I got on quite a reading kick in December, thanks for some extra downtime. Instead of writing at length about all the books, here's some mini-reports on what I was reading:
Lord of the Flies - William Golding
I originally read this classic back in high school, but on a whim I picked it up for a reread, as I feel a bit wiser to deeper meanings in things than I was when I was 16. The book has great pace to it, and the eloquent discriptions really allowed me to visuallize the characters, the island, and all of the events in vivid detail. The book is a giant allegorical saga that focuses on the dark side of human nature. I thought this was the perfect book to read along with my recent readings - as it really highlights the battle between Idealism vs. Materialism (under the guise of the Nature of Man vs. Structured Society, of course).
Siddhartha - Herman Hesse
In college I was in a very focused Engineering and German program, which didn't allow me the opportunity to read classics such as this. Hesse's brilliant book really resonated with my own journey of seeking - seeking truth, happiness, and the pitfalls inherint in such a journey. It's also an eloquent discourse on the beauty of nature - and in the quiet power gained by truly absorbing it - becoming it and of letting go of the self. This was a very powerful book for me, and I would reccomend it to anyone - not just those interested in Buddhism or Eastern Philosophy.
Mostly Harmless - Douglas Adams
I've always loved Douglas Adams and read most of his work - so in the mood for some fun sci-fi, I picked this book off my bookshelf for a reread. This is the 5th book in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, and is more a stand-alone book than a continuation of the first 4 books. The characters are (mostly) the same quirky ones from the series, but the book is a fun romp through infinately parallel and probable universes. The book is full of quirky humor, but as is typical of Adams' brilliance, there's moment of deep meaning tucked between the whirlwind of amusement. What I love most about his work is how honest they are - of both the fantastic and the mundane, he always calls a spade a spade, in his own brilliant and unique style.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
The Great Holiday Blizzard of 2010
It was the day after Christmas, and Alexandra and I had a rental car for the day, with nowhere to go until a 7pm Islanders game with friends out on Long Island. We've been talking about going to the IKEA in Brooklyn for a long time now - so we headed down for a day of shopping and Swedish meatballs.
IKEA was a blast - we had some great Swedish food and got some excellent home furnishings (including a big tropical palm tree - which play a role much later in my mini-saga). It was slowing lightly when we left for IKEA, and it seemed to pick up a bit while we rummaged around the store for a few hours - but after packing the car the roads were still in pretty good condition. This is about the time when I found out we were expecting a blizzard.
I decided to go to the Islanders game, as the roads were still drivable, and it took us a little over 2 hours to make the trek from Brooklyn to Uniondale. By the time we got to the stadium, the roads were pretty bleak - but since we were there we decided to enjoy the game and deal with the consequences later. The game was a lot of fun, more for the friends we enjoyed it with. There were only about 3,100 people who came to the game (instead of the 17,000 or so the stadium fits), and over 90% of them were fans who came down from Montreal to root for their Canadiens. The Canadiens put in a lackluster performance, and the Islanders made them pay with a 4-1 victory.
We all said our goodbyes, and left for the long trek home. The snow really fell during the 3 hour game, and we were faced with bleak prospects of getting home in a reasonable amount of time. The winds had actually blown most of the snow off the car, and after 5 minutes of chipping ice we were good to leave the parking lot. I pressed the gas pedal, and was greeted with the sound of spinning tires. Alexandra hopped in the driver's seat and I proceeded to spend the next 45 minutes alternating between digging with the heel of my sneakers and pushing the car. The bus loads of French Canadiens waiting to leave had quite a few laughs at the expense of the silly Americans and their exploits in the snow.
When we got to the exit of the parking lot, I was about to get back into the car when I had the presence of mind to check for my house keys, which were supposed to be in my pocket. They were gone. They must had fallen out while pushing, and now I was about to freak out. I walked a few steps back and with an amazing stroke of luck, they were lying right there in the snow! Buoyed by this incredible stroke of luck, I hopped in the car hoping that the luck would see me home.
We got on the Meadowbrook Parkway heading North, and there was one lane of very light traffic moving along at about 20 mph, and things were looking pretty good. I was fairly sure the LIE would be in similar condition and we could manage back to the city. As we got close to the road, however, we were brought to a dead stop by an accident with all sorts of flashing lights a few hundred feet ahead. the line of cars brought to a stop sat there for about 30 minutes, as the roads proceeded to get really bad since there was nobody driving on them...many people started backing up to the exit we just passed to divert around the accident, and eventually we had no other choice than to follow them.
I got to the top of the on ramp, and made a left. We proceeded to drive up the road a few hundred feet, and realized there was nothing to get us where we needed to go in that direction. The "main" road we were on was in very rough shape, and we pulled off into a pristine plowed shopping center full of closed stores. It was around 11pm at this point, and after a brief discussion we agreed this was stupid and we should just find a hotel and bunker down. Since we were without GPS, we teamed up on our blackberries to figure out where we were, and googled the nearest hotel. With luck (here I go using that word again), there was a Holiday Inn only a half mile back the way we came, and they had open rooms!). How hard could that last half mile be?
We headed out from the shopping center (no joke there were 3 plows in action in that parking lot), and BAM we get stuck in the median b/w the east and west lanes of the main road. This side of the road was in horrific condition, and the Hyundai Elantra was too low of a car to deal well with the height of the snow in some spots. With Alexandra behind the wheel, I got back out and we proceeded to dig, push, dig, push, shovel snow from tires by hand, push, rock the car, shove the car sideways, etc... for the next 40 minutes - going about 10-30 feet for every 5 minutes of effort. the real killer was the inconsistent road clearings, making it hard to pick the most effective path to put the car on.
The winds were about 50 mph and constant, and the visibility was horrible. Knowing warmth was a mere half mile away, I persisted. A cop car came by, and while they are not allowed to actively help dig out people (unless of a medical emergency) - he called a tow truck to help us out of a really bad rut. I got into this rut b/c we had to stop the car to avoid hitting an equally-stuck minivan in front of us. While waiting for the tow, I helped the mini-van get back on the road, and the guy there was nice enough to give me his extra pair of gloves (did I mention I didn't have any gloves up until this point?) Thank the gods I had my excellent, spanking-new North Face winter coat courtesy of Alexandra. :)
At this point I told Alexandra that if she got any momentum to not stop and let me in the car. Momentum is key in these situations, so I told her to just drive as far as she could and I'd catch up on foot. Right about the time the tow truck came, there were about 7 or 8 other cars nearby that were all in the same situation I was in. One family stopped and loaned me a shovel for a few minutes, which was a huge help as I was in a major snowbank at the time. The tow truck that showed up got stock about 100 feet away, and I was starting to consider the real possibility we would spend the night in the car. Thankfully we had a lot of water and a tank full of gas.
However, when things looked at their worst, I gave a hard shove and zoom! Alexandra had some speed and off she went!
I was so exhilarated that I just started to run as fast as I could. I could barely feel my legs and feet, I was covered in snow, my ears were frozen - but I ran anyway. I was hopped up on adrenaline and was very much "in the moment". Alexandra and I were the only 2 things moving on that road, and we sped past quite a few other stranded vehicles - including a NYC Bus that was stretched across 80% of the street (which Alexandra deftly avoided as she was speeding away from me). The car got stuck again about 150 yards (a football field and a half) from where I freed her loose, and I climbed into the passenger seat - panting and starting to feel exhausted. After a few minutes of catching my breath and sucking down some water - I noticed another car stuck in front of us. It was the family that stopped earlier and loaned me the shovel. I took another sip of water, and threw my gloves back on and headed out to help them. It was the right thing to do after they helped me. during the 20 minutes I spent helping them dig out their car, a plow came by and cleared a nice swath for people to filter out!
I got the family free, and it took only about 10 more minutes to get our own car onto the newly plowed path. This time, Alexandra stopped and get me into the car and we got the rest of the way to the hotel without getting stuck! We arrived at the hotel at a quarter to 1am - and got ourselves a nice warm room. My frozen feet and legs took a long, very painful time to thaw out. It was the worst pins and needles feeling constantly for about 15 minutes. We quickly passed out and woke up again around 8 the next morning. I was quite a bit sore, but overall I felt pretty good and we went down for some breakfast.
The roads were in rough but manageable shape, and an hour or so later we headed back out to get ourselves home. We did pretty good to get back into Manhattan, and it would be reasonable to assume my story would end here - but this time I'm not that lucky!
Manhattan was a complete and utter MESS. We got up 1st avenue all right, but quickly realized that turning up 89th street to our apartment was out of the question - as it hadn't been plowed yet. So with Alex holding down the fort, I proceeded to carry all of the fruits of our IKEA adventure from the day before a block and a half through icy sidewalks, snow banks and grey slushy goo to our apartment. I got quite a few weird looks as I carried the tropical palm tree down the street. After 3 trips of this, we were ready to drive the car one last measly block to the AVIS rent a car on 90th Street. Seeing that 90th street was in just as rough shape as 89th, I decided to drive around the block to hit the road with some momentum. After going up to 95th street, over to 2nd avenue, back down to 90th street and back east to the intersection of 90th and 1st, we were ready to plow down towards York and give back the car. The light turned green and then some stupid Manhattanite walked in front of the car, killing all of our momentum and we hit the snowbank at the east side of 1st avenue with a slow, not-so-glorious thud. Ultimately it wouldn't matter as the street had just too much snow.
I left Alex with the car and walked down to the end of the block and told Avis my situation. I was greeted with "well you just have to bring the car back somehow". After giving my license as collateral, I was "lucky" enough to be given a small metal hand shovel with which to achieve the task at hand. I went through another round of shovel, shovel, dig, push, rock, push, move 20 feet forward, repeat for the next 2 hours. In the middle of it all, a few other people nearby were digging out their parked car, and were nice enough to dump all of the extra snow in the middle of the street, just to move their car FIVE F-ING FEET into a garage - because they didn't want it on the street. As they walked away, they did not register me at all and walked away. The final insult was when Avis couldn't even dig a pathway to their entrance, which I had to do on my own. I got the car into the garage, and was given one last kick in the pants with a $13 gas charge because the tank wasn't full due to the 2 hours it was travelling at 0.001 miles per hour as I self-plowed 90th street.
Through the entire ordeal, I kind of surprised myself with how present I was in the situation, how I was able to cultivate a positive mindset, and got what needed to be done - done. I didn't complain or whine or panic, I just took responsibility and took care of my situation as best as I could. Sometimes you just have to suck it up and kick some ass.
- Chris
IKEA was a blast - we had some great Swedish food and got some excellent home furnishings (including a big tropical palm tree - which play a role much later in my mini-saga). It was slowing lightly when we left for IKEA, and it seemed to pick up a bit while we rummaged around the store for a few hours - but after packing the car the roads were still in pretty good condition. This is about the time when I found out we were expecting a blizzard.
I decided to go to the Islanders game, as the roads were still drivable, and it took us a little over 2 hours to make the trek from Brooklyn to Uniondale. By the time we got to the stadium, the roads were pretty bleak - but since we were there we decided to enjoy the game and deal with the consequences later. The game was a lot of fun, more for the friends we enjoyed it with. There were only about 3,100 people who came to the game (instead of the 17,000 or so the stadium fits), and over 90% of them were fans who came down from Montreal to root for their Canadiens. The Canadiens put in a lackluster performance, and the Islanders made them pay with a 4-1 victory.
We all said our goodbyes, and left for the long trek home. The snow really fell during the 3 hour game, and we were faced with bleak prospects of getting home in a reasonable amount of time. The winds had actually blown most of the snow off the car, and after 5 minutes of chipping ice we were good to leave the parking lot. I pressed the gas pedal, and was greeted with the sound of spinning tires. Alexandra hopped in the driver's seat and I proceeded to spend the next 45 minutes alternating between digging with the heel of my sneakers and pushing the car. The bus loads of French Canadiens waiting to leave had quite a few laughs at the expense of the silly Americans and their exploits in the snow.
When we got to the exit of the parking lot, I was about to get back into the car when I had the presence of mind to check for my house keys, which were supposed to be in my pocket. They were gone. They must had fallen out while pushing, and now I was about to freak out. I walked a few steps back and with an amazing stroke of luck, they were lying right there in the snow! Buoyed by this incredible stroke of luck, I hopped in the car hoping that the luck would see me home.
We got on the Meadowbrook Parkway heading North, and there was one lane of very light traffic moving along at about 20 mph, and things were looking pretty good. I was fairly sure the LIE would be in similar condition and we could manage back to the city. As we got close to the road, however, we were brought to a dead stop by an accident with all sorts of flashing lights a few hundred feet ahead. the line of cars brought to a stop sat there for about 30 minutes, as the roads proceeded to get really bad since there was nobody driving on them...many people started backing up to the exit we just passed to divert around the accident, and eventually we had no other choice than to follow them.
I got to the top of the on ramp, and made a left. We proceeded to drive up the road a few hundred feet, and realized there was nothing to get us where we needed to go in that direction. The "main" road we were on was in very rough shape, and we pulled off into a pristine plowed shopping center full of closed stores. It was around 11pm at this point, and after a brief discussion we agreed this was stupid and we should just find a hotel and bunker down. Since we were without GPS, we teamed up on our blackberries to figure out where we were, and googled the nearest hotel. With luck (here I go using that word again), there was a Holiday Inn only a half mile back the way we came, and they had open rooms!). How hard could that last half mile be?
We headed out from the shopping center (no joke there were 3 plows in action in that parking lot), and BAM we get stuck in the median b/w the east and west lanes of the main road. This side of the road was in horrific condition, and the Hyundai Elantra was too low of a car to deal well with the height of the snow in some spots. With Alexandra behind the wheel, I got back out and we proceeded to dig, push, dig, push, shovel snow from tires by hand, push, rock the car, shove the car sideways, etc... for the next 40 minutes - going about 10-30 feet for every 5 minutes of effort. the real killer was the inconsistent road clearings, making it hard to pick the most effective path to put the car on.
The winds were about 50 mph and constant, and the visibility was horrible. Knowing warmth was a mere half mile away, I persisted. A cop car came by, and while they are not allowed to actively help dig out people (unless of a medical emergency) - he called a tow truck to help us out of a really bad rut. I got into this rut b/c we had to stop the car to avoid hitting an equally-stuck minivan in front of us. While waiting for the tow, I helped the mini-van get back on the road, and the guy there was nice enough to give me his extra pair of gloves (did I mention I didn't have any gloves up until this point?) Thank the gods I had my excellent, spanking-new North Face winter coat courtesy of Alexandra. :)
At this point I told Alexandra that if she got any momentum to not stop and let me in the car. Momentum is key in these situations, so I told her to just drive as far as she could and I'd catch up on foot. Right about the time the tow truck came, there were about 7 or 8 other cars nearby that were all in the same situation I was in. One family stopped and loaned me a shovel for a few minutes, which was a huge help as I was in a major snowbank at the time. The tow truck that showed up got stock about 100 feet away, and I was starting to consider the real possibility we would spend the night in the car. Thankfully we had a lot of water and a tank full of gas.
However, when things looked at their worst, I gave a hard shove and zoom! Alexandra had some speed and off she went!
I was so exhilarated that I just started to run as fast as I could. I could barely feel my legs and feet, I was covered in snow, my ears were frozen - but I ran anyway. I was hopped up on adrenaline and was very much "in the moment". Alexandra and I were the only 2 things moving on that road, and we sped past quite a few other stranded vehicles - including a NYC Bus that was stretched across 80% of the street (which Alexandra deftly avoided as she was speeding away from me). The car got stuck again about 150 yards (a football field and a half) from where I freed her loose, and I climbed into the passenger seat - panting and starting to feel exhausted. After a few minutes of catching my breath and sucking down some water - I noticed another car stuck in front of us. It was the family that stopped earlier and loaned me the shovel. I took another sip of water, and threw my gloves back on and headed out to help them. It was the right thing to do after they helped me. during the 20 minutes I spent helping them dig out their car, a plow came by and cleared a nice swath for people to filter out!
I got the family free, and it took only about 10 more minutes to get our own car onto the newly plowed path. This time, Alexandra stopped and get me into the car and we got the rest of the way to the hotel without getting stuck! We arrived at the hotel at a quarter to 1am - and got ourselves a nice warm room. My frozen feet and legs took a long, very painful time to thaw out. It was the worst pins and needles feeling constantly for about 15 minutes. We quickly passed out and woke up again around 8 the next morning. I was quite a bit sore, but overall I felt pretty good and we went down for some breakfast.
The roads were in rough but manageable shape, and an hour or so later we headed back out to get ourselves home. We did pretty good to get back into Manhattan, and it would be reasonable to assume my story would end here - but this time I'm not that lucky!
Manhattan was a complete and utter MESS. We got up 1st avenue all right, but quickly realized that turning up 89th street to our apartment was out of the question - as it hadn't been plowed yet. So with Alex holding down the fort, I proceeded to carry all of the fruits of our IKEA adventure from the day before a block and a half through icy sidewalks, snow banks and grey slushy goo to our apartment. I got quite a few weird looks as I carried the tropical palm tree down the street. After 3 trips of this, we were ready to drive the car one last measly block to the AVIS rent a car on 90th Street. Seeing that 90th street was in just as rough shape as 89th, I decided to drive around the block to hit the road with some momentum. After going up to 95th street, over to 2nd avenue, back down to 90th street and back east to the intersection of 90th and 1st, we were ready to plow down towards York and give back the car. The light turned green and then some stupid Manhattanite walked in front of the car, killing all of our momentum and we hit the snowbank at the east side of 1st avenue with a slow, not-so-glorious thud. Ultimately it wouldn't matter as the street had just too much snow.
I left Alex with the car and walked down to the end of the block and told Avis my situation. I was greeted with "well you just have to bring the car back somehow". After giving my license as collateral, I was "lucky" enough to be given a small metal hand shovel with which to achieve the task at hand. I went through another round of shovel, shovel, dig, push, rock, push, move 20 feet forward, repeat for the next 2 hours. In the middle of it all, a few other people nearby were digging out their parked car, and were nice enough to dump all of the extra snow in the middle of the street, just to move their car FIVE F-ING FEET into a garage - because they didn't want it on the street. As they walked away, they did not register me at all and walked away. The final insult was when Avis couldn't even dig a pathway to their entrance, which I had to do on my own. I got the car into the garage, and was given one last kick in the pants with a $13 gas charge because the tank wasn't full due to the 2 hours it was travelling at 0.001 miles per hour as I self-plowed 90th street.
Through the entire ordeal, I kind of surprised myself with how present I was in the situation, how I was able to cultivate a positive mindset, and got what needed to be done - done. I didn't complain or whine or panic, I just took responsibility and took care of my situation as best as I could. Sometimes you just have to suck it up and kick some ass.
- Chris
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Bar Mitzvah Speech
My brother recently became a Bar Mitzvah, a very important achievement in his life - and many family and friends gathered to celebrate with him. As the oldest brother, I felt a strong obligation to give a speech at the event. I gave the speech with some reservations, being that I'm not Jewish - but I felt the message was too important to hold back based on those grounds. The speech seemed to really strike people, and I'm glad to have had the opportunity. For posterity and without further comment, my unabridged speech:
First and foremost, Mazal Tov on your Bar Mitzvah! Like everyone else, I'm very proud of the effort you've put in over the past few years to prepare for this day. Now, take a second to look around you. You've managed to get about a hundred people gathered in a room, celebrating in your honor. On top of that, you've managed to separate all of them from some of their hard earned cash! Sure makes up for the ritual circumcision and years of Hebrew school, doesn't it?
I know it’s been tricky for us to build our relationship as brothers, since you're more than half my age and I left home ten years ago. However, I'm sure our relationship will get a lot better in the all too near future when I'm going through my mid-life crisis and I start calling you at college begging to hang out. Nowadays, the time we get to spend together is a lot of fun, but it's rare we get the opportunity to talk about the heavy stuff. Matters of the spirit like religion, faith, and philosophy. I know when I was thirteen, I never talked about these things at all. That's why I've insisted on standing here tonight, to provide some words of caution and words of encouragement, and forgoing the golden opportunity to embarrass you in front of all your friends.
When I was about your age, I performed the Catholic Rite of Confirmation. I did this less out of choice, than out of obligation…it was what you were supposed to do. While I had to do a bit of work to prepare for the occasion, it was nowhere near the commitment needed to prepare for a Bar Mitzvah. I did it in a catholic school gym with a bunch of other kids, and we all got to it all in English! For all of its supposed significance, my Confirmation was pretty much void of honest spirituality. I felt no connection to the beliefs of the religion I was "confirming", and it was after that day I made the decision that it wasn't for me. With the benefit of hindsight I realize how it was a big mistake to shut myself off from spirituality with that decision. It was more than a dozen years after that Confirmation when I discovered religions and philosophies that deeply resonated with me, inspired me and drove me to focus much of my thoughts and energies on such matters, and to do so passionately. I say all of this to give you perspective on why I must caution you to not spend the next decade ignoring spirituality like I did.
In many ways I envy you and the opportunity you have before you. It's my hope that you are encouraged by all of your studies and this event to never stop investigating the deeper matters. Don't let the many wonders and wisdoms of spirituality and philosophy become part-time endeavors, as things to lean on during difficult or convenient times. Don't look upon your Bar Mitzvah as a destination, as an end to a long period of intense study. Look on it as a celebration of your faith, on becoming morally and ethically responsible for your actions. I encourage you to use today as a springboard into a life of seeking. Seeking to understand yourself, seeking to understand Judaism, seeking the answers to those really big questions that all too often go unasked.
Your Proud Brother, Chris
First and foremost, Mazal Tov on your Bar Mitzvah! Like everyone else, I'm very proud of the effort you've put in over the past few years to prepare for this day. Now, take a second to look around you. You've managed to get about a hundred people gathered in a room, celebrating in your honor. On top of that, you've managed to separate all of them from some of their hard earned cash! Sure makes up for the ritual circumcision and years of Hebrew school, doesn't it?
I know it’s been tricky for us to build our relationship as brothers, since you're more than half my age and I left home ten years ago. However, I'm sure our relationship will get a lot better in the all too near future when I'm going through my mid-life crisis and I start calling you at college begging to hang out. Nowadays, the time we get to spend together is a lot of fun, but it's rare we get the opportunity to talk about the heavy stuff. Matters of the spirit like religion, faith, and philosophy. I know when I was thirteen, I never talked about these things at all. That's why I've insisted on standing here tonight, to provide some words of caution and words of encouragement, and forgoing the golden opportunity to embarrass you in front of all your friends.
When I was about your age, I performed the Catholic Rite of Confirmation. I did this less out of choice, than out of obligation…it was what you were supposed to do. While I had to do a bit of work to prepare for the occasion, it was nowhere near the commitment needed to prepare for a Bar Mitzvah. I did it in a catholic school gym with a bunch of other kids, and we all got to it all in English! For all of its supposed significance, my Confirmation was pretty much void of honest spirituality. I felt no connection to the beliefs of the religion I was "confirming", and it was after that day I made the decision that it wasn't for me. With the benefit of hindsight I realize how it was a big mistake to shut myself off from spirituality with that decision. It was more than a dozen years after that Confirmation when I discovered religions and philosophies that deeply resonated with me, inspired me and drove me to focus much of my thoughts and energies on such matters, and to do so passionately. I say all of this to give you perspective on why I must caution you to not spend the next decade ignoring spirituality like I did.
In many ways I envy you and the opportunity you have before you. It's my hope that you are encouraged by all of your studies and this event to never stop investigating the deeper matters. Don't let the many wonders and wisdoms of spirituality and philosophy become part-time endeavors, as things to lean on during difficult or convenient times. Don't look upon your Bar Mitzvah as a destination, as an end to a long period of intense study. Look on it as a celebration of your faith, on becoming morally and ethically responsible for your actions. I encourage you to use today as a springboard into a life of seeking. Seeking to understand yourself, seeking to understand Judaism, seeking the answers to those really big questions that all too often go unasked.
Your Proud Brother, Chris
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Book Review: Sex, Sin & Zen
I heard of this book through a Buddhist blog I casually read - and thought the concept was very interesting. Brad Warner, an ordained Soto Zen Priest, promises to provide, "A Buddhist exploration of sex, from celibacy to poluamory and Everything in Between". I gave the book a casual scan in the bookstore - seeing the title next to some other of his books, and it seemed to ask some interesting questions; for example: can monks masturbate?, what is the buddhist attitudes towards abortion?, is pornography a bad thing?
I picked it up based more out of curiosity than anything else - and it would be nice to get back on a Buddhist reading kick. Lately I've found myself heavily entwined with taoism and varying philosophical works by the likes of David Foster Wallace and Henry David Thoreau.
This book blew away every expectation I had of it right from the start. Throughout the book, Brad discusses the heart of buddhist philosophy and history with amazing clarity. His approach is very honest, and he does not separate his discussions from own history and feelings. Throughout the book you get a very lucid taste of his view on things - and he does not abuse this by saying you should believe him. I guess in a way you can call this a sneaky book at times - it uses sex more as a tool in order to discuss much more poignant spiritual and philosophical matters, for example:
The idea of avoiding preferences doesn't mean that we need to be complacent and leave even the worst situations in life just as they are. The first step in effectively changing something that clearly needs to be changed is accepting the way it actually is. Then we can do what needs doing to make things different without wasting a lot of energy wishing things already were different. - Pg. 201
This book not only made me consider aspects of sexuality and relationships, but really helped clear up a lot of spiritual misconceptions and issues I had with my prior inquiries into Buddhism and Zen. Brad does a fantastic job of distilling extremely complex issues in such a way that the reader can come to their own conclusions and be okay with them. I didn't agree with everything he writes in the book, but the honesty of the discussions in the book provided a framework for me to understand other sides of the issues and philosophies.
I am very thankful I picked this book up off the shelf...I feel that it's helped me put a lot of complicated issues from my own light into a very manageable perspective. It's allowed me to be more open and honest with my own thoughts and emotions - and not just in regards to sex, but with religion, philosophical inquiry, relationships, politics, social constructs, and living compassionately.
All that being said, I don't think I'd recommend this book to anybody. People need to come to this book with a very open mind - and be comfortable going into some really heavy subjects like abortion, homosexuality, celibacy and polyamory. I do think it's a fantastic book for someone interested in sexuality and Buddhism. I was very intrigued at how Brad writes in such a way that you don't need to have studied tons of Buddhist texts to understand the keys of the philosophy. It's a far better starting point than many of the books on Buddhism I've already read.
- Chris
Political Compass
I was doing some research for a project via the all-knowing Wikipedia, and came across something called a political compass.
I'm sure this isn't anything new for most people, but for someone who tends to keep his neck far clear from anything overtly political - it was interesting. I read into it, and took a "where do you stand" test HERE.
Anyway, the test is awkwardly written, with lots of negative clauses thrown in there to keep you on your toes. I'm sure those that aren't paying attention may answer the opposite of their intent...so I was a bit skeptical to say the least. Regardless, I slogged through the questions out of sheer procrastanistic curiosity. The conclusion of the test shows where some "popular" political figures would fall in this chart:
And then, my results:
While I find it hard to argue that this is pretty accurate, no test or chart can speak for what you believe in. I think it's tests like this that give tools to shape their egos, and lead to close-mindedness...and that's dangerous. In one year or ten, I could take this same test, and I have to keep open-minded enough to realize that it may change. People too often get comfortable being in a particular "camp", and this prevents them from seeing the perspectives of those on the other side of the fence. Maybe this just shows my weak knowledge of the subject, but it was certainly an interesting exercise regardless.
I'm sure this isn't anything new for most people, but for someone who tends to keep his neck far clear from anything overtly political - it was interesting. I read into it, and took a "where do you stand" test HERE.
Anyway, the test is awkwardly written, with lots of negative clauses thrown in there to keep you on your toes. I'm sure those that aren't paying attention may answer the opposite of their intent...so I was a bit skeptical to say the least. Regardless, I slogged through the questions out of sheer procrastanistic curiosity. The conclusion of the test shows where some "popular" political figures would fall in this chart:
And then, my results:
While I find it hard to argue that this is pretty accurate, no test or chart can speak for what you believe in. I think it's tests like this that give tools to shape their egos, and lead to close-mindedness...and that's dangerous. In one year or ten, I could take this same test, and I have to keep open-minded enough to realize that it may change. People too often get comfortable being in a particular "camp", and this prevents them from seeing the perspectives of those on the other side of the fence. Maybe this just shows my weak knowledge of the subject, but it was certainly an interesting exercise regardless.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
NYC Haiku
It's around 3am...just got home a half hour ago from a few days with family - and I have to head out in 2 hours to a friend's wedding in Cape Cod...so rather than sleep I've been frantically trying to get everything in order for the second trip. I've settled down now...but on the trip home I had some time to sit and muse - and I share with you some new york city haiku's:
city never sleeps
nights kept busy in odd ways
want to go to bed
===============================
why be so crazy
don't flip out on that cabbie
he is off duty
nyc really is quite ridiculous at 2 in the morning, then again - so am I :)
- Chris
city never sleeps
nights kept busy in odd ways
want to go to bed
===============================
why be so crazy
don't flip out on that cabbie
he is off duty
nyc really is quite ridiculous at 2 in the morning, then again - so am I :)
- Chris
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Movie Review - The Man From Earth
"Piety is not what the lessons bring to the people, it's the mistake people bring to the lessons."
On a whim, I recently watched The Man From Earth (2007) on Netflix Streaming. (Speaking of which - for ~$10 a month this is such a phenominal deal - and the primary reason I don't have to spend ~$100 a month on cable)
While I'm not one to write a review of every movie I watch - this one is certainly an exception. Written by sci-fi legend Jerome Bixby, The Man From Earth is a story about an impromptu good-bye party at the almost-empty house of Professor John Oldman; which quickly turns into an interrogation about the reasons he's leaving. After plenty of goading John reveals that he is in fact a cro-magnon human who is about 14,000 years old, and never ages. Understandably, his colleagues label it as a prank; but of course an anthropologist, biologist, historian, psycologist, and the other academics couldn't let such an idea pass.
The film goes into an astounding amount of discussion involving the physical possibilities of John's condition, and probing of John's memories of his many many years and life experiences. At every question, John provides lucid and entertaining responses - constantly putting his colleagues (and the viewer) into a state where they have to seriously consider that he's in fact completely serious. I knew it was a movie, yet I found myself wanting it all to be true, because the plotline of this 14,000 year old life was so compelling.
I've often fantasized about the possibility of living in a different era - what life would be like in many different types of societies and cultures...and the film goes into quite a few of John past "lives" with a breadth and depth that is incredibly entertaining. The back-and-forth among the other characters in response to John's revelation continuously discuss and reinforces the notion that it is possible (nay, important for a truly curious mind) to investigate phenomenoa without having to believe in it first. (And this is a point that is not stressed enough in education these days!)
The film gets very emotional and touchy in the latter half, when the discussions about faith, religion and philosophy are strongest - but the film does so in such a fantastic way. By far, this was my favorite parts of the film. Ellen Crawford does a pretty decent job at portraying Edith, a christian fundamentalist who gets extremely uncomfortable and withdrawn as some incredible secrets about christinaity are revealed by John. She walks the finely woven line John unravels just enough to have her firm resolve and rejection of the idea into an almost incredulous belief that it may actually be the truth.
The film is a bit reminiscent of 12 Angry Men, given it is shot entirely in John's cabin, and the movie is focused solely on the characters and John's story. The film brilliantly uses the house as a way to break up the pace of the film, to allow for some decompression and setup of changing angles of inquiry. It also provides opportunities to focus on the characters grappling with the issue of whether to believe John or just hear him out while he's outside.
The acting in general is pretty good, David Lee Smith plays a very convincing John Oldman - and his speech is fluid, clear, and spoken with incredible sincerity and pace. If was a pleasure hearing him speak through pages and pages of script as if he truly was the person who experienced it all.
All this being said, the film has some weak points. Harry's jokes a bit dorky and lame, but actor John Billingsley does a pretty good job of saving those moments being sincere and affable while saying the lines. William Katt needs some acting lessons after witnessing his role as Art, and the ending...the ending was fan-tas-tic, but it was a bit quick and brief. It was such a fun, brilliantly written way to end the film, but the director kind of screwed the pooch in the execution. Not that is was bad...you just know if could have been a lot better.
I give this movie a 9.5/10, losing a half a point for the 2 points mentioned above, and reccomend that you SEE THIS MOVIE!
- Chris
On a whim, I recently watched The Man From Earth (2007) on Netflix Streaming. (Speaking of which - for ~$10 a month this is such a phenominal deal - and the primary reason I don't have to spend ~$100 a month on cable)
While I'm not one to write a review of every movie I watch - this one is certainly an exception. Written by sci-fi legend Jerome Bixby, The Man From Earth is a story about an impromptu good-bye party at the almost-empty house of Professor John Oldman; which quickly turns into an interrogation about the reasons he's leaving. After plenty of goading John reveals that he is in fact a cro-magnon human who is about 14,000 years old, and never ages. Understandably, his colleagues label it as a prank; but of course an anthropologist, biologist, historian, psycologist, and the other academics couldn't let such an idea pass.
The film goes into an astounding amount of discussion involving the physical possibilities of John's condition, and probing of John's memories of his many many years and life experiences. At every question, John provides lucid and entertaining responses - constantly putting his colleagues (and the viewer) into a state where they have to seriously consider that he's in fact completely serious. I knew it was a movie, yet I found myself wanting it all to be true, because the plotline of this 14,000 year old life was so compelling.
I've often fantasized about the possibility of living in a different era - what life would be like in many different types of societies and cultures...and the film goes into quite a few of John past "lives" with a breadth and depth that is incredibly entertaining. The back-and-forth among the other characters in response to John's revelation continuously discuss and reinforces the notion that it is possible (nay, important for a truly curious mind) to investigate phenomenoa without having to believe in it first. (And this is a point that is not stressed enough in education these days!)
The film gets very emotional and touchy in the latter half, when the discussions about faith, religion and philosophy are strongest - but the film does so in such a fantastic way. By far, this was my favorite parts of the film. Ellen Crawford does a pretty decent job at portraying Edith, a christian fundamentalist who gets extremely uncomfortable and withdrawn as some incredible secrets about christinaity are revealed by John. She walks the finely woven line John unravels just enough to have her firm resolve and rejection of the idea into an almost incredulous belief that it may actually be the truth.
The film is a bit reminiscent of 12 Angry Men, given it is shot entirely in John's cabin, and the movie is focused solely on the characters and John's story. The film brilliantly uses the house as a way to break up the pace of the film, to allow for some decompression and setup of changing angles of inquiry. It also provides opportunities to focus on the characters grappling with the issue of whether to believe John or just hear him out while he's outside.
The acting in general is pretty good, David Lee Smith plays a very convincing John Oldman - and his speech is fluid, clear, and spoken with incredible sincerity and pace. If was a pleasure hearing him speak through pages and pages of script as if he truly was the person who experienced it all.
All this being said, the film has some weak points. Harry's jokes a bit dorky and lame, but actor John Billingsley does a pretty good job of saving those moments being sincere and affable while saying the lines. William Katt needs some acting lessons after witnessing his role as Art, and the ending...the ending was fan-tas-tic, but it was a bit quick and brief. It was such a fun, brilliantly written way to end the film, but the director kind of screwed the pooch in the execution. Not that is was bad...you just know if could have been a lot better.
I give this movie a 9.5/10, losing a half a point for the 2 points mentioned above, and reccomend that you SEE THIS MOVIE!
- Chris
Friday, November 19, 2010
Book Review: Walden
"Will you be a reader, a student merely, or a seer? Read your fate, see what is before you, and walk on into futurity." - Pg. 119
Yet again, I have my friend Eli to thank for introducing me to such a fantastic book. Considered Henry David Thoreau's masterpiece, Walden is a weighty book which chronicles his thoughts and experiences over the course of a couple of years on the banks of Walden Pond during the years 1845-1847. Walden is rife with transcendentalist philosophy, in many ways a response to a world that was growing increasingly hectic and smaller. While written in the mid 19th century, many of the discussions and philosophy is just as relevant to today's world (if not MORE so) than it was in his world - and that's probably one of the biggest reasons the book is considered such a literary classic.
"We are the subjects of an experiment which is not a little interesting to me. Can we not do without the society of our gossips a little while under these circumstances - have our own thoughts to cheer us? Confucius says truly, 'Virtue does not remain as an abandoned orphan; it must of necessity have neighbors.'" - Pg. 144
I'll admit that the book is bogged down by a lot of long descriptions of the natural world Thoreau explored. While interesting, and all eloquently written, it took me quite a bit of time to get through this book. It's the type of book that takes me a long time to read, little bits at a time. (Sorry I've had your book for over a month Eli :-/) While the language is certainly a bit too flowery and poetic for my taste, when he gets to the meaty philosophical parts he presents his arguments with a level of clarity that really made me think about things. The book certainly resonates with my feelings about the world I'm living in.
"We should be as good as the worthies of antiquity, but party by first knowing how good they were. We are a race of tit-men, and soar but little higher in our intellectual flights than the columns of the daily paper." - Pg. 116
It's really hard to classify Walden - in parts its a practical description of living a life in the woods on one's own terms, in others he takes a critical look at society and economy, and in portions his investigation takes a scientific tack that while odd; helped me to appreciate the man behind the book. Thoreau is certainly a man of many facets and talents, and quite resourceful to boot. He is a man who is comfortable with who he is, and wise enough to realize the true battle of mankind is the battle within.
"A single gentle rain makes the grass many shades greener. So our prospects brighten on the influx of better thoughts. We should be blessed if we lived in the present always, and took advantage of every accident that befell us, like the grass which confesses the influence of the slightest dew that falls on it; and did not spend our time in atoning for the neglect of past opportunities, which we call doing our duty." -Pg. 330
While Thoreau openly discusses his experiences with eastern philosophy, many of his discussions echo Buddhist, Taoist and Hindu philosophies - consciously or without knowledge. He does so in a way that is shockingly lucid, considering the limited exposure such philosophies had in the west in his time. It's in these passages where Thoreau's brilliance really shines brightest (for me, at least).
"I think that we may safely trust a good deal more than we do. We may waive just so much care of ourselves as we honestly bestow elsewhere. Nature is as well adapted to our weakness as to o strength. The incessant anxiety and strain of some is a well-nigh incurable form of disease. We are made to exaggerate the importance of the work we do; and yet how much is not done by us! or, what if we had been taken sick? How vigilant we are! determined not to live by faith if we can avoid it; all day long on the alert, at night we unwillingly say our prayers and commit ourselves to uncertainties. So thoroughly and sincerely are we compelled to live, reverencing our life, and denying the possibility of change. This is the only way, we say; but there are as many ways as there can be drawn radii from one centre. All change is a miracle to contemplate; but it is a miracle which is taking place every instant." - Pgs. 15-16
Thoreau was certainly a naturalist at heart. The breadth and depth of his knowledge and experience in such matters becomes clearly obvious while reading Walden. The detail he provides is more than enough to close one's eyes and be able to pretend you're sitting on the stoop of his cabin enjoying a perfect day at Walden Pond. Thoreau also showcases his concern for the decaying relationships between man and nature - how out of touch society was becoming with its powerful benefits. I think if Thoreau were to live in today's world, he'd probably have quite a fit fits over how much worse things got after the Industrial Revolution and two World Wars really gummed things up a whole lot worse...
"But since I left those shores the wood choppers have still further laid them waste, and now for many a year there will be no more rambling through the aisles of the wood, with occasional vistas through which you see the water. My muse may be excused if she is silent henceforth. How can you expect the birds to sing when their groves are cut down?" - Pg. 205
Walden was by no means an easy read, but the challenge was well worth it.
- Chris
Yet again, I have my friend Eli to thank for introducing me to such a fantastic book. Considered Henry David Thoreau's masterpiece, Walden is a weighty book which chronicles his thoughts and experiences over the course of a couple of years on the banks of Walden Pond during the years 1845-1847. Walden is rife with transcendentalist philosophy, in many ways a response to a world that was growing increasingly hectic and smaller. While written in the mid 19th century, many of the discussions and philosophy is just as relevant to today's world (if not MORE so) than it was in his world - and that's probably one of the biggest reasons the book is considered such a literary classic.
"We are the subjects of an experiment which is not a little interesting to me. Can we not do without the society of our gossips a little while under these circumstances - have our own thoughts to cheer us? Confucius says truly, 'Virtue does not remain as an abandoned orphan; it must of necessity have neighbors.'" - Pg. 144
I'll admit that the book is bogged down by a lot of long descriptions of the natural world Thoreau explored. While interesting, and all eloquently written, it took me quite a bit of time to get through this book. It's the type of book that takes me a long time to read, little bits at a time. (Sorry I've had your book for over a month Eli :-/) While the language is certainly a bit too flowery and poetic for my taste, when he gets to the meaty philosophical parts he presents his arguments with a level of clarity that really made me think about things. The book certainly resonates with my feelings about the world I'm living in.
"We should be as good as the worthies of antiquity, but party by first knowing how good they were. We are a race of tit-men, and soar but little higher in our intellectual flights than the columns of the daily paper." - Pg. 116
It's really hard to classify Walden - in parts its a practical description of living a life in the woods on one's own terms, in others he takes a critical look at society and economy, and in portions his investigation takes a scientific tack that while odd; helped me to appreciate the man behind the book. Thoreau is certainly a man of many facets and talents, and quite resourceful to boot. He is a man who is comfortable with who he is, and wise enough to realize the true battle of mankind is the battle within.
"A single gentle rain makes the grass many shades greener. So our prospects brighten on the influx of better thoughts. We should be blessed if we lived in the present always, and took advantage of every accident that befell us, like the grass which confesses the influence of the slightest dew that falls on it; and did not spend our time in atoning for the neglect of past opportunities, which we call doing our duty." -Pg. 330
While Thoreau openly discusses his experiences with eastern philosophy, many of his discussions echo Buddhist, Taoist and Hindu philosophies - consciously or without knowledge. He does so in a way that is shockingly lucid, considering the limited exposure such philosophies had in the west in his time. It's in these passages where Thoreau's brilliance really shines brightest (for me, at least).
"I think that we may safely trust a good deal more than we do. We may waive just so much care of ourselves as we honestly bestow elsewhere. Nature is as well adapted to our weakness as to o strength. The incessant anxiety and strain of some is a well-nigh incurable form of disease. We are made to exaggerate the importance of the work we do; and yet how much is not done by us! or, what if we had been taken sick? How vigilant we are! determined not to live by faith if we can avoid it; all day long on the alert, at night we unwillingly say our prayers and commit ourselves to uncertainties. So thoroughly and sincerely are we compelled to live, reverencing our life, and denying the possibility of change. This is the only way, we say; but there are as many ways as there can be drawn radii from one centre. All change is a miracle to contemplate; but it is a miracle which is taking place every instant." - Pgs. 15-16
Thoreau was certainly a naturalist at heart. The breadth and depth of his knowledge and experience in such matters becomes clearly obvious while reading Walden. The detail he provides is more than enough to close one's eyes and be able to pretend you're sitting on the stoop of his cabin enjoying a perfect day at Walden Pond. Thoreau also showcases his concern for the decaying relationships between man and nature - how out of touch society was becoming with its powerful benefits. I think if Thoreau were to live in today's world, he'd probably have quite a fit fits over how much worse things got after the Industrial Revolution and two World Wars really gummed things up a whole lot worse...
"But since I left those shores the wood choppers have still further laid them waste, and now for many a year there will be no more rambling through the aisles of the wood, with occasional vistas through which you see the water. My muse may be excused if she is silent henceforth. How can you expect the birds to sing when their groves are cut down?" - Pg. 205
Walden was by no means an easy read, but the challenge was well worth it.
- Chris
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
MapCrunch
I found out about this gem of a website today: MapCrunch.
It distills the entire google maps photo database and transports you to a random place in the world (and you can set some of the parameters if you've got a specific place in mind). I't s a great reference tool to get a landscape to practice drawing...but it's also nice to be inspired. For instance, I want to go climb the rock in the picture above and play with those penguins. Which means I'll have to go to Antarctica!
- Chris
Sunday, November 7, 2010
"It's a long way to the top / If you want to rock & roll"
This is merely one viewpoint of an awesome weekend trip. For the other view, check out Mike's blog posts here: HERE and HERE.
Partially inspired by my recent trip to Mt. Washington, Mike tossed around the idea of doing a weekend hiking trip. Having no plans other than hosting a halloween party friday and antsy to leave the city for a while - I signed on to the plan pretty quickly. After debating the logistics of a trip to the Catskills or the Adirondacks further upstate, we chose the former. It meant only staying over one night, no time off work, and a quick 90 mile drive to and from the Catskills.
I picked the rental car up around 10am Saturday, drove up to Fort Washington to pick up Mike - and we headed north on I-87. Shortly after crossing the Tappan Zee Bridge we detoured to the Eastern Mountain Sports in Nanuet. I needed a new pair of hiking shoes to replace the ones I destroyed on Mt. Washington two weeks ago. We continued up I-87 to the exit for Rt. 28, which would lead us directly into the Catskills.
While it was past peak-leaf season, there was still plenty of color left on the hills and mountains. The last remanants of orange and red were intersperced with patches of evergreen, bright yellows and bare branches. Not quite as stellar as New Hampshire two weeks prior, but a heckuva lot better than the forest of concrete I call home. We were both getting hungry - so we decided to find a local place to grab some lunch. We first stopped at this odd Caviar store, whose promises of "gourmet food" left much to be desired. The store did feature some pretty large, impressive wooden dioramas of caviar harvesting. According to the owner, they help to sell the caviar.
A bit further down the street we stopped at Bistro-To-Go, a good bet because there were a bunch of cars parked around it. Inside was a hip little bistro with a friendly staff filled with some good smelling food, which turned out to be just as tasty as it smelled! We continued on the road another couple of miles until we got to Boiceville. Here, our attention was peeled from the open road by an alien space shuttle, and tons of spacecraft off the side of the road. We agreed we had to stop and check this out, so I turned the car around and we walked around in awe of the sculptures of artist Steve Heller. He makes his sculptures out of scrap metal, old car parts, and plenty of woodwork. He even created a replica Stargate out of car parts!
We realized that since it was still pretty early, and it was such a nice day - we should do a quick little day hike to explore the area. We found the Fox Hollow Trailhead, and explored along a fun little steam, full of boulders and fallen trees.
A little ways up Route 28 we came to the small town of Pine Hill, NY. A very small "town", there was nothing of interest until we came to our resting place: The Colonial. Words can't truly capture how...strange the place was. Thankfully Mike takes a ton of pictures:
Mike's Colonial Inn Photo Gallery
The place had a feel like a packrat's heaven - tons of mismatched furniture, hunting paraphernalia on the walls, hunting targets on top of firewood, jukebox on the front porch, and even a random stuffed Mickey chilling out at the bar:
While the locals were certainly interesting, we were welcomed and made to feel as comfortable as you could feel with all the animal heads mounted on the wall. We partook of the "grand buffet", which was actually much better than we thought it would be. That's a good thing considering we almost lost our appetite looking at our waitresses teeth. Her mouth looked like black bean soup...but I bet the nearest dentist is a long drive away and she probably doesn't get dental when they're charging only $14 for an all you can eat buffet.
We spent the rest of the night going on a drive for provisions for the hike, packing our bags and hitting the hay. We got up around 4am, and made the short drive to our trailhead. We set off about a quarter after 5am - ready to reach the top of the first peak, Wittenberg Mtn.
For the sake of brevity I've decided I will leave out the details about the hike itself - Mike's already done it really, really well anyway. So, I've decided to take a different tack...
I find myself in a much more awake and vibrant state when I'm in the nature. Perhaps its just so noticeable because I live in an enormous city, so when I go on a hike or climb it tends to be feel a lot like jumping into a pool of ice water. With every step, there a much greater sense of immediacy and interconnectedness. Throughout a hike the woods reveal themselves, and therefore do their part to reveal "me" to myself. My mind doesn't wander so much and a very true sense of peace settles over me.
View from the top of Wittenberg Mountain, 8am
There was definitely a sense of accomplishment in reaching the top of any mountain, or in finishing a particularly difficult hike (15 miles in 10 hours). But what really matters is the journey you take to get there - and I feel very lucky that I'm able to enjoy those journeys so much more now. When I sit on top of a mountain making peanut butter and honeycrisp apple sandwiches, I am completely comfortable with myself and my surroundings - I realize it's all a singular experience and it makes me a very happy man indeed.
Since pictures are worth thousands of words: Mike's Complete Hike Gallery
- Chris
Partially inspired by my recent trip to Mt. Washington, Mike tossed around the idea of doing a weekend hiking trip. Having no plans other than hosting a halloween party friday and antsy to leave the city for a while - I signed on to the plan pretty quickly. After debating the logistics of a trip to the Catskills or the Adirondacks further upstate, we chose the former. It meant only staying over one night, no time off work, and a quick 90 mile drive to and from the Catskills.
I picked the rental car up around 10am Saturday, drove up to Fort Washington to pick up Mike - and we headed north on I-87. Shortly after crossing the Tappan Zee Bridge we detoured to the Eastern Mountain Sports in Nanuet. I needed a new pair of hiking shoes to replace the ones I destroyed on Mt. Washington two weeks ago. We continued up I-87 to the exit for Rt. 28, which would lead us directly into the Catskills.
While it was past peak-leaf season, there was still plenty of color left on the hills and mountains. The last remanants of orange and red were intersperced with patches of evergreen, bright yellows and bare branches. Not quite as stellar as New Hampshire two weeks prior, but a heckuva lot better than the forest of concrete I call home. We were both getting hungry - so we decided to find a local place to grab some lunch. We first stopped at this odd Caviar store, whose promises of "gourmet food" left much to be desired. The store did feature some pretty large, impressive wooden dioramas of caviar harvesting. According to the owner, they help to sell the caviar.
A bit further down the street we stopped at Bistro-To-Go, a good bet because there were a bunch of cars parked around it. Inside was a hip little bistro with a friendly staff filled with some good smelling food, which turned out to be just as tasty as it smelled! We continued on the road another couple of miles until we got to Boiceville. Here, our attention was peeled from the open road by an alien space shuttle, and tons of spacecraft off the side of the road. We agreed we had to stop and check this out, so I turned the car around and we walked around in awe of the sculptures of artist Steve Heller. He makes his sculptures out of scrap metal, old car parts, and plenty of woodwork. He even created a replica Stargate out of car parts!
We realized that since it was still pretty early, and it was such a nice day - we should do a quick little day hike to explore the area. We found the Fox Hollow Trailhead, and explored along a fun little steam, full of boulders and fallen trees.
A little ways up Route 28 we came to the small town of Pine Hill, NY. A very small "town", there was nothing of interest until we came to our resting place: The Colonial. Words can't truly capture how...strange the place was. Thankfully Mike takes a ton of pictures:
Mike's Colonial Inn Photo Gallery
The place had a feel like a packrat's heaven - tons of mismatched furniture, hunting paraphernalia on the walls, hunting targets on top of firewood, jukebox on the front porch, and even a random stuffed Mickey chilling out at the bar:
While the locals were certainly interesting, we were welcomed and made to feel as comfortable as you could feel with all the animal heads mounted on the wall. We partook of the "grand buffet", which was actually much better than we thought it would be. That's a good thing considering we almost lost our appetite looking at our waitresses teeth. Her mouth looked like black bean soup...but I bet the nearest dentist is a long drive away and she probably doesn't get dental when they're charging only $14 for an all you can eat buffet.
We spent the rest of the night going on a drive for provisions for the hike, packing our bags and hitting the hay. We got up around 4am, and made the short drive to our trailhead. We set off about a quarter after 5am - ready to reach the top of the first peak, Wittenberg Mtn.
For the sake of brevity I've decided I will leave out the details about the hike itself - Mike's already done it really, really well anyway. So, I've decided to take a different tack...
I find myself in a much more awake and vibrant state when I'm in the nature. Perhaps its just so noticeable because I live in an enormous city, so when I go on a hike or climb it tends to be feel a lot like jumping into a pool of ice water. With every step, there a much greater sense of immediacy and interconnectedness. Throughout a hike the woods reveal themselves, and therefore do their part to reveal "me" to myself. My mind doesn't wander so much and a very true sense of peace settles over me.
There was definitely a sense of accomplishment in reaching the top of any mountain, or in finishing a particularly difficult hike (15 miles in 10 hours). But what really matters is the journey you take to get there - and I feel very lucky that I'm able to enjoy those journeys so much more now. When I sit on top of a mountain making peanut butter and honeycrisp apple sandwiches, I am completely comfortable with myself and my surroundings - I realize it's all a singular experience and it makes me a very happy man indeed.
Since pictures are worth thousands of words: Mike's Complete Hike Gallery
- Chris
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