Monday, October 30, 2006
you have to get up get out and get living
i figured since this is a photo blog, i should probably get around to actually posting some pictures. these are from my trip to salt lake city last weekend. salt lake is probably one of the coolest cities i've ever been to. i mean that without the slightest twinge of irony. seriously. salt lake? freakin' awesome!
Thursday, October 12, 2006
the life i love is makin' music with my friends
my world has been completely turned upside down. example:
right now i'm staying at the apartment of my old friends and former roommates scott and nancy. it's an awesome place along g street in lincoln's downtown neighborhood. their place has an enormous balcony that overlooks the governor's mansion and a beautiful view of the tallest state capitol in the union. right now, nebraska is going through it's typical fall routine. from what i'm told it was about ninety degrees fahrenheit not a week ago, now the mercury's struggling to peak at 45 degrees. i'm home.
i was going to get a haircut as i haven't had one since weeks before leaving for niger. i was excited. this was the first step in the long process of redefining 'me' after my abrupt stint in the peace corps - a hair cut. you can all relate i'm sure. anyway, i walked down the stair well of their subdivided victorian, jiggled the front door open and stepped out into the first chilly weather i'd seen or felt for months. i love this time of year. i'm a total sucker for the crackle of leaves, the sound of a football game from blocks away - all that sentimental crap. i stepped out of their apartment, took a deep breath, exhaled and was taken aback. steam. it's cold. i'm in lincoln. i need a sweatshirt. i'm not in africa anymore.
this has been the strangest couple weeks of my life. little more than a week ago i was in sub-saharan africa heading into niger's cold season - meaning lows around seventy-five degrees at 5 a.m. now i'm here. it's been a lot to take in. so what does one do the week after they're plucked from west africa and set back in middle-america? well:
- spend the night in my parent's place, eating leftovers, mexican food, and going for a two-hour bike ride.
- roll back to lincoln for a night of sipping microbrews and catching up with old friends. fall asleep because of jet lag.
- spend all the next day camped out on scott and nancy's couch watching college football. auburn gets theirs, texas dispels any speculation they won't beat nebraska and florida staves off a loss in the sec. go to yia yia's with nancy for pizza. rumors spread around town that i'm back. few believe it. later that evening go over to kim and jared's for the nebraska game. jet lag puts me to sleep from kick off to the final seconds.
- spend sunday helping angela move out of her parent's house. i'm good for carrying headboards, box springs and kitchen tables apparently.
- dinner at the blue orchid with angela. matt bought us a killer bottle of wine. i ate curried salmon and cognac beef. it was decadent and delectable. went out to doc's with the crew from the restaurant. i realized how much i genuinely enjoyed working there. dangerous thoughts to be sure. went to matt's place for a night cap. he lives in my old apartment with my old balcony view of 13th street. even has my old bedroom. it was weird.
- tuesday spent bumming around scott and nancy's place. i get in touch with beth and brett who i'm super excited to talk to. they want me to go out to salt lake city and live in the apartment that just opened up beneath theirs. i decide that'd be a damn good idea ...
she wants me to come with her. i said yes.
so, and i never thought i'd say this, i'm moving back to lincoln. the plan, as of yesterday, is to find a room/basement/living room couch to crash on for the next few months while working at the blue orchid. in mid-january, alyssa and i'll take our backpacks and cameras south-of-the-border/south-of-the-equator until we run out of money, maybe sometime in march or april.
we're nuts. we're irresponsible. we're running away from our responsibilities as college educated white people to delve right into the work force and contribute to the world economy. we also don't care. never again in our lives are we going to have the chance to do this, so we're going for it.
i spent yesterday afternoon at the restaurant scribbling my life's options on the table. i came up with six. three of them serious, only one makes sense. i'm goin' vagabonding!
Monday, October 02, 2006
and a rock feels no pain
well, i've got some good news, some great news, some bad news that isn't so bad and some news that's just kinda bad. not a very auspicious beginning to a blog post, i know. but have no fear, mom, all is well.
the good news first: the bbq i mentioned in my last post was a blast. there was an enormous bbq pit filled to the brim with shishkebob, rack of lamb, hot dogs, sausage and a few cuts of meat i didn't recognize. nearly the entire country of volunteers was there and even a hand few from peace corps benin (a country to the south). the libations were free flowing, the dancing was intense and spirits were high. it was an awesome chance to revel and celebrate american style and get to know the hundred or so other crazies we new-kids'll be living and working with during our time here in west africa. it was a heckuva good time.
at a swearing-in ceremony at the residence of the united states ambassador to the west african nation of niger, i, kristopher allen kolden, was officially sworn in as a peace corps volunteer. the ceremony was quick and painless punctuated by a few big wig speeches, a swearing in oath in both english and french (the french oath is far better than the mccarthyistic state department variety, i must say). afterwards we were whisked away back to the training site for one of the more extravagant dinners i've had in some time. i mean this thing put southern baptist pot lucks to shame. there was cheese, chicken, lamb, fruit salad, more cheese, fried spring rolls, coke, fanta, fried rice, and cheese. normally after swear-in there'd have been a huge party, but our revelries from the nights before left most of us too tired to do much else but sit around and talk. sounds lame, but it was a great chance for us stagiers to chill out and let it all soak in. we're volunteers, officially, and that's pretty cool.
an addendum to the great news: my blue bubu turned out awesome, and i'll be darned if isn't the most comfortable thing i've ever worn. haute couteur in niger isn't so bad after all and i don't mind saying i looked damn good in it, too. pictures to be posted shortly, if my faithful readers think they can handle it, that is.
the bad news that isn't so bad: saturday was our last full day at the training site. it was a day of lots of goodbyes to our families and friends in our host village before we head off to our regions to be formally installed and made ready to spend our first, and longest month, living in our villages. the first month is the toughest because everything is new, we hapless volunteers have a very slight grip on the national language and frankly moving somewhere new is scary. it's a challenge but also an adventure for everyone setting off to start this next chunk of their lives.
unfortunately that isn't the bad news.
the bad news is that i won't be joining my fellow compatriots out to our first harrowing weeks in the villages. for reasons i won't get into in a public forum, i was medically evacuated to washington dc on tuesday and am now back in nebraska shackin' up with my parents.
big news, i know. feel free to take a pause and grab a cup of coffee and a bagel, then continue.
have no fear. this isn't anything like malaria or that brain eating worm from star trek: the wrath of khan. as i've said before the peace corps' dedication to the health and safety of its volunteers is second to none. in my case they are just being extra careful. i won't get into the details since it's medical hullabaloo and not the sort of stuff you just wanna throw out there on the 'ol interweb. but rest assured i'm healthy, safe and content. the tough part is i won't be going back to africa anytime soon. congress allows the peace corps 45 days of medical evacuation for volunteers. in my case the providers say it's gonna take longer than that. so i've been medically seperated for the time being. this doesn't mean i won't be going back, just that if i do make it back it won't be anytime soon.
in a word: bummer.
so what now? well that's the big question, idn't it? in the immediate couple days i'm gonna hang out in the 'ol 402 and revel in early fall (my favorite season). tomorrow i'm gonna eat a burrito and watch live college football while wearing a hooded sweatshirt! for anyone who's spent time away from the states and then gone back, you know that that prospect is much more exciting than it sounds.
i wish the situation was different. i sincerely wish i was sweltering in 105ยบ heat and munching a diet of rice and sauce while working with some of the most amazing people i've ever met - nigerien and american alike. but things are as they are and if there's anything i'm good at it's handling change. so i'm gonna take advantage of what i've got. i'm gonna see some very old friends - some who i haven't seen since last year. later i might hit the road to see all the cool people i know in portland, slc, madison and palm beach, among other places. i'm just gonna do all the stuff someone reshaping their future normally does. and no, i'm not gonna go backpacking across europe to 'find myself' because that's trite and totally lame ... everyone knows the train's the way to go.
thankfully (and this was an intense cause for worry) i won't have to change the name of my blog, as the current one seems to fit just fine. i don't see any reason to take this bad boy down. my life's still an adventure, it's just changed locale for the moment. so please come back for (ir)regular updates.
oh, and if y'all could e-mail me current phone numbers and such i'd appreciate it. not thinking i'd be anywhere near a phone for the next two years i've lost most of them. i wanna get in touch with a lot of you so drop your digits and/or addresses by my email at kris_kolden at yahoo.com. email me with any questions, concerns, thoughts, etcetera and i promise to get back asap.
again, this is not as big and nasty as it sounds. i'm in good health, good spirits and good company.
love ya all and i'll be in touch super soon.
the good news first: the bbq i mentioned in my last post was a blast. there was an enormous bbq pit filled to the brim with shishkebob, rack of lamb, hot dogs, sausage and a few cuts of meat i didn't recognize. nearly the entire country of volunteers was there and even a hand few from peace corps benin (a country to the south). the libations were free flowing, the dancing was intense and spirits were high. it was an awesome chance to revel and celebrate american style and get to know the hundred or so other crazies we new-kids'll be living and working with during our time here in west africa. it was a heckuva good time.
at a swearing-in ceremony at the residence of the united states ambassador to the west african nation of niger, i, kristopher allen kolden, was officially sworn in as a peace corps volunteer. the ceremony was quick and painless punctuated by a few big wig speeches, a swearing in oath in both english and french (the french oath is far better than the mccarthyistic state department variety, i must say). afterwards we were whisked away back to the training site for one of the more extravagant dinners i've had in some time. i mean this thing put southern baptist pot lucks to shame. there was cheese, chicken, lamb, fruit salad, more cheese, fried spring rolls, coke, fanta, fried rice, and cheese. normally after swear-in there'd have been a huge party, but our revelries from the nights before left most of us too tired to do much else but sit around and talk. sounds lame, but it was a great chance for us stagiers to chill out and let it all soak in. we're volunteers, officially, and that's pretty cool.
an addendum to the great news: my blue bubu turned out awesome, and i'll be darned if isn't the most comfortable thing i've ever worn. haute couteur in niger isn't so bad after all and i don't mind saying i looked damn good in it, too. pictures to be posted shortly, if my faithful readers think they can handle it, that is.
the bad news that isn't so bad: saturday was our last full day at the training site. it was a day of lots of goodbyes to our families and friends in our host village before we head off to our regions to be formally installed and made ready to spend our first, and longest month, living in our villages. the first month is the toughest because everything is new, we hapless volunteers have a very slight grip on the national language and frankly moving somewhere new is scary. it's a challenge but also an adventure for everyone setting off to start this next chunk of their lives.
unfortunately that isn't the bad news.
the bad news is that i won't be joining my fellow compatriots out to our first harrowing weeks in the villages. for reasons i won't get into in a public forum, i was medically evacuated to washington dc on tuesday and am now back in nebraska shackin' up with my parents.
big news, i know. feel free to take a pause and grab a cup of coffee and a bagel, then continue.
have no fear. this isn't anything like malaria or that brain eating worm from star trek: the wrath of khan. as i've said before the peace corps' dedication to the health and safety of its volunteers is second to none. in my case they are just being extra careful. i won't get into the details since it's medical hullabaloo and not the sort of stuff you just wanna throw out there on the 'ol interweb. but rest assured i'm healthy, safe and content. the tough part is i won't be going back to africa anytime soon. congress allows the peace corps 45 days of medical evacuation for volunteers. in my case the providers say it's gonna take longer than that. so i've been medically seperated for the time being. this doesn't mean i won't be going back, just that if i do make it back it won't be anytime soon.
in a word: bummer.
so what now? well that's the big question, idn't it? in the immediate couple days i'm gonna hang out in the 'ol 402 and revel in early fall (my favorite season). tomorrow i'm gonna eat a burrito and watch live college football while wearing a hooded sweatshirt! for anyone who's spent time away from the states and then gone back, you know that that prospect is much more exciting than it sounds.
i wish the situation was different. i sincerely wish i was sweltering in 105ยบ heat and munching a diet of rice and sauce while working with some of the most amazing people i've ever met - nigerien and american alike. but things are as they are and if there's anything i'm good at it's handling change. so i'm gonna take advantage of what i've got. i'm gonna see some very old friends - some who i haven't seen since last year. later i might hit the road to see all the cool people i know in portland, slc, madison and palm beach, among other places. i'm just gonna do all the stuff someone reshaping their future normally does. and no, i'm not gonna go backpacking across europe to 'find myself' because that's trite and totally lame ... everyone knows the train's the way to go.
thankfully (and this was an intense cause for worry) i won't have to change the name of my blog, as the current one seems to fit just fine. i don't see any reason to take this bad boy down. my life's still an adventure, it's just changed locale for the moment. so please come back for (ir)regular updates.
oh, and if y'all could e-mail me current phone numbers and such i'd appreciate it. not thinking i'd be anywhere near a phone for the next two years i've lost most of them. i wanna get in touch with a lot of you so drop your digits and/or addresses by my email at kris_kolden at yahoo.com. email me with any questions, concerns, thoughts, etcetera and i promise to get back asap.
again, this is not as big and nasty as it sounds. i'm in good health, good spirits and good company.
love ya all and i'll be in touch super soon.
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