It's my last week here in Utrecht/The Netherlands/Europe. Sad. But I am also looking forward to my return. So let's not harp on that; here's what been going on.
Yesterday I went to two master classes/lectures. The first was by Hayden White, the historian/theorist (and current professor of Comp. Lit. at Stanford). I've never read his stuff before but in preparation I read a few chapters from his latest book Figural Realism and also learned a bit about his major work, Metahistory. He said that the humanities' special charge is to deal with meaning, as opposed to "truth" or facts. I agree. And argued that the problem of how to live together in space/time (which is what many of the disciplines are taken up with) is better dealt with in forms such as the novel, as opposed to the reports of the social sciences. Two hours later it was Paul Gilroy's turn, and he was pretty much concerned with the same issue: how do we live together? Gilroy talked about multiculturalism and melancholia in Europe, and particularly the post-empire melancholy of many of the former imperial powers, and how that melancholia is mixing with revisionist national memories that now stop at the World Wars (England is the prime example). Lots of interesting tidbits came out of that talk, from Gilroy as well as the other participants. For instance, did you know that at English football games the crowd chants "Two World Wars, One World Cup"? Or that the Dutch Prime Minister recently lamented the supposedly failing work ethic of the Dutch people and suggested that they return to the standards of the Dutch East Indian Trading Company?
27 May 2008
22 May 2008
Krakow
This is a bit late -- I had a busy first half of this week. But here's a bit of a feel for Krakow. It was the most different place I've been to in Europe, but had the most resonance to some of the places I know quite well in the US.
If you've seen my Facebook page, you know that this sturdily built little figure is my latest avatar. I just missed the 48th Krakow Film Fest (it's at the end of May) but quite liked the posters.
Poland is pretty Catholic, in case you didn't know. There are churches everywhere. This one has life size statues of the twelve apostles in front of it.
There are lots of cheap little spots to eat. Krakow is much, much less expensive than any of the other cities I've been to, with Berlin in second place. I had dinner at an excellent vegetarian/vegan restauran for 10 zloty, which is about $4.50. (Note the religiousness above the pizza shop.)
This is the first place I went, the first morning of my visit. I walked from my hostel in Kazimierz, which is the old Jewish quarter at the southern edge of the city center, up north towards the city center (Old Town) and along the way checked out Wawel Hill (you can see the view from it here). It's a small rise, upon which a medieval castle stands as well as a slightly newer cathedral.
This is one of the paths towards the back edge of Auschwitz. I took a bus out from Krakow's bus station, which took about an hour and a half. That ride was pretty interesting -- I saw a camel in someone's front yard. Also, many robust Polish women tilling the land, hanging up clothes to dry, and wearing babushkas.
If you've seen my Facebook page, you know that this sturdily built little figure is my latest avatar. I just missed the 48th Krakow Film Fest (it's at the end of May) but quite liked the posters.
Poland is pretty Catholic, in case you didn't know. There are churches everywhere. This one has life size statues of the twelve apostles in front of it.
There are lots of cheap little spots to eat. Krakow is much, much less expensive than any of the other cities I've been to, with Berlin in second place. I had dinner at an excellent vegetarian/vegan restauran for 10 zloty, which is about $4.50. (Note the religiousness above the pizza shop.)
This is the first place I went, the first morning of my visit. I walked from my hostel in Kazimierz, which is the old Jewish quarter at the southern edge of the city center, up north towards the city center (Old Town) and along the way checked out Wawel Hill (you can see the view from it here). It's a small rise, upon which a medieval castle stands as well as a slightly newer cathedral.
This is one of the paths towards the back edge of Auschwitz. I took a bus out from Krakow's bus station, which took about an hour and a half. That ride was pretty interesting -- I saw a camel in someone's front yard. Also, many robust Polish women tilling the land, hanging up clothes to dry, and wearing babushkas.
16 May 2008
Update (stall tactic)
Recent and of note:
- I'm having lunch with Liz Grosz on Tuesday.
- My bike was stolen while I was in Krakow.
- I saw a camel on the bus ride back from Auschwitz (you don't get to write that sentence every day! well, I guess you don't get to write any of these sentences every day).
- My flight home is in 15 days.
- I am in the midst of writing a scintillating paper on disability theory, feminist theory, and the posthuman.
- ANTM is fixed.
- This weekend I'm going to study, clean and prepare for my friend Fiona's visit. Also, write a real blog post on my trip to Krakow.
- Stay tuned...
(I think that's Justin's dad riding off with my bike...)
08 May 2008
Fan favorite: Dustin (I mean Justin)
So, I've had quite a response to my post from a few months ago in which I recounted the exploits of a certain American-in-Utrecht. For the many fans who wrote in wondering whatever happened to Dustin, here's a little photo retrospective. As you can see, he recovered from his exploits that night with vim and vigor.
Here he is enjoying some wind on the coast of Northern Ireland.
And here, considering a change of profession...
Queen's Day! Like the boat? Those people were all drunk and wearing orange. You can't tell, but Dustin is sitting in a little dinghy that was parked on the canal. Who's dinghy was it? Who knows, it's Queen's Day!
Here he is enjoying some wind on the coast of Northern Ireland.
And here, considering a change of profession...
Queen's Day! Like the boat? Those people were all drunk and wearing orange. You can't tell, but Dustin is sitting in a little dinghy that was parked on the canal. Who's dinghy was it? Who knows, it's Queen's Day!
06 May 2008
There's more to Dublin than drunks lying on the streets
Stephen's Green in the rain -- lovely.
Trinity College and its charming grass tennis courts.
Two Americans in Ireland, enjoying their Guinness.
05 May 2008
Longish post on Dublin
So, Dublin. When I think of Dublin I think of really happy, funny, smart, friendly, drunk people. Did I mention drunk? Kind of like leprauchans, but drunk. Oh, they're really handsome too. I'm serious about that.
I arrived on Saturday afternoon, breezed through immigration (not like the Asian woman who was being totally interrogated in the other queue) and headed for my hostel in the Temple Bar district. Yes, Temple Bar -- this is, I believe, the most touristy part of Dublin. But it was the only place with beds to sleep. It also happens to be just down the street from Trinity College and Stephen's Green, so it wasn't too bad.
First we walked around Grafton St., which has a lot of shops and bars. Then we went to Temple Bar (the actual bar) and had some Guinness. This was my first of about 10 Guinnesses over the course of the weekend. I've got to say, there's something to be said for limited supply. When five out of ten taps at the bar are for Guinness, it's not quite as exciting as when you order one at say, Brocach bar in Madison. But it was good. But awfully filling! And the lukewarm thing -- not my favorite. Although I guess you work past all that after a certain point, based on the quantity of Guinness pints I saw being consumed at the Temple Bar. And every other bar/restaurant I visited that weekend. Know when to say one (see photo).
(FYI, as I've been composing this blog post I've seen both Brad Pitt and George Clooney in separate Dutch commercials. I think Brad's was for a cell phone; Clooney was hocking espresso. Neither of them spoke Dutch, thank God; Brad just smiled and nodded, and Clooney went English.)
So, then we met up with my friend Greg and his authentic Irish friend, went to dinner, went to a bar where there were really old people drinking pints at like midnight. Not whooping it up, just sitting placidly, methodically consuming their Guinness. I like how there's not so much ageism in Europe -- in Holland old people bike all over the place. In Ireland they frequent the pubs, late night. You go, old people.
Greg's Irish friend's friends were fun. Just like this Irish guy I know Paddy is. He's hilarious. I have a theory -- other than genetics being the factor, I think the Irish are psyched because they extricated themselves out from under the thumb of the English. They're just in a really good mood! And then they're lurching towards you and peeing all over the streets.
The next day we walked around Trinity College, Stephen's Green, ate some fish and chips (just chips for me), ate at a really good vegan place (they're everywhere, I'm telling you), Justin bought me a copy of Ulysses, and then we watched a little Top Model before bed. All in all, a very enjoyable international/cultural experience.
Oh, one last thing -- in one of the bars, in the women's bathroom, there was a straightening iron on the wall. Just in case you need to flatiron a little before heading back to your Guinness.
I arrived on Saturday afternoon, breezed through immigration (not like the Asian woman who was being totally interrogated in the other queue) and headed for my hostel in the Temple Bar district. Yes, Temple Bar -- this is, I believe, the most touristy part of Dublin. But it was the only place with beds to sleep. It also happens to be just down the street from Trinity College and Stephen's Green, so it wasn't too bad.
First we walked around Grafton St., which has a lot of shops and bars. Then we went to Temple Bar (the actual bar) and had some Guinness. This was my first of about 10 Guinnesses over the course of the weekend. I've got to say, there's something to be said for limited supply. When five out of ten taps at the bar are for Guinness, it's not quite as exciting as when you order one at say, Brocach bar in Madison. But it was good. But awfully filling! And the lukewarm thing -- not my favorite. Although I guess you work past all that after a certain point, based on the quantity of Guinness pints I saw being consumed at the Temple Bar. And every other bar/restaurant I visited that weekend. Know when to say one (see photo).
(FYI, as I've been composing this blog post I've seen both Brad Pitt and George Clooney in separate Dutch commercials. I think Brad's was for a cell phone; Clooney was hocking espresso. Neither of them spoke Dutch, thank God; Brad just smiled and nodded, and Clooney went English.)
So, then we met up with my friend Greg and his authentic Irish friend, went to dinner, went to a bar where there were really old people drinking pints at like midnight. Not whooping it up, just sitting placidly, methodically consuming their Guinness. I like how there's not so much ageism in Europe -- in Holland old people bike all over the place. In Ireland they frequent the pubs, late night. You go, old people.
Greg's Irish friend's friends were fun. Just like this Irish guy I know Paddy is. He's hilarious. I have a theory -- other than genetics being the factor, I think the Irish are psyched because they extricated themselves out from under the thumb of the English. They're just in a really good mood! And then they're lurching towards you and peeing all over the streets.
The next day we walked around Trinity College, Stephen's Green, ate some fish and chips (just chips for me), ate at a really good vegan place (they're everywhere, I'm telling you), Justin bought me a copy of Ulysses, and then we watched a little Top Model before bed. All in all, a very enjoyable international/cultural experience.
Oh, one last thing -- in one of the bars, in the women's bathroom, there was a straightening iron on the wall. Just in case you need to flatiron a little before heading back to your Guinness.
27 April 2008
36 hours in Edinburgh
Here's what happened:
First I got on the wrong train and ended up having to get off and then back on another wrong train (as the correct train was long gone), and along the way explain to three officials that I had gotten on the wrong train. Fortunately I decided not to buy another ticket and t0 just keep explaining to people (ticket would have cost 50 pounds = 100 dollars!) and the third guy let me stay on without having to buy a new ticket. But I had to stand the whole way. The view from the window made up for it, though. I saw the North Sea and a Range Rover herding sheep.
We finally got to Waverly Station and I made my way to my hostel, which is in a very nice spot in Old Town at the corner of Grassmarket, Victoria St., and Candlemaker Row. The walk was 10 minutes, straight up hill basically. I wish I had the camera with me so I could post some photos -- Edinburgh is the most beautiful city I've ever been too. It's kind of like Seattle plus Paris -- amazing old architecture and phenomenal
natural scapes.
After I found the hostel and dropped off my bag in my six-person mixed dorm room, I went walking around Old Town. I went to the University of Edinburgh campus, Calton Hill, and checked out the view (see the stock web photo to your left), and ate some food at this vegetarian place Susie's Kitchen that my friend Thora recommended. I also had a pint of Deuchar's IPA at a pub on campus.
After the beer and food I headed back towards Grassmarket to buy a ticket for the Literary Pub Tour. Usually tourism and I don't mix. They still don't. But it was sort of entertaining hearing about a bunch of old, dead, male Scottish writers, none of whom I have heard of except for the one who wrote Jekyll and Hyde. Sorry Scotland.
After that I had planned to go see Belle and Sebastian play, because I saw a sign advertising Belle and Sebastian for that night. I asked where the club was up at the front desk of the hostel. The guy who had checked me in was psyched that I asked, and also psyched about the show because he is a fan of Chris Geddes the DJ. I mean, he seemed really psyched, but maybe it was the Australian? New Zealand? accent that made him seem particularly enthusiastic. However, I am not that much of a B and S fan and that became apparent because as our conversation progressed I had no idea what this hostel guy was talking about. I played along, then checked the internet. I *think* Geddes was a member of b & s and now has a DJ solo act? I'm still not sure. But by then I was too tired and ambivalent to go and also wanted to avoid getting lurched into by the drunk rugby players stumbling all over the place so I went to bed.
This is getting long so here's some highlights of the rest of my remaining 18 hours in Edinburgh:
Then I got to Leeds! Saturday night in Leeds -- that's another story altogether.
First I got on the wrong train and ended up having to get off and then back on another wrong train (as the correct train was long gone), and along the way explain to three officials that I had gotten on the wrong train. Fortunately I decided not to buy another ticket and t0 just keep explaining to people (ticket would have cost 50 pounds = 100 dollars!) and the third guy let me stay on without having to buy a new ticket. But I had to stand the whole way. The view from the window made up for it, though. I saw the North Sea and a Range Rover herding sheep.
We finally got to Waverly Station and I made my way to my hostel, which is in a very nice spot in Old Town at the corner of Grassmarket, Victoria St., and Candlemaker Row. The walk was 10 minutes, straight up hill basically. I wish I had the camera with me so I could post some photos -- Edinburgh is the most beautiful city I've ever been too. It's kind of like Seattle plus Paris -- amazing old architecture and phenomenal
natural scapes.After I found the hostel and dropped off my bag in my six-person mixed dorm room, I went walking around Old Town. I went to the University of Edinburgh campus, Calton Hill, and checked out the view (see the stock web photo to your left), and ate some food at this vegetarian place Susie's Kitchen that my friend Thora recommended. I also had a pint of Deuchar's IPA at a pub on campus.
After the beer and food I headed back towards Grassmarket to buy a ticket for the Literary Pub Tour. Usually tourism and I don't mix. They still don't. But it was sort of entertaining hearing about a bunch of old, dead, male Scottish writers, none of whom I have heard of except for the one who wrote Jekyll and Hyde. Sorry Scotland.
After that I had planned to go see Belle and Sebastian play, because I saw a sign advertising Belle and Sebastian for that night. I asked where the club was up at the front desk of the hostel. The guy who had checked me in was psyched that I asked, and also psyched about the show because he is a fan of Chris Geddes the DJ. I mean, he seemed really psyched, but maybe it was the Australian? New Zealand? accent that made him seem particularly enthusiastic. However, I am not that much of a B and S fan and that became apparent because as our conversation progressed I had no idea what this hostel guy was talking about. I played along, then checked the internet. I *think* Geddes was a member of b & s and now has a DJ solo act? I'm still not sure. But by then I was too tired and ambivalent to go and also wanted to avoid getting lurched into by the drunk rugby players stumbling all over the place so I went to bed.
This is getting long so here's some highlights of the rest of my remaining 18 hours in Edinburgh:
- midnight: Pretended to be asleep while five Romance-language-but-not-French-speakers arrived and got ready for bed; worried that they were stealing my laptop (they weren't) or going to have loud sex (they didn't).
- 8:00am: Woke up, snuck out of the room of Italians? Spanish?; the same guy was still at the desk! He asked if I liked the show and I had to admit I hadn't gone because I was tired -- but HE had, and afterwards came back to the hostel to continue what appeared to me to be a 24 hour shift. After politely acknowledging his disappointment in my uncoolness, he then said "no worries" which tipped me off that he is probably Australian rather than New Zealand. not only do I think that New Zealanders do not use that phrase, I also think they don't feel that sentiment. This is based on the three New Zealanders I know: a guy from my program in Madison, and Brett and Jermaine.
- 8:30am: Walked around looking for coffee; nowhere was open, but I was offered some gin, which I declined (uncool).
- 9:00am: Went to a farmer's market at the base of the Castle and had a kickass doughnut and some coffee. Everyone else was eating meat sandwiches. At the base (of the castle). hi greg.
The Castle - 9:30: Walked up to New Town where the architecture is Georgian (so basically it looks like rows and rows of Southern plantation houses, but without the slavery).
- 10:00am: Began my ascent of Arthur's Seat, this little mountain right in town. Convenient, isn't it? a mountain? in town?
- noon: Made it down from the mountain, thrilled that I had not been blown off the top by the insane gusting winds up there. Note to readers: don't wear Puma's when climbing mountains.
Then I got to Leeds! Saturday night in Leeds -- that's another story altogether.
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