Following a friend's recommendation. I will try to blog my experiences here in Kenya.

://tryingtosavethisworld.blogspot.com/

Exploration of the mind

In reading a novel of fiction we have to know perfectly well that the whole thing is nonsense, and yet while reading, believe every word of it. However when we are done with it, particularly if it is a good novel, we find that we may have been changed by it. All fiction is a metaphor. But a metaphor for what?

Having finished my first semester in graduate school I noticed a discrepancy in my daily routine. I would awaken early in the morning, perform hygienic necessities and eat breakfast. However once those few tasks were accomplished I realized I did not know what to do with the remainder of my day. During the academic calendar, my primary focus would be school. It was the entire reason I woke up in the mornings and the reason why I would sleep relatively early at nights. And while yes, I could continue to study (catch up on the current epidemiologic literature) without the motivation of grades it just isn't the same.

So I decided to foray into the city and explore. But for all my hopes and dreams of epic adventures I ended up at the downtown branch of the Chicago public library system. I haven't really read for pleasure since school had started. Oh sure, I read a couple novels here and there but these were the fantasy novels I had brought from home and had already read through them. I enjoy rereading books because each time you do so you pick up or understand something different. Little nuances you wouldn't have understood reading them the first time through. But there is nothing like reading a great book for the first time.

I wandered up to the 7th floor, fiction, and started to browse. I ended up selecting several novels written by Ursula K. Le Guin. I started with The Left Hand of Darkness, a short book in comparison to the epic tomes I usually read. I read it in one sitting, paused to think about it and then read it again straight through. To be perfectly honest, it wasn't that great of a book. It wasn't particularly engaging and I didn't find myself clutching my chair eager to turn each page. It read almost like a documentary with several different character views and a smattering of 'historical narrative'.

But when I stopped to think about it, this book was a doozy. It brings up the idea of gender roles. In this setting, the native people of Gethen (the world where most of the events transpire) are androgynous. Normally in a state of neutral gender they shift into male or female roles during their sexual period which happens every 26 days. This is further complicated by the fact that the main perspective in this book is from a male from Terra (what is alluded to as Earth). This character Genly is the representative of a planetary collective which desires to bring Gethen into its membership. Given this sexual neutrality, the books explores gender roles both in their biological and cultural imposed forms. I'm not going to get into it but it essentially boils down to Nuture (people of Gethen) vs Nature (everyone else). Le Guin also deftly brings up the idea of belief systems and mythologies and the influences they bear on individual action. Gethen is a fragmented world meaning that there is no unified body. There exists, multiple nations, cultures and religions. Our main character Genly goes from one nation to another, an alien yet desperately struggling to gain an emic perspective. This is incredibly difficult as the differences within the world are exemplified to one who comes from the outside. Genly is forced to react differently to different people and you can feel the his frustration as actions are interpreted differently by people he considers to be the same. You also get a sense of perspective while reading this book. The nations of Gethen are in tension with one another yet the emergence of 'aliens' forces them to realize that they are not alone in the universe. And in order to respond to Genly and the worlds he represents they must unify and stand together.

I realize that this book is entirely fictional yet it causes me to reflect upon reality. I don't understand why people tend to disregard fiction. Often times I find fiction/fantasy novels are better written, more thought provoking and thus more educational than 'classic' literature.

Fiction is a metaphor, but to what purpose? Why do people choose to write countless pages of made up nonsense? If you stop and think about it, sometimes only in the nonsense can we achieve clarity.

Images

I've had two recurring images running through my mind for the past several days. I think they were from a dream(s) but since I hardly remember most of them, who knows...

I'm standing on a ledge overlooking the ocean. If I turn slightly I can see the expanse of a city in the far distance. I stare off into the horizon with the wind blowing directly against me. Strong enough to ruffle my hair and clothes, but not enough to move me.

The other is of a girl. Tall, slender with long flowing hair. She is wearing a blouse with a long skirt. There is faint zephyr, her hair and skirt caught in the wind. But I can't picture who she is. I've been trying to identify her but all the girls I've been thinking about just don't quite fit the picture.

I'm pretty sure I know what the first image means, the second one I'll just have to wait and see.

Story of my Life

This morning I was sitting on the bus when an attractive Asian girl boarded. At this time of the day the bus was fairly occupied with at least one person in every sitting area. I was sitting in the middle of the bus on the left side against the window near the back doors. And this really happened. I looked up, met her gaze and smiled. It wasn't one of those cheesy grins or wide smiles that people give to one another when they are extremely smug. It was just a simple smile. And she sat down next to me, bypassing half the bus to do so. Now, I have a horrible track record with girls, if you can even say that. It's actually pretty much nonexistent. But, using my vast intelligence I figured saying hi would fit the acceptable parameters of human interaction. Unfortunately the Asian girl had a friend on the bus who was sitting across from me. Before I could say anything they started a conversation and the girl moved over to sit with her friend. Sigh... story of my life.

As a side note (in no way is it an attempt to distract from my pitiful interactions with the opposite sex) today on the subway I saw an Indian (curry not bows and arrows) girl who vaguely resembled Hermione and a white guy with red hair who looked exactly like Ron Weasly. And they were talking about Harry Potter in first person, as if they were actually the characters. Mind freaking explosion.

A cruise down history

One of the best activities to do in Chicago is take an architectural boat tour. My friend extended her trip an extra day so I corrected my first failed attempt at finding this boat tour. The tour meets at Navy Pier, which by the way is quite enjoyable. I rode a Ferris wheel for the first time and far exceeded my daily suggested caloric intake. But come on, there were dippin' dots and vodka snow cones.

The boat tour was $30 for the one hour river tour. Starting on Lake Michigan, the boat went up all three channels of the Michigan river. And we had a docent who was quite knowledgeable about every building in Chicago. She could tell you when the building was made, the architect, the particular style and the reason for construction. She also pointed out many trivial facts about the use of buildings in movies.

The reason I say architectural boat tours are one of the best activities to do in Chicago is threefold. One, it is a relaxing and scenic exploration of the city. Two, there was a lot of factual information told with many anecdotes and was presented in a manner that was both fun and witty. And I happen to enjoy learning. And three, the boat had a bar. There's nothing as relaxing as sipping a scotch while floating down a river. Particularly on a nice day.

Even though I've only lived in Chicago for about a month, I really do like it more than Seattle. There's so much more to do and the skyline is awesome. There's just one thing that irks me... the seafood isn't as good as Seattle. But hey, even that can't beat freshly caught Alaskan salmon. And I got a ton of that here.

The start of something new

Wow I haven't updated this blog in like two years, maybe it's time for a new post. Here's an update: I am finally settled in my apartment (rather graduate dorm) and school starts tomorrow morning at 9am. Living by myself, I'm not going to lie, has been wonderful. The apartment isn't very large which at first was a little disappointing but now it feels good. Think of it like shoes. You don't want the biggest pair you can find, you want ones that fit comfortably. And this apartment fits me quite comfortably. I was a little scared thinking about how I was to feed myself but it turns out I can do that just fine. I did a whirlwind purchasing trip that included Costco, Ikea, Hmart and an outlet mall (thanks Jonathan) that has left me with the various essentials one needs to live on their own. I even bought myself a set of wine glasses because you know, gotta have class. I still feel a little strange not having my parents yelling at me for no good reason which is why I am cherishing my freedom. I tend not to miss people, when Dan went off to medical school, I felt nothing and even still I don't miss him one bit. So it comes as no surprise that I don't miss my parents or anyone back home (sorry guys).

The city has been awesome so far. A lot of activities are free, which in my book is a big thumbs up. The Grant Park Music Festival has got to be one of my favorite things so far, too bad it and summer are ending. I mean who doesn't enjoy classical music and alcohol? (and if you don't, I judge you) Lincoln Park Zoo is also quite nice. Better than Woodland Park Zoo with more animals and it is free. Furthermore the culture here is a lot more diverse than anything Seattle has got to offer. Just going from neighborhood to neighborhood you can see that we live in an international world. It isn't just whites or Koreans with a smattering of other minorities. Here you have whole towns of ethnicity which stirs up the anthropologist in me. I guess undergrad wasn't an entire waste of time, eh?

Anyway what I am really excited for is grad school to start. I know, who would've thought? But in all seriousness I've felt that the past year or so I was stagnating. I held two part-time jobs but they did not benefit me very much aside from paying me. And even hanging out with friends served no real purpose aside from killing time and using up the money I earned. But now I am at the start of something new. I know what I want to do in life and graduate school will better equip me for that.

On a side note I went to an American church today and it was quite interesting. It was a lot more formal than I am used to plus they sang hymns which I swear were a thousand years old. No guitar, drums or bass. Just a choir and an organ. I felt like I was in one of those history channel documentaries on the early church. Oh did I mention the trains? I feel like Sheldon but the transit system here is so convenient and the bus drivers are really nice. You really do not need a car to live here.

It's a sign, it's a sign, I think it's a sign

While procrastinating about writing a paper I decided what the heck, I'll blog, just for you. Anyways after a few months of indecisiveness I have picked a major, Anthropology. This decision came after a period of self reflection in which I decided that I do not want to conform to preconceived notions of what my parents deem acceptable. Thinking back I don't even know why I wanted to be a pharmacist, I guess my mom felt that having one doctor in the family was good enough and that if I were a pharmacist I could supply mission trips with medicine (seriously... that was my mom's train of thought). I realized though after volunteering in a pharmacy for a year I felt like committing suicide. It was freaking depressing labeling thousands after thousands of bottles and needles. There is only so much monotony I can handle. And while there are different types of pharmacists they all have been associated with boredom in my mind.

I mistakenly told my parents about my academic dilemma and that resulted in freaking questions and demands up the butt. The phrase I heard most often from my dad was "you need a goal, without a goal your wasting time wandering around." He stressed the wasting time part A LOT. My mom on the other hand took the more biblical approach saying "I pray for you," like I was demonically possessed and needed healing. Even Dan was like "dude do something, their getting on my case about you." So with all this pressure from home, I tried to find something I would want to commit my life to. And for a couple weeks it wasn't going very good. However one day while walking through Denny this flyer whips out of nowhere and flutters in front of me. Its title read, New Anthropology Field: Medical Anthropology and Public Health. I was like, what is this? (just like Borat). I noted that there was a reception for the opening of the the new department that day so I went on an impulse. Yadda yadda yadda a couple weeks later I am an anthropology student.

Thinking back on this, I think that flyer was sent by God. Not that I'm a big miracles and signs person but that flyer was very... for lack of a better word, convenient. Without it, I would never have even considered anthropology. These anthropology classes that I am taking this quarter are all very interesting and dare I say fun. And shockingly I attend most of my classes. The keyword is most, although I frequent the media center everyday without fail. I guess a good summation would be don't stress, God provides.

On a different note, I turned 21. I bought my first beer from QFC and it tasted disgusting. I was with Marco at the time and he said, "I think I've had that one before, it tastes pretty good." It did not, I almost vomited on Marco's couch. That being said, I drank 2 of them on an empty stomach. We went out to eat sushi (just a couple of us, I would have invited the usual group but the car was full and was a little inebriated) and lo and behold Sushi Ring was closed. I cried a little on the inside and then we went to Sushi Land. And as Lady Luck is a fickle beast, since Sushi Ring was a new establishment they did not have a liquor license yet, so no alcohol (this is where I started cutting my wrists). After eating we went to Edina and I drank some apple flavored sake (which is pretty good) and shared a bottle of hot sake with Dan. Jungi not being 21 had ice cream and watched.

[And yes, I made the picture]