|
|
Who knew that one should check seismic pressures before traveling? Because of the Icelandic volcano that erupted and clogged Europe’s airways with dangerous ash, most air traffic squealed to a halt. I left my home in Vigo on that fateful Thursday to try to go on a weekend vacation to London, via the Madrid airport (I have to fly there from where I live to get almost anywhere else). I arrived in the spilling-over-with-angry-passengers airport with an unusable ticket to London, sin mobile phone, sin laptop. Cursing Icelandic volcanoes, I spun around in circles for a bit.
 Photo from: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4047/4464501044_1199b0ee03.jpg Of course I didn’t grasp the scope of the problem, and with valid return tickets in hand, I barred my teeth and told myself I’d make it to London. Thus ensued four days of trying to push my way to the British Isles through other means of transportation than air travel. Yes, me and every British person on the continent were fighting for ferry fares and train tickets. I successfully booked two train tickets, one from Madrid to a small town in the south of France, and from said small town to Paris. With the warm blanket of success wrapped around my travel-weary self, I slept easily that night, almost tasting the Earl Grey tea I expected upon impending arrival.
The train to the Hendaya, France, carried me through curvaceous countryside, undulating with ripples of foothills leading to the Pyrenees. Contentedly waiting for my train to Paris, self-assured I could easily catch the Chunnel when I arrived, I overheard some other travelers chatting about the chaos caused by the volcano. Then I heard “Chunnel booked til Tuesday.” This was on Saturday. I bolted to a pay phone and called my parents. Yep, looked pretty much like I’d be stuck in Paris if I boarded the train. I started troubleshooting with my parents: “Ok ... train for Paris to Cannes, ferry from Cannes to Portsmouth, train for Portsmouth to London...” My wonderful mother calmly advised me: “Meg, maybe you should head back to Vigo, hon.” Lip quivering, I agreed. First step, get back to Spain. See full post
Tags: International, Environment, Updates
|
|
|
Summer is coming to the Midwest and Truman! It's hard to keep yourself from going outside when the sun is shining, the flowers are blooming and the birds are singing. However, you can still be entertained and connected while studying. It's wonderful to see how the digital revolution has given us more freedom to get outside.
 Photo from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/origamicranes/2693504517/sizes/o/in/pool-14283989@N00/ 1. Music on the Go
Ten years ago I thought Walkman CD players were the coolest thing in this world – they allowed me to enjoy my high-quality music outside without having to carry a boom box. The whole world could fit in my pocket, with only a couple of double-A batteries and a few spare CDs! But, now if I go out with a CD player, people will stare at me as if I'm coming from the jungle. The game changed when MP3 players, or iPods, provided a place for your entire music library in a tiny device. And the newest iPod Nano can easily play music and video clips continuously for half a day. The catch? Copy protection is tricky. Your CDs would play in your friend's boom box, but your files wouldn't? Shame on you, DRM.
See full post
Tags: Environment, Entertainment, Nature
|
|
|
By this point, the majority of us are aware that we have been on the wrong track, environmentally speaking, for many years and are still charging full speed ahead into the great incinerator of doom. Obviously, we need a new system.
For those of us who want to unplug from the machine, Permaculture offers an answer. It’s a comprehensive system designed to create agricultural and lifestyle systems that can ecologically sustain themselves. Indefinitely.
 Photo from: http://www.westchestermagazine.com/images/2008/August2008/Talk%20of%20the%20County/garden-tools-6-18-08--0015 An answer to our crisis, according to Permaculture, would involve creating systems of human life that replicate the self-sustaining systems of nature. Relying upon the city to bring you water, a supermarket to sell you food, and electricity to produce your power means there are a lot of external environmental costs you don’t see on the surface. Meanwhile, you could catch your own rainwater—treating and reusing it, grow your own food from a garden and/or livestock (or buy locally) and produce your own renewable power—or don’t product it at all. See full post
Tags: Nature, Environment, Education
|
|
|
 Photo from: http://norhymeorreason.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/umbrella Typhoon season doesn’t happen in Beijing, it happens in Shanghai, a night train ride away. Beijing is hot and sticky. Beijingers hide under their shade umbrellas. Beijing skin toasts under the morning sun on good days, and pores fill with dirty air on not-so-good days. Beijing walkers stare at bikers with envy as their speed circulates a light breeze. We’re blinded by the skyscrapers, teased by billboards of oceanside provinces miles away.
When it rains, we are grateful.
I was relieved by the light drizzle that had dampened the city as I began my 20 minute trek home for work. The water barely grazed my arms as I stopped at an ice cream stand to buy a treat for the walk. But as I crossed the intersection and took note of the locals in raincoats pedaling a bit faster, the rain started to pick up. By the time I had nearly finished my Magnum, the pelting rain forced me under an overhang only two blocks away from where I began walking. My glasses were smudged and my dress had begun to stick uncomfortably to my body as I plotted my next move.
I was waiting a week for a rain like this, so I decided to brave the weather, and slosh through the flowing water that now covered the streets.
But the Chinese won’t let a foreigner melt in the rain. It wasn’t long before I met a guy who had enough pity for me and offered me his umbrella as we were crossing the street. I crouched under the safe haven as the much shorter Asian dressed casually in flip-flops, a black jacket, skinny jeans, and a baseball cap led the way to the stairwell where soaked bikers had already began to line up. My Chinese wasn't fluent, so my umbrella carrier and I made only brief attempts to get to know more about each other under the bridge. I discovered he was around my age and had dropped out of college to be a singer. He learned that I was American (I love America! he said) and that I was teaching English. We mostly stood in silence, occasionally glancing at each other, anxiously waiting for the rain to stop, and taking turns holding the rainbow-colored umbrella.
Soon, his brother and girlfriend showed up with another umbrella and they accompanied me another block to my street corner. I insisted on departing at this point. “We want your friendship!” they said warmly as we said our goodbyes and parted ways. I continued the rest of the way alone and once again without cover while the rain dropped to a slow drizzle. Careful not to slip on the treacherous, water-coated concrete, I finally made it home and was greeted by a surprised, but laughing, host mom.
In the midst of explaining my earlier adventures to her, she made a motion that I had something on my face. I quickly went to a mirror and discovered that my mouth was painted with remnants of the chocolate ice cream. I looked like a drowned rat that just dug through the leftovers of someone's picnic.
And thus, I suppose, first impressions aren't always the right ones.
See full post
Tags: International, Food and Drink, Environment, Culture
|
|
|
If you ever lived through the biting winds, icy shivers, and numb-fingered winters of the Midwest, then you know how to appreciate these newfound spring days. With the air newly abloom with sacred warmth, I thought I would conjure up a few adventurous ideas to inspire your spontaneous side to rise to the challenge of having fun outdoors! We’re done watching movies and drinking hot chocolate inside. ‘Tis time to rise up and meet the sunshine!
 Photo from: http://skyelikesit.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/summertime1 - Meditate or do yoga under a tree (I find these activities immensely easier when I’m outside). Or in a pasture. If you want to take a slightly different route, hold an outdoor séance with a few friends.
- Go camping. Try to find someplace slightly less crowded. Personally, I think crowded campsites ruin the atmosphere. Fall asleep under the stars.
- Play Tag, Hide-and-seek, or Sardines in the dark with some friends. Or my favorite, lava monster. (That’s when everyone runs around on a play-set and tries to avoid the one person on the ground who tags someone who then becomes the next lava monster)
- Work in a garden. (For Kirksville residents, I’d recommend looking into the Kirksville Permaculture Education Center or the Communiversity Garden, which meets Thursdays in MG 1096 and generally does garden work on Saturday mornings/early afternoons)
- Grab some paints (or make your own milk paint to avoid chemical vapors), brushes, a surface of some sort, and find a sunny hilltop.
- Visit an intentional community or eco-village in your area. With the sun out, they are now in visitor-accepting mode and will probably give you a tour over a weekend if you call ahead. Lean about alternative and often sustainable living. For Kirksville, look into the Possibility Alliance or Dancing Rabbit. Here’s a directory of all the communities in Missouri.
See full post
Tags: Nature, Environment, Sports & Games, Vacation
|
|
|
Haven’t you always wanted to learn how to can your own food so you can have organic, locally grown tomatoes even in the middle of winter? How about how to build your own house out of adobe or cob? Fix your bike? Make cheese and sourdough bread?
 Photo submitted by: Michelle Martin I present to you the Possibility Alliance’s schedule for spring, summer, and autumn classes. If you haven’t heard of the Possibility Alliance, they call themselves “an educational center practicing simplicity, self-reliance, service and gratitude.” In a nutshell, it’s a homesteading experiment in La Plata that values sustainability and service to the community. The home runs on no electricity and they make almost everything they use, down to their candlewax. These people have hosted thousands of visitors at their home who wanted to learn from them. Their guiding statement is to live so that all life can thrive. Simple and powerful. If you haven’t visited, I’d highly recommend it. They are very down to earth and enthusiastic about their mission. But just a warning-your overall perception and values might shift a little!
In addition to these classes, which last just a few hours each, you can also head over for a tour on the second Saturday of each month starting in April and ending in November. And if you want to spend some time learning hands-on, come by on the last Saturday of every month from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for a Volunteer Day. Remember to call the folks at the Alliance for registration and to pack a bagged lunch. See full post
Tags: Environment, Education
|
|
|
As the temperature changes and Kirksville, Mo. finally thaws out after the rough winter, all I have on my mind is getting out. I want to hop in the car, roll the windows down, crank up the radio and just go. It doesn’t matter where, I just want to feel the fresh air and see the trees blossom.
 Photo from:http://cewalter.tripod.com/id89.htm What better place to feel the warm spring air than a park? The Midwest is home to some beautiful state parks that provide the perfect afternoon getaway.
In Kirksville we have Thousand Hills State Park. It is home to the 573-acre Forest Lake, bike trails, campsites and a restaurant. Whether to relax and have a picnic or take a hike through the woods, Thousand Hills is the perfect place to spend a spring day. See full post
Tags: Nature, Environment
|
|
|
If you’re distractedly shuffling through the Landlocked blog entries, absentmindedly trying to find the perfect one to read, then stop. Read this one. See that cloud of thoughts buzzing around your mind like gnats? See how the cloud keeps you from concentrating on your present task?
Stop. Breathe. Close your eyes and sit. Don’t try to do anything.
Welcome to meditation. See full post
Tags: Nature, Environment
|
|
|
 Photo from: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2601/3923770163_6d054d3fdc.jpg I had never heard of the Villages of Van Buren County, in Iowa. However, a lot of culture is buried deep within these 12 small villages of Southeast Iowa. Visiting the villages, one would find that life moves at a slightly different pace. It is as if Van Buren has been untouched by time. There are no fast food restaurants and not a single stoplight is present. Locals and visitors enjoy taking walks through the beautiful woodland areas and picnicking in the many parks. The county prides itself on its tranquil ambience.
The Villages Folk School of Van Buren is one way this unique county keeps their time-honored traditions alive in such a technology-driven society. The school offers a variety of classes ranging from storytelling to woodcarving and pottery. These classes have an emphasis on either working with your hands, arts and crafts, or nature, which all relate back to the home. The folk school allows people to return to a much simpler relaxed way of living.
Classes range in price from $25 to $200 depending on the needed materials and the duration of the course. Some last for only a day while others are up to five sessions long. Anyone is eligible to register and there are no prerequisites needed. See full post
Tags: Environment, Shopping and Lodging, Nature
|
|
|
The countdown to the Shanghai World Expo has begun. The endeavor expects to attract more people than any of the other 150 world expositions: 70 million. Event organizers project about 200 countries to participate in this six month showcase of ways to tackle urban living in the future, with the theme “Better City, Better Life.”
 Photo from: http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/overtb/US%20Pavilion My China travels will take me to the transformed streets on either side of the Huangpu River to the well-anticipated expo, and I hope to see that the U.S. and other major economical players have big plans in store for urbanization. Environment, culture, space, and finances will serve as major factors for both developed and developing nations as nearly half of the world’s population has migrated toward city living. With China on the fast track to full development, its government has made this expo an open forum for conversation between nations to build healthy and peaceful connections benefitting all populations.
Media attention seems to have pivoted far away from these seemingly genuine goals, and understandably so as Congress plays tug-of-war with health care reform and Haiti and Chile are in states of complete crisis. See full post
Tags: International, Events, Environment, Culture
|
- Page 1 of 2
- << Start < Prev 1 2 Next > End >>
|
