Zwolle Continued . . .

We spent our first day in Zwolle getting obliterated. We started drinking at 4 in the afternoon. But because it doesn't get dark until 11:30pm, people in Zwolle start partying at midnight. So, Tommy and i decided to maintain inebriation until then. I don't really remember much of what went on that night. Zach says that he saw me dancing on the bar at the Flying Horse Saloon. Which brings me to the . . . Flying Horse Saloon. FHS is a massive bar with over seven rooms. There are two stories of victorian themed rooms that have a bar in each. This place was perfect for traveling students looking for a good time. They serve mostly cheap domestic beers; like i said, perfect (The euro destroys the American dollar. We're on a budget). Zwolle's nightlife was much better than some of the large cities we visited, including Paris. Because Zwolle is smaller, it's easier to navigate through the town; you just have to sit still and listen for screaming girls and Dutch drinking chants.

Vito's, Flying Horse Saloon, and Dutch Girls in Little Spaces: Zwolle, Holland on a Shoestring

We were told by a plethora of Dutchmen that Zwolle is boring, small, and not worth our time. But we had to go; we had already booked our tickets in advance. Plus, we were meeting up with Jalmar, a guy we went to highschool with, an exchange student. We hadn't seen him in 5 years. Our itinerary was concrete. So, we decided to make the best of it. Besides, we had our space cakes and bottle of scotch; we were prepared for anything - apocalypse and ecetera. Being inebriated makes the time pass quickly.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by Jalmar and his younger sister, Ester. I expected zwolle to be a rural community full of farmers and incestuous clutter, but it was actually a perfect picture town. There are over 115,000 people that live in Zwolle. There is even a unniversity. The architecture is mostly old ducth to medievil to gothic. Zwolle is famous for the folly stand between the Germans and some frecnh vagabond. Story has it that a lone frenchmen stood in a field in Zwolle and scared off thousands of German soldiers. He made lots of noise and acted as if he was part of a larger company. There's a statue of this frenchmen in the middle of center square that collects pigeon poop and rust. Zwolle is actually the cleanest place we visited in Europe. Paris was probably the worst; we saw piles of human feces on sidewalks, and the city always smelled of urine, much like rock werchter but without the excuse of musical celebration and adolescent debauchery.

From the train station Jalmar escorted us to his girlfriend's apartment where we would be staying. Jalmar was very excited to see us. He had the whole day planned, which was great. In Amsterdam, because we knew absolutely no one, we had a hard time finding things to do, outside of drinking coffee and window shopping the Red Light District. Jalmar was on a schedule, and he had activities for every moment of the day. He assumed that we might be hungry after our travels, so he took us to Vito's. Now this place was amazing. Vito's is a sandwhich shop in the middle of downtown. Everyone in Zwolle goes to Vito's. They specialized in exotic sandwhiches, and pretty anything you choose is worth the 6 euro. I had the pastrami sandwhich with Kreuton sauce. Amazing. Anyways after Vito's we went back to the apartment and started to drink, Dutch style. They had grolsch beers waiting for us. We decided to introduce them to Bricko the beer bong. We made Bricko in Brussels, in some hardware store downtown. We just made him in the store and left, only paying for the funnel. We went through 0ver a hundred beers in three day with Bricko. Like the Flemmish, the Dutch were scared of Bricko.
to be continued . . .

Dissolving the Rural Romance: The Night Life in Amsterdam and Zwolle, Holland:

Amsterdam: The enigmatic world of burlesque, fantasy, and inebriation. Arriving into Holland, we had our expectations. Everyone's heard the stories, the quixotic Dutch novel. Being a bartender, you hear plenty of college tales of Holland's poster community. We had our expectations. The train station sits near the beach, in the middle of the city. We found a Hotel ten minutes from the central station, adjacent to the Red Light District. Practically across the street from Hunter's coffee shop. So, what else is there to do but . . . have some . . . coffee! We pretty much did that all day, sitting in cafes and drinking coffee, pints of it. We passed out around seven and didn't wake up until 11:00am the next morning. What a sleep! That's about all there is to do in Amsterdam. That's about all we did. We walked through the Red Light District, saw the hookers (50 euro , saw a live sex show (totally not worth it). Amsterdam is fun, don't get me wrong. But it gets old after a while.

Rock Werchter, Leuven County, Brussels, Belgium 2008!

From Paris we took a train to Brussels. We were really excited about Rock Werchter. RW is an annual music festival they have in Leuvan, Belgium. People claim it's the largest festival in the world. Basically Leuven, a town with a population of about a hundred or so, is filled with over 300,000 people in a four day interim. There are 7-10 campsites, we liked to call tent cities. It was pretty amazing to see. there were thousands of tents aligning the main street, called "Ulicht" or some flemmish word for camp site. Most of the people at the festival spoke flemmish, the national language of belgium. And, of course, we had no clue as to what the hell they were talking about. We met a guy named Sam, from Brussels, that sounded mentally challenged when he spoke English, but apperantly he's a teacher in Midi, Northern Brussels. Plus i don't think we spoke to him when he was sobre. They smoke a lot of pot in Belgium.
Belgium is a very interesting place; the people are very strange. Leuven just so happens to be a famous historical town. During WWII, there was a battle in the fields outside of the city between the Nazis and, well, everyone else. I'm sure we slept on those very same fields. It was a very ominous place. Great place to have a music festival, right? To think, i did a beer bong where maybe thousands of soldiers died. Sort of trivializes the experience. Ironically, the festival centers around this "think green idea." Most of the proceeds go to environmentally safe organizations and what not. But everyone was throwing their trash on the ground. The place was filthy. People were shitting behind fences. Vomit was everywhere. All you can smell is this overwhleming scent of bile, urine, and marijuana. . . . it was a blast! Ha. Well, it was all right. I was sort of dissapointed with everything. The highlight was definitely the music. Some artists to mention that absolutely rocked our cocks off: band of horses (amazing), cool kids(very fun live, they get the crowd roaring), Hot chip, digitalism, kings of leon (one of the best musical perfomances i've ever seen), Jay-Z (was actually amazing, believe it or not), Justice, Sigor Ros, and last but not least Radiohead. We scored some of Belgiums finest spirits and . . . ummm . . . plants . . . for sigor ros, and i have to admit, that was one of best musical experiences i've ever had. Radiohead and Justice were sort of dissapointing. Justice messed up on a lot of their mixes; their transitions were off, and they over-played "we are your friends." Radiohead was, to put it bluntly, boring. I've seen them live, and i know they can rile the crowd. But they chose to play an overly melodic set. What was most dissapointing about their performance was their song choices. They played every song from their new album and about two or three others from hail to the thief, that's it. Seeing as Amnesiac and ok computer are my favorite albums from them, i was let down pretty hard. ALso, they concluded the show with the song "everything," the one song I dislike from the entire radiohead anthology. Ha. O well. On to AMsterdam . . . more to come.

Paris, Rock Werchter 2008, and Amsterdam!

I'm sorry i haven't written in a while; i was at a music festival where there was limited access to the internet. Anyways, first things first: Paris. I have to say, initially the three of us were intimidated by Paris. We've heard the horror stories- the bushisms, the nationalism, the premature Parisian judgment. But everyone was really nice to us(exceptionally nice). our first night was spent lounging, we had to detox; Spain took everything out of me. just imagine a full week of non-stop drinking. we would wake-up and grab beers from the downstairs vending machines(they were only a euro, and they were Amstel cans - sweet deal). Also, they have Budweiser, but they call it "Bud" and it's expensive. Spain was pure madness, so we were excited to relax in Paris. we saw all of Paris in one day, and i must say, Paris is a beautiful city. later that night, we all agreed that we would only have one beer.before you know it, it's six in the morning and Zach is throwing-up, Tommy is missing,and making out with some aussie me met in the hostel bar.one beer led to eight, and so on.to be continued... someone's waiting for the computer.

Asta Lavista Espana!

After a gruelling day in madrid, we headed for Valencia. Madrid, although very rich in history and culture, lacks a certain hospitality that we were all expecting. But Valencia was totally different. even the architecture. and, oh my god are the women beautiful. some People still seem to give us a hard time, but we have made the best of it. we´ve met a plethora of internaional students in the hostels, and have found the best clubs and bars. we are partying a lot. we´re spending about a hundred euro a night on booze. but we have found some alternatives to spending so much. at the local groceries they sell gallon jugs of wine for three euro. we took some to the beach the other day, we we´re passed out by 8. so far the best highlight of the trip was when spain won the semifinals for the eurocup. there was a huge celebration downtown. we decided to join them, and we found ourselves surrounded by thousands of spanish people. they were lighting off fireworks and smoking a lot of hash. these things don´t happen in the states. when the L.A. lakers won the finals a few years back, los angeles citizens rioted the city, looting and setting things a blaze. being here shows that nationalism exists outside of our force-fed american patriotism. parents were with their children until four in the morning, celebrating their countries victory.
i´m off to paris. i´ll get back to you soon.

mile high anxiety

flying to europe was . . . interesting. we tried to get drunk but the stewardess ran out of the free wine. we amused ourselves with the animal guessing game. when we arrived in madrid we were anxious, but drowsy. it took us almost three hours to navigate through the metro. madrid is massive and very confusing. when we found our hostel we were greeted by a young and vexed spanish girl. she was arguing with an aussie about a deposit.she was a babe, but she was not nice. spoke ver little english, and had a short temper. i am out of time at this cafe. i will be on soon. thanks. we just got here, so i am a bit tired.

Is it Okay to be Ashamed?

I retract my previous statements about Pierce Lewis. The man was right. To be quite honest, I think most Americans couldn't identify Australia on a map!

Parson’s Look at the Richest Agricultural Valley

Most Californians typically drive through the SJV expecting nothing but agriculture and boredom. They typically only stop when they need to fill up on gas. But one can argue that there’s more to the valley that encompasses a large chunk of California. In James Parson’s “A Geographer Looks at the San Joaquin” he takes a look at this precarious region. He delves into the history of the SJV, how it all started. He looks at the agricultural world, the county fairs, the vineyards and culture. He acknowledges the complexity of its environmental problems – the toxins in irrigations and pesticide problems. At times it seems as if Farmersville paid him to write a traveler’s brochure, inviting everyone to partake in an overlooked atmosphere. But he does question some parts of the region. He understands why individuals are only drawn to the SJV if there is News of Catastrophe – a truck full of bees wrecks and spills out millions of bees, or earthquakes or whatever. Most important, Parsons clarifies that the SJV is a necessary component to a functioning California. Produce from this region supplies most of the Western United States! Even though the valley isn’t as aesthetically pleasing, as say, Sacramento, it still has much to offer.

A Visceral Review of Beach House's New Album Devotion

The Beach House has done it again. Not only have they impressed the Pitchfork elitists by receiving a whopping 8.5, but they have become a reliable album institution. Writing great albums seems to be a preternatural inclination. It’s not avant-garde by any means; they’re simply adjusting certain musical formulas and adding a hip contemporary sound by incorporating subtle symbols and impressive riffs. Much like Portishead, they utilize deep symphonies and compromise melodic musicianship with a strong female voice.

For anyone that’s interested in good Indy music, I strongly suggest this album. See also Radiohead’s In Rainbows, Vampire Weekend’s new full length Vampire Weekend, and Daft Punk’s Alive.

Listen away!

Like Richard Powers' Galatea 2.2, there's Another Reason to Celebrate Subjective and Objective Worlds

In ““Mr. Sauer” and the Writers,” James Parsons illustrates how two separate fields of study can coalesce. During the beat era, Charles Olson became a predominant figure as an accomplished prose poet. During his professorship at Black Mountain College, Olson insisted that his students read Carl Sauer, a geographer, to better understand how the landscape can stimulate poetic transcendence. This began a unique relationship, a genuine fellowship between two different spectrums of study: the subjective world of prose poetry (the arts), and the objective empirical understanding of regions and landscapes (geography). Olson attempted to shed the understanding of the archetypal poet, and their devout understanding of romantic sensibilities -- see Whitman and Frost. Olson was particularly interested in scholars having an interest in “history, geography, and engagement with them in prose where needed” (Parsons 24). This attention to empirical knowledge allowed for Olson to better appreciate Sauer. Olson was energized by Sauer’s interpretations of landscapes. They both understood that certain environments shape modes of thought, and stimulate poetic reactions.




I can agree with Olson. I believe environments not only shape our thoughts, but they also control our moods. Nature has the ability to immobilize us, whether it’s through repressive force or sheer beauty. Also, beyond natural environments, rural, urban, and suburban communities can evoke certain emotions. It may take Emerson’s “Invisible Eye,” but the relationship is obvious.

Lewis on Geography

In Peirce Lewis' Beyond Description he makes the claim that most Americans are geographically illiterate, and he creates a manifesto for contemporary geography. My reaction to this statement is a couple of questions: is it more important to know where a country lies on a map, or to know the culture of that country and what it stands for? Is cultural awareness synonymous with geographical intelligence? I have a couple answers to this. If students are making a conscious effort to immerse themselves in another culture, if they have the ability to produce a thought provoking opinion of third world ideologies, geopolitics, and international events, it would be trivial for them to be able to locate countries on a map. It is only when students are ignorant of other cultures, and refuse to be educated on these cultures, that the identification of countries on a map becomes a crucial role in the development of geography.
There is an argument against this, of course. Maybe the education of cultures includes their location on a map. Maybe cultures are highly dependant upon the regions they are located. I can agree with this argument. But the education of anything in America is very tricky. Students are allowed to choose which classes they are willing to take. If students have aspirations of becoming geographers, they will take geography courses. Likewise for math majors; they will take courses in mathematics. All Students have the choice of taking particular classes that pertain to their desired vocation. The true question lies in the student’s willingness to expand on their education.

I myself am an English Writing major. I chose to take this geography class so I could become familiar with geography, namely the important features of the study. I may actually be part of that 90% that cannot identify Grenada on a map. I felt self conscious of my lack of knowledge on the subject, so I took proper steps in order to better acquaint myself. So far, I love what I’ve learned. But I’m a senior in college, with a stable income, and a loose schedule for preferable electives. Others aren’t as fortunate.
My problems with Lewis’ response stem from my own interaction with traveling. I think geography can be practiced in local settings, but the romanticized understanding of geography takes place in foreign worlds. Growing up, I never had a chance to travel. I grew up in a low-income apartment with a single father struggling with addictions. I grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the first time I saw the ocean was when I was eighteen years old. I traveled to San Diego with some buddies during spring break. It took me eighteen years just to travel three hundred miles to the coast. Because my understanding of geography was limited to my local Clark County region, I was fairly apathetic about the outside world.
I think a big problem with intriguing students on the subject of geography is instilling the idea that they can empirically interrelate with regions. Education systems around the United States are worried about giving students the opportunity to learn things they can use in the American workforce. I think the expectation is that more students will refuse the chance to go to college, or they won’t be able to afford it. So, public schools work frantically to provide the necessary tools for students to mature in a fruitful middle class. These things are obvious in the urbanized areas of the US. Is it important for high school students to understand geography if they are planning on becoming blue collar citizens? Obviously there is nothing wrong with being part of a middle class blue collar workforce. So where is the argument aimed, public schools, education systems, what? Do we cities have enough money to implement geographical studies? I’m assuming not.
I appreciate Lewis’ passion for geography, and his curiosity into the philistines of America. He wants people to be more educated. He’s an intellectual preoccupied with the well being of future students. This is all commendable. But I think there’s more to it. I suddenly had a curiosity for geography when I found out I was going to Europe this summer. Maybe my ability to travel motivated me to become more cultured. Some don’t have these luxuries. What’s the point of teaching youngsters where countries lie on a map, forcing them to read from textbooks with hundreds of pictures and illustrations of far-off lands that they’ll never see or touch or smell or taste?
Then again, why take away these romanticized ideas? Why not give the middle class something to dream of: beaches in Australia, the nightlife in Holland, the cobblestone streets in Carrick Fergus, the wine in Spain.

I understand both angles. But there seems to be an explanation for it all, rooted in the basic problem. I’m just not sure yet.
Maybe we can blame it on technology. Why tax yourself on remembering where countries are in the world when you can just look it up on Google Map, or use your iphone?

Only Social Relevance

I stumbled upon this video earlier today. It has no geographic significance other than the jest motivating me to compromise with my geographic workload.

More on Lewis and Turner to come.

Al Gore has Spotted the Chosen One: The Select Few Selected

In January of 2008, a panel for The Guardian compiled a list of 50 people who could save the planet. These philanthropic redeemers consisted of farmers, geneticists, German and Chinese politicians, engineers, American entertainers, and of course . . . Al Gore. Among the amiable 50, one seemed questionable: Leonardo DiCaprio.

DiCaprio was chosen for his coincidental affinity for icebergs. Apparently he starred in a major motion picture during the nineties about a large ship – the titanic -- sinking. I think it was an original title . . . The Titanic. The movie had no relation to global warming whatsoever, but there was romance, suspense, predictable plot twists, and, of course, mild nudity. It was the quintessential philistine production. And then Van Gogh listened to the soundtrack.

DiCaprio helped produce The 11^th Hour, a documentary featuring “dramatic footage of icebergs . . . threatened by climate change” (10).

He knows icebergs.

His benevolence officially began after environmentalists attacked him for altering preserved ecological regions of Shangri- La while filming The Beach – which received mixed reviews. Now DiCaprio’s the environmental ambassador for the entertainment world.

He is contributing, but are his contributions laudable in a category of men and women who have devoted their lives to environmental transformation?

I would say no. He is an entertainer, not a revolutionary. His polemical films, although intelligible and prophetic, will still cost ten dollars at a theatre. The popcorn will still be overpriced. The seat cushions will always be lathered with butter and melted chocolate, the floors ubiquitously sticky. He is part of an industry that is founded upon public appeal, and right now the public could give a damn. And what demographic will identify with his belief systems? People who watch American films?Are his efforts in vain? Not at all. His labors will make an impact, but to a small majority. His reach is limited due to the fact that his commitment spans a whopping decade. His credibility, especially regarding scientific knowledge, is limited to superficial particulars. He says, "We must set an example," and "It's about being aware" (10) among other obvious statements. His proclivity and enthusiasm is ill-equipped. On the other hand, if he recreated Titanic as a satirical parody, featuring the ship safely voyaging home on behalf of melted glaciers, he may change my mind. Maybe he can dig up old Elliott Smith albums and add overly melancholic dimensions to the film's soundtrack. Redemption: Smith's "Beetween the Bars," for the Good Will Hunting soundtrack, lost the Oscar to Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On." And it was a sad and tragic day that I will remember for the rest of my life.

One person can’t save the planet. He or she may utilize certain effigies in order to inspire an insurgency. But revolutions must include the masses. It will take millions, maybe even billions.

African Jest and Obvious Appointments

The African Consciousness: The Torment of God’s Ill-fated Bearing in Mind Divine Activities – Drinking La Crema From the Ripest Pinot Grapes in Heaven: How a Starving Ethiopian died of Gluttony at a $3.99 All You Can Eat Las Vegas Buffet

The youthful German Shepherd fell into a chasm

The landlord found the pup months later

He had survived off rats and sheetrock, but

He had developed a limp, and the appetite for inedible objects

The 121^st Mahdis building named him Providence and fed him table scraps, mostly bread

And they let him lick condiments from their plates:

Propitious dishwasher, with a heavy craving

But Providence relapsed into a world too dependent upon the anxiousness of survival

Consequently, he ate the spoons and forks, and other objects proven valuable and sentimental – jewelry and love letters.

He ate the building free of times past.

He transformed into a dandruff furball, misshapen and unripe – portly.

Clever tenants, from the dilapidated floors (where water and soap is a luxury)

Decided to replace Providence with a cat named Cupcake

So they decided, while arm wrestling, that Providence be placed back into the Chasm to spend his remaining years

Only to lick salt from the inner walls and to listen as the tenants played with Cupcake.

In other news . . .

What did Sudanese President Bashir do with an iniquitous war criminal? He gave him a promotion! Bashir has appointed the militia leader, who helped orchestrate genocide in Darfur, as a senior adviser on ETHNIC affairs. Impetuous and consistent insubordination of the U.N. won't stop - not as long as Bashir has China to protect him.

Some leaders in Congress are gathering support for an official letter to President Hu of China, letting him know that his indifference toward Darfur is deplorable.

I can’t help but to draw upon Cormac McCarthy’s The Road as a prophetic sermon. Africa has become Mordor.

Geography in the Abstract

Epistemological conundrums are raised in Agnew's "Regions on the mind does not equal regions of the mind." Let's think of a local question. The boundaries of Nevada were created for certain reasons, but are these regional schemes at all intellectual? Or are they socially constructed? Agnew claims that, "they must reflect the biases, intellectual and political, of their originators" (95). In 1861 President Buchanan signed a Congressional Bill which created the Territory of Nevada. On March 2^nd, just two days later, Abraham Lincoln was sworn in as the 16^th President of the U. S. Nevada was established by railroads, mining, and vast landscapes. Economic scenarios infested Eastern reveries. Truthfully, Nevada was founded under economic pretenses. The region was socially created. According to Agnew it can be argued as otherwise. “Realists” claim that a region “exists ‘out there’ in the world, even if there is a prior requirement to think that the world is divided up in this way” (92).

I think Nevada was part of a social construction. The name and boundary is a product of economic circumstances in the mid nineteenth century. Nevada could have expanded further north, occupying the Sierras and most of, what is now, Boise. But the region was chosen for certain reasons that may seem arbitrary to us today. The state could have easily been called something other than “snowcapped.” Nevada could have easily been named “James Warren Nye World”: de Saussure would argue for “Spoon,” or “Catworld.” Agnew's greatest point in the essay is when he refuses to understand the foundation of regions solely through binary oppositions – realism vs. constructionism. He states:

Regions both reflect differences in the world and ideas about differences. They cannot be reduced to one or the other. Observers and people in the world use regional designations to make sense of the world and these draw on real differences between parts of the world but they cannot claim total fit to the world because they are based on ideas about regional differences that are not simply about those differences per se but also about ideas of how the world works (93).

One can argue that the oppositions are temperamental and reflexive. They feed off one another. There are instrumental ideas that coalesce and materialize into regions, all because of antiquated, familiar ideas of previous social progressions.
. . . I'm not sure if that's worded correctly. Thoughts?

first entry

I'm forging through Monmonier's Air Apparent. The way in which Monmonier begins the book is very captivating. His exposition on the shipwreck of the 320 foot long Portland thematically raises pertinent issues towards his thesis. Monmonier argues that tracing a storm is highly dependent upon an individuals understanding of geography. He clarifies this with a quote by meteorologist George Bliss " . . . in order to excel in [atmospheric physics] one must possess a special faculty for intuitively and quickly weighing the forces indicated on the weather map and calculating the resultant" (10).
More to come. Just working the aesthetics of the blog site. Still a newb.