scraping my shoes on the stones of the roads

I'm back in eastern europe, which means its time for random bouts of czech literature in translation (nabbed some Kundera, Hrabal and a history book from the soon-to-be-closed Anagram Bookshop in Prague).

I've started with Kundera's Immortality (recommended to me by the lovely Mark B). I have sort of a love-hate relaionship with Kundera, and this book takes that trend to new heights. Its alternatingly irritating and touching, assenine and profound. Suffice to say, I'm making quick progress here. Whether I'm moved or offended, at least I'm not bored.

Anyway, I came upon a passage today that really struck me. I suppose you could say its a good distillation of my life at this moment. (get ready, its a bit long)

"For eight days I had been scraping my shoes on the stones of the roads...." writes Rimbaud. 

Road: a strip of ground over which one walks. A route differs from a road not only because it is solely intended for vehicles, but also because it is merely a line that connects one point with another. A route has no meaning in itself; its meaning derives entirely from the two points that it connects. A road is a tribute to space. Every strech of road has meaning in itself and invites us to stop.  A route is a triumphant devaluation of space, which thanks to it has been reduced to a mere obstacle to human movement and a waste of time.

Before roads and paths dissappeared from the landscape, they had disappeared from the human soul: man stopped wanting to walk, to walk on his own feet and to enjoy it. What's more, he no longer saw his own life as a road, but as a route: a line that led from one point to another...."

-Immortality, p. 249

My life these days is definately a road. It lacks a definate goal or endpoint, but it leads me through astonishing landscapes. Most of all, I am glad to be able to walk on my own two feet and to enjoy it.

Do I know where this road leads? Nope. I haven't the foggiest idea.

But, as Lennon said (at least, I think it was Lennon): If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there.

beverage WIN

I finally tried Burčák, and I am so glad that I did. Burčák, or young wine, is a czech specialty which one can only get for a few weeks a year. Here are 3 reasons why it is my new favorite drink*:

1. It's sweet and smooth, and could easily be mistaken for apple juice rather than wine.

2. I pretty much approve of any drink that is potentially combustible. I probably only tried it because I heard that if you try to bottle it, it can explode. Awesome.

3. I was hesitant to try it because they sell it out of a hut in the shady underground parking garage of the grocery store. Now, I find this amusing. Only in the CR can I wander into a covered parking lot and buy a plastic cup of wine for myself (alone and at 4pm) and have nobody think its weird but me.



*aside from coffee, of course, which will forever hold the #1 spot in my heart.

the book of learning and forgetting

I´m always a bit hesitant to believe, or even read, articles on the latest education reseach and theories. This is mostly because, like most pop psychology, I can be pretty sure that there will be a similar article out in about a month which will directly contradict the first one. But so goes modern science.

Anyhow, I took a look at one such article in the times today, and pulled some interesting quotes.

“The idea is that forgetting is the friend of learning,” said Dr. Kornell. “When you forget something, it allows you to relearn, and do so effectively, the next time you see it.” ....

The harder it is to remember something, the harder it is to later forget. This effect, which researchers call “desirable difficulty,” is evident in daily life. The name of the actor who played Linc in “The Mod Squad”? Francie’s brother in “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn”? The name of the co-discoverer, with Newton, of calculus?

The more mental sweat it takes to dig it out, the more securely it will be subsequently anchored.

Outdated cultural references aside (the Mod Squad? really, NYT?), the article makes some interesting, albeit totally unverifiable, claims. (Yes, yes Im sure there will be plenty of "studies". What I mean is that there is no way for me to really be sure about its validity.) Interesting all the same, though.

Hopefully this means that, while I find it impossible to remember most czech words, I will one day be a czech genious who never forgets how to speak it. Well, a girl can dream.

Happy Labor Day

The internet is great for reminding me about American holidays that would otherwise slip by me unnoticed while living abroad. For example, apparently today is labor day! (Or probably tomorrow is.  Labor day is usually a monday, no?)

Anyhow, Hilda Solis (current U.S. Secretary of Labor) said the following in a Labor Day blogpost on HuffPo:

In the weeks and months ahead, policymakers will be debating what should come next.
There are some who believe that when times are tough, it's time to get tough on workers. I don't buy that. 

I applaud the sentiment, but we'll see what sort of proposals and such actually come out of the Obama administration in the next few months.  But, at least we have a labor secretary who sounds like she gets it. And who won't make union busting her sole driving purpose while in office.

Baby steps, people. Baby steps.

How I spent my summer vacation

so, I've been in the czech republic for about a week now. Its been great and much has happened that would be worthy of a blog post. I've been avoiding it, however, since theres still so much I have to say about Korea.

but then I figured, screw chronology. I can jump forward and back anytime I please. (Take that, 4th dimension! *shakes fist in air*) So, we now return to your irregularly scheduled program.

I had about 2 weeks between Korea and the CR, during which time I was able to go home to the good ol US of A. What did I do there, you ask? well....

To begin with, I brought my parents couple tshirts from Korea. Which may be the best idea I've ever had. These pictures are still making me giggle.

Then we took a nice little family road trip (mikey and all) to maine so I could snag a little beach time.

Then, becuase I miss Korea way more than I thought I would (and because korean food is AWESOME), I dragged my father to the korean grocery store in northampton, ma for some emergency supplies.

Did I make not-all-that-great-nnangmyun and surprsingly decent kimchi jjigae for my parents? Did I regale them with tales of peppero day and seaweed anjou? did I top it all off with my ghetto, homemade version of pak bing su? hell yes i did.

I also did some laundry, unpacked, repacked, chowed down on chex mix and american cereal, then headed for new york to check up on my old stomping grounds and see the friends of mine still holding it down there.

Now I'm in Frydek-Mistek, and part 2 of my international adventure begins. Wish me luck!