travel
Here are some notes from traveling; I don't think I'm going to have enough time to get into what I've done since I got here, but rest assured, details are on the way. Short summary: this place is amazing. But you probably could've guessed that.
1005am, 5.sept.04, train from Kingston to New York
This train is cruising through some seriously beautiful parts of coastal RI. Old houses, marshes, and little salt water ponds with families of ducks floating in them. I have packed far too much shits, as usual. After spending a week sitting around with all my stuff scattered around my childhood bedroom, I have discovered this new attachment to my material belongings. And this, after hating life eternally while moving out of my apartment because I HAVE TOO MUCH STUFF GODFUCKINGDAMNIT. I've been rather sentimental lately. And moody.
11:22am
Things aren't pretty anymore. Connecticut is like a concrete armpit with brown-green pubes. Peeing on the train is an entertaining challenge, although this may only apply to males. Taking business class was a good idea: I have plenty of leg room and an outlet to plug my laptop into. I reorganized my ipod in the wake of the giant file swap conducted with Zach and Nicole, as well as the fact that I no longer need to have as much "normal" music to play at Espresso Royale. I am in the midst of the assigned reading for my program: The Magic Lantern: The Revolution of '89 Witnessed in Warsaw, Budapest, Berlin and Prague and Václav Havel's The Power of the Powerless. Both very interesting, although who knows if I'll finish before I get there. The fact that The Magic Lantern is about the 1989 "Velvet Revolution" is making Prague sound a lot more exciting than it can possibly be. I've decided this is good.
12:17am
New York, of course, is far worse than Connecticut.
between 6-7 hours later, somewhere over Nova Scotia
Whew. Travel is crazy. I did a lap around Madison Square Garden with all my freaking gear in tow, looking for the hotel where my car was to pick me up and take me to Kennedy airport. The drive to the airport was interesting. The driver was a real nice guy, foreign of course. When I said I study film he told me I should call him when I get back because he knows lots of good actors. We griped about the respective political conventions we had to deal with, and I think I bought him a coffee at the Dunkin' Donuts we stopped at, although he seemed to know the people behind the counter and perhaps he has one of those deals where he brings people like me in and thus receives his coffee for free.
I'm somewhat conflicted about the ride... It was a black-Lincoln-Towncar-and-driver-with-a-tie kind of deal. I felt very bourgeois, which was of course compounded by the fact that my father is paying for all this. I guess I should get used to it. My imperialist dollars will go a long way in Prague.
At the airport, I met six of the other people in my program. They all seem pretty intelligent and cool, and everyone is excited, obviously. Lots of the usual introduction-type stuff. I'm not the only one who hasn't finished the reading or started the paper we're supposed to write. I'm not going to say much about the girls (which is how I shall refer to them from now on--"the girls") because people have a habit of changing once you get to know them and I always fuck up snap judgements anyway. All I'm hoping for is to gain a couple of friends or at least have some decent people to hang out with.
Takeoff was sublime. Interesting view of Long Island from my window seat, and then--clouds! Clouds are great, and the texture of this overcast day was amazing when viewed from above. The relatively uniform cloudscape reminded me of a white desert--small grooves and undulations stretching out as far as I could see. Fascinating how the two different elements behave so similarly.
The clouds broke just in time for me to get a God's-eye view of Boston. Haha! I even spotted Warren Towers. Gave if a good stare as I cruised past. Goodbye, shithole! It was a beautifully poetic moment; I almost cried except then I remembered that I won't have to look at that ugly prison or serve coffee to the jerks who live in or around it for the next 4 months! Yes!
Lufthansa food is decent. I forgot I ordered the vegetarian meal and had the first of what I'm sure will be many awkward encounters with someone whose first language isn't English. Sorry German stewardess! I am an idiot. I got what was essentially a veggie burger served without a bun, with wild rice, some veggies, couscous, and some sort of bean salad. Not bad. Maggie said she didn't have a problem eating vegetarian during her summer program in Prague, so maybe that's one problem I won't have to worry about.
I felt sorta bad scarfing down my meal while everyone else waited, but then I realized that I finally found one advantage to being a vegetarian--you get your meals first on planes! Yes!
Speaking of Yes! all the drinks are free on these here international flights and the friendly and attractive squadren of German flight attendants practically try to drown you in the stuff. I was feeling some sorta malingering unease but then I got some red wine, my food, and a coffee and I'm ok. I'm rambling here but I can't get at the schoolwork in my bag until someone clears my tray. And I have to pee! Ack!
minutes later...
Hmm... I've got three empty cups here... and maybe if I borrowed one from the quiet Asian lady next to me... it's possible, very very possible...
6:40am German time, somewhere over England
That big glowy smudge down there is London!
7:55am German time
Farms are pretty.
8:20am, on the second plane, destination Prague
Gayest German flight attendant ever! Hilarious! Yes!
Tomorrow: Praha.
1005am, 5.sept.04, train from Kingston to New York
This train is cruising through some seriously beautiful parts of coastal RI. Old houses, marshes, and little salt water ponds with families of ducks floating in them. I have packed far too much shits, as usual. After spending a week sitting around with all my stuff scattered around my childhood bedroom, I have discovered this new attachment to my material belongings. And this, after hating life eternally while moving out of my apartment because I HAVE TOO MUCH STUFF GODFUCKINGDAMNIT. I've been rather sentimental lately. And moody.
11:22am
Things aren't pretty anymore. Connecticut is like a concrete armpit with brown-green pubes. Peeing on the train is an entertaining challenge, although this may only apply to males. Taking business class was a good idea: I have plenty of leg room and an outlet to plug my laptop into. I reorganized my ipod in the wake of the giant file swap conducted with Zach and Nicole, as well as the fact that I no longer need to have as much "normal" music to play at Espresso Royale. I am in the midst of the assigned reading for my program: The Magic Lantern: The Revolution of '89 Witnessed in Warsaw, Budapest, Berlin and Prague and Václav Havel's The Power of the Powerless. Both very interesting, although who knows if I'll finish before I get there. The fact that The Magic Lantern is about the 1989 "Velvet Revolution" is making Prague sound a lot more exciting than it can possibly be. I've decided this is good.
12:17am
New York, of course, is far worse than Connecticut.
between 6-7 hours later, somewhere over Nova Scotia
Whew. Travel is crazy. I did a lap around Madison Square Garden with all my freaking gear in tow, looking for the hotel where my car was to pick me up and take me to Kennedy airport. The drive to the airport was interesting. The driver was a real nice guy, foreign of course. When I said I study film he told me I should call him when I get back because he knows lots of good actors. We griped about the respective political conventions we had to deal with, and I think I bought him a coffee at the Dunkin' Donuts we stopped at, although he seemed to know the people behind the counter and perhaps he has one of those deals where he brings people like me in and thus receives his coffee for free.
I'm somewhat conflicted about the ride... It was a black-Lincoln-Towncar-and-driver-with-a-tie kind of deal. I felt very bourgeois, which was of course compounded by the fact that my father is paying for all this. I guess I should get used to it. My imperialist dollars will go a long way in Prague.
At the airport, I met six of the other people in my program. They all seem pretty intelligent and cool, and everyone is excited, obviously. Lots of the usual introduction-type stuff. I'm not the only one who hasn't finished the reading or started the paper we're supposed to write. I'm not going to say much about the girls (which is how I shall refer to them from now on--"the girls") because people have a habit of changing once you get to know them and I always fuck up snap judgements anyway. All I'm hoping for is to gain a couple of friends or at least have some decent people to hang out with.
Takeoff was sublime. Interesting view of Long Island from my window seat, and then--clouds! Clouds are great, and the texture of this overcast day was amazing when viewed from above. The relatively uniform cloudscape reminded me of a white desert--small grooves and undulations stretching out as far as I could see. Fascinating how the two different elements behave so similarly.
The clouds broke just in time for me to get a God's-eye view of Boston. Haha! I even spotted Warren Towers. Gave if a good stare as I cruised past. Goodbye, shithole! It was a beautifully poetic moment; I almost cried except then I remembered that I won't have to look at that ugly prison or serve coffee to the jerks who live in or around it for the next 4 months! Yes!
Lufthansa food is decent. I forgot I ordered the vegetarian meal and had the first of what I'm sure will be many awkward encounters with someone whose first language isn't English. Sorry German stewardess! I am an idiot. I got what was essentially a veggie burger served without a bun, with wild rice, some veggies, couscous, and some sort of bean salad. Not bad. Maggie said she didn't have a problem eating vegetarian during her summer program in Prague, so maybe that's one problem I won't have to worry about.
I felt sorta bad scarfing down my meal while everyone else waited, but then I realized that I finally found one advantage to being a vegetarian--you get your meals first on planes! Yes!
Speaking of Yes! all the drinks are free on these here international flights and the friendly and attractive squadren of German flight attendants practically try to drown you in the stuff. I was feeling some sorta malingering unease but then I got some red wine, my food, and a coffee and I'm ok. I'm rambling here but I can't get at the schoolwork in my bag until someone clears my tray. And I have to pee! Ack!
minutes later...
Hmm... I've got three empty cups here... and maybe if I borrowed one from the quiet Asian lady next to me... it's possible, very very possible...
6:40am German time, somewhere over England
That big glowy smudge down there is London!
7:55am German time
Farms are pretty.
8:20am, on the second plane, destination Prague
Gayest German flight attendant ever! Hilarious! Yes!
Tomorrow: Praha.
posted by anonymous listener at 2:45 PM
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