Travel (B)log

Stockholm

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick & Lydia) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:59:00 +0000

...was great! We had perfect weather the entire (!) time and it was just a wonderful little trip. So glad I went.

It's late, I didn't sleep much on the bus last night and I brought home a little cold, so I'll have to update you with more details later. For now, just pictures

Halbzeit

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick & Lydia) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:58:00 +0000

Half of the summer school is practically over and therefore we are given 2 days of "vacation" for a long weekend. I will use my long weekend to go see Stockholm - a city about which I have heard many good things. I am quite excited to see Stockholm as it has been on my list of places to go for a while. I am taking the night bus in about one hour. It leaves at 11 pm and should get to Stockholm at 6 am...so it'll be a long night, but hopefully it'll be worth it. Wish me luck for the trip (I've got chocolate, so at least I won't go hungry :))...

School itself has been fine. It still is a lot of work, but, as always, you learn to manage and to take it step by step. Other than that, there really isn't anything new at the moment. I will report again from Stockholm if I can find a computer (I am not taking my laptop for a change...).

More pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick & Lydia) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 20:04:00 +0000

So, Maria (my Russian friend) and I went out again to explore another part of Oslo. I can only repeat myself and say that I REALLY like Oslo - what a cool place! In many parts it even reminds me of Berlin - actually like a mix of Berlin and Wellington in New Zealand (Scandinavia and New Zealand don't seem all too different to me, when I think about it... the same kind of beauty, feeling of safety, friendliness of the people, etc.).

Before I go on and on though, I'll just share some more pictures with you (below)!

Oh, and to the Americans among you: Happy 4th of July!

Norwegian landscape

more Norwegian landscape

The Peace Research group 2009, on the deck of our cabin

The lake we swam in

...and again

downtown Oslo

Maria and I

Karl Johans Gate - the main downtown boulevard

the National Theater

downtown Oslo

Oslo's oldest building

A typical Oslo scene, it seems to me: Locals enjoying the long summer nights out in one of Oslo's many parks

One of my new favorite areas of Oslo, only a 10 min walk from campus. Reminds me of Prenzlauer Berg in Berlin...no?

Downtown Oslo, right by the harbor, where you can buy fresh shrimp from a boat or just hang out and enjoy the sun with a coffee or an ice cream

The Grand Cafe - one of Ibsen's "hangouts"

Enjoying a cup of tea in a cafe

Back from the cabin, back to work

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick & Lydia) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:32:00 +0000

I've been back from the cabin for about 24 hours now. The trip was fine - we hiked and stayed at a cabin in the woods north of Oslo (Oslo is surrounded by so many lakes and woods that long hikes into the wilderness are a mere subway trip away). As part of this peacebuilding workshop we played a lot of games and discussed a lot of scenarios for which there are no right or wrong answers - so, the whole thing was clearly geared towards all of us getting to know each other (better). The less formal atmosphere of a cabin made that easier than in the classroom, no doubt, though 2 days still didn't seem quite long enough for a group of 26 people... When we were not discussing, we had some time to hang out or go swimming in one of many lakes that you just sumble upon when walking through the woods. Given that Oslo is currently (for the past two weeks or so) going through an unusual heat wave (we're actually talking 90 °F or 30°C here!... Fingers crossed it stays that way, rumor has it that the temperature may drop to the 60s/ 15°C in the next few days...yikes!!!), jumping into a mountain lake was actually quite nice. And, given that it's Norway and not South Africa or Australia or something, the most dangerous thing here were probably sharp rocks (on which I cut my heel a bit because I slipped when getting in the water).

After taking a long, long shower (we had one (!) outhouse and one (!) shower for all 28 people present at the cabin for three days), my friend Maria and I walked into Oslo again yesterday and it was SOOO nice. You can tell that the Norwegians (much like the Germans) just soak up every bit of sun when it's out. Everyone is out and about, walking around barely dressed, sitting outside enjoying a juice or tea, reading or playing in the parks and fountains, or just taking a stroll. The city was so lively again, it was just a joy to walk around and be part of that. Maria and I did a bit of (window) shopping (H&M to Norway is like Starbuck's to the US...you can't walk 100 yards without running into another one), had an ice cream and some cherries and actually walked all the way into the city center (new territory for me). It was really such a pleasant end to the first week here and got our minds off the massive workload we both struggle with (she is taking Norwegian classes here).

Soeaking of which - ever since classes started the active going-out-and-exploring hustle-and-bustle has somewhat stopped and whenever you ask someone what they are doing or if they would like to go out to x, you get the oh-so-familiar "I wish I could, but I have so much work to do" response (sound familiar, fellow grad students?). Bummer! As determined as I am not to turn into a workaholic here, because I came here to do and see things I can't do and see at home, it is a challenge to find a balance between work and fun. (Though there is room for that, too...we had our first party last night with discounted half-liter-beers... no further comments...) This Monday we have an outline for a group research paper due, plus 60 pages of reading every day. It's hard not to feel catapulted back into semester-stress-mode. The nice thing, of course is, that I can remind myself that I have the freedom to get out of this what I put in and that I really won't be held accountable for this by anyone at home, other than myself. Also, it is doubtlessly nice to not have any other obligations (besides having fun and seeing Oslo a bit) like teaching or even cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, etc..

In two weeks we have a long weekend (midterm break or something) and I am really contemplating going to Stockholm. I've been to Sweden, but never Stockholm and I hear it is absolutely gorgeous. If it'snot too too expensive, maybe a few of us will go (if we can find the time to arrange for it ;-)). We shall see...

That much for now. I didn't get much sleep last night (thanks to the party, people coming home at 5 am, and the sun shining brightly by the same time), so I might just allow myself to fall asleep over my readings.

I will upload more pictures soon. Promise.

First days of class

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick & Lydia) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:18:00 +0000

So, the fist two days of classes are over and though I had a feeling, I now know that these next 6 weeks won't just be fun. The syllabus is intense, the reading list is INSANE (for today we had 180 pages of reading...try again!). There is a stupid group research paper, a role play, a class discussion to prepare, and a 4-hour final exam. No walk in the park, it seems. But we've already divided the readings for tomorrow among each other, so that we can form study groups and not everyone has to read everything. Smart, right? Luckily, I don't need this class for credit, so (even though I will) I technically don't have to sweat the grades.

The class itself (on Peace Research, by the way, taught in conjunction with the Peace Research Institute of Oslo) is very diverse. Students are all at least in their late 20s, all the way to their 50s and they come from all over the place (Russia, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Sudan, USA, Germany, Kenya, etc., etc.). I hardly know them yet (we've only met twice), but they all seem nice enough. Strangely (or not) I've mostly been hanging out with a group outside of my class - a older girl from Russia and some younger guys from Belorus and the US. Keeps it interesting, I guess. That may or may not change after a cabin trip our class is going on for two nights tomorrow. That'll definitely bring the group closer together and promote some cohesion...at least that's everybody's hope, I'm sure.

Alright, time to read. I'll be back on Friday, after the cabin retreat. I'm sure there'll be lots to report.

Until then...

Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick & Lydia) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 15:30:00 +0000

Since I still can't bring myself to get a Flickr Pro account, I have run into my uploading limit for the month. Therefore, a few first Oslo pics below...

The new opera building... Oslo is really proud of this and sometimes the natives sound like this opera building will and ought to be as famous as Sydney's :)

The Viking museum...turns out, Vikings didn't actually wear those funny hats. Painters apparently made those up before the first excavations started. To this day, no such hats have been found.

Our dorm. I live in the West Wing...to the left of the main building depicted above.

THE most expensive beer I've had in my life ($8). If you wonder whether it was to-die-for, I'm afraid I'll have to actually say no. I guess even small pleasures come at a high price here.

Vigelandspark. Vigeland was Norwegian's Rodin maybe and this (for whatever reason) has become the most famous statue in a park full of his statues.

Another statue at Vigelandspark. Any interpretation attempts?

And another one...

The Royal Palace

View from my dorm room

...and, last but not least, a picture of my home for the next 6 weeks.

Oslo: First impressions

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick & Lydia) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 20:35:00 +0000

Alright, everyone, here's the promised post about my first two days in Oslo.

Soooo, yesterday I arrived here shortly past noon after a very short, smooth flight from Berlin. My very first impression of Norway was "It looks like Norway" (by which I mean colorful houses, many trees, everything is extremely nice and clean, people are blonde and friendly and speak good English). I got a ticket for the fast train to downtown (a 20 min ride for the discounted student price of 85 Kroner..."only" $14) and then made my way to the subway, where I found the first other ISS (= International Summer School) students (two from the US, one from India). The four of us took the metro (one ride for 25 Kroner, or $4) for four stops and then we were met by staff who drove our luggage to the dorms. The campus here is located in a very green and residential area. The dorm itself is old (from 1920) and very basic (4-6 people sharing a shower and toilets in the hallway), but decent. The rooms are tiny, but fine. I have an Ethiopian roommate, though I have not yet actually met her. So far most people I've met turn out to be from the US, actually, which came as a surprise, but which also makes connecting and communicating easier for me as I am now somewhat embedded in the American culture.
After getting moved in and eating lunch (the food is very fish-rich and very good, by the way), I walked around with a few folks exploring the surroundings. At dinner I met Maria, a 34 year old girl from Russia who is currently a PhD student at the University of Tromso. She is really nice and we've spent quite some time together since we met.

Today we were joined by a rising senior from Brown and the three of us went out to explore some more of the actual city. After those few hours of walking, I can definitely say this:
1. When someone tells you they heard Oslo was "so so", ignore that. I was somewhat worried that Oslo would be as small, quiet, and industrial as Reykjavik, but so far I can say that Oslo is a great, very vibrant and lively city with lots of great parks (in which people are sunbathing, having BBQs, or just hang out and dance and have a good time), great neighborhoods, museums, and stunning landscape.
AND
2. When someone tells you Oslo is supersupersuper expensive, don't ignore that. It is. Holy cow! Examples include a glass of apple juice for NOK 30 ($ 5), a bottle of sunscreen for NOK 110 ($20), a postcard for NOK 12 ($2), and, to top it off, a bottle of beer (250 ml) for NOK 46 ($ 8). Ouch!

(I will post my pictures to my Flickr account when I get a chance, the internet connection here in the dorm is on and off and very slow, so I'd rather not tempt my luck here, where it takes longer.)

Tomorrow we have another exciting organizational dorm meeting and then a 3-hour sightseeing tour (which I am actually looking forward to). On Monday, classes start and we will see how that goes. So far, I have been unable to meet anyone in my class...out of 550 students here, 350 are here to learn Norwegian. Interesting, right?

On a last note let me mention that Oslo apparently is far north enough for it to never get completely dark here in the summer. Never. That's right. It is now 11 pm and I am sitting with my window open in "daylight" that is dusky and will remain so until 4 or 5 in the morning when the actual sun comes up and shines its bright light into the window. Luckily, the curtains are pretty thick and my mom gave me an airplane mask for my eyes, so I was able to sleep fine last night. We'll see how this one goes...

Okay, friends, this much for now. I will make sure to keep you updated with stories and pictures.

Until then: Ha det.

The blogging continues

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick & Lydia) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 16:53:00 +0000

Hello all,

For those who don't know ... I am in Norway for a summer school until August. A good enough reason, I figure, to take up blogging again. The lack of blog posts is directly correlated with the amount of work at school, so hopefully this summer school won't keep me too occupied to update you.

I will write my first actual post wiht my first impressions of Oslo and Norway later on today, but for now I've got to go outside and enjoy the beautiful summer weather (which I didn't have in the rest of Europe).

Back soon. Stay tuned...

Geschafft!

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick & Lydia) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:41:00 +0000

Es ist vollbracht! Hier ist was wir gestern abend in grosser Runde gegen 23 Uhr gehoert & gesehen haben:

Danach gab es Freudenschreie und Traenen der Erleichterung, des Unglaubens, der Dankbarkeit und der Freude...

Endlich, endlich, endlich steht der lang ersehnte Regierungswechsel bevor. Die Medien hier (und weltweit, so scheint es) ueberschlagen sich mit Lob und Freude, aber auch mit Vorsicht, denn die neue Regierung wird einen massiven Haufen Mist aufzuraeumen haben. Das wissen alle, und trotzdem war der Wahlausgang gestern die einzige Alternative zur gegenwaertigen Politik und viele Amerikaner scheinen das gewusst und verstanden zu haben. Ich hoere schon heute mehr Zuversicht und Hoffnung und die Stimmen derer, die sich jetzt wieder trauen, stolz auf ihr Land zu sein, die unendlich froh sind sich nicht mehr schaemen zu muessen fuer ihr Land... und die die Wahl gestern fast als revolutionaer erlebt haben.

Ein wahrlich schoener und wichtiger Tag in und fuer Amerika. Endlich, endlich, endlich...

Vom Erdboden (nicht) verschluckt

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick & Lydia) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 02:38:00 +0000

Schliesslich und endlich will ich jetzt ein bisschen der geschenkten Stunde der gerade umgestellten Zeit nutzen um mal wieder ein Rauchzeichen von mir zu geben (und zwar vor der Wahl, die uns alle in hoffnungsvolle(s) Angst und Bangen versetzt). Der Erdboden hat mich (noch) nicht verschluckt, es ist nur eines dieser mächtig stürmischen wo-ist-nur-die-ganze-Zeit-hin Semester. Kann es ja nicht fassen, dass es wirklich schon NOVEMBER ist. Abgesehen davon, dass sich die Uhren definitiv im Alter (hi hi) schneller drehen, gibt es auch Gründe für meine nachlässige Buchführung hier (wie immer ist der ganz normale und doch größer werdende Uniwahnsinn an vielem Schuld), aber die gibt's nicht jetzt, sondern später (live, in Farbe und bunt).

Jetzt gibt's dafür ein paar Halloween und Apfelpflück-Fotos...

Also, verzeiht die lange Pause, bitte, bitte,...nichts Persönliches, im Gegenteil...

Ich wette, ich melde mich am Mittwoch wieder...hoffentlich, hoffentlich, hoffentlich werden es gute Neuigkeiten für die USA und die Welt...

Eve Ensler on Sarah Palin

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick & Lydia) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 23:26:00 +0000

THE best thing I have read about Sarah Palin's horrific idea(l)s:

************************************************

Eve Ensler, the American playwright, performer, feminist and activist best known for 'The Vagina Monologues,' wrote the following about Sarah Palin:

Drill, Baby, Drill

I am having Sarah Palin nightmares. I dreamt last night that she was a member of a club where they rode snowmobiles and wore the claws of drowned and starved polar bears around their necks. I have a particular thing for Polar Bears. Maybe it's their snowy whiteness or their bigness or the fact that they live in the arctic or that I have never seen one in person or touched one. Maybe it is the fact that they live so comfortably on ice. Whatever it is, I need the polar bears.

I don't like raging at women. I am a Feminist and have spent my life trying to build community, help empower women and stop violence against them.

It is hard to write about Sarah Palin. This is why the Sarah Palin choice was all the more insidious and cynical. The people who made this choice count on the goodness and solidarity of Feminists.

But everything Sarah Palin believes in and practices is antithetical to Feminism which for me is part of one story -- connected to saving the earth, ending racism, empowering women, giving young girls options, opening our minds, deepening tolerance, and ending violence and war.

I believe that the McCain/Palin ticket is one of the most dangerous choices of my lifetime, and should this country chose those candidates the fall-out may be so great, the destruction so vast in so many areas that America may never recover. But what is equally disturbing is the impact that duo would have on the rest of the world. Unfortunately, this is not a joke. In my lifetime I have seen the clownish, the inept, the bizarre be elected to the presidency with regularity.

Sarah Palin does not believe in evolution. I take this as a metaphor. In her world and the world of Fundamentalists nothing changes or gets better or evolves. She does not believe in global warming. The melting of the arctic, the storms that are destroying our cities, the pollution and rise of cancers, are all part of God's plan. She is fighting to take the polar bears off the endangered species list. The earth, in Palin's view, is here to be taken and plundered. The wolves and the bears are here to be shot and plundered. The oil is here to be taken and plundered. Iraq is here to be taken and plundered. As she said herself of the Iraqi war, 'It was a task from God.'

Sarah Palin does not believe in abortion. She does not believe women who are raped and incested and ripped open against their will should have a right to determine whether they have their rapist's baby or not. She obviously does not believe in sex education or birth control. I imagine her daughter was practicing abstinence and we know how many babies that makes.

Sarah Palin does not much believe in thinking. From what I gather she has tried to ban books from the library, has a tendency to dispense with people who think independently. She cannot tolerate an environment of ambiguity and difference. This is a woman who could and might very well be the next president of the United States . She would govern one of the most diverse populations on the earth.

Sarah believes in guns. She has her own custom Austrian hunting rifle. She has been known to kill 40 caribou at a clip. She has shot hundreds of wolves from the air.

Sarah believes in God. That is of course her right, her private right. But when God and Guns come together in the public sector, when war is declared in God's name, when the rights of women are denied in God's name, that is the end of separation of church and state and the undoing of everything America has ever tried to be.

I write to my sisters. I write because I believe we hold this election in our hands. This vote is a vote that will determine the future not just of the U.S. , but of the planet. It will determine whether we create policies to save the earth or make it forever uninhabitable for humans. It will determine whether we move towards dialogue and diplomacy in the world or whether we escalate violence through invasion, undermining and attack. It will determine whether we go for oil, strip mining, coal burning or invest our money in alternatives that will free us from dependency and destruction. It will determine if money gets spent on education and healthcare or whether we build more and more methods of killing. It will determine whether America is a free open tolerant society or a closed place of fear, fundamentalism and aggression.

If the Polar Bears don't move you to go and do everything in your power to get Obama elected then consider the chant that filled the hall after Palin spoke at the RNC, 'Drill baby, Drill.' I think of teeth when I think of drills. I think of rape. I think of destruction. I think of domination. I think of military exercises that force mindless repetition, emptying the brain of analysis, doubt, ambiguity or dissent. I think of pain.

Do we want a future of drilling? More holes in the ozone, in the floor of the sea, more holes in our thinking, in the trust between nations and peoples, more holes in the fabric of this precious thing we call life?

Eve Ensler
September 5, 2008

Knoxville in den Nachrichten

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick & Lydia) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 02:45:00 +0000

Ich vermute, dass die Neuigkeiten aus Knoxville in den internationalen Schlagzeilen angekommen sind - wahrscheinlich als Nebensatz, wenn man bedenkt, was noch gerade alles in der Welt los ist und unsere Aufmkersamkeit fordert. In dem kleinen Knoxville dominiert seit gestern aber ein Thema das Stadtgespraech: Gestern vormittag ist ein 58jaehriger hier in eine Kirche spaziert und hat waehrend einer Auffuehrung der Kinder-und Jugendgruppe in die Menge geschossen. 8 Menschen wurden verletzt, 2 toedlich, ehe der Angreifer von anderen Kirchenbesuchern ueberwaeltigt werden und der Polizei uebergeben werden konnte.

Im ersten Moment kommt einem da vielleicht der Gedanke "na klar, mal wieder ein Amoklauf in den USA...noch dazu in einer Kirche, wie passend" (ging mir auch so). Die Sache hier ist nur, dass diese Kirche zur Abwechslung das tat, was Kirchen meinem Verstaendnis nach tun sollten: Sie akzeptiert Menschen jeglicher Glaubensrichtungen, und es dreht sich alles um Akzeptanz, Gleichberechtigung und Naechstenliebe, die nicht nur gepredigt, sondern zur Abwechslung auch mal umgesetzt wird. Diese Kirche (Uniterian Universalists, eine landesweite Ausrichtung) ist eigentlich weniger eine Kirche und mehr ein Ort, an dem die zusammenkommen koennen, die Veraenderung wollen (sie gilt z.B. auch nicht als christlich, sondern als spiritueller Ort). Sie ist sehr aktiv im Umweltschutz, in Arbeit mit und fuer Minderheiten, in Freiwilligenarbeit, und in der Arbeit fuer die Gleichberechtigung Homosexueller (ein immer noch wahnsinnig grosses Problem fuer viele Amerikaner). Und genau da lag auch fuer diesen Mann das Problem. Es stellt sich heute heraus, dass das Motiv Hass auf Liberale und Homosexuelle war. Der gute Mensch war wohl ein Vietnam-Veteran und arbeitslos und als man ihm die Sozialhilfe gestrichen hat (was, das moechte ich anmerken, die Republikaner immer verlangen, da der Staat bitte nicht die Faulen fuettern soll) war der Frust so gross, dass das Schild an der Kirche, das Schwule zum woechentlichen Treffen einlud, das Fass zum Ueberlaufen brachte. Das ist erschreckend und beaengstigend auf so vielen Ebenen, ich weiss gar nicht wo ich anfangen soll. Und gerade als ich den Kopf wieder in den Sand stecken wollte, weil tatsaechlich Leute den Taeter als Maertyrer behandeln und auf Zeitungswebsiten seinen Akt loben, und weil wieder die Stimmen derer laut werden, die meinen, das Problem der Amoklaeufer koenne man ganz einfach dadurch loesen, dass man jedem eine Waffe gibt...gerade in dem Moment sind wir zu einem Gedaechtnisgottesdienst fuer die Opfer gegangen. Und zum ersten Mal hatte ich das Gefuehl, dass alle die, die etwas Verstand in Knoxville haben sich in einem Gebaeude versammelt hatten (wohlbemerkt eine Kirche, und nicht die Uni...raeusper, raeusper).

Das Land ist so gespalten und wenn man den falschen Fernseh- oder Radiosender anschaltet, dann kommt einem so viel Idiotie und Hass entgegen, das ist fuer europaeische Verhaeltnisse wirklich nicht vorstellbar. (Dagegen ist die Bild Zeitung journalistisch anspruchsvoll. ) Auch in den hoffnungsvolleren Zeiten eines afroamerikanischen Praesidentschaftskandidaten und einer Praesidentschaft auf deren Ende selbst nun 70% der Amerikaner hoffen und warten teilen sich die Meinungen zu Themen wir Erderwaermung, Klimawandel, Abtreibung, Homosexualitaet, Waffen, Gesundheitssystem und Krieg so sehr, dass beide Extreme voll ausgefuellt sind. Man kann in diesen Tagen in den USA nicht "nicht politisch" sein. Wie ich schon einmal berichtete ist die politische Einstellung fast zur zweiten Hautfarbe geworden...die Menschen tragen TShirts mit Spruechen, die ihre politischen Einstellungen wiedergeben, sie wohnen in anderen Stadtteilen und kaufen bei anderen Geschaeften ein, sie gehen in andere Kirchen, gucken andere Fernsehsender, hoeren andere Radiosender; sie fahren andere Autos und der Obama- oder Bush- oder McCain-Aufkleber am Auto ist so gut wie Pflicht.

Aber so unterentwickelt, zurueckgeblieben und unfassbar fuer mich die Meinungen einiger hier sind, so sehr muss man auch von denen berichten, die ein anderes Amerika wollen. Die keine Lust mehr auf Weltpolizeigetue haben, die keine Lust mehr auf Kriege und Luegen und hirnamputierte Praesidenten haben; die wissen, dass ein oeffentliches Gesundheitssystem dringend her muss, dass oeffentliche Verkehrsmittel gebaut werden muessen, dass in Bildung und alternative Energie investiert werden muss, dass Rassen- und Geschlechtsunterschiede vom System geschaffen und aufrecht erhalten werden, und und und. Bei allem Schock und allem Unverstaendnis habe ich heute abend hunderte allein hier in Knoxville (was durchaus als provinziell und konservativ gelten kann) gesehen, die ihr Land momentan auch schwer krank finden und hoffen, dass der kommende November drastische Veraenderungen und etwas Heilung bringt...

Geburtstage & Besuche

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick & Lydia) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:53:00 +0000

Ein kurzer Wochenrückblick in Stichworten & Fotos:

Geburtstage.
Mir ist in de letzten Wochen aufgefallen, dass Juli einer der geburtstagsintensivsten Monate ist. Jede Woche gab es ein paar Geburtstage von Nachbarn, Grosseltern (liebe Oma: herzlichen Glückwünsch an Dich heute!), Freunden, Bekannten, Geschwistern, und es gab sogar Neuankömmlinge (Janne: Herzlich willkommen!).
Einen dieser Geburtstage haben wir letzte Wochenende mit einem "Maskeradenball" gefeiert (siehe Fotos)...

Besuche.
Unsere Freunde Thunder & Emily (über denen wir in Nashville bis zu unserem Umzug gewohnt haben und die seit Januar stolze Eltern der kleinen Mya sind) haben uns am Wochenende besucht, was sehr nett war (und unser Haus mal wieder auf Babytauglichkeit getestet hat...Note: befriedigend). Knoxville ist klein genug um sich einen recht guten Überblick in wenigen Stunden (wenn überhaupt) zu verschaffen, so dass wir viel Zeit hatten ein paar neue Restaurants zu testen (Note: gut bis sehr gut) :) Hier ein paar Fotos:

Und noch einen wichtigen Besuch gab es diese Woche natuerlich: Barack Obama in Berlin. Schade, dass ich das nicht miterlebt habe...ist schon komisch Berlin hier ueberall in den Medien zu sehen und sich (mich) so weit weg zu wissen. Der Gedanke "Na, los, lass uns in die U Bahn und zum Brandenburger Tor fahren" kam automatisch und dann erst kam die Einsicht, dass ich momentan tausende von Kilometern von der nächsten UBahn entfernt bin. Was aber viel wichtiger ist ist die Tatsache, dass der Besuch Obamas von den Medien sehr gut aufgenommen wurde (wie es scheint). Das freut mich, da ich in den letzten Wochen vor allem in den deutschen Medien doch auch etwas Skepsis vernommen habe. Es scheint aber als wären sich die amerikanischen und deutschen Medien einig darin, dass Obama und seine Rede sehr gut aufgenommen wurden, dass er sehr charismatisch und professionell ist...und dass er vielleicht doch das Zeug zum Präsidenten hat. Hoffen wir, dass das die Mehrheit der Amerikaner im November auch so sieht.

Batman.
Ja, Batman. Auch die Nachrichten ueber diesen Wahnsinns-Kassenschlager habe ich ueberall gesehen und, jawohl, Patrick und ich waren am Montag abend auch im Kino nachdem alle Welt um uns herum zu den allerersten Mitternachtsvorstellungen war und geschwärmt hat. Zu Recht. Ich weiss nicht viel ueber Batman und konnte mich fuer vorherige Filme auch nie wirklich begeistern. Aber bei diesem muss man sagen, dass er zu Recht (sehr) gute Kritiken bekommt (Heath Ledger wird wirklich nicht umsonst fuer seine Darstellung des Jokers hoch gelobt). Ein sehr langer, aber keineswegs einseiger oder unbedingt vorhersehbarer Film. Wer nur ein kleines bisschen was fuer Batman uebrig hat, kann sich durchaus aufs Kino freuen.

Arbeit.
Alles beim Alten. Patrick schreibt an seiner Dissertation (er fliegt in einer Woche wieder nach Chicago um weiteres Material aus den Archiven auszugraben) und ich quaele mich mit meinem Sommerkurs in multivariater Statistik rum. So viele Hausaufgaben und Klausuren habe ich seit dem Abitur nicht mehr geschrieben. Dumm nur, dass ich an so manchen Tagen nicht das Gefuehl habe, auch analog viel zu verstehen. Bei der ganzen Arbeit ist der Sommer fast spurlos an uns vorbeigezogen, scheint es machmal. Ich kann kaum glauben, dass es schon Ende Juli ist und die eigentliche Uni offiziell wieder am 20.08. losgeht :(

Jetzt ist aber erst einmal Wochenende... auf bald...macht's gut!

4 more years? No, thanks.

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick & Lydia) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:57:00 +0000

Fotos, Fotos, Fotos

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick & Lydia) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 02:29:00 +0000

Endlich ein paar Fotos aus Knoxville, Chicago, vom Independence Day, und Haus & Garten:

1. Markt auf Knoxvilles Marktplatz am Samstag (mit Baby Violet, die etwas "badet", ihrer Mama Elly, und Patrick)

2. Chicago

3. Der 4. Juli

4. Haus, Hof & Ernte (man bestaune unser neues Beet...siehe roter Pfeil, meine neuen Backkünste...Rosmarin-Focaccia, und die wachsenden Pflanzen, samt Obst & Gemüsebeet)

Das deutsche Gesundheitssystem/ The German health care system

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick & Lydia) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 17:31:00 +0000

Hier ist ein Radiobeitrag, in dem das deutsche Gesundheitswesen als eines der besten weltweit gelobt wird. Bei allem, was man beklagen kann - im Vergleich zu dem mittlerweile katastrophalen Gesundheitssystem hier ist es verständlich, dass es hier von den Journalisten als Paradebeispiel eines guten Systems gelobt wird.

**************************

An NPR story about the German health care system. I used to think there were serious problems with it, but compared to what I've heard and seen in the States over the last three years, I think NPR is on to something here... Let's hope that November brings a change for the better in that area, too.

Independence Day

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick & Lydia) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 17:20:00 +0000

Wie ihr alle wisst ist heute der Lieblingsfeiertag der Amerikaner (oder zumindest einer derer). Ein Tag, an dem es überall Feuerwerke und Grillparties gibt. Wir grillen zwar nicht, aber werden im Kreise einiger Freunde uns die Bäuche vollschlagen und abends (sofern es nicht regnet) im Stadtpark wie alle anderen das Feuerwerk ansehen. Ich bin froh, dass es ein Freitag ist und ich somit einen extra Tag frei habe... die letzten Wochen waren sehr anstrengend. Ich war doof genug, einen Statistikkurs diesen Sommer zu belegen - jetzt schwitze ich 2x pro Woche für je 2h über multivariater Statistik, plus eine Wahninnsmenge an Hausaufgaben und Klausuren. Den Fehler werde ich in den kommenden Jahren wohl nicht mehr machen - der Sommer ist schliesslich auch zum Etwasfaulsein da. Der Kurs, den ich unterrichtet habe, ist jetzt glücklicherweise zu Ende - auch das hat sehr viel mehr Zeit in Anspruch genommen, als ich es gedacht und gehofft hätte. Jetzt ist damit bis Mitte August aber erst mal Ruhe - danach sind es dann wöchentlich 3 VL...besser als täglich eine. Letzte Woche waren Patrick, unsere Freundin Caroline und ich in Chicago zur Konferenz der Society for the Psychological Studies of Social Issues. Ich habe ein Poster vorgestellt und Caroline kam mit, weil wir das Programm anfangs sehr interessant fanden. Es stellte sich dann raus, dass das nicht immer der Fall war, bzw. dass es ein paar echt schlechte Vorträge gab, aber ein paar Tage in Chicago war die lange Reise in jedem Falle wert. Patrick hat in der Zwischenzeit in einem Archiv bei Chicago selbst ein bisschen für seine Dissertation nachgeforscht, so dass es unterm Strich ein paar ganz gute Tage für uns alle waren.

Soviel für den Moment... mehr später, hoffentlich mit ein paar Fotos unseres zweiten 4.Julis in Knoxville.

Here's what Knoxville's all about

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick & Lydia) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 22:19:00 +0000

And you thought Knoxville was just about mountains, crazy football fans, and hillbillies! Well, check out this recent New York Times article on how to spend 36 nice hours here. Granted, my big city bias initially made me silently wonder how one, as a tourist, could honestly spend a whole weekend here and not get bored. And though it sounds like most of the 36 hours were spent eating and the article makes Knoxville sound slightly bigger and more exciting than it really is (honestly, guys), it's a great piece that shows just how much there is to do and see here (and how many cool restaurants there are). So: Thank you, New York Times! I know what places I'll be checking out this summer...

first harvest/ erste Ernte

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick & Lydia) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 03:24:00 +0000

We returned to a yard full of sweet herbs, fruits, and vegetables. Naturally, we are very happy about this and feel encouraged to grow more of our own vegetables in the future. The radishes were ready to harvest, so were the strawberries and the herbs. In the meantime, our little lavender from last year has grown into a full-size adult lavender blooming in every direction and we've got zucchini, egg plant, parsnip, squash, onions, cantaloupe, tomatoes, raspberries, and hopefully soon also potatoes on the way.

back home

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick & Lydia) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 03:24:00 +0000

Sorry for the late post - we made it back home alright very (!) early Friday morning. We spent another great day in Mexico City on Wednesday. On Thursday we had breakfast and left for the airport, from where we took off to Houston, then Tampa, then Nashville (where we got at 11.30 pm local time) and driving to Knoxville. We finally pulled into our driveway at 2.30 am. House and garden were still standing and in good health (from what we could tell). Ben and Elly, our dear neighbors, took excellent care of both and we are very, very thankful for that. Now we've arrived, unpacked, done laundry, and caught up with friends. Tomorrow the life of teaching and being taught starts again (then again...I guess we really teach and are taught a little something every day, regardless of profession). All philosophy aside - I start teaching in the truest sense of the word tomorrow and Patrick has two days before he heads out to read this year's AP US History essays in Louisville for a week (and some monetary compensation, yes).

And because the working life has not yet started entirely, below are some more pics of Mexico City - a city, we conclude, that's vastly underrated. People try to make you believe it is a huge, ugly, dangerous, polluted place. While the first and last are true, the other two we think need to be qualified. We walked around the city day and night and took the metro - all of which were perfectly fine. As for ugly - it is loud and that's ugly somtimes, but the city itself certainly has a lot (!) to offer and we can only recommend you check it out when you're headed to Mexico.

Mexico City, one last time

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick & Lydia) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 02:02:00 +0000

Oaxaca coast

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick & Lydia) — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:09:00 +0000

Pochutla (above)

hanging out in hammocks (below)

swimming with sea turtles...

our favorite place to eat

the coast and our cabaña

Puebla & Oaxaca

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick & Lydia) — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:04:00 +0000

Back in Oaxaca

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick & Lydia) — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:57:00 +0000

Buenos dias!

So, we made it on the overnight bus - got here right on time this morning, actually 15 minutes early after a MUCH smoother ride. We both slept most of the way and apart from a few loud talkers the ride was really much smoother than any overnight flight or train ride I can remember. At this point, I think we can really honestly rave about the Mexican bus system. It is clean, affordable, comfortable, and safe. Truly an efficient way to get around, not just as a tourist (in fact, Mexicans seem to use the bus for long-distance travel a lot). Two thumbs up!
Now we're wondering through Oaxaca one last time (and spending time online, yes). Our flight back to Mexico City leaves at 7 pm and we'll get there at around 8.30 pm. That's really all for now. I'll try to upload some pictures now...

Adios...

No pain, no gain

noreply@blogger.com (Patrick & Lydia) — Mon, 26 May 2008 23:33:00 +0000

Hola everyone!

We made it to the beach on Friday...after a HORRIFYING, nauseating, awful drive through the mountains. 14 of us plus luggage crammed into a minivan for 5.5 hours, driving up and down the mountains at scary speeds on curvy roads with steep cliffs left and right for a good 3.5 of those hours (I kid you not!). About half way into the drive we both took a Dramamine (thank God, otherwise we would have puked, absolutely no doubt). I don't think I have been this sick to my stomach in a long, long, long, long time. So when we got off that "bus", we knew, come hell or high water, we would not take that same route back. No way. Alternatives included renting a car and doing it on our own time (no car rental agency here, though) or taking the big overnight bus that takes the much longer, but supposedly drives on less curvy roads. Well, the latter option won and now we are getting ready to get on that 9 hour bus ride. Yay. It had better be less curvy, because the only thing worse than driving up and down mountains is to do so at night. Yikes.

The bad drive, however, was all worth it when we got to the coast. The climate had changed drastically, everything was a lot more tropical (i.e. hot) and we could smell the ocean in the air. Pochutla, the little town in which the bus dropped us off is still a good 40 minutes away from the actual coastal towns of Mazunte, Zipolite, and San Agustinillo. Since we wanted to do it the backpacking way all the way, we ended up taking a camioneta...a pickup truck that has been rebuilt to seat about 15 people in its bed. It cost 1/10th of a taxi ride and was certainly an experience (pictures to follow as soon as we come by a faster internet connection.) Once we got to the beach we knew it had all been worth it. Our cabaña was right by (!) the beach, with hammocks to hang out in and not too many tourists around (though that area has been known as a key place for backpackers to hang out in the past). We spent three nights here and the days pretty much only at the beach and in and on the water. Exciting (and scary) events included a scorpion on Patrick's leg (he reacted quickly and brushed it off, with no harm to anyone), fishing on a small fishing boat, and swimming with sea turtles (Mazunte has a bis sea turtle museum and research center). Just hanging out in hammocks and reading was divine after all the running and driving around of the past two weeks and the Oaxacan coast is certainly a place I'd love to come back to...if only it weren't for the pain it took to get here (either way you take, it seems, everyone there was complaining about the same thing...).

Now we are, as mentioned, back on our way to Oaxaca, from where we fly back to Mexico City tomorrow night. We'll spend another day in Mexico City before flying back to Tampa and Nashville on Thursday.

For now wish us luck for the busride and we'll hopefully be back with a faster internet connection and pictures tomorrow from Oaxaca (where we also have a full day inbetween arriving and leaving again).

Adios!