I ask the hotel for a taxi… sure.. No problem. 1300 ruples. I hail one on the street and snag him for 1000 ruples… about $16 less. Go Nolando. Always good at hustling…. Always good at making my flights on time… NOT SO MUCH!
I finally arrive at the St Petersburg airport after a nice scenic 1.5 hour drive from the city center. 20 km away. Traffic here is horrific… think LA at Rush Hour… and then it is that bad but forever. Km after km.. bumper to bumper.. weaving in and out.. in and out and we are making progress. I am in the back reading Alan Greenspan – Ironically learning about the Russian and South American economies. Free Markets and Populist leaders. The taxi stops. Driver tells me something in Russian… gets out – goes to the trunk – dons a glove and grabs a screwdriver… The hood comes up.. a little mechanic work and some strong Russian words – gets the Lada back into shape. Driver gets back into the car, smiles, and off we go again. No clue what that was about… but ok… We laugh and it’s all good.
Only problem… traffic makes me miss my flight. Taxi driver drops me off at Terminal 1. Aeroflot leaves from Terminal 2. Oops. I show him my ticket – in English of course… he says he understands – but obviously not. I walk into terminal 1 with a bad feeling – No Aeroflot signs. No check in…I wander around – asking everyone – no English.. then a British Airways gal tells me I am at the Wrong Airport. No problem.. Terminal 2 is less than 20 minutes away by Taxi. Great.. More $$$. No problem! I hunt my original taxi guy down outside – tell him to take me to terminal 2. Back to the lovely traffic. Wait, wait, wait.. Wait for it!!! I finally arrive at Terminal 2 in 25 minutes. Now less than 30 minutes to catch my flight. I am fucked!
I left about 2.5 hours early… Knowing it will take me at least an hour to go 20 km with all of the traffic. I arrive to the airport and they only speak RUSSIAN. My gate is closed for some reason.. the Aeroflot office is closed… the administrator of the airport… she only speaks Russian… Tourist information. Nope. Not here. Help desk.. yeah right. In Russia? Flight information.. sure… speak Russian? Nope. Big Surprise there! The younger people do speak Russian and quite well. But it has been my experience that it is far and few between.
So I finally find a young Russian girl and she sells me a ticket to Moscow for $150 USD. But to a different airport in Moscow… not my original airport. Always nice to buy a ticket to the same place twice. Well… a different airport so maybe not the same place. I am sure I will have a good story upon my arrival. Especially since I have no clue where I am going. Can I log into the airport WIFI – sure. But the instructions are in Russian.
I am notorious for missing my flights – but I think that I have finally learned my lesson. This sucks and I want to be soooooooooooo mad. But I can’t. I am so angry but I am laughing at myself. I am learning patience – I am learning to deal with difficulty and humility. I would consider myself a very seasoned traveler.. but I have to admit that Russia has been the most difficult country I have traveled in. From getting a visa, to language, to eating, to finding a place to go out… It has been an amazing learning experience – frustrating… yes but also rewarding. You bet. There is a reason for this… I just do not know it yet.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
ST PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
St Petersburg, Russia
Day 1… Shitty
I arrived this am – the airport is tiny for such a large city. No one speaks English and everything is in Russian – I am lost. Big time… I finally catch a cab – started at 1800 ruples… talked the guy down to 1000 after about 45 minutes – still probably getting taken advantage of. And off we go – and lovely yellow ford of some type. As we travel down the highway – my first sight some very old Russian automobiles and nuclear power cooling towers - as the steam cools in the cold morning air I get my first taste of St Petersburg driving. Normally there is some type of order when it comes to driving… lanes are nicely separated, lines are painted on the asphalt – some type of respect of give and take. Not so much… In Russia that does not exist. From having a 3 and 4 lane rush to get onto the freeway, taxi drivers barreling down the shoulder, weaving in and out of traffic in a desperate race to reach the city first. As we wait, and wait, and wait some more in bumper to bumper traffic – I look to my right just in time to see people leaping off the sidewalk as a black Range Rover races by… 2 minutes later – a Nissan Maxima follows in its footsteps.
As I arrive in my hostel – I am a little concerned. Very, very bad neighborhood – trash everywhere – and then when I finally get in… signs everywhere not to drink the water… I have to boil it first. Oh… and don’t leave anything of value in your room. I am supposed to use the hostel safe. I am also welcome to use the community shower – think high school locker rooms with no dividers between shower stalls. Internet… yeah right. Don’t even think about it. After receiving my set of 27 year old tattered sheets I head up the four flights of stairs to my star room – with a 3 inch mattress – peeling walls, and probably the nastiest bathrooms I have ever seen. 2 toilets for the entire floor. I accidently peek on some fat hairy foreigner in the shower… oops… I get yelled at in some foreign language and peace out cub scout.. Nolando loads up the backpack with valuables and hits the street. After my leisurely 4 mile walk to civilization I find the tourist office.. nope… No English. So I head to the water – hop on a boat.. . go to some Island… no clue where I am going… what I am doing, etc… They ask me in Russian – I nod… I have a ticket to some place… then after a 30 minute boat ride I watch St. Petersburg disappear in the smog and pollution and arrive at some sanctuary… again… nothing is in English so I have no clue what I am looking at. It is nature – some museum of sleighs… (yeah… like santa drives in the winter) and lots of water features, statues, gardens, etc..…..
After waiting 2 hours for the boat to come back I begin my blog, watching the sun set, the waves lapping at the sides of the boat and my mind wondering about my day – processing…thinking… and searching for meaning.
After my boat ride I return to Saint Petersburg and find a hotel. $300 a night.. but the city is sold out… and right now… all I want is someone who speaks English, a comfy bed, and some food.
I go out for 2 beers…Wednesday night.. town is dead.
Day 2 and 3
Shitty…but not as bad. Only the morning was frustrating. And… that is part of the experience. Went shopping for a power adapter – after being directed from place, to place, to place… I finally found one. Nothing like a little show and tell. I show you the power adapter.. and you tell me if you have one by nodding your head yes or no.
I want to blog a bit about language and communication… Especially being a psychologist – language and communication are very different. Language, I think; is perhaps our most important asset as a human being. Communication, in my viewpoint, implies understanding. Language, of some sort, transcends across all cultures. Unfortunately, understanding (I.e. communication) does not always follow.
Lets give an example. Привет – do you know what that means? Try Hello. Pronounced ‘PreeVYet’ with lots of rolling r’s. I do not even see an ‘r’ in there… but ok. I remember reading a quote somewhere: “ If you can speak three languages you're trilingual. If you can speak two languages you're bilingual. If you can speak only one language you're an American.” How true is this? Russian has never even been offered at any institution of learning that I have attended. Neither has Chinese – yet these nations are both Superpowers. And they are heavily populated with some of the most brilliant people on earth. Why are these languages not offered? Is it a way to keep power in check? Are there economic or government reasons? If you cannot speak the language of another can you truly learn about their experiences? Their culture… their opinions, viewpoints...
If you cannot communicate then you cannot change a viewpoint. Communication is the key to pedagogy and learning. It is how we develop our identity and form stereotypes. Is language the great separator? Maybe even more powerful than money, skin color, race, gender, sex, or class? .Perhaps it communication and understanding that keeps people apart – creates the great divide and holds back competing viewpoints, ideas, and experiences. Language is the most imperfect, confusing, ambiguous, and expensive means yet discovered for communicating thought, feelings in hopes of making some meaning of the world.
There is an amazing little spot on the 5th floor of a shopping mall – called Seven Sky bar. It is very cool, hip, and modern. It is here that I had my first conversation about Russia. Anna is a very beautiful IT consultant for a Trust Bank in St Petersburg. We talked about economics, culture, Russia, USA, and even the conflict in Georgia. I think Media is such an interesting medium. Again.. not language but communication. Most of the media in the Russian Federation is state run and controlled. Even though Russians have great freedoms of speech and the Russian Federation is a democracy the government still has tremendous controls. The story that we in the American media got about Georigia is radically different than the story the Russians got. In essence – Georgia was once a part of USSR. Then with the Russian Federation and fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 – became its own country. There is an area within Georgia – Ostensia which wants to separate from Georgia. There has been conflict with this area and the Georgian government. Keep in mind the Georgian government has thrown million and millions of dollars in lobbying money at Bush. It turns out that Georgia sent its troops this area – there was some fighting and then Russia sent their army to fight the Georgians.
Yesterday was actually a great day. I saw almost all of the sights of St Petersburg and it is truly an amazing city. Undeniably beautiful, old, romantic…the city is crisscrossed by several canals – and it is called by some the Venice of the North. No, no gondolas but hoards of tourist boats. The interesting thing – is not much has changed. There are very few new buildings here. The highest building is 5 stories – since nothing can be taller than the old royal palace. No modern hotels or sky scrapers, no intricate glass and steel – just basic concrete block design with some modern interior touches.
Day 3 was the Hermitage Museum.. think the Met in New York or the Louvre in Paris. It was that good and that beautiful. See the posted pics… the artwork and the building in and of itself were amazing.
Day 1… Shitty
I arrived this am – the airport is tiny for such a large city. No one speaks English and everything is in Russian – I am lost. Big time… I finally catch a cab – started at 1800 ruples… talked the guy down to 1000 after about 45 minutes – still probably getting taken advantage of. And off we go – and lovely yellow ford of some type. As we travel down the highway – my first sight some very old Russian automobiles and nuclear power cooling towers - as the steam cools in the cold morning air I get my first taste of St Petersburg driving. Normally there is some type of order when it comes to driving… lanes are nicely separated, lines are painted on the asphalt – some type of respect of give and take. Not so much… In Russia that does not exist. From having a 3 and 4 lane rush to get onto the freeway, taxi drivers barreling down the shoulder, weaving in and out of traffic in a desperate race to reach the city first. As we wait, and wait, and wait some more in bumper to bumper traffic – I look to my right just in time to see people leaping off the sidewalk as a black Range Rover races by… 2 minutes later – a Nissan Maxima follows in its footsteps.
As I arrive in my hostel – I am a little concerned. Very, very bad neighborhood – trash everywhere – and then when I finally get in… signs everywhere not to drink the water… I have to boil it first. Oh… and don’t leave anything of value in your room. I am supposed to use the hostel safe. I am also welcome to use the community shower – think high school locker rooms with no dividers between shower stalls. Internet… yeah right. Don’t even think about it. After receiving my set of 27 year old tattered sheets I head up the four flights of stairs to my star room – with a 3 inch mattress – peeling walls, and probably the nastiest bathrooms I have ever seen. 2 toilets for the entire floor. I accidently peek on some fat hairy foreigner in the shower… oops… I get yelled at in some foreign language and peace out cub scout.. Nolando loads up the backpack with valuables and hits the street. After my leisurely 4 mile walk to civilization I find the tourist office.. nope… No English. So I head to the water – hop on a boat.. . go to some Island… no clue where I am going… what I am doing, etc… They ask me in Russian – I nod… I have a ticket to some place… then after a 30 minute boat ride I watch St. Petersburg disappear in the smog and pollution and arrive at some sanctuary… again… nothing is in English so I have no clue what I am looking at. It is nature – some museum of sleighs… (yeah… like santa drives in the winter) and lots of water features, statues, gardens, etc..…..
After waiting 2 hours for the boat to come back I begin my blog, watching the sun set, the waves lapping at the sides of the boat and my mind wondering about my day – processing…thinking… and searching for meaning.
After my boat ride I return to Saint Petersburg and find a hotel. $300 a night.. but the city is sold out… and right now… all I want is someone who speaks English, a comfy bed, and some food.
I go out for 2 beers…Wednesday night.. town is dead.
Day 2 and 3
Shitty…but not as bad. Only the morning was frustrating. And… that is part of the experience. Went shopping for a power adapter – after being directed from place, to place, to place… I finally found one. Nothing like a little show and tell. I show you the power adapter.. and you tell me if you have one by nodding your head yes or no.
I want to blog a bit about language and communication… Especially being a psychologist – language and communication are very different. Language, I think; is perhaps our most important asset as a human being. Communication, in my viewpoint, implies understanding. Language, of some sort, transcends across all cultures. Unfortunately, understanding (I.e. communication) does not always follow.
Lets give an example. Привет – do you know what that means? Try Hello. Pronounced ‘PreeVYet’ with lots of rolling r’s. I do not even see an ‘r’ in there… but ok. I remember reading a quote somewhere: “ If you can speak three languages you're trilingual. If you can speak two languages you're bilingual. If you can speak only one language you're an American.” How true is this? Russian has never even been offered at any institution of learning that I have attended. Neither has Chinese – yet these nations are both Superpowers. And they are heavily populated with some of the most brilliant people on earth. Why are these languages not offered? Is it a way to keep power in check? Are there economic or government reasons? If you cannot speak the language of another can you truly learn about their experiences? Their culture… their opinions, viewpoints...
If you cannot communicate then you cannot change a viewpoint. Communication is the key to pedagogy and learning. It is how we develop our identity and form stereotypes. Is language the great separator? Maybe even more powerful than money, skin color, race, gender, sex, or class? .Perhaps it communication and understanding that keeps people apart – creates the great divide and holds back competing viewpoints, ideas, and experiences. Language is the most imperfect, confusing, ambiguous, and expensive means yet discovered for communicating thought, feelings in hopes of making some meaning of the world.
There is an amazing little spot on the 5th floor of a shopping mall – called Seven Sky bar. It is very cool, hip, and modern. It is here that I had my first conversation about Russia. Anna is a very beautiful IT consultant for a Trust Bank in St Petersburg. We talked about economics, culture, Russia, USA, and even the conflict in Georgia. I think Media is such an interesting medium. Again.. not language but communication. Most of the media in the Russian Federation is state run and controlled. Even though Russians have great freedoms of speech and the Russian Federation is a democracy the government still has tremendous controls. The story that we in the American media got about Georigia is radically different than the story the Russians got. In essence – Georgia was once a part of USSR. Then with the Russian Federation and fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 – became its own country. There is an area within Georgia – Ostensia which wants to separate from Georgia. There has been conflict with this area and the Georgian government. Keep in mind the Georgian government has thrown million and millions of dollars in lobbying money at Bush. It turns out that Georgia sent its troops this area – there was some fighting and then Russia sent their army to fight the Georgians.
Yesterday was actually a great day. I saw almost all of the sights of St Petersburg and it is truly an amazing city. Undeniably beautiful, old, romantic…the city is crisscrossed by several canals – and it is called by some the Venice of the North. No, no gondolas but hoards of tourist boats. The interesting thing – is not much has changed. There are very few new buildings here. The highest building is 5 stories – since nothing can be taller than the old royal palace. No modern hotels or sky scrapers, no intricate glass and steel – just basic concrete block design with some modern interior touches.
Day 3 was the Hermitage Museum.. think the Met in New York or the Louvre in Paris. It was that good and that beautiful. See the posted pics… the artwork and the building in and of itself were amazing.
RIGA, Latvia
RIGA, LATVIA
A small town - but the largest city in Latvia. The Baltic countries are amazingly beautiful - the Baltics include the countries of Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia. All of these countries were once part of the USSR before the Berlin Wall fall and the Iron Curtain was lifted. The landscape is amazing – each country has approximately 40 % forest – everything is very green – and there is evidence that autumn has arrived with cold wind, sun and stark temperatures, and colorful leaves. The stylish Europeans are out – scarves, high boots, gloves, and hats… I am envious that I am living out of a small carryon bag with no room for anything except my American t-shirts and 2 pairs of jeans.
The biggest surprise that I have encountered is the tragedies and experiences of the Baltic people. Each country was formerly occupied by Russia and the atrocities, genocide, death, and destruction resulting from Russian occupation leaves a very serious mark. Old soviet style block buildings sit amidst newer sky scrapers. Square, concrete, dark… many in desperate need of repair. In Lithuania and Latvia the architecture rivals that of Prague. Art Noveau is the theme – think old Victorian houses in San Francisco but better. Lion heads, Greek Gods and varying shades of pink, purple, orange, brown, and grey line the streets. Trollies from the 1950’s line the streets and it seems that every town has an old KGB headquarters. Riga was no different – but they had even more… Riga is home to the Museum of occupation - giving a detailed account of what Russia has left behind.
I remember on my first trip to Europe when I visited the old German concentration camp Dachau…. Hundred of thousands of people died here in the furnaces and gas chambers. You enter the camp through the original iron gate that every prisoner and victim of the holocaust passed through… the words “Albiet Mach Frei’ – work will set you free – coldly incscribed in in Iron stare you in the face. As you enter the museum of occupation you are met with a similar feeling. Your stomach coming up through your throat – detailed accounts of people being loaded into train cars… shipped off to work camps and never being seen again. The uniforms worn by the people of Jewish faith… the infamous star… you ticket to death, pain, suffering, and difference. The thing that strikes me most is that these atrocities are not much older than 50 years… Neither are civil rights in the USA. Try that on for size…
Anytime you travel I think you cannot help but think about stereotypes or compare. It is so interesting when people tell me that I am not like other Americans. How so… I find it comical that we have a preconceived notion about someone – before they even open their mouths. And how often are those preconceived ideologies true. How are they formed? How are they broken… how are they reformed?
A small town - but the largest city in Latvia. The Baltic countries are amazingly beautiful - the Baltics include the countries of Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia. All of these countries were once part of the USSR before the Berlin Wall fall and the Iron Curtain was lifted. The landscape is amazing – each country has approximately 40 % forest – everything is very green – and there is evidence that autumn has arrived with cold wind, sun and stark temperatures, and colorful leaves. The stylish Europeans are out – scarves, high boots, gloves, and hats… I am envious that I am living out of a small carryon bag with no room for anything except my American t-shirts and 2 pairs of jeans.
The biggest surprise that I have encountered is the tragedies and experiences of the Baltic people. Each country was formerly occupied by Russia and the atrocities, genocide, death, and destruction resulting from Russian occupation leaves a very serious mark. Old soviet style block buildings sit amidst newer sky scrapers. Square, concrete, dark… many in desperate need of repair. In Lithuania and Latvia the architecture rivals that of Prague. Art Noveau is the theme – think old Victorian houses in San Francisco but better. Lion heads, Greek Gods and varying shades of pink, purple, orange, brown, and grey line the streets. Trollies from the 1950’s line the streets and it seems that every town has an old KGB headquarters. Riga was no different – but they had even more… Riga is home to the Museum of occupation - giving a detailed account of what Russia has left behind.
I remember on my first trip to Europe when I visited the old German concentration camp Dachau…. Hundred of thousands of people died here in the furnaces and gas chambers. You enter the camp through the original iron gate that every prisoner and victim of the holocaust passed through… the words “Albiet Mach Frei’ – work will set you free – coldly incscribed in in Iron stare you in the face. As you enter the museum of occupation you are met with a similar feeling. Your stomach coming up through your throat – detailed accounts of people being loaded into train cars… shipped off to work camps and never being seen again. The uniforms worn by the people of Jewish faith… the infamous star… you ticket to death, pain, suffering, and difference. The thing that strikes me most is that these atrocities are not much older than 50 years… Neither are civil rights in the USA. Try that on for size…
Anytime you travel I think you cannot help but think about stereotypes or compare. It is so interesting when people tell me that I am not like other Americans. How so… I find it comical that we have a preconceived notion about someone – before they even open their mouths. And how often are those preconceived ideologies true. How are they formed? How are they broken… how are they reformed?
Sunday, September 21, 2008
FACADE
FAÇADE
So… I really took some time to think today. Me… alone… nothing but water, nature, and the elements above and around me. One thing that I truly love is the questioning of viewpoints. Ahh….the wonderful question of why. Why do we believe the way we do? How do our ideas become so subscribed that they show up continually and never change? Are we addicted to our beliefs much like our weekly TV shows and daily routines? Is it that we fear change or is it that immense a challenge to re-evaluate ourselves and our relationships?
One of my toughest Critics is Dr. Mary Maples. She is like a mother to me and is probably harder on me that anyone ever has been. She cuts to the point and lays it out – and sometimes it is literally enough to lay you out! She once told me that I needed to drop my façade – that I wasn’t as cool or as tough as I think I am. The way she said it crushed me – it bruised my ego – and god… did I hate her for this – but only for a moment. After I scurried away like a wounded animal – I went in my hole to die – or shall I say be reborn.
I am currently reading Alan Greenspan’s book – the Age of Turbulence – which lays out the economic history not only of America but that of the World and how the flattening effects of technology are changing the landscape forever. What can an Economist teach us about personal growth? Quite a bit actually… much like economies, people prosper and fail. Greenspan writes:
“The evidence suggests that rising incomes do raise happiness, but only up to a point in time. Beyond the point at which basic needs are met, happiness is a relative stat that, over the long run, is largely detached from e3conmic growth. The evidence shows it is determined mainly by how we view our lives and accomplishments relative to those of our peers. As prosperity spreads, or perhaps even as a result of its spread, many people fear competition and change that threaten their sense of status, which is critical to their self esteem. Happiness depends far more on how peoples incomes compare with those of their perceived peers, or even those of their role models, than on how they are doing in any absolute material sense”
How do we then measure success? Obviously those who are very successful in the working sense are greatly rewarded financially. The best sales people make the most. The best leader (theoretically) should by the president or CEO.
A couple of things….
I think:
The world is generally speaking – insecure. People depend on others – we need others to complete ourselves.
American culture is tied to success, ego, and image.
A couple of confessions:
Until the tumultuous downtown of our economy I identified too much with my success. Namely my monetary / investment success and my performance in the financial market at work.
I am full of shit. Yeah… I know a lot about a lot of things but I am not the expert. However – I am the pro of ‘fake it – till you make it’.
I try way too hard to impress people. My accomplishments are just that.. my accomplishments. The rest of the world does not need to know where I went to school, the type of car I drive, my GPA, or the stories of my success. They do, however, need to know that I am genuine, cultured, accepting, and a good person.
So… I really took some time to think today. Me… alone… nothing but water, nature, and the elements above and around me. One thing that I truly love is the questioning of viewpoints. Ahh….the wonderful question of why. Why do we believe the way we do? How do our ideas become so subscribed that they show up continually and never change? Are we addicted to our beliefs much like our weekly TV shows and daily routines? Is it that we fear change or is it that immense a challenge to re-evaluate ourselves and our relationships?
One of my toughest Critics is Dr. Mary Maples. She is like a mother to me and is probably harder on me that anyone ever has been. She cuts to the point and lays it out – and sometimes it is literally enough to lay you out! She once told me that I needed to drop my façade – that I wasn’t as cool or as tough as I think I am. The way she said it crushed me – it bruised my ego – and god… did I hate her for this – but only for a moment. After I scurried away like a wounded animal – I went in my hole to die – or shall I say be reborn.
I am currently reading Alan Greenspan’s book – the Age of Turbulence – which lays out the economic history not only of America but that of the World and how the flattening effects of technology are changing the landscape forever. What can an Economist teach us about personal growth? Quite a bit actually… much like economies, people prosper and fail. Greenspan writes:
“The evidence suggests that rising incomes do raise happiness, but only up to a point in time. Beyond the point at which basic needs are met, happiness is a relative stat that, over the long run, is largely detached from e3conmic growth. The evidence shows it is determined mainly by how we view our lives and accomplishments relative to those of our peers. As prosperity spreads, or perhaps even as a result of its spread, many people fear competition and change that threaten their sense of status, which is critical to their self esteem. Happiness depends far more on how peoples incomes compare with those of their perceived peers, or even those of their role models, than on how they are doing in any absolute material sense”
How do we then measure success? Obviously those who are very successful in the working sense are greatly rewarded financially. The best sales people make the most. The best leader (theoretically) should by the president or CEO.
A couple of things….
I think:
The world is generally speaking – insecure. People depend on others – we need others to complete ourselves.
American culture is tied to success, ego, and image.
A couple of confessions:
Until the tumultuous downtown of our economy I identified too much with my success. Namely my monetary / investment success and my performance in the financial market at work.
I am full of shit. Yeah… I know a lot about a lot of things but I am not the expert. However – I am the pro of ‘fake it – till you make it’.
I try way too hard to impress people. My accomplishments are just that.. my accomplishments. The rest of the world does not need to know where I went to school, the type of car I drive, my GPA, or the stories of my success. They do, however, need to know that I am genuine, cultured, accepting, and a good person.
FACADE
FAÇADE
So… I really took some time to think today. Me… alone… nothing but water, nature, and the elements above and around me. One thing that I truly love is the questioning of viewpoints. Ahh….the wonderful question of why. Why do we believe the way we do? How do our ideas become so subscribed that they show up continually and never change? Are we addicted to our beliefs much like our weekly TV shows and daily routines? Is it that we fear change or is it that immense a challenge to re-evaluate ourselves and our relationships?
One of my toughest Critics is Dr. Mary Maples. She is like a mother to me and is probably harder on me that anyone ever has been. She cuts to the point and lays it out – and sometimes it is literally enough to lay you out! She once told me that I needed to drop my façade – that I wasn’t as cool or as tough as I think I am. The way she said it crushed me – it bruised my ego – and god… did I hate her for this – but only for a moment. After I scurried away like a wounded animal – I went in my hole to die – or shall I say be reborn.
I am currently reading Alan Greenspan’s book – the Age of Turbulence – which lays out the economic history not only of America but that of the World and how the flattening effects of technology are changing the landscape forever. What can an Economist teach us about personal growth? Quite a bit actually… much like economies, people prosper and fail. Greenspan writes:
“The evidence suggests that rising incomes do raise happiness, but only up to a point in time. Beyond the point at which basic needs are met, happiness is a relative stat that, over the long run, is largely detached from e3conmic growth. The evidence shows it is determined mainly by how we view our lives and accomplishments relative to those of our peers. As prosperity spreads, or perhaps even as a result of its spread, many people fear competition and change that threaten their sense of status, which is critical to their self esteem. Happiness depends far more on how peoples incomes compare with those of their perceived peers, or even those of their role models, than on how they are doing in any absolute material sense”
How do we then measure success? Obviously those who are very successful in the working sense are greatly rewarded financially. The best sales people make the most. The best leader (theoretically) should by the president or CEO.
A couple of things….
I think:
The world is generally speaking – insecure. People depend on others – we need others to complete ourselves.
American culture is tied to success, ego, and image.
A couple of confessions:
Until the tumultuous downtown of our economy I identified too much with my success. Namely my monetary / investment success and my performance in the financial market at work.
I am full of shit. Yeah… I know a lot about a lot of things but I am not the expert. However – I am the pro of ‘fake it – till you make it’.
I try way too hard to impress people. My accomplishments are just that.. my accomplishments. The rest of the world does not need to know where I went to school, the type of car I drive, my GPA, or the stories of my success. They do, however, need to know that I am genuine, cultured, accepting, and a good person.
So… I really took some time to think today. Me… alone… nothing but water, nature, and the elements above and around me. One thing that I truly love is the questioning of viewpoints. Ahh….the wonderful question of why. Why do we believe the way we do? How do our ideas become so subscribed that they show up continually and never change? Are we addicted to our beliefs much like our weekly TV shows and daily routines? Is it that we fear change or is it that immense a challenge to re-evaluate ourselves and our relationships?
One of my toughest Critics is Dr. Mary Maples. She is like a mother to me and is probably harder on me that anyone ever has been. She cuts to the point and lays it out – and sometimes it is literally enough to lay you out! She once told me that I needed to drop my façade – that I wasn’t as cool or as tough as I think I am. The way she said it crushed me – it bruised my ego – and god… did I hate her for this – but only for a moment. After I scurried away like a wounded animal – I went in my hole to die – or shall I say be reborn.
I am currently reading Alan Greenspan’s book – the Age of Turbulence – which lays out the economic history not only of America but that of the World and how the flattening effects of technology are changing the landscape forever. What can an Economist teach us about personal growth? Quite a bit actually… much like economies, people prosper and fail. Greenspan writes:
“The evidence suggests that rising incomes do raise happiness, but only up to a point in time. Beyond the point at which basic needs are met, happiness is a relative stat that, over the long run, is largely detached from e3conmic growth. The evidence shows it is determined mainly by how we view our lives and accomplishments relative to those of our peers. As prosperity spreads, or perhaps even as a result of its spread, many people fear competition and change that threaten their sense of status, which is critical to their self esteem. Happiness depends far more on how peoples incomes compare with those of their perceived peers, or even those of their role models, than on how they are doing in any absolute material sense”
How do we then measure success? Obviously those who are very successful in the working sense are greatly rewarded financially. The best sales people make the most. The best leader (theoretically) should by the president or CEO.
A couple of things….
I think:
The world is generally speaking – insecure. People depend on others – we need others to complete ourselves.
American culture is tied to success, ego, and image.
A couple of confessions:
Until the tumultuous downtown of our economy I identified too much with my success. Namely my monetary / investment success and my performance in the financial market at work.
I am full of shit. Yeah… I know a lot about a lot of things but I am not the expert. However – I am the pro of ‘fake it – till you make it’.
I try way too hard to impress people. My accomplishments are just that.. my accomplishments. The rest of the world does not need to know where I went to school, the type of car I drive, my GPA, or the stories of my success. They do, however, need to know that I am genuine, cultured, accepting, and a good person.
NORWAY (DRAFT)
Norway
Cold, cloudy, and beautiful. Both the landscape and the people. Oslo reminds me of British Columbia / Vancouver in Canada. Super clean, very modern, diverse, and eco conscious. Oslo is actually a smaller city – only about 500,000 but there are many small towns around Oslo that make it one of Europe’s largest capitals. Things are crazy expensive here – try $10 for a Heineken!!! You only live once right – so drink away.
I have learned so much here – Oslo has the Parisian charm – quaint little café’s complete with red lights, awnings, and blankets. It is a city that is immensely focused on art, culture, theatre, and music. The Norwegian people however are quiet. They are not super outgoing and the only people I have really met here are all Spanish.
Things I have done in Norway….
Went to the Opera – the Opera House is a work of Art. It is perhaps one of the most amazing buildings I have ever seen! It certainly gives the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain a run for its money in terms of sleek lines, glass, and its surrounding environment. I saw an amazing Ballet – TORNERROSE in Norwegian. Not sure what it means in English but I think it was Sleeping Beauty. It is truly Amazing – the costumes were so impressive and the grace and passion of the dancers was mesmerizing and immeasurable.
Before that I spent 2 hours at the Nobel Peace prize museum. Norway is actually the country that lays fame to this infamous prize. The exhibit on display is something that I feel very passionate about. They had these small 8x8 cubicles set up. 4 walls and a TV screen on each wall. In the middle sits one small stool. Before you enter there is a placard telling you about a country – Indonesia, India, Venezuela, and Kenya. It tells you about the myriad problems the country has – poverty, aids, crime, etc… The screens come to life with vivid images of poverty, squalor, pollution, and the lives of the people who live there. Each side of your cubicle comes to life and then people in broken English tell you there story – and share their homes with you. Living in a shanty town – under a bridge, in a cardboard box… Working 18 hour days, constantly having to leave their home due to weather or government eviction and sharing the same space with up to 16 members of their family with no electricity, open sewers, and no running water.
Visiting this museum reminds me of why I travel – awareness. I think awareness is the biggest and best attribute we have as human beings. I also believe awareness is the most overlooked. So many people go to school for only the education necessary to get their job – they do not go to school for the reason of self exploration or to become a better citizen, friend, or partner. You can save a life as a doctor but can you truly realize what it is like to live? An engineer can construct anything yet can they effectively lay the foundation for understanding. My point – we as human beings were not born to work we were born to live. To love, to understand, to appreciate, to embrace the sun, wind, good and evil. I must have missed that class at the University.
Education often began long ago with travel, conversations, critical thought, and exploration. Epistemology and or pedagogy were something sacred and desired. Knowledge was also being cultured and versed in the ways of the world and the lay of the land. Looking back through history there has been many thoughts that now seem absurd. How many of our thoughts and beliefs remain unquestioned? Just because you read it, learned it from a $30, 000 a year university or an acclaimed professor
Me… Do I want to be a psychologist? Probably not – Do I want to understand behavior (mine and others), comprehend how others think, and hone in on the skills critical to effective listening and communication. Absolutely! Psychology is the study of how we get what we want in life – and the conduit of gratification is behavior. Some do it with words, others do it power. Some resort to manipulation.
I guess the verbosity is not my goal here – what is my goal to
ALONE
Companionship is something that one who is very secure with themselves should be able to live without. Being alone and in my head almost every waking moment of every day gives me lots of time to think. Thoughts such as how would I truly feel if I was all alone? W
Cold, cloudy, and beautiful. Both the landscape and the people. Oslo reminds me of British Columbia / Vancouver in Canada. Super clean, very modern, diverse, and eco conscious. Oslo is actually a smaller city – only about 500,000 but there are many small towns around Oslo that make it one of Europe’s largest capitals. Things are crazy expensive here – try $10 for a Heineken!!! You only live once right – so drink away.
I have learned so much here – Oslo has the Parisian charm – quaint little café’s complete with red lights, awnings, and blankets. It is a city that is immensely focused on art, culture, theatre, and music. The Norwegian people however are quiet. They are not super outgoing and the only people I have really met here are all Spanish.
Things I have done in Norway….
Went to the Opera – the Opera House is a work of Art. It is perhaps one of the most amazing buildings I have ever seen! It certainly gives the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain a run for its money in terms of sleek lines, glass, and its surrounding environment. I saw an amazing Ballet – TORNERROSE in Norwegian. Not sure what it means in English but I think it was Sleeping Beauty. It is truly Amazing – the costumes were so impressive and the grace and passion of the dancers was mesmerizing and immeasurable.
Before that I spent 2 hours at the Nobel Peace prize museum. Norway is actually the country that lays fame to this infamous prize. The exhibit on display is something that I feel very passionate about. They had these small 8x8 cubicles set up. 4 walls and a TV screen on each wall. In the middle sits one small stool. Before you enter there is a placard telling you about a country – Indonesia, India, Venezuela, and Kenya. It tells you about the myriad problems the country has – poverty, aids, crime, etc… The screens come to life with vivid images of poverty, squalor, pollution, and the lives of the people who live there. Each side of your cubicle comes to life and then people in broken English tell you there story – and share their homes with you. Living in a shanty town – under a bridge, in a cardboard box… Working 18 hour days, constantly having to leave their home due to weather or government eviction and sharing the same space with up to 16 members of their family with no electricity, open sewers, and no running water.
Visiting this museum reminds me of why I travel – awareness. I think awareness is the biggest and best attribute we have as human beings. I also believe awareness is the most overlooked. So many people go to school for only the education necessary to get their job – they do not go to school for the reason of self exploration or to become a better citizen, friend, or partner. You can save a life as a doctor but can you truly realize what it is like to live? An engineer can construct anything yet can they effectively lay the foundation for understanding. My point – we as human beings were not born to work we were born to live. To love, to understand, to appreciate, to embrace the sun, wind, good and evil. I must have missed that class at the University.
Education often began long ago with travel, conversations, critical thought, and exploration. Epistemology and or pedagogy were something sacred and desired. Knowledge was also being cultured and versed in the ways of the world and the lay of the land. Looking back through history there has been many thoughts that now seem absurd. How many of our thoughts and beliefs remain unquestioned? Just because you read it, learned it from a $30, 000 a year university or an acclaimed professor
Me… Do I want to be a psychologist? Probably not – Do I want to understand behavior (mine and others), comprehend how others think, and hone in on the skills critical to effective listening and communication. Absolutely! Psychology is the study of how we get what we want in life – and the conduit of gratification is behavior. Some do it with words, others do it power. Some resort to manipulation.
I guess the verbosity is not my goal here – what is my goal to
ALONE
Companionship is something that one who is very secure with themselves should be able to live without. Being alone and in my head almost every waking moment of every day gives me lots of time to think. Thoughts such as how would I truly feel if I was all alone? W
VILNIUS, LITHUANIA (DRAFT)
VILNIUS
Lithuania is an interesting mix of what you think an emerging country might look like. Old, dark, crumbling soviet area block buildings paired with what the Lithuanian’s call ‘mini wall street’ – a modern sparkling group of glass towers in the distance.
I arrived her on Friday to a warm 8 degrees Celsius. Brrr… I have just been kind of winging it. Show up in the city, try to find a map, and then somehow get a bus or train. That backfired here… big time. English… what’s that? The older generation has not a clue.. the younger folks…. Pretty much all speak English quite well. At the end of the day, it was my Spanish that saved me. I met these 2 Lithuanian girls who spoke no English.. but perfect Spanish. They had both left Lithuania 7 years ago after high school and had been living in Spain. This is my 2nd interactions with Spaniards, and perhaps it is because I know and understand the culture… but they always seem to be so outgoing and helpful. After a bus ride and café con leche and a jug of sangria I found my hotel said goodbye to my Spanish friends and my adventure began.
Most of my days are spent wandering the streets – admiring architecture – people watching – and then a little nightlife. Being a lone all the time is quite a change. It is much more difficult than I thought. There is something that is intimate about a relationship. The touch, the feeling, the smell, the security.. and having no wifi and no cell phone has made it extremely difficult. But that is why I am here… to feel challenged and do what I have never done.
My first night in Lithuania was very cool. I ended up at a very nice restaurant – Bistro 18. It is ran by an Irish gal named Anne and her Lithuanian husband. She fell in love and moved from Dublin to Vilnius. I am eating alone as always – enjoying an excellent filet and glass of red Primativo Italian wine and I notice a French Laundry cookbook – we end up getting into a food and wine conversation and then I am invited to another table with another restaurateur and her friend… then boom…. 4 new friends. Margarita owns a bar down the way called BoBo (after her dog). So after another glass, then another glass, then another glass, we head to BoBo. We all had amazing conversation about the Iron Curtain, communism, Lenin, Marx , and the ways of Eastern Europe. Then we talked about American politics. After about 6 conversations… nobody likes Obama. Everyone wants McCain t win. They are scared of Obama… and they have all used that word – ‘scared’. I have heard myriad tales of propaganda – from Obama being a Muslim to him being black… to him being assassinated… The main news service here in Europe is the BBC and they do an excellent job – they are fair and report a balanced story so I think it is interesting that they are misinformed. Anyways after several more glasses of wine at BoBo we said our goodbyes and I head off to Pabo Latino – a latin bar down the street. Next thing I know I am overcome by mojitos and find myself in the kebab shop down the way at 4 am. Thank god I did not have my cell phone.. there would have been some WHOA… WHOA… drunk dialing!
Day 2 – very informative. I started my day at the old KGB headquarters. The KGB was basically the secret service of Russia and they left an immense amount of death and destruction in their wake. Until the Iron Curtain fell in 1991 many of the smaller countries (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine, etc…) were all part of the USSR (United Soviet Socialist Republic). Not by choice but by invasion from Moscow. During the second world war – Moscow came and never left. Basically many of the smaller countries were occupied and controlled from the early 1940’s to the early 1990’s. If you rose up against the government the KGB would come and get you. They tapped phones, used informers, and if they found you out… of to jail you went – they you were usually sentenced to a labor camp for 3 to 25 years of hard labor. Most … never came back. You cannot work… you die. That simple. Their torture chambers were very horrific. Imagine standing in a room with a small platform in the middle. The platform is raised 2 feet off the ground is 10 inches… just enough for your 2 feet… side by side. You step off the platform and you fall into ice cold water or boiling hot water. Then you have someone there to beat you and put you back on the platform again. Another room had padded walls, floors, and ceilings. A straight jacket hangs on the back wall. Then the execution chamber…thousands of people lost their lives here.
The day winds downs with another nice meal
Lithuania is an interesting mix of what you think an emerging country might look like. Old, dark, crumbling soviet area block buildings paired with what the Lithuanian’s call ‘mini wall street’ – a modern sparkling group of glass towers in the distance.
I arrived her on Friday to a warm 8 degrees Celsius. Brrr… I have just been kind of winging it. Show up in the city, try to find a map, and then somehow get a bus or train. That backfired here… big time. English… what’s that? The older generation has not a clue.. the younger folks…. Pretty much all speak English quite well. At the end of the day, it was my Spanish that saved me. I met these 2 Lithuanian girls who spoke no English.. but perfect Spanish. They had both left Lithuania 7 years ago after high school and had been living in Spain. This is my 2nd interactions with Spaniards, and perhaps it is because I know and understand the culture… but they always seem to be so outgoing and helpful. After a bus ride and café con leche and a jug of sangria I found my hotel said goodbye to my Spanish friends and my adventure began.
Most of my days are spent wandering the streets – admiring architecture – people watching – and then a little nightlife. Being a lone all the time is quite a change. It is much more difficult than I thought. There is something that is intimate about a relationship. The touch, the feeling, the smell, the security.. and having no wifi and no cell phone has made it extremely difficult. But that is why I am here… to feel challenged and do what I have never done.
My first night in Lithuania was very cool. I ended up at a very nice restaurant – Bistro 18. It is ran by an Irish gal named Anne and her Lithuanian husband. She fell in love and moved from Dublin to Vilnius. I am eating alone as always – enjoying an excellent filet and glass of red Primativo Italian wine and I notice a French Laundry cookbook – we end up getting into a food and wine conversation and then I am invited to another table with another restaurateur and her friend… then boom…. 4 new friends. Margarita owns a bar down the way called BoBo (after her dog). So after another glass, then another glass, then another glass, we head to BoBo. We all had amazing conversation about the Iron Curtain, communism, Lenin, Marx , and the ways of Eastern Europe. Then we talked about American politics. After about 6 conversations… nobody likes Obama. Everyone wants McCain t win. They are scared of Obama… and they have all used that word – ‘scared’. I have heard myriad tales of propaganda – from Obama being a Muslim to him being black… to him being assassinated… The main news service here in Europe is the BBC and they do an excellent job – they are fair and report a balanced story so I think it is interesting that they are misinformed. Anyways after several more glasses of wine at BoBo we said our goodbyes and I head off to Pabo Latino – a latin bar down the street. Next thing I know I am overcome by mojitos and find myself in the kebab shop down the way at 4 am. Thank god I did not have my cell phone.. there would have been some WHOA… WHOA… drunk dialing!
Day 2 – very informative. I started my day at the old KGB headquarters. The KGB was basically the secret service of Russia and they left an immense amount of death and destruction in their wake. Until the Iron Curtain fell in 1991 many of the smaller countries (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine, etc…) were all part of the USSR (United Soviet Socialist Republic). Not by choice but by invasion from Moscow. During the second world war – Moscow came and never left. Basically many of the smaller countries were occupied and controlled from the early 1940’s to the early 1990’s. If you rose up against the government the KGB would come and get you. They tapped phones, used informers, and if they found you out… of to jail you went – they you were usually sentenced to a labor camp for 3 to 25 years of hard labor. Most … never came back. You cannot work… you die. That simple. Their torture chambers were very horrific. Imagine standing in a room with a small platform in the middle. The platform is raised 2 feet off the ground is 10 inches… just enough for your 2 feet… side by side. You step off the platform and you fall into ice cold water or boiling hot water. Then you have someone there to beat you and put you back on the platform again. Another room had padded walls, floors, and ceilings. A straight jacket hangs on the back wall. Then the execution chamber…thousands of people lost their lives here.
The day winds downs with another nice meal
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