Minneapolis: A City of the Arts
In addition to checking out local live music, another traveling past time of mine (and one that is quickly becoming one of my favorites) is visiting art galleries. Prior to my arrival in Minneapolis I did some research and located several free galleries worth visiting. Fortunately, my friend Zach also enjoys taking in art exhibits and accompanied me on all the gallery visits. The first one we attended was the Thomas Barry Fine Arts Center, a small basement gallery located in the heart of the Old Warehouse District of Minneapolis. The artist featured during our visit was a local, David Lefkowitz, and had roughly twenty seven works on display in an exhibit entitled at or below see level, which features a unique play on words that will be further explained shortly.
The first thing visible upon entering the gallery was a chest-high wall with four paintings fixed on it at the very bottom near the floor. These four paintings were a major part of the at or below see level concept and consisted of skyscapes that were named for four cities or locations whose elevation is “at sea level or below.” The concept, which was described in greater detail by one of the hosts working at the gallery, is that these four locations (Venice, Italy; Seychelles; Maldives; Netherlands) will be submerged under water if current rising sea level trends continue. To further add to this effect, Lefkowitz cut the bottom half of these picture frames off and placed the pictures flush with the floor to give the idea that the cities have already disappeared. I found this concept interesting and effective, and
Also included in the at or below see level concept was an installation piece covering a five feet by ten feet section of wall. The installation’s medium was sticks/twigs and hot glue, the latter of which was used to attach the former to the wall in such a fashion that it created the image of waves coming in from out at sea. This piece was one of the highlights of Lefkowitz’s exhibit and, at least according to the hostess working, took him nearly two weeks to install in the gallery. When one looked closely at this work and each individual twig affixed to the wall, it was easy to see the painstaking detail the undertaking involved. Nonetheless, an interesting and enjoyable exhibit.
Located one floor above the Thomas Barry Fine Arts Center was Indigo, a Fair Trade African/Asian Folk Art store. Since we were already at this building and had no other pressing plans, Zach and I decided to check it out. After spending a few minutes in the store and visiting with the woman working there, I found out the store belonged to she and her husband. Her name was Mary and in the brief conversation we shared I was able to see quite easily how passionate she is about Folk Art. As I listened to her help other customers I heard her describe interesting facts and details about the wares in the store, and saw her pour out a part of her that seems very dear to her. Although neither of us purchased anything at the store (due partly because of the high prices and my desire to avoid accumulating possessions), it was definitely worth the visit.
One of Minneapolis’s greatest collections of art can be found at the Walker Art Center, which offers free admission every Thursday from 5:00 - 9:00. To help save a few bucks (admission is normally $10) Zach and I hit up the Walker Center along with another good friend, Kate, who happened to be in the Twin Cities area. Although we only had about 50 minutes at the Walker Center and could have easily spent an entire day here, we were able to take in a fair amount of the different exhibits currently being featured. First there was 1964, an exhibit dedicated to art from the 1960s and featuring Andy Warhol inspired Pop Art, art deco, and other works from this era. This collection featured items from a wide variety of mediums including plaster of Paris sculptures, paintings, metal sculptures, and what I thought was perhaps the most unique: a work made of sewn cloth and stuffed with cotton to represent a pouch of shoestring potatoes spilling out. This piece was roughly six feet high from top to bottom and was suspended from the ceiling using wire. I have never seen a piece quite like it and imagine it will stick with me for some time.
The Walker Center also had an exhibit dedicated to art that is focused on the recent promulgation of social media and the way it allows people to broadcast oneself. Highlights of this included a work completed by a New York artist (I can’t remember her name) that chronicled her last months of life as she battled with cancer. The work consisted of sixteen television screens/monitors simultaneously showing different videos of her shot by her husband. The videos ranged from her lying naked in a bathtub to putting makeup on in front of the mirror to her talking/laughing/crying almost concomitantly. In all this work seemed to capture the full gamut of human emotions and provided a very honest representation of the cancer process. Another highlight was a work completed by a Japanese artist (again I can not remember the name) who pushed the limitations of art and saw himself almost as a a performance artist, though not in the traditional sense at all. The work of his on display was a sign he made of himself that was more or less a wanted poster and included all of his identifying information (including a photo, fingerprints, height, weight, DOB) as well as the offense he committed (illegally immigrating to the US) and who to contact/report him to (the NY Port Authority, I think?). Other projects this man completed include spending an entire year in NYC without entering a building and spending a year locked in a cage in his studio without speaking, writing, reading, or talking. Definitely a different path to take in life, but interesting nonetheless. This exhibit had much more to offer, but I can not summarize it in its entirety.
One final highlight from the Walker Center was an installation dedicated to Jimi Hendrix. This took up an an entire room and had six large hammocks attached to opposite sides of the room. The walls had alternating projections of 60s inspired psychedelic Hendrix photos that were complemented by the final touch: Hendrix music blaring from speakers around the room. The artist’s intent was for the viewer/audience to lay in the hammocks and bask in the sounds and sights of Jimi Hendrix and the 60s. Very cool to say the least.
The final art gallery I visited in the Twin Cities was Jean Stephen Art Galleries, a small gallery located near Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis. This gallery featured a number of local Twin Cities artists and had an exclusive collection of work by Theodore Geisel, more commonly known as Dr. Seuss. The collection of Dr. Seuss art was easily the highlight of this place and was a real treat to see. Zach and I spoke with the woman working at the gallery about his work, and she explained that he had not actually intended for any of his work to be sold or, for that matter, even viewed! He did not think any of his art was good enough for these purposes, but after viewing half a room of his work I disagree with him (I think he would lose this argument with most people). His paintings are definitely reminiscent of Dr. Seuss’s books, but tend to explore deeper subjects and are sometimes even more far out than the artwork in his books. The other highlight from the Jean Stephen Galleries was the work featured by Randy Cooper, which were called shadow sculptures. His ‘sculptures’ are made with iron wire mesh and are almost solely of the human form, primarily the female form. The process to create his sculptures is very time consuming and tedious, but results in beautiful and interesting works. The really fun part about his sculptures is seeing the different shadows created when his sculptures are moved near light sources. It is hard to describe, but the shadows cast by the sculptures are in some was more lifelike and real than the sculptures themselves. The best thing to do would be to go see these for yourself. :-)
This concludes my venture into the world of art in Minneapolis. Be sure to check out the album titled Minneapolis in my pictures. You can access them by clicking the scrolling pictures at the top of the blog page. I hope you enjoy!
29 June 2010
28 June 2010
The Kindness of Strangers
The Kindness of Strangers
Anyone familiar with current events and news programs know how much these are centered around catastrophes, murders, rapes, bombings, scandal, and other depressing, terrible things. In a typical thirty minute nightly news report (which is actually only about twenty-three minutes of news), it seems that only the last few minutes are ever reserved for positive stories and tales of people helping one another. Despite the lack of more uplifting stories in the news, I believe there is still plenty of goodness to be found in the world and had the opportunity to bear witness to some in my travels recently. I would like to share some of these examples to help spread some of the good that is in the world.
The first example occurred around 7:00 am on Saturday as I was attempting to navigate the bus system of the Twin Cities area. I thought I had been very responsible the previous night by writing down the steps/directions to get me from my friend’s where I was staying in Minneapolis to the AmTrak Station located in St. Paul. The Metro Transit website said the trip would take me somewhere between thirty-one and thirty-seven minutes total, so I got up plenty early to ensure I would not be late. Packing and getting ready took more time than I had planned, however, and resulted in me missing the bus I was hoping to catch. I was just about to give up on the bus and take a cab when the next bus stopped and I hopped on. I immediately asked the driver about the transfer I needed to make and he assured me [his] bus would make that transfer in downtown. I was about to sit back down and ride all the way to downtown when a young lady from across the aisle asked “Are you trying to get to the 16 Bus to go to St. Paul?” I told her this was correct and explained I was heading to the AmTrak Station. She then told me I should get off at the next stop and cross over to the other side of the street to catch the 16 Bus over there in a few minutes. Although the driver had told me different, I trusted her and had her explain once more what to do to get there. In the end I took her advice and saved myself quite a bit of time by avoiding a trip all the way to Downtown Minneapolis to change buses.
My intention in sharing the previous story is not to play it up to be something bigger than it is, but simply to show that kindness exists and can be found even in unlikely situations. This young woman did not have to ask me where I was going or tell me how to save myself time, but she did anyway, just because it is the right thing to do.
The second example happened while waiting for my next train in Chicago’s Union Station. For those of you unfamiliar with this station, it is a constant bustle of activity and full of people at all hours of the day. It is also not generally the kind of place a person feels comfortable leaving luggage lying around unattended. While waiting for this train (which, by the way, was over two hours late), however, I needed to use the restroom and did not feel like lugging both of my bags with me on this short excursion. So I asked the gentleman standing in the line across from me if he could watch over my belongings while I stepped away for a moment. He assured me my things were fine and off I went feeling comfortable and trusting the man now watching my things. When I returned my things were fine and he then asked if I would watch his things while he stepped away for a moment. In the end this man and I were able to help one another in a classic “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” kind of meeting. Just as with the first story I do not mean to play this up to be more profound than the simple exchange it was, but share it as proof that people can be trusted, even in Union Station.
The last example is an opportunity that I had to help someone after boarding the train in Chicago last night. I was one of the first people on the train car I boarded and as a result I was able to pick where I wanted to sit easily. Near the end of the boarding time an older African-American couple sat down in the row of seats I was in: the man right next to me and the woman across the aisle from him. After they sat down I overheard them talking and ascertained that they were not having the best night. They were both tired from standing/waiting for two plus hours and were somewhat frustrated they were not able to sit next to one another. Without hardly thinking about it at all, I asked the woman if she would want to switch seats with me so she and her husband could sit next to one another. She immediately thanked me and we switched seats. Later that evening I was happy to see the two of them leaning against one another as they slept, definitely a feel good moment. :-)
Just as the first two examples of kindness directed towards me, this was not a grand gesture but a small act of kindness that I believe was influenced by the two kind deeds imparted upon me. I believe this narrative is evidence of the idea of ‘paying it forward.’ In a nutshell the idea is that acts of kindness (random or planned) start chain reactions of more acts of kindness which lead to more kind deeds.........and so on. Regardless of this, I felt like sharing some positive news from my life travels. As I conclude this I am just crossing the West Virginia-Virginia border between White Sulphur Springs, WV and Clifton Forge, VA. Gorgeous scenery of the Allegheny & Blue Ridge Mountains: rolling hills covered with lush forest growth, rocky outcroppings on hillsides, sleepy mountain towns, and the winding New River.
Anyone familiar with current events and news programs know how much these are centered around catastrophes, murders, rapes, bombings, scandal, and other depressing, terrible things. In a typical thirty minute nightly news report (which is actually only about twenty-three minutes of news), it seems that only the last few minutes are ever reserved for positive stories and tales of people helping one another. Despite the lack of more uplifting stories in the news, I believe there is still plenty of goodness to be found in the world and had the opportunity to bear witness to some in my travels recently. I would like to share some of these examples to help spread some of the good that is in the world.
The first example occurred around 7:00 am on Saturday as I was attempting to navigate the bus system of the Twin Cities area. I thought I had been very responsible the previous night by writing down the steps/directions to get me from my friend’s where I was staying in Minneapolis to the AmTrak Station located in St. Paul. The Metro Transit website said the trip would take me somewhere between thirty-one and thirty-seven minutes total, so I got up plenty early to ensure I would not be late. Packing and getting ready took more time than I had planned, however, and resulted in me missing the bus I was hoping to catch. I was just about to give up on the bus and take a cab when the next bus stopped and I hopped on. I immediately asked the driver about the transfer I needed to make and he assured me [his] bus would make that transfer in downtown. I was about to sit back down and ride all the way to downtown when a young lady from across the aisle asked “Are you trying to get to the 16 Bus to go to St. Paul?” I told her this was correct and explained I was heading to the AmTrak Station. She then told me I should get off at the next stop and cross over to the other side of the street to catch the 16 Bus over there in a few minutes. Although the driver had told me different, I trusted her and had her explain once more what to do to get there. In the end I took her advice and saved myself quite a bit of time by avoiding a trip all the way to Downtown Minneapolis to change buses.
My intention in sharing the previous story is not to play it up to be something bigger than it is, but simply to show that kindness exists and can be found even in unlikely situations. This young woman did not have to ask me where I was going or tell me how to save myself time, but she did anyway, just because it is the right thing to do.
The second example happened while waiting for my next train in Chicago’s Union Station. For those of you unfamiliar with this station, it is a constant bustle of activity and full of people at all hours of the day. It is also not generally the kind of place a person feels comfortable leaving luggage lying around unattended. While waiting for this train (which, by the way, was over two hours late), however, I needed to use the restroom and did not feel like lugging both of my bags with me on this short excursion. So I asked the gentleman standing in the line across from me if he could watch over my belongings while I stepped away for a moment. He assured me my things were fine and off I went feeling comfortable and trusting the man now watching my things. When I returned my things were fine and he then asked if I would watch his things while he stepped away for a moment. In the end this man and I were able to help one another in a classic “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” kind of meeting. Just as with the first story I do not mean to play this up to be more profound than the simple exchange it was, but share it as proof that people can be trusted, even in Union Station.
The last example is an opportunity that I had to help someone after boarding the train in Chicago last night. I was one of the first people on the train car I boarded and as a result I was able to pick where I wanted to sit easily. Near the end of the boarding time an older African-American couple sat down in the row of seats I was in: the man right next to me and the woman across the aisle from him. After they sat down I overheard them talking and ascertained that they were not having the best night. They were both tired from standing/waiting for two plus hours and were somewhat frustrated they were not able to sit next to one another. Without hardly thinking about it at all, I asked the woman if she would want to switch seats with me so she and her husband could sit next to one another. She immediately thanked me and we switched seats. Later that evening I was happy to see the two of them leaning against one another as they slept, definitely a feel good moment. :-)
Just as the first two examples of kindness directed towards me, this was not a grand gesture but a small act of kindness that I believe was influenced by the two kind deeds imparted upon me. I believe this narrative is evidence of the idea of ‘paying it forward.’ In a nutshell the idea is that acts of kindness (random or planned) start chain reactions of more acts of kindness which lead to more kind deeds.........and so on. Regardless of this, I felt like sharing some positive news from my life travels. As I conclude this I am just crossing the West Virginia-Virginia border between White Sulphur Springs, WV and Clifton Forge, VA. Gorgeous scenery of the Allegheny & Blue Ridge Mountains: rolling hills covered with lush forest growth, rocky outcroppings on hillsides, sleepy mountain towns, and the winding New River.
24 June 2010
Advice from Mohammed
Cab rides are always an adventure. Regardless of the hour of the day or how far one is traveling, they offer an excellent opportunity to meet interesting people and take a peek at their world. Today after checking out downtown Minneapolis and taking in a great art exhibit and fair trade world craft store, my friend Zach and I grabbed a cab to go home.
As I usually do when riding a cab, I struck up a conversation with the driver to get a feel for his life/story. I first asked how long he had been driving cab and whether he liked it or not. He said he had been driving for "a long time, many years" and that "I don't like it anymore. I've been too many places." After chatting a bit more I introduced myself and found out his name is Mohammed and that he is from Mombasa, Kenya. I explained to him my plans to climb Kilimanjaro and that it will most likely involve flying into Kenya. Mohammed immediately encouraged me to fly into Mombasa and explained how close it is to Kilimanjaro, "only forty minutes, very close." I then told him about my plans to move to Yemen, something that surprised him quite a bit. Mohammed told me to be very careful and safe in Yemen because "there are many terrorists there, that is where Osama bin Laden is from." He then suggested I tell people I am from Honduras, El Salvador, Venezuela, Brazil, or some different 'American' country. I told Mohammed I appreciated his help and that he was going to see that I make it through my two years in Yemen alive. :-)
After Mohammed's advice, I asked a question I like to ask cab drivers frequently: "What is the weirdest or strangest fare you have ever had as a cab driver?" He first said "I have driven too many people" but then began to tell a story about a fare he drove all the way to Kansas City. "They were going to be late for a wedding, they missed their Greyhound." He then told me the details of the remainder of this trip including the total amount he made, $1100 (cash, nonetheless). In general this seems to be a good memory for Mohammed, as he spoke very kindly of the customers and mentioned that "we stopped to eat and rest, they were very nice." By the time Mohammed finished this story we were back at the place and parted ways. We thanked him for the service, he thanked us for the business, and then we parted ways. What an enjoyable encounter.
More will be coming soon, so be sure to come back. Next up: Art Galleries in the Twin Cities!!
As I usually do when riding a cab, I struck up a conversation with the driver to get a feel for his life/story. I first asked how long he had been driving cab and whether he liked it or not. He said he had been driving for "a long time, many years" and that "I don't like it anymore. I've been too many places." After chatting a bit more I introduced myself and found out his name is Mohammed and that he is from Mombasa, Kenya. I explained to him my plans to climb Kilimanjaro and that it will most likely involve flying into Kenya. Mohammed immediately encouraged me to fly into Mombasa and explained how close it is to Kilimanjaro, "only forty minutes, very close." I then told him about my plans to move to Yemen, something that surprised him quite a bit. Mohammed told me to be very careful and safe in Yemen because "there are many terrorists there, that is where Osama bin Laden is from." He then suggested I tell people I am from Honduras, El Salvador, Venezuela, Brazil, or some different 'American' country. I told Mohammed I appreciated his help and that he was going to see that I make it through my two years in Yemen alive. :-)
After Mohammed's advice, I asked a question I like to ask cab drivers frequently: "What is the weirdest or strangest fare you have ever had as a cab driver?" He first said "I have driven too many people" but then began to tell a story about a fare he drove all the way to Kansas City. "They were going to be late for a wedding, they missed their Greyhound." He then told me the details of the remainder of this trip including the total amount he made, $1100 (cash, nonetheless). In general this seems to be a good memory for Mohammed, as he spoke very kindly of the customers and mentioned that "we stopped to eat and rest, they were very nice." By the time Mohammed finished this story we were back at the place and parted ways. We thanked him for the service, he thanked us for the business, and then we parted ways. What an enjoyable encounter.
More will be coming soon, so be sure to come back. Next up: Art Galleries in the Twin Cities!!
Local Live Music Flair in Minneapolis
In keeping with my practice of meeting new people and soaking in life, last night my friend Zach and I went to a music club, The Kitty Kat, in Dinkytown (a section of Minneapolis at the heart of the Univ. of Minn. campus) and saw three great local music groups. This particular club has a great atmosphere and can allow people to both enjoy live music and good conversation at the same time. The music is not overwhelmingly loud and the atmosphere is extremely low key and chill. The seating in much of the place is on couches or other soft chairs and is in multicolored light emitted from low hanging ceiling lamps. In case anyone reading this is a fan of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks, you might imagine the ‘Red Room’ from Agent Dale Cooper’s dream except with lower, warmer lighting and without the ‘The Man From Another Place’ and with more Laura Palmers. :-)
The first act, a guy named Adam, reminded me a lot of Jeff Buckley and consisted of just he and an electric guitar. After his set I introduced myself to Adam and told him he reminded me of Jeff Buckley, which he apparently gets a lot, but still has not listened to him. When we met up later during the last act’s set I learned that Adam’s main pursuit in life right now is finishing his Doctoral Degree in Audiology at the U of M right across the street. In fact, as he explained to me, the lab where he is completing most of his research is just down the street from the Kitty Kat. He also told me that his goal after finishing this degree is to teach Communication Disorders at Western Washington in Bellingham, WA. This is an interesting coincidence, because I have a friend who just graduated from Western Washington and who I visited on spring break a few years ago. I shared with Adam my goals and aspirations for the next two decades of my life and told him how refreshing it was to meet someone with such a definite goal in mind for his life. This was something he and I could relate with, as I also have a fairly set idea of what I would like to do with my life: international teaching. Another similarity we shared is being South Dakota natives.
The second act was a quartet that I enjoyed but can not remember anything particular about except that they reminded me of a family bluegrass/hillbilly band (not their sound, just their look). We actually did not see much of this group, mainly because I had not eaten much during the day and as a result left the club to go get some food, which was a fun excursion in itself! When Zach and I got back to the club the hillbillies were just finishing up and the next group, The Sunny Era, started to set up their gear. During this time we stepped outside on the patio to enjoy a beautiful summer evening, but as soon as the band started to play I immediately knew this was going to be a dancing affair. So I spent the better part of the rest of our time out dancing to the sweet and lovely sounds of The Sunny Era, a trio that includes a husband/wife. After the show I introduced myself to the couple, Eric and Laila, and told them how much I enjoyed their show. I also explained to them that I had taken some video of their set and wanted their permission to post it on my blog in addition to name checking them. Not only did they say yes, but Laila told Eric to take me over to their merchandise table and he then gave me a copy of their album for free, though I insisted on giving him five dollars. It was such a great surprise to see such a unique and talented group on a Wednesday night in a small club in the middle of Minneapolis. Their music is the kind that just sort of hangs in the air and floats but at the same time has a definite direction in which it is going. This is partly because of the steady hand of their drummer, Rob, who kept things interesting regarding tempo. Laila regularly switched instruments and excelled at each she played: her violin playing is reminiscent of Jean Luc-Ponty (at least to me); she can ‘shred’ on the clarinet and make it sing (she has some definite influence from klezmer music too, something I was told); and she (Eric plays it too) makes the accordion look and sound hip. Overall a great group as well as nice, generous people.
So after a few hours of great homegrown music, we ventured home and enjoyed a nice walk on a beautiful summer evening. What a perfect finish to the first day of what will be an awesome trip.
The first act, a guy named Adam, reminded me a lot of Jeff Buckley and consisted of just he and an electric guitar. After his set I introduced myself to Adam and told him he reminded me of Jeff Buckley, which he apparently gets a lot, but still has not listened to him. When we met up later during the last act’s set I learned that Adam’s main pursuit in life right now is finishing his Doctoral Degree in Audiology at the U of M right across the street. In fact, as he explained to me, the lab where he is completing most of his research is just down the street from the Kitty Kat. He also told me that his goal after finishing this degree is to teach Communication Disorders at Western Washington in Bellingham, WA. This is an interesting coincidence, because I have a friend who just graduated from Western Washington and who I visited on spring break a few years ago. I shared with Adam my goals and aspirations for the next two decades of my life and told him how refreshing it was to meet someone with such a definite goal in mind for his life. This was something he and I could relate with, as I also have a fairly set idea of what I would like to do with my life: international teaching. Another similarity we shared is being South Dakota natives.
The second act was a quartet that I enjoyed but can not remember anything particular about except that they reminded me of a family bluegrass/hillbilly band (not their sound, just their look). We actually did not see much of this group, mainly because I had not eaten much during the day and as a result left the club to go get some food, which was a fun excursion in itself! When Zach and I got back to the club the hillbillies were just finishing up and the next group, The Sunny Era, started to set up their gear. During this time we stepped outside on the patio to enjoy a beautiful summer evening, but as soon as the band started to play I immediately knew this was going to be a dancing affair. So I spent the better part of the rest of our time out dancing to the sweet and lovely sounds of The Sunny Era, a trio that includes a husband/wife. After the show I introduced myself to the couple, Eric and Laila, and told them how much I enjoyed their show. I also explained to them that I had taken some video of their set and wanted their permission to post it on my blog in addition to name checking them. Not only did they say yes, but Laila told Eric to take me over to their merchandise table and he then gave me a copy of their album for free, though I insisted on giving him five dollars. It was such a great surprise to see such a unique and talented group on a Wednesday night in a small club in the middle of Minneapolis. Their music is the kind that just sort of hangs in the air and floats but at the same time has a definite direction in which it is going. This is partly because of the steady hand of their drummer, Rob, who kept things interesting regarding tempo. Laila regularly switched instruments and excelled at each she played: her violin playing is reminiscent of Jean Luc-Ponty (at least to me); she can ‘shred’ on the clarinet and make it sing (she has some definite influence from klezmer music too, something I was told); and she (Eric plays it too) makes the accordion look and sound hip. Overall a great group as well as nice, generous people.
So after a few hours of great homegrown music, we ventured home and enjoyed a nice walk on a beautiful summer evening. What a perfect finish to the first day of what will be an awesome trip.
23 June 2010
Travel Mode: On
I write now from a Jefferson Lines bus, currently between St. Cloud and Minneapolis in Minnesota. As I have now ‘officially’ started my four and a half weeks of travel, I am finding myself already in ‘travel mode.’ This is a term I like to use to describe the place, both physically and metaphysically, that I get to during periods of travel. It is a state of being that allows my mind to wander freely and see more easily some of the great wonders in this world. It also allows me to break free from the normal day to day thought patterns I have and really experience life on a moment to moment basis.
Although this state can be reached without going anywhere, I have found travel to be perhaps the best way for me to access it and as a result have found travel to be one of my favorite activities to engage in. When I get into ‘travel mode’, normal mundane experiences become great adventures. I also find myself digging deeper to more fully understand the world around me. An example was this morning as I started my travels in East-Central South Dakota.
This area of the world is my old stomping grounds and as a (unfortunate) result, I often overlook opportunities to look at the world around me with fresh eyes and see things as I would if it were my first time. This morning, however, after I was dropped off in Watertown, SD by the very generous mother of one of my good friends, I felt excited and looked around at everything like it were my first time being there. Once I had a chance to put my things down in a safe place in the bus depot, I set off to walk to a Target Store to get some last minute travel things. This might not seem like a big deal, but the Target was about 1.4 miles away and there was also a light drizzle falling from the sky. Under normal circumstances, though not always, I may have been inclined to scrap the idea of walking because of how wet I would get, but in this moment I saw an opportunity to walk a stretch of road and wander through a town I have been in hundreds of times yet rarely explored. So there I walked along US Hwy 212 with a HUGE smile on my face literally singing in the rain (I think I was singing a Mew or Fever Ray song). Ahh, what a great memory this will be.
One other aspect I love about ‘travel mode’ is the opportunities it provides to meet people and learn through conversation. An example of this was last summer while visiting my twin brother, John, where he lives in Oregon. On one of the afternoons/evenings while I was there, we decided to visit Oregon’s number one tourist attraction: The Spirit Mountain Casino. (Before I tell this story, though, think about how ridiculous it is that this is Oregon’s number one tourist attraction. With all their beautiful miles of coastline, lush scenery, rugged mountain terrain, as well as a National Park, it is too bad this casino is the most visited.) Most people who know John and I know that we do not gamble, at least not in the traditional sense, so this might seem like an odd thing for us to do. However, our main goal in visiting this casino was not to play cards, roll the dice, or bet, but to learn about the way in which an enterprise such as this works. So we set about ‘interviewing’ people (something I enjoy doing) and found ourselves talking to floor managers, blackjack dealers, beverage stand employees, and security guards to get an idea of the casino from their perspective. Also in this visit I personally set about to find and meet some local Native Americans (from the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde) in an attempt to educate myself; I also have an affinity for Native Americans after living on a Reservation for two years. We ended up meeting an older Native couple from the area and a father/son from the Makah reservation in the northwest corner of the Olympic Penisula who were in the process of driving a car from Arizona back home. I find it somewhat paradoxical that John and I were able to have such a great time in this casino without spending a dime. Seriously, we even ate there for free; John had been given a gift card so we got some Veggie burgers that were really good and took advantage of free coffee and tea! This experience provided great practice with meeting people and I ended up learning quite a bit too.
And lastly an example of meeting people from today. While transferring buses in Fargo I started talking to a guy who had also gotten on the bus this morning in Watertown. Based on both the tone/accent of his voice and his overall appearance, I suspected he might originally hail from Africa. After conversing with Odion for a bit I found out that he was from Nigeria and had been living in the Twin Cities for the past nine years. I told him about my plans to move to Yemen and also about my intentions to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro (which is in Africa) in December. He was surprised at my plans, but not shocked at all. He encouraged me with my pursuits and asked me how I felt about the weather (there). I explained that I was looking forward to no winter and having a break from the Midwest in general.
The great irony I find in our meeting is that here are two men: one a Midwesterner soon moving to the Middle East and the other an African now living in the Midwest. It is almost as though we switched places in the world or some great cosmic force is attempting to keep things balanced in this world....who knows?
Well, not only is this a perfect note to end this post on, but I am also just arriving in Minneapolis and need to clean all my belongings up on the bus. You shall here more soon.
Namaste,
JOE
Although this state can be reached without going anywhere, I have found travel to be perhaps the best way for me to access it and as a result have found travel to be one of my favorite activities to engage in. When I get into ‘travel mode’, normal mundane experiences become great adventures. I also find myself digging deeper to more fully understand the world around me. An example was this morning as I started my travels in East-Central South Dakota.
This area of the world is my old stomping grounds and as a (unfortunate) result, I often overlook opportunities to look at the world around me with fresh eyes and see things as I would if it were my first time. This morning, however, after I was dropped off in Watertown, SD by the very generous mother of one of my good friends, I felt excited and looked around at everything like it were my first time being there. Once I had a chance to put my things down in a safe place in the bus depot, I set off to walk to a Target Store to get some last minute travel things. This might not seem like a big deal, but the Target was about 1.4 miles away and there was also a light drizzle falling from the sky. Under normal circumstances, though not always, I may have been inclined to scrap the idea of walking because of how wet I would get, but in this moment I saw an opportunity to walk a stretch of road and wander through a town I have been in hundreds of times yet rarely explored. So there I walked along US Hwy 212 with a HUGE smile on my face literally singing in the rain (I think I was singing a Mew or Fever Ray song). Ahh, what a great memory this will be.
One other aspect I love about ‘travel mode’ is the opportunities it provides to meet people and learn through conversation. An example of this was last summer while visiting my twin brother, John, where he lives in Oregon. On one of the afternoons/evenings while I was there, we decided to visit Oregon’s number one tourist attraction: The Spirit Mountain Casino. (Before I tell this story, though, think about how ridiculous it is that this is Oregon’s number one tourist attraction. With all their beautiful miles of coastline, lush scenery, rugged mountain terrain, as well as a National Park, it is too bad this casino is the most visited.) Most people who know John and I know that we do not gamble, at least not in the traditional sense, so this might seem like an odd thing for us to do. However, our main goal in visiting this casino was not to play cards, roll the dice, or bet, but to learn about the way in which an enterprise such as this works. So we set about ‘interviewing’ people (something I enjoy doing) and found ourselves talking to floor managers, blackjack dealers, beverage stand employees, and security guards to get an idea of the casino from their perspective. Also in this visit I personally set about to find and meet some local Native Americans (from the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde) in an attempt to educate myself; I also have an affinity for Native Americans after living on a Reservation for two years. We ended up meeting an older Native couple from the area and a father/son from the Makah reservation in the northwest corner of the Olympic Penisula who were in the process of driving a car from Arizona back home. I find it somewhat paradoxical that John and I were able to have such a great time in this casino without spending a dime. Seriously, we even ate there for free; John had been given a gift card so we got some Veggie burgers that were really good and took advantage of free coffee and tea! This experience provided great practice with meeting people and I ended up learning quite a bit too.
And lastly an example of meeting people from today. While transferring buses in Fargo I started talking to a guy who had also gotten on the bus this morning in Watertown. Based on both the tone/accent of his voice and his overall appearance, I suspected he might originally hail from Africa. After conversing with Odion for a bit I found out that he was from Nigeria and had been living in the Twin Cities for the past nine years. I told him about my plans to move to Yemen and also about my intentions to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro (which is in Africa) in December. He was surprised at my plans, but not shocked at all. He encouraged me with my pursuits and asked me how I felt about the weather (there). I explained that I was looking forward to no winter and having a break from the Midwest in general.
The great irony I find in our meeting is that here are two men: one a Midwesterner soon moving to the Middle East and the other an African now living in the Midwest. It is almost as though we switched places in the world or some great cosmic force is attempting to keep things balanced in this world....who knows?
Well, not only is this a perfect note to end this post on, but I am also just arriving in Minneapolis and need to clean all my belongings up on the bus. You shall here more soon.
Namaste,
JOE
18 June 2010
Herding Cattle
It is amazing sometimes how much time can alter one’s perspective towards certain life experiences. Something reminded me of this today and reinforced to me the importance of attitude in life. This particular experience involved herding cattle with my dad and uncle, an activity I did not enjoy very much as a child. When I was younger much of my energy was spent wondering how soon we the chore would be done and thinking about other things I could have been doing; as a result I was not living life in the moment.
Today, however, I had a much different attitude and perspective about the whole ‘herding cattle’ experience. In some ways I think all the difference was that I actually looked at this activity as an ‘experience’ and tried to imagine it as if it were my first time doing so. Suddenly I was feeling quite fortunate for getting to spend time with Dad and enjoy the great outdoors of the Dakota prairie. Before long I was crossing the gushing waters of the Zell dam and then walking through my dad/uncle’s cattle. The highlight of the experience, though, was when Uncle Charlie and I attempted to corral a bull that had gotten mixed in with the neighbors’ cattle. Even though we ultimately failed - the stubborn bull escaped us and crushed my human legs’ capacity for running (figuratively, not literally) - I had a blast running through the field wearing (near) knee-high rubber boots. Not exactly the best footwear for the task, but it makes it more memorable.
In the end what I learned from this experience is: many times life does not transpire as hoped or expected, and plans have to be modified/adapted regardless of one’s wishes. I have often had a difficult time with this in the past and chose to become more frustrated in situations than was necessary. Although I am still guilty of this and will constantly need to work at it, I feel I am a calmer and more peaceful person now and try to live life for its individual and unique moments. Won’t you do the same?
Today, however, I had a much different attitude and perspective about the whole ‘herding cattle’ experience. In some ways I think all the difference was that I actually looked at this activity as an ‘experience’ and tried to imagine it as if it were my first time doing so. Suddenly I was feeling quite fortunate for getting to spend time with Dad and enjoy the great outdoors of the Dakota prairie. Before long I was crossing the gushing waters of the Zell dam and then walking through my dad/uncle’s cattle. The highlight of the experience, though, was when Uncle Charlie and I attempted to corral a bull that had gotten mixed in with the neighbors’ cattle. Even though we ultimately failed - the stubborn bull escaped us and crushed my human legs’ capacity for running (figuratively, not literally) - I had a blast running through the field wearing (near) knee-high rubber boots. Not exactly the best footwear for the task, but it makes it more memorable.
In the end what I learned from this experience is: many times life does not transpire as hoped or expected, and plans have to be modified/adapted regardless of one’s wishes. I have often had a difficult time with this in the past and chose to become more frustrated in situations than was necessary. Although I am still guilty of this and will constantly need to work at it, I feel I am a calmer and more peaceful person now and try to live life for its individual and unique moments. Won’t you do the same?
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