And Everything After...
Hello blog.
I am finally back in Chicago. I am living in the Urkainian Village in an apartment with Sean, ever my house-mate-soul-mate of extreme hyphenation. Its good. Its a great place, a great neighborhood. It's kind of nice to be back.
But more about the now, later.
I spent the last month in Belarus, as the previous post implies, as well as road-tripping through the West Balkans, from the northern part of Croatia, down into Montenegro, and through Bosnia and Hercegovina. There are almost too many stories to tell, but many of them are being put together in film, so I will be posting those bit by bit. For the mean time, you can look at some photosets that highlight Belarus here:
and from the West Balkans trip here:
Just click on the photos and it will take you to the flickr pages for them.
More coming on grand adventures later...
Labels: belarus, bosnia, Brigette, croatia, hotlinks, Marko, montenegro, photos, Sasha, Stephen, travel
Belarus
So, we've made it to Belarus. We saw mummified saints in Kiev, and ate borshch made by Sasha's babushka, and have nearly been arrested like 5 times for taking pictures of Lenin. I dont even know.
But its been a good, weird adventure, full of the unexpected.
part of the unexpected is the internet here. Allow me to explain:
How to control information 101:
--deny home internet access to average citizens who can not justify the expense as related to non-state-threatening business.
--avoid scandal by providing high-speed internet access in local communities at state-run internet barns, where citizens can pay a pitance for hours of online time.
--Provide no more than 6 computers for every 10,000 citizens, so that people have to wait in line for hours to check e mail.
and the rest is cake.
So, anyway, we are taking lots of pictures, and lots more video. We've had (deliberate) photo opportunities with the local police cadets, seen Lee Harvey Oswald's old house in Minsk, and are gettign ready to go out to the country for a solstice celebration that apparently involves getting naked, jumping through hoops of fire, and searching for a secret, magic flower in the woods that binds you in a marriage pact with....someone. I'm not sure who, but it's all magical and stuff.
I get back to Budapest in about a week. I'll be able to post more when I get back to good old dysfyunctional attempts at democracy. So, till then. Па-па!
Labels: belarus, internet, travel
The Goings On
So, I have not been blogging because I have been, instead of living life and seeing the sun, writing my thesis and developing the most incredible ass-groove in a chair at Siraly, where Brigette, Stephen, Luc and I have permanently set up residence to kick this pig.
But here are a few small points of note to tide you over until I get my wee little life back
*Artyom used the word "harlot" in his thesis. There is no end to the hilarity that I find in this
*We bought our visas for Belarus. $125. wtf? We should be able to pick them up from the embassy tomorrow. Lord. I'm excited, but I plan on coming back friggin fluent. I won't have just gone to Belarus, I will have DONE Belarus.
*My camera got jacked by some sketchy Hungarian-Transylvanian dude who ended up at my house and made out with some chick on my couch after smoking in Monica's bedroom. Screw that guy. Screw that guy right in the ear. But, this means that I am on the market for a new one. I think I'm going to go for digital video
*Barring any impediments to the previous goal, Stephen, Brigette, Sasha, Marko and I are going to collaborate on "Belarus: The Movie"
*After Belarus, we are going to Croatia to mooch off of Marko's family and sleep in forests. While we are there, it will be Croatian Independance Day (Hooray! We're all still catholic! woo!). On independence day, it is meet for one to eat bear. With berries. Berry bear. Again, wtf?
*My thesis deadline is Monday, but I'm hoping to have it in by Friday. We'll see how it goes.
Labels: belarus, Brigette, CEU, croatia, food, grad school, Marko, Sasha, Stephen, travel
