Running, running, running ... Shiny thing!

Some of you may know that I run sometimes, but I'm not really much of a runner.  Of late, injury from over-zealous training has resulted in more interval training and fewer running miles, and therefore more photography.  I present to you, my motivation for running: 

Dusk along the trail - best part of my run = it's mostly unpaved.

Because it oddly feels like home even when I'm very far away.

Sometimes the cherry trees, daffodils and tulips (not pictured here) are in bloom.

Okay, maybe not, but "kopf kino" always helps.

Perspectives not Places - Not Safe for All Workplaces.

I am going to use this picture as a symbol of varying perspectives.  When I first came upon this statue I was traveling with someone who lives nearby and explained that this piece was supposed to portray femininity and the beauty of the female form.  I was astounded.  How in all humanity could this be feminine?  Try as I might, I just couldn't see what he was seeing.  I even asked ... but clearly created by a man, yes?  He didn't know and the author was not identified on or around the piece.  Insanity.  I just couldn't see how this could possibly be a representation of the female form.

The Statue As He Saw It

Although the greater theme of this blog is indeed travel, the not so often referred to blog title – Worlds Unseen and Lands Unknown – came from a journal that I had years ago.  I knew that my travel wouldn't fill the book, but I suspected that there would be so many new places and differing experiences to perceive, each its own little world to explore.  Really not so profound when you consider it, but also nice to reflect on periodically.  My writing tends to be most frequent when I'm traveling because that is the easiest time to perceive these differences and learn from them.  

Over the past three years I have had the privilege of working with some pretty amazing people in an environment which fostered growth, learning, quality improvement and integrity while striving for excellence.  I worked hard.  I knew I worked hard, just as those around me did.  We put in some pretty astounding hours and supported each other.  In fact, I remember in my initial interview my soon-to-be manager even said something along the lines of, "here we have a culture of yes.  If asked to take on extra work, people say yes.  If asked if a project or improvement is possible, the answer is yes.  If asked can we make things better, it might take some time but people are committed and we will get to 'yes'." I think she was saying more here than she intended.  It is in some ways the American work ethic.  Through hard work, commitment and a little know how all things are possible.  While I do value all of these things, it is only after taking a few weeks to do NOTHING, and a few months to selectively volunteer my skills that I've started to realize just how much I was missing.  The chronic stress and 60 hour weeks, while productive, were also subductive.  I'll have to leave it to my geology readers to make sure I'm using that correctly.  What I mean is, in a culture where people with the flu at most take 24 hours off from work, some amazing things can happen, but amazing things will also be missed.  By giving ourselves completely to work (whether it is our passion in life or not) we miss so much that just didn't happen to fall within the original perspective in which we approached life.  

I give you, The Statue As I Saw It: 

When there is no home, community is what counts.

Updates post 10/9/15 @ 12pm EDT:  Since this campaign is over, I wanted to provide an additional resource.  Here is an alternate fundraising campaign helping UNHCR : 
http://donate.unhcr.org/international/general/

9/17/15 @ 8am EST:  It's been a while since I posted anything here, and to be honest I've been a bit frustrated lately with the state of "world affairs".  A quick glance at most of my social media presence and you'll easily glean how frustrated and worried I am about the growing immigration crisis in Europe (Pssst, USA - this is a great opportunity to stop hate mongering, rebrand, and be lady liberty again).

This morning though I wanted to share two stories of hope and community.  It's always amazed me that the greatest wells of hope and positivity can often be found in the most dire of situations.  Funny how humanity works sometimes.

Every day, on my commute to and from my current day job, I listen to Funkhaus Europa, a German radio station which highlights the myriad of culture to be found across Europe, and honestly they brand out quite a bit further than that through their Public Radio International affiliation.  Last night on my way home the DJ smoothly transitioned into English (not unusual) and began discussing the refugee situation and calmly announced that FunkHause Europa will now serve an additional function as Refugee Radio.  As a public service they are now announcing logistical situations around Europe such as Hungarian border closings and landmine dangers in the adjusted route over Croatia.  These announcements are presented in both English and Arabic.  Two of the larger language groups spoken among these refugees.

Listening to the announcement on the second half of my walking commute I had to work hard not to cry and to remember to look for cars, not just pay attention to the broadcast.  I was so moved.  I am amazed and proud to be part of a humanity that creates spontaneous community and helps those among us who are in need.

To anyone out there who is currently walking across 2 continents and facing countless perils in the hopes of being able to survive another day, I am in awe and my heart is with you.  While I understand this may not always be the case, I hope you also feel the love from your international community, and know that you have brothers and sisters in humanity.

To anyone else out there who has a home, security, and knows where their next meal is coming from, I'm thrilled that that is the case for you as well.  It would be a sorry state of affairs if the world was split cleanly between refugees, and homeless humanitarians trying to protect refugees.  This next point is for you.

Last night I read a funny statement about a professional sports player.  It was poking a little fun, but it used the term Natty Daddies.  I had no idea what that even is, so I googled it, but before I could even press enter I found the Google Refugee and Migrant Response.  Far more important than any prof. sports joke, Google has put together a matching donation campaign. They will match the first €5 million donations 1:1.  While I haven't vetted the ins and outs of exact rations being donated to each of the 4 humanitarian orgs that will eventually receive donated funds, they are all reputable organizations that have current operations, and I would be happy to donate to any of them individually.  I trust them.  They are Doctors without Borders, International Rescue Committee, Save the Children, and UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

So while today's isn't a story with pretty pictures about international cuisine or a funny anecdote about ninjas riding donkeys, I hope you enjoy a few stories of hope, and community, and even consider joining me in donating to relief efforts.

Stay safe, be loved, and love your neighbors - near and far.

https://onetoday.google.com/page/refugeerelief?c=US&hl=en-US

Home is Where the Heart Is, and Family are Those We Care About.

I am mindful tonight of current events.  Between bombs on restaurants and attacks on field hospitals, my heart is broken and seething.  Mixed in with my grief, I also must acknowledge that I have found another home.  It is not a cabin in the woods, or an apartment with heat and hot water.  This one, like so many, is not a physical location, but an idea.  It’s home and it's family.  I am so stricken with the hate and the violence of a handful of people who wish to change their world by ending someone else’s. 

Despite their best efforts though, I can see a bright and vibrant love and compassion.  In response to events like the raid of La Taverna du Liban and the attack on a Red Cross infirmary in Euromaidan, a community united.  True, there are local reactions, but internationally the ex-pat community is also coming together to find their own, to mourn as one, and to support each other. 

As ex-pats past and present we may, at times, be outsiders in the towns where we were born, and we certainly have conflicting loyalties, opinions and traditions, but together we are a family.  Even if you are a cousin that I haven’t met yet, I will likely buy you dinner, share a laugh, and cry with you if that’s what you need. 

So as my heart is once again ripped asunder, I say to you, those who kidnap aide workers, shoot civilians, and bomb school children:  Shame on you.  Those are my siblings, my nieces, nephews, dayzas, babbas and ejes.  We will continue to love each other despite your best efforts.

Remont!

For anyone who has ever lived, visited, or worked in a country where Russian is prevalent you are undoubtedly familiar with the word "remont" ... or Ремонт or renovation/repair.  There are times when it feels like it is everywhere.  I'm certain the inside jokes attached to that word are endless.  Anyway, as advertisers here keep trying to tell me:  New Year, it's time for a New You!  Well, I'm actually pretty happy with the current me ... is that relevant? 

Point is, there is something I have been meaning to do for a while.  It's time to shed the old elephant skin (blog background, not actual epidermis) and make a new attempt at both aesthetics on this site as well as readability.  Just because it's pretty doesn't mean it can't be practical too. 

So tell me what you think.  I may periodically update the background until I figure out something particularly suitable.  Heck, I may even abandon google's graphics all together and venture out into my own photo shoot ... that sounds like server space though.  We'll see.

In the mean time, I'm going to do something else I've never done before.  I'm going to redirect you to another writer's work.  I don't usually do this in part because I don't read many blogs and in part because I don't really know the etiquette behind this.  You should understand this to mean that I've also not found anything topically relevant that I felt was truly worthy of connecting it to my small but treasured blogovel.  This post is different.  I've been asked many, many, many times how I can travel alone.  Isn't it lonely?  It must be soooooo difficult.  The answer:  Yes.  It is.  But that doesn't make it not worth doing, and it doesn't make it more difficult than travelling with someone else. 

I've mentioned here before how periodically I'll hit a wall.  I'll lock myself in a room and just decide not to go out for the day because after months of newness sometimes my brain just says "ENOUGH!" and needs a day to underwhelm.  I still choose that over not.  I choose to go.

Not to mention traveling with others is hard.  All those coping mechanisms I've nurtured would suddenly be worthless.  I would have to include someone else, which isn't really built into my mechanisms and those mechanisms don't really address any of the new phenomena I would need to cope with if there was an other, other.  Oy!

So much ado, all about nothing.  The piece that I'm talking about is called "I Travel to Feel Lonely ... On Purpose"  The use of ellipses alone almost won me over.  If you haven't yet noticed, I'm a fan.  While I don’t share some of her feelings of coupling envy or agree that solo travel is inevitably a byproduct of being single, I do think her understanding of how solo travel works is spot on.  At least for me.  One of the best solo vacations I took was a lay-over in London that lasted about 24 hours and consisted of going for a run in the rain, people watching, grabbing food at the only open café and taking pictures of things that created interesting patterns and textures.  It was amazing.  It wasn't what tourists are "supposed to do", but that's sort of the beauty of solo travel.

So please, read what Ms. Anna Davies has to say : 
http://www.refinery29.com/2014/01/60099/traveling-alone

and let me know what you think ...

 

The Life in Death - A Room with a View

Originally, I was considering writing this as a four part series:  a trilogy of images and a post of perspectives and human conceptualization of demise.  It has recently come to my attention, however, that death - being universal - comes up quite often while I'm traveling.  This in turn means that I tend to write a lot about it.  So this four part series has been reduced to a trilogy of images.  Giving death its due, but no more.

 

So on our final journey through this resting place, I will focus on the land and scenery.  Being a high commodity in most urban/suburban localities, it seems noteworthy that so much prime real estate is devoted to those who cannot see and will be buried under the ground.  Or is it that we cannot admit the scenery isn't for their benefit at all.

 

Take a walk with me.  Will you?

 

 

Granted, these pictures were taken during the summer months, but even in winter the trees stand guard on meandering pathways.

 

 

 Flowerbeds meticulously tended, and in many cases species labeled for the edification of all. 

 

 

 These particular trees, meticulously chosen flourish with space, light, and strength like sentries along the path. 

 



 

The layout can leave you forgetting where you are, but just through the trees lies the true purpose of this space.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not all outcrops of life are so meticulously planned though.  Here and there life erupts spontaneously.  A version of survival of the fittest:  the most beautiful or least in the way are allowed to stay and mingle with designed life. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Designed life isn't always so bad.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 and the end result is a room with a spectacular view.

 

The Life in Death - The Human Touch

First of all, I apologize if it seems like I am yelling in this post.  In order for the words to stand out from the photography, the print needs to be gargantuan as the difference between "normal" and "large" in this blog hosting device (see I'm so technical) is more than a little noticeable.  Moving on, I hope you enjoy my observations on human demarcation of death.

Whether it is to honor those who have died, to find closure for the loss we have suffered, or for different motivations entirely - cemeteries are near to bursting with statuary.  Some religious, some not.  No matter the motive, they all have one common trait.  They lend a personality to the space in which they exist.  It can be culturally defined as sections of the cemetery are clearly one ethnicity or another.  Others are motivated by the specific individual for which the items are placed.  All in all, there is a humanity in wanting to leave a remembrance or a mark, and it was omnipresent in these particular grounds.

Asserting A Sense Of Control:

 

Death is neither neat nor orderly, but at times we try to insist that it conform.

 

 

Proving our individualism to stand out from the rows of sameness

 

 

The entryway looks as though it could be a home.  Just someone's front yard.  Knock if you care to visit for a while. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Culture Defines Itself:

 

 The area is full of Armenian grocery stores and restaurants.  It is fitting that the cemeteries should reflect some of the same linguistic duplicity.  It did not stop there.

 

 

 

 

 

 Religious symbols were both hidden and ostentatious.  Crosses of many flavors were the most prevalent.

 

 

 In case you were wondering, there aren't any flowers growing on the tops of the grave stones.  Those are all carved into the stone.  So impressive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Artisan's Influence:

 

 It is an understatement to say that the craftsmanship is impressive and meticulous.

 The level of detail carved into some of these stones was amazing, especially considering time and weather had already begun to erode many of them.

 

 Some pieces were more personal than others.

Such a powerful representation of grief. 

 

At first this installation seemed out of place.  It is modern, abstract, and simply put it isn't made of stone as one might expect from this cemetery. Upon closer observation, however, etched around the base of the statue are many names with dates of birth and death.  It is a microcosm of the rest of the cemetery and it really is quite beautiful.  There is a peacefulness and solemnity to it that I find quite appealing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time Collects Its Due:

  

I couldn't be sure but the coloring in the stone almost appears as though it's part of the weathering.  It's possible that it was inherently there, but it wears well with the erosion of the design.

 Ruth and Edgar have grown apart over the years.

 

 

Yet some couples stay together even as they fade through time.

 

 

This one just baffles me.  I like it, but I don't understand it.  May a seal watch over you to the end of time.

 

 

Thanks for reading.