When Marc and I bought Smutyanka (our 1995 Ural Tourist sidecar motorcycle) on September 28th, 2009, we assumed that we would probably have to put in a couple hundred dollars of new parts and a dozen or so hours of our own time to get her running. We bought her to use for reenacting and as a fun second vehicle. We knew that Urals had a reputation for being "finicky" bikes (to be diplomatic) due to their Soviet manufacture, but we really had little idea of what we were really getting into. Ten months, three mechanics, and about $1000 later ($500
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I have two bits of good news that have come to pass over the last couple days. I've been silent on the blog because I've been busy with life and trying to get The Mongolian Experiment online, but I have some breathing room today, so here you go: 1. Marc and I have a spot in the apartments we've been on the waiting list for since May! The current tenants move out July 31st, so we're hoping to be moving in sometime in mid-August. We find out our move-in date on August 3rd. I'm really looking forward to being in the new
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It's been three weeks since I quit my job as a dog walker. Unemployment is kind of...weird. I've had a hard time finding the motivation to work on things because I feel like I'm in some sort of purgatory. I've quit one job, and now I'm waiting for another to begin. Work provides my day with some degree of structure, and I find it difficult to make a schedule for myself without some sort of outside force providing at least a modicum of influence. It doesn't help that it has been hot, hazy, and humid here in Virginia, which is
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Around this time last year, Marc and I went up into Daniels, Maryland to explore the ruins of the Daniels Mill, a former mid-19th century mill and its "company town". The entire village that supported the mill is now gone, leaving the somewhat eerie sight of abandoned foundations and pillars as the only reminder of its former residents. The mill itself now seems to be used by a construction company for some unknown purpose, but the original buildings are still there, hiding among the newer cinder-block constructions. We stayed well away from the security for the company, but walked along
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Here's a random bit of info for you: I rarely ever shave my legs. I do so five times a year, tops. I have blonde hair, so it doesn't show up much in the first place, but I have never really understood the feminine compulsion to shave such a random part of our bodies. Unfortunately, over the course of my life I've gotten a huge amount of flack over my lack of adherence to this particular cultural tradition. Women are constantly told by the media, our mothers, and our friends that men don't like women who don't shave their legs. "You won't
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When I was in Switzerland, I spent most of my time in the tiny village of Gimmelwald at the base of the Schilthorn, one of the more famous mountains in Switzerland thanks to the restaurant at the top which was featured in the James Bond movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service. I hiked in various parts of the mountain range there, but hiking along the middle of the ridge was always my favourite. Hiking in that area one comes across occasional dwellings and even a seasonal village or two. Schiltalp is one such village, populated only during the summer, when
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All travel has its advantages. If the passenger visits better countries, he may learn to improve his own. And if fortune carries him to worse, he may learn to enjoy it. – Samuel Johnson I am generally not the most positive person about America. I think we're largely fat, uncultured, and incredibly self-centered. Whenever I go overseas, these beliefs generally become stronger as I see them in contrast to folks in the rest of the world. While I don't go quite so far as to pretend to be Canadian, I am most definitely an American apologist when I'm abroad,
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Happy 4th of July to all Americans both at home and abroad, and happy 32nd anniversary to my parents!
I wrote a few days ago that I recently gave my friend Christiane a photography lesson with her horse as the subject. Before I handed her the camera, she wanted to do some bareback riding, and I needed a little more time to explain a few concepts to her. While I was talking and she was riding, I was also taking pictures, and here is what I shot:
My college, Hampshire, was known for having odd sports offerings. Our only official sports team was Red Scare, the ultimate frisbee team. The rest of our sports were entirely intramural organizations, run by students, professors, or some combination thereof, and as a result there were some rather unique options available to curious students. While perusing the course listings during my first semester, one of these caught my eye: Kyudo, the Japanese art of zen archery. I took Kyudo for three semesters. I quit Kyudo when I started having some personal stuff come up that I felt needed attention, and I wish
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Two weeks ago I gave my first photography “lesson” to my friend Christiane. Some of you may remember that it is her horse that I have been riding to practice for Mongolia, and so we decided to head down to the barn to use her horse Kalumet as a subject. On the drive over, I gave her a run down of aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and what they all mean for the look of a photograph. Once there, I gave her some instruction on lighting and the position of the photographer and subject in relation to light, while taking some photos of her riding Kalumet bareback. Once she was done, I gave her some instruction on composition (by drawing doodles in the sand with a horsewhip), and then handed her the camera. Christiane already had a good eye (she took the previous photos of me riding Kal), but I was really impressed with how quickly she was able to synthesize the information I gave her. The photos she took were really excellent, especially for a first-timer, and I had to give only minor guidance.
For awhile now I have thought about offering solo photography lessons through Craigslist, my blog, etc. When I first moved to the DC area, I had a whole plan for offering beginner’s group SLR photography classes, but that proved to be a bit much to organize when combined with also trying to find a job, adjusting to a new home, etc. I’m interested in potentially making that a priority again, but I think I want to test the waters with some one-on-one solo lessons first. If you live in the DC area and are interested in learning how to use your camera (SLR or point-and-shoot) better, please do get in touch with me. Unfortunately, I do have to charge something for my time (seeing as how I’m currently unemployed), but I’m reasonable and am happy to negotiate on a sliding scale, or for a trade of services/skills.
For those interested, these are Christiane’s shots: Read More
This is one of my favourite photos from Korea. When Marc visited me in Korea, we made the trek all the way up to Seoul (7 hours from where I was living), and one of the things we wanted to see was the fabric market in the Jongno area of Seoul. Spanning for multiple city blocks and two stories tall, the market, which has endless stalls selling both raw fabric and finished traditional clothing, is a sensory overload of colors. I visited this rabbit's warren of narrow alleyways almost every time I went to Seoul, and for those of you
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As Marc and I have been increasingly considering moving to a new apartment in Alexandria, I have found myself thinking about the concept of "home" a lot more recently. If we move, it will be the 31st move that I have made in nine years. I've come to the conclusion that "Home" is a complicated concept. However, I feel that for me, it can be pretty much broken down into three categories: Home is where I don't have to worry about expectations. During my nomadic year, even though I was carrying all the belongings I needed for a year on the road in
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Two of my expat friends sitting on the beach at Gagye, one of the many beaches on Jindo Island, where I used to live in South Korea. Given DC's recent heat wave, I miss being 20 minutes away from a beach!
