggest anxiety is not knowing exactly what our emotions will do when we get there.

Labels: globetrotting, school daze

Yesterday was our only free day. Next Sunday, we go to Auschwitz, though those who have already been might stay behind for a second free day. I went into town with Corey and Katie (undergrad Americans) and Lukasz, a Pole. We started off by going to Mass at St. Mary's. I know, I know -- weird, right? Well, we were all raised Catholic and we felt it would be an appropriate thing to do. The church was insanely ornate inside, but no photos were allowed. You'll have to take my word for it. It's funny how some things never change -- I immediately zoned out and started having impure thoughts, just like what I used to do at Mass said in English.



I did tear up a little at Mass, because I spotted a painting of Saint Faustina, a Polish nun who was recently canonized. I cried because my mother prayed to her for a miracle when she was sick, and she didn't get one. I've been thinking a lot about my mom this last week, how she'd be so excited to hear about everything in detail, but also how she might feel a little betrayed, deep-down, that I ended up visiting the land of the Evil Aunts. There are also a lot of butterflies near the place we're staying. I think of her whenever I see one, remembering how we visited the Butterfly Conservatory together in Canada before I moved to NYC. I like to think that when I see one now, it's a sign that she's around me. My mental logic always fights me on this, and how to reconcile the mystical with common sense. Anyway, while I was sitting here in the dorm hallway, one single butterfly flew in from the outside and danced around me for a minute or so, before flying back out. (Sidenote- it's now 95 degrees and there is no AC here)

There are nuns EVERYWHERE here. It's kind of intimidating. Katie and I started a game called Nunhunt, where we are always on the hunt for them in a quest to snap a good photo of a whole flock of them. And they're the serious kinds of nuns -- the ones who wear the full habit. Priests, too. There's a major billboard ad for a car here featuring a group of people all holding a key to the car, and there is a priest in the ad, front and center. There's not much diversity here, ethnically or religiously. Everyone in Krakow is Caucasian. And I mean EVERYONE. There are no Asians or Blacks, and no Asian or Black tourists, either. And certainly no Muslims. Plus, the antisemitism is insane. The main hall sells small male Jewish figurines, all with big noses and holding money. It's pretty unreal.

Everyone here is Pope crazy. As John Paul II was the one and only Polish Pope, there are pictures and memorials to him everywhere. He was treated like a major celebrity. I can't imagine being the Pope, and what it must feel like to be treated as though God speaks through you, and you can do no wrong (I believe that existed at some point in the Church -- the notion that God would never let a man become Pope if whatever he did wouldn't be God's will).

After Mass, Lukasz took us to a Polish chain restaurant that served the "farmer's food" of old Poland. As a starter, every table receives a plate of break with two spreads -- one is a chive spread and the other is literally lard.



Of course I had both. The lard tasted like I had dipped my bread into the bacon grease of a frying pan.

After walking around all day yesterday, we ended up at a pizza place in Kazimierz. It was such a nice break from all the meat, potatoes and dill. Though strangely enough, the pizzas came without sauce. We had to pour our own sauce on! Lukasz acted as though this is how it's done in Poland.

I'm finding that I am tending to write and speak more like an ESL person after being around them (and I'm sure they're picking up vocabulary from us -- for example, Helena always giggles when I say, "I know!"). I haven't been using contractions, and have been talking more slowly and simply. So, instead of saying:

"Yeah, where I grew up? We didn't do any of that stuff."

I'd probably say:

"In the place where I grew up, we did not do those things."

Funny how quickly dialog can change.

I'm also feeling incredibly naive about a lot of global issues. For example, I feel completely unprepared to go to Auschwitz. I only took world history once, when I was 15 years old. I feel I just don't have a grasp of how the Holocaust actually happened, why it was allowed. Then again, maybe that's a global question.

Labels: globetrotting, mom, observe, school daze

Yes, I know I'm way behind. This is the reason: when I went out the night of my birthday, I didn't do any reading. Thus, I have been behind for the last few days and literally have not had a free minute to sit down and write all of this. So, here we go:

29th Birthday
I turned 29 on Wednesday. It was kind of a strange day. I woke up feeling cranky and unpleasant. I honestly thought I could just "ignore" my birthday for once and just not make a big deal out of it, but I couldn't. I need to be the Birthday Princess, and I wasn't OK with not feeling special. I had told a few people about my birthday, but I didn't want to go around acting like I was bragging. It's a strange dynamic, as one usually spends birthdays with people he or she knows well. Anyhow, a few people remembered at breakfast. Then at lunch, a slice of cake with a candle came to my table and everyone sang! (both in English and Polish) I'm still not sure who ordered the cake, but no matter. I think people thought I was embarrassed, but secretly I was thrilled. My mood improved immediately.

That night, a big group of people went into the city with me for drinks. We went to two bars: Singer (named for all of the old-fashioned sewing tables at the bar) and then Alchemia.



Both were very cool and dimly lit. I consumed many drinks (wine, cherry vodka [which tasted like Robitussin] and beer) and then chowed down on the Polish version of a slice: zapiekanka. Zapiekanka is a piece of french bread, topped with cheese, mushrooms, chives and ketchup. It sounds mildly gross, but it's actually great, and the perfect post-bar food.



We went out at 8, and I was in bed by 2. Not bad for someone so ancient. Though I must say, 29 sounds pretty fucking old. And it kind of feels old, too. There are definitely cute guys here, but I feel like I'm too old for them.

Koscuiszko Mound
There is both a bridge and a street in Brooklyn named after Tadeusz Kosciuszko, and on the 11th, we took a class field trip with Memory class to Kosciuszko Mound. This strange hill was constructed in the form of a few remaining ancient Polish memorial hills. Kosciuszko was a Polish revolutionary hero, as well as an important figure in the American Revolution. We didn't have enough time to climb the mound, but I found it breathtaking. There was something very modern about it, evoking a lot of emotion even if you don't know exactly what it is. It was a nice break from all the fancy old-time ornate stuff.



Weather
I think it's rained every single day but today since I arrived. It's been cold and damp (highs in the LOW 60s!!). Today, it suddenly became HOT, and it will be in the 90s for the next few days. This is fine in theory, but Europeans are not generally big users of air conditioning.

Classes
The reading for Public Memory has been long and intense. So far, it's been heavily theory-oriented, to my dismay. "What is a nation?" Blah, blah, blah. Apparently we will start discussing practical issues on Monday. We will be reading a lot on the Holocaust, which leads up to our visit to Auschwitz next Sunday. I think I have a presentation to give on Wednesday.

Gender class has been supremely fun. Most of the reading is easy, fun and intriguing and I'm thinking about feminism in many new ways. Here are a few random facts I've learned:

• In many European countries, the government provides free (decent) daycare to everyone
• In Europe, university education is generally free
• Scandinavian countries give an insane amount of paid leave to BOTH parents

It's gotten me thinking a lot about the social implications of having children. Should both parents work part-time in order to raise the child and keep up the home equally? Or is it the state's responsibility to raise the country's children?

Vocabulary
Here are some new words I've leaned, spelled phonetically:

1. PDRO-scheh (please)
2. PDRO-she (piglet -- note the similarity to "please")
3. PEE-vo (beer)
4. VOE-dah (water)
5. tahk (yes)
6. nyeh (no)
7. VEE-no (wine)
   

Labels: globetrotting, observe, school daze

I had my first classes today. The schedule is nice, because every day is different. Today, I had both morning sessions, and tomorrow I have the later morning session and the later afternoon session. This kinda works out, as my roommate is in my late class and she will largely be orchestrating my birthday night out.

So, in gender class, we went around the room and talked about when we were first aware of issues/concepts of gender. I went first, and it's funny since I was just telling someone this story. In first grade, I went to a boy's birthday party. As a gift, I picked out a He-Man for him. It was the one with the chest that switched to different panels showing his armor being bent in, and then would flip back. Secretly, I wanted this toy. I even remember passively mentioning it as we were buying it for Jonathan. "Boy, I really like this toy." But I felt like it was wrong for me to want it. I'm sure my mom would have bought it for me. She bought me a whole set of toy dumptrucks when I was very little because I wanted them. I'm not sure what I was afraid of, but I knew wanting the He-Man made me feel horribly guilty and asking for it would feel even worse! I can recall another instance, from 7th grade, when our asshole gym teacher split us up into two groups: boys and girls. He told us we would each be working on an activity that would be useful to us. He spent the next several weeks in class working with the boys on wrestling, while we were left to our own devices to choreograph a dance.

So, only three more people had a story from childhood. No joke, the rest of the students said they first encountered gender issues while taking a gender class in college! OR, in the workplace, and only because they were working at a government agency! Seriously?! I don't consider myself a hard-core feminist reactionary or anything, but almost none of these other people gave it any thought until recently?!

One of my quests on the trip has been to talk about Communism to everyone who lives in a formerly Commie country. I'm so insanely curious about it, being that we were subjected to USA propaganda in grammar school. So far, I've learned that Communism did have some good things. For example, milk was delivered to each and every doorstep, for free, ever morning. Though, it often got stolen by milk thieves. Also, there were beautiful cartoons aired in Commie times, with vivid colors and great animation. (Link to come when I find one on YouTube).

Maria's sister picked me up today, and didn't speak a word of English. OK, she spoke a few words, but she kept trying to talk to me in German. We spent a good 40 minutes in the car playing pantomime and laughing. I was surprisingly calm, considering I was being driven god-knows-where by a woman who spoke no English.

Maria's apartment was very small -- definitely NYC standards. Maria had prepared an enormous meal for me:

Of course, there was no way in hell I'd be able to finish this, and then she kept asking if I didn't like it. "You don like eet?" she kept asking. She did make miseria (the bowl on the right -- I just learned its proper Polish name), which is one of my favorite traditional dishes. It's cucumbers in sour creme (and other stuff? salt and pepper?). She also gave me a huge piece of cake, a cup of coffee and a loaf of sweet bread to take with me. Needless to say, someone (moi) came down with a case of the poo cramps.

After we began eating, another sister came by. She literally spoke NO English. So from then on, it was mostly them talking VERY loudly in Polish over one another, with Maria occasionally translating. I asked her to ask the sister who picked me up (and drove me back) to take me to get some bottled water and a newspaper for Helena. Success.

I'm in the lobby of the dorm now, looking for some social activity. No such luck. But speaking of being social, I'm really glad I came on the trip by myself (as opposed to with a close friend from school). I would, of course, have loved to have someone I already really knew here, but being alone has made it way easier to socialize. There are a few small groups of people here who very obviously know one another from their respective graduate programs. They tend to stick to themselves, and don't make as much of an effort to talk to random people. Whereas I had lunch today at a table FULL of Polish students! Point is, it's cool to be thrown into a situation where a lot of other people are in the same boat (and are not douchebags, which reminds me, I taught Helena that term tonight. You should hear her say it in a Polish accent!).

Labels: childhood, globetrotting, observe, school daze

It's been a long, slow-ish day, but a good one. My roommate, Helena (from Warsaw) are getting along fabulously and over wine after dinner realized we both read many of the same blogs (TMZ, Sartorialist, Go Fug Yourself). Dinner was pretty tasty - lots of meats, more pierogies and real horseradish. They did run out of wine, but one of my new male friends had a talk with the waitress, who brought our group of four four more glasses. People are friendly, and I spoke with a lot of my classmates. You never know what the vibe will be when you're thrown into a group of strangers. Either the chemistry is there or it's not, and you never know ahead of time how the conversation will be. Thankfully, it was great. I've already recruited several people to come out drinking for my birthday, and agreed to teach them a few basic tap steps after I've had a few beers.

I have a LOT of reading to get done each night, but it seems fairly interesting. I first read about the role of Polish women in the fall of Communism (and their unwillingness to take credit) and am working through a piece on how personal memory works with the memories of others around you.

Tomorrow should be interesting. Aunt Jane's old friend from her days at the factory lives in Krakow, and wants to have me over for dinner. I don't know how old this woman is, but she sure is pushy! I called her this morning, and she demanded we get together tomorrow. Then she called me room later, and informed me that her sister would be picking me up at 10am. Too bad I'll be in class then! I told her to send her sister at 3 instead. It might end up being fun, but either way, I'm glad I'll be getting it over with sooner than later.

Labels: globetrotting, school daze, social

I tried to get up early today, but I just couldn't. 9:30 was as early as I could muster. I lunched at Milk & Co as pla