Ro-cha-cha!

I just got back around midnight from a day-trip to Rochester. That was neat. The History department had a "History Day," and I found out about it from Ben, who informed me I should try to go even though I'm not a student anymore. But hey, I was a history minor, right? And since Micah decided not to go after-all, I went in his place. We went to the Memorial Art Gallery for about 3 hours... One of the paintings I really liked was by Lyonel Feininger, called Zirchow VI. I saw it and I was instantly transported back home. Sometimes I don't really get what the more abstract or random or (as this one is) cubism paintings are trying to show. But this one I knew the instant I saw it. Home.

It was rather neat, to get to spend a day exploring art, culture here in the States. I think the last time I did this was in NYC over a year ago--also a Dr. Airhart trip. lol.

We went to a place called The Little Theatre where we ate supper at the Little Cafe (I had a sort of hummus I haven't had before--made with red peppers rather than most excellent garlic goodness) and then we chose individually between three different movies--Doubt, Milk, and The Reader. I chose the latter. It was probably among the most explicit films I have ever watched, and it was really hard and difficult, but I would still say it was good nonetheless. Definitely gives a person lots to think about, that's for sure...

We all went to Spot Coffee after that. It was funny, the memories I have of that place. Two years ago, a group of us performing A Christmas Carol came there after English Country Dancing in the city. I'm pretty sure I've not actually been there since, but whilst I was in Uganda, one of the guys I knew there was from Rochester, and we talked about Spot a good bit.

I wish I were off travelling right now somewhere. It's nice, though, to find myself wishing for the one thing I never thought to want.

But to get back to the day... it was exciting, exploring again. My car (Ben's, actually) was the first to arrive because we took 2 shortcuts I know to the city. :) That made me happy. We also beat the others home for the same reason. Again, happiness. I know; i really am that competitive.

It's neat to slowly discover these things. I discovered over Christmas break that Rochester has its own waterfalls, called High Falls or something like that. And now I've enjoyed its art gallery and theatre. And I am looking forward to going up to the museums there sometime, or to the Eastman house itself. I do have a car now, so it's nice that i could take myself there if I want.

The Do's and Don'ts we Do and Don't Want

I was just looking back at some things I wrote back in Nov 2006 on Facebook... and how i commented in one note that I didn't want to go to Africa, and wondered whether or no that was ok. And of course, I went and had an amazing time, even though I didn't really want to be there almost the whole way through.

And now I'm wanting to go to Africa... and it's okay. One of the reasons I didn't want to go was because I was afraid of going back. But I'm not afraid anymore. I'm not afraid of "backness" anymore, not so much, anyways. Because I don't think it means what i used to think it might--fear it might. Going "back" a) doesn't have to mean forever, b) doesn't have to be the final death, and c) doesn't always even have to mean anything at all! It can just...be.

Anyways. I also noticed something in a survey thing, where in response to the question I wrote about the two things I wanted most in the world... "mobility within stability and permanence without stagnation." I suppose I should be the happiest person in the world if getting what we want most is supposed to make us most happy... Because I'm pretty stable now, but I have mobility--generally--as I want it. And because I feel a sense--can find a sense--of permanence in my life that I have not seen in years... but I don't feel trapped, or grounded, or stuck at all. I feel like a tree that is just realising that it has roots and what they mean...but understanding that it can still grow wider and higher and make a difference right by being where it is. It's cool, to use a very inexpressive but all-expressive expression.

2009

Who would have thought it could already be 2009?
I've not been much in a blogging, journaling, writing, or otherwise wordy mood these last...months. There hasn't seemed much point, either... After all, it's not like I've been away. I've been here.

But I feel the need to comment right now that it has, in fact, now been for more than a full year I have been in only one country.

Furthermore, I have no clue when the last time was that such a phenomena has occured, but I'm pretty sure it has not been since 1995. Can you imagine that? i have not stayed in one country for a year since 14 years ago!

No wonder it's so weird!

Right now I am really missing Slovakia. Everything is changing there and continuing there and I miss being part of it all and seeing it... We're switching from Slovak krowns (national currency) to euros now. I have a lot of krown in my wallet here that I don't know how or when I'll get the chance to change over. But everyone is changing now. They say the lines in stores move ridiculously slowly, because know one (well, few) know how the coins work and everyone has to figure out the exchange.

I'm going to miss the krown a lot. It was beautiful, every bill a different colour and different size... all our national monuments and history and famous people on the bills and coins... I liked using the euro... outside of Slovakia!

I miss the opera. There's a really interesting looking one on recently of early Slovak history. It's a bonafide Slovak opera and I would almost die to see it. I miss opera in general--good opera. But "what's to do here, Thomas Tapster? Come, let's withdraw."

I will say, though, that despite the homesickness which assails me--and here I would mention that I am also homesick for the Caribbean these days, not because of the weather but just because it's been such a long time--that I do like where I am living and what I am doing. I really do. I think that living fully simply means that we will always have all things... contentedness and restlessness, joy and sorrow, love and hate, and they will always be present in our hearts at the same time. We just have to know how to handle them--and that falls under living well.

I think I write funny. When I read my posts or writings/reflections, I usually laugh at how things come out. So "flamboyant." My biology teacher always protested that I was "too flamboyant," and needed to be more factual, less elaborate, more scientific, more simple, etc etc etc. He should know, though--he did drama on the side, too.

"the theatre, the theatre. Oh how we love the theatre!"

Alright. I'm out of here for now. I've got dinner to go catch before hunger overtakes me.

Cheers!

A Perfect Day

I don't suppose one comes by perfect days very often; in fact, I for one usually find them rather rare. And July, with its blistering heat here and many friends gone and summer illnesses besetting certainly does not seem like the time to find such a day.

And yet...

Today (well, yesterday now, I suppose) was such a thing exactly: a perfect day.

I have been rather ill of late, and left work early on Friday because of it. I lay in bed about three hours in and out of sleep before feeling like perhaps I would be quite fine again. That being the case, out I went to a youth rally to which some friends, performing a sketch, had invited me. While I had not really planned to do so, I ended up staying the whole evening long, and suppose it must have been a bit too much... for I got quite sick at the end and was taken home.

My intentions had been to stay with my friends and see what their plans were for Saturday, and either join theirs if possible or elect some new plans of my own which they might join. Due to the rather abrupt termination of the evening, however, no such plans were made.

I woke at about 11am into a day for which i had neither any plans nor expectations. Going anywhere after the previous night was quite out of the question. Staying inside all day was also quite out of the question--by noon it was over 30 degrees C (90+ F) and my flat was roasting. I walked a ways to pick up something a friend had brought down for me from Buffalo, and then to the post office and then to a friend's house, who was not home.

That walking showed me two things: 1) it was too hot outside, and 2) I was not well enough to walk any more no matter how wrestless. But inside, as I said, was roasting, and being already primarily made of water, the rest of my body seemed apt to quickly melt away as well.

Larky was busy tidying her room, and did not mind at all my thought that swimming might be an appropriate activity. However, the pool I have been invited to use was quite too far away in current conditions to walk to, as was the swimming hole in the creek. But we decided instead to pack a picnic and go to where the creek runs in front of our house. It is shallow, but just perfect to sit on a rock in the middle of the water (with the water coming up to your waist) and read. Which we did for some time.

Larky also managed to stretch out her towell and sleep on the island in the middle of it, and I built an entire town of rocks nearby her, much like that of the Flintsones, and after the fashion I employed as a child with blocks. It was quite entertaining, and we passed over three hours in that manner.

It started to cool down a bit, and we concluded that it was actually quite likely to rain soon, and we had enough of the outdoors by then, anyways. There is near that point in the creek a Chinese restaurant, and I suddenly decided that if any eating was to happen, it ought to be Chinese cuisine. Larky agreed. So home we went to shower, during which time the skies broke open and the rains came down (and the floods came up...) ... and when we had quite finished that, we walked over to the restaurant and ordered our favourites. This we brought back home and put on a favourite movie of mine: Anna and the King.

Now, after we had our order brought home, we realised belatedly that we ought to have ordered crab rangoons, because they are actually quite "dessert" like somehow. Since we did not, though, I mixed up some double-chocolate, chocolate-chip, mint cookie dough--without the egg--and we proceeded to eat half of it as our "dessert."

After the movie, Larky pc-d it and I lay on my bed racing to the end of At the Back of the North Wind, which, by the by, is a phenomenal book and, i think, has me writing a bit strangely just now. But then Larky came and joined me on by bed and confessed that she was actually feeling very "antsy" and didn't know what to do.

My solution: have a party. :)

So she called some friends, and I called some friends, and I added egg to our remaining cookie-dough and popped it in the oven on trays, and she did our dishes, and over came friends and we spent the next three hours enjoying great company.

It really was quite an amazing day... nothing planned, nothing expected--and we managed to run errands, tidy up, have a picnic, go swimming after a kind, build a rock city complete with roads and bridges and running water, sunbathe, shower and clean up ourselves, order out, watch a fantastic film, finish a book and IM with friends, make cookies, and host a delightful party.

What can be more perfect than that?

July's Arrived...

July has arrived.

What a way to state the obvious, eh?

And yet it came upon me with a slightly startling force. Can we already be more than halfway through the year 2008? I know the years go faster each year... but this fast is no less suprising.

Right now I am up awaiting the arrival of my friend KT from NYC. We're going to spend the holiday weekend together with another friend, enjoying city life (at least in my case...the other two are already in cities...) and each other once more.

This has been a good week. Today, in fact, must be remarked on as being the best of the week yet (today actually being thursday rather than friday). Work went remarkably well and productivly, and I went to the college archives today... it was like a taste of heaven,, being in a room full of history like that. I have got to get back to a city and museums again... lol. oh well... someday...

I had a dinner party with another set of friends, a young married couple I refer to here as Q-E, and my housemate Larky. The four of us had a lovely time... making dinner rolls and cinnamon rolls, a salad (with strawberries!) and produce from Q-E and my joint garden, and an amazing dressing Q made from peaches & vinegar & cinnamon. E made delicioius soda-crackers, and then made a tea called Utalia, which he learnt to make while living in Gambia. It's quite an elaborate process; rather reminding me of Ethiopian coffee ceremonies. Larky set up our living room to be fit for a king to eat there, and then we dined.

Our appetizer was the crackers with an assortment of Bre, extra sharp cheddar, and parmesan cheeses, followed by the salad. Then we had the rolls stuffed with my sloppy-joe, followed by cinnamon rolls and oranges and lots of utalia. (utalia is, btw, about like espresso, only it's tea rather than coffee. crazy, but delicious)

I like this life, quiet but full and sometimes quite noisy even in the dead of summer. I also like knowing that it's not forever, but just for a time, and then I'll be off again on a new adventure somewhere in the world.

Right now, though... I'm just excited for the weekend. :)

Lazy Days

I just finished reading a book called "The Alchemist," which I highly reccomend. It's a fascinating read, really, and I find it ironic to be reading it right now at this point in my life. It's all about purpose in life and "personal legend," etc etc. Though I picked it up nearly two years ago with the keen desire then to read it, it took until now to make the time to do so, and the timing could not have been, well, timelier.

Last week was an interesting, desperately long week, I think. If there have been any more lesson-packed days than these recently, I am hard pressed to remember them. I spent nearly a week and a half by myself, with my housemate, Larky, gone home to visit her family. She was sorely missed, too.

But now we've been back together a week already, and life at Old Bentley has been roaring. It wasn't without parties in her absence... there were movie nights and teas and walks and lots of decorating and re-arranging, etc... but on a much quieter scale. And of course, I've been spending a good deal of my evenings away, watching the Euro 2008 on TV--a "saved" version that some satellite thing allows. There have certainly been interesting goings on there!

But there were also lots of frightening thunderstorms, which are more frightening yet when one is entirely alone in a foundationaly unstable, hundred+ year old house. 

Anyways. All I can think of right now is how tired I am and how nice a nap would be. I am learning too much at once for my mind to handle. Life is good, though, and there is not a lack for friends to share it with here, contrary to popular and first-thought opinion. Swimming, cookie-baking, Bollywood nights, Kofola parties, picnics, bonfires, movies, gourmet dinners, euro 08 viewings (they get intense, let me tell you!), drive-in-movies, miniature golf & pizza, off-Broadway shows, Shakespeare, and the list goes on. 

There are lots of books to read. I'm working on finishing up Eragon for my brother, writing some literature articles, and just checked out about 5 books from the library yesterday. It's nice to have time like that again. Strange, but nice. 

Sunshine on a Cloudy Day...

My first comment here must be about the temperature, because the first thing one notices is simply the heat. Sweltering air wraps around you like a shroud and the boiling humidity dampens your clothes while simultaneously evaporating away. These are hot, humid, achingly long days.

Old Bentley is not a particularly cool place to live temperature wise. It is, however, a very "cool" place. Very nicely located for colourful get-togethers with friends.

I like work. It's exciting to be challenged by completely new things, especially in an otherwise now fairly familiar setting. It's exciting to learn about dreaming, about how to dream and what those dreams may get you when you dare to reach for them. It's exciting to learn about freedom; about how to choose from so many choices just how you might live your life or spend your money and time.

And it's just a little bit frightening to live on your own; not even for the lack of other people--for there are other people around--but simply for the extra time that you are suddenly spending getting to know yourself, and having to live with that self with no excuses and no distractions.

Funny how these things work sometimes...