size 10 shoe for Mr Bush

I know this isn't good for world peace and all, but i had to laugh at this clip of shoes being thrown at George Bush in Iraq yesterday:

Shoes thrown at Bush on Iraq trip

Notice how well he seemed to dodge them, as well as the 4 security men that pour out of the door behind him as soon as it happened. (a bit too late, i might add)

Image from the BBC

Hooray

He won!
Watching the news unfold at the Australian Labor Party's HQ with colleagues. McCain has just conceded graciously, now we're waiting for Barack to speak in Chicago.
Needless to say, we haven't done much work today (luckily most of the bosses were out).

For a laugh, Moby had a rather humorous post recently wondering where right-wing Republicans could emigrate to if Obama won. He concludes that Oklahoma, Iran or Saudi Arabia seems the only solace for them.

Quote of the day

"you can't fire cruise missiles at the global final crisis."

NY Times' Op-ed columnist Nicolas Kristof explaining how the US can use Obama to rebrand itself and restore it's international reputation. "That’s not because we crave admiration, but because cooperation is essential to address 21st-century challenges; you can’t fire cruise missiles at the global financial crisis."

Well said sir.

Article here: Rebranding the US with Obama.

American Incongruity

"The earth, reeling as it is, produces more than enough food to feed plentifully every man, woman and child on the planet. There is enough food; yet, our economic system produces murderous scarcity. A few have more than they can consume, so much that garbage disposal is a critical problem; while millions perish in sight of plenty. One nation, containing a tiny fraction of the earth's population (the majority of whom think of themselves as Christians), consumes half the earth's resources, yet it still manages not to feed its own hungry."

Theodore Jennings, Jr. - Good News to the Poor

5 Franklin place, New York

Oh wow! I want to live there!

(I think i'm in the wrong career for that address, but it's good to have dreams! The almost-architect inside me is screaming at the beauty and fluidity of the building. Oh the curves, the lines, the continuity inside and out. Well done UNStudio)

seattle evidence

Yes, we were there, albeit for only two weeks. Had a fantabulous time seeing the sights, visiting Mt Rainier, ferrying between the San Jaun islands, exploring the cool areas in the city, and catching up with friends. Here’s a pic or two:

S to the E to the ATTLE

Woohoo! Tonight at 11pm Julie and i fly off on our next adventure - 2.5 weeks in Seattle! We have some CPE and Radio snooping to do, as well as trips to the San Jaun islands, and Mt Rainier National Park.

Cheers!

Need arms?

US and Israel agree $30bn arms deal

I read this article last week and was offended. For some reason I find this news horribly disturbing, biased and un-Christian. I’ve heard somewhere (and hope it isn’t correct) that HALF of the US’s foreign aid goes to Israel already. Now, here’s another 30 BILLION for arms, with a few more billions offered to Egypt and Saudi Arabia too. I laughed at the fine print that stipulated that 75% of it must be spent with American manufacturers.

Is it just me or is this kind of international ‘trade’ appalling on many levels?

• Military spending doesn’t make the world safer;
• the Christian Zionism that uncritically supports Israel is distorted;
• and the co-option of whole countries into the US Empire by lending them money is alarming.

This may be a direct move against Iran, but a bigger Israeli military means even more bad news for the displaced and oppressed Palestinians, and bigger guns watching the Wall.

Just thought I’d get that off my chest. It is a tad refreshing to be in a country that sees the plight of Palestine rather than thinking Israel needs a bigger military.

(oh, and as to me: I’m in Cape Town training as a monitor with PMG, and negotiating some work with the SACC Parliamentary Office. Went to the beach and swam and played Frisbee this weekend - I like this city already!)

farewell

Well its over... this journey across the ocean.
I leave the US today.
Goodbye and thank you, it has been a pleasure.
Until we meet again...

Garden State of G

2 weeks of silence must mean that something has been happening. Correct!
I've been graduating, travelling, saying goodbye and moving on slowly back home towards Afrique du Sud.

The long way home:
Today finds me enjoying the gracious hospitality of Pomo Adam and Serene Sarah in Princeton, New Jersey. Sometimes NJ is called the Garden State... other times it is called the Armpit State. Anyway, Princeton is pretty. Today I took a tour of the famous campus, saw some pop art, took some pics, cycled on a great pathway next to a river, and finished it off with a Guinness and a braai. I didn't meet anyone famous, but i did see the place where A Beautiful Mind was filmed (John Nash still lives in the town.)
Tomorrow I'm catching a train into NYC baby! I'm going to run around there for a bit, take a walking tour of Wall street, see the sights and meet a high school friend, Eben, for lunch. It seems like he has been making the most of our solid Boys' High education and causing a stir in the big apple. I'm intrigued as to what he's been up to.
Friday I fly to London, and Sunday I go up to Scotland to visit the Iona community for a few days to see if that is a place I could spend a year or two at. Then back to London town for a few days to see my aunt, Charles, Nikki, Bi and some school friends I've reunited with through facebook. Phew! Wed 13th i finally fly home to cold wintery South Africa!

Rock Star:
To tell you the truth, all this traveling, the big names and places, make me feel like a bit of a rock star. I need to get home somehow, so why not the glitzy way? Nah, in a sense it's actually bitter-sweet. I'm enjoying the sightseeing, and every new place means that I'm one step closer to home. But it also means that a season has ended. I had a great time studying at CTS and living in Atlanta. The year was restful, surprising and grounding, and it was really sad to say my goodbyes. I'll miss the student life, friends so close by, cycling through beautiful neighbourhoods, the AFDC Ultimate etc. Even the safety was great. I guess it can't carry on forever. I have a calling, family and girlfriend to get back to. So... here's to a great year that has been, two exciting weeks of travel to come, and happy reunions back home! Cheers!

Oh yes, that two week silence:
I managed to cram quite a bit of exciting adventures into my last few weeks in Georgia - hence the silence here. First of all I graduated on Saturday the 19th. The ceremony was rather neat - all the professors in their 'religious super-hero' capes and colours, the bus loads of family members, and, of course, getting a degree! I even had two of my own fans who came from Huntsville to be there for me. Warner and Linda - you are amazing! Thank you!
After graduation, and the necessary celebrations and formalities, I got a granny car (NOT the 2007 model though) from my host family to borrow and drove to Huntsville for two days to say goodbye and thanks to my friends there. It was a brief visit but needed to happen.
I couldn't leave the US without a last game of Ultimate. So, on Friday i woke up early and went with some friends to Savannah, GA for the SUDS Memorial Day hat tournament. The weekend was great! Camping near the beach, great weather, super frisbee and, to top it all off, a really fancy dinner at The Olde Pink House in Savannah. Saturday we played in town, and Sunday was Beach Ultimate on Tybee Island. It was great to spend the day at the ocean, getting a bit of a tan/sunburn before I return to my third winter in a row.

Monday was the last day left to pack, clean the house, pay an exorbitant amount to ship my books back home, and to say the last goodbyes. All which I did before jumping on a plane yesterday and flying to NYC. It was sad to see the city of Atlanta disappearing through the window. It did. Who knows when I'll be back there. And that all finds me back here in Princeton, which is where this tome started. So I'll stop! Good night.

On the road again

After 5 days of manic typing, lots of Starbucks coffee and at least one all-nighter, i handed in the second draft of my thesis. Aaaah! Now I can relax for a bit and really enjoy the one-week Spring Break we have. I'm relaxing so much that i'm actually going on a little adventure with Sarah (my uber-cool housemate) up North for 5 days to...

CHICAGO! Hooray! I will wave at Oprah, go on the Skywalk, watch Kate in the Second City show and.. umm.. what else do you do there?

The only bummer is that it is expected to be really cold. I though spring had sprung ;( So, look out for pictures of me all bundled up. I'll give a debrief when I get back. Elizabeth (my other cool housemate) is in sunny California doing the wine route. Enjoy the sunshine EG!

PS. happy Easter all.

dinner and dance

I'm recovering from a rather full weekend. Matt was visiting for the weekend, and there were numerous social engagements (most of them at our house). There is still a little bit of beer left in the keg on our patio. It was a fun weekend!

I like to live reflectively, and when i stop and, well, reflect, it is very interesting to see what precipitates thoughts and questions in me. Two thought provoking instances this weekend:

On Saturday i went to a party at 'Mamma C's' house. She is the matron at the dining hall on campus, and it was a wonderful experience. I tried to rave to hip-hop music and it didn't go too well. Mamma C and her family were very welcoming to all the nervous white seminary students, and she wouldn't let us leave without taking some food home. The hospitality and generosity reminded me so much of African people back home.
Although i constantly feel a little bit of a foreigner in the US, the feeling was heightened at the party, and I came home frustrated at the inevitable misunderstandings that occur when different cultures interact. It reminded me of the differences that so coloured my life back in SA. I guess i wish everyone could just relate, and understand each other. It is painful to think that as hard as i try, i will always be a stranger at some level to any culture other than my own. I did however rather enjoy being in a 'white minority' again.

Last night my housemates and some friends and I went to a very larney restaurant: Two. urban licks. We had a wonderful time with plenty of laughs and good food. The decor was great and I especially liked the way they had used the industrial space. But, overall I found I was not that impressed. I was surprised by this. I guess i just don't really do 'high culture' food. Maybe i think all the money isn't worth it, and I can get better value somewhere else? Not really sure. One thing I know is that we ate a lot of food, and I really don't like the feeling of having eaten too much. It reminds me of Mbiti's pertinent and searing thoughts about the theology of food I guess. Maybe I'm also too thrifty, and need to celebrate more. Would I do it again? Possibly. If i could save up first. If we went on a Friday or Saturday when there was live music. If we ate less and got wine instead of the 'infusions'.

(I had a similar 'disappointment' with good food at the monastery in New Mexico. All i wanted was soup and bread. I got a three course meal with salad each day. Sometimes even wine. What a shame!)

NM diaries #1: the tourist

Here at last are some of my thoughts on my wonderful little December foray out West - into New Mexico!
#1 - The tourist

Obviously, my main intention for this whole trip was contemplative and spiritual. Obviously! ;) But... to get to the monastery and the conference I had to pass through some towns. And what better way to pass through them than cleverly disguised as... a tourist! Shocking I know, but i had to do it. Armed with my camera, hiking bag and fake South African accent I headed for the nearest student hostel and pulled off a sterling 'tourist' performance!

Santa Fe
First stop was a very expensive shuttle from the Albuquerque airport to Santa Fe. (NOTE: next time don't ask the information desk for transport. Ask an airport local for the cheap public transport.) Anyways, $25 dollars lighter I arrived at Santa Fe International Youth Hostel. It certainly has seen better days, and i'm never too sure who is a visitor and who is a resident, but I had a dorm to myself so I wasn't complaining. It started snowing when i arrived, so i couldn't do too much touristy stuff. I made some light conversation with the residents and guests, took a shower and went to bed.

The next morning I finally got to see the town and this is what i saw:

Santa Fe is a very quaint little village. It is an art mecca, and locals complain about the high property prices. It is also one of the oldest cities in the US. Some place in Florida says its the nation's first city, but SF has been around since about 1610 (i think). There are also wonderful old churches, one of the most famous being the Lorretto chapel with its miraculous staircase. I was planning to visit it when I got back from the monastery, but the 20 inches of snow stopped all those plans. I did hear the cool folklore surrounding the staircase from one of the nuns at Christ in the Desert.

I did at least have one evening walking around town. It was snowing a little bit, but i had my music machine, my jacket and an adventurous spirit. I went to some neat modern art galleries, got a coffee at Borders, visited a great second hand store, some antique furniture places and even found a shop selling Carrol Boyes and other South African stuff. In New Mexico! After talking to the owner it seems like Carrol Boyes has quite a following in the US. I walked the mile or two back to the hostel singing along to Damien Rice.

The next morning i met up with Anne Stewart (Maggie's cool aunt) and got a ride to the monastery just before a huge snow storm came and closed the roads off. (monk diary to come)
10 days later the snow was gone, and i made my way back to Santa Fe for a final night at the International hostel. I was hoping to see the historic part of town, but a huge snow storm came in and everything closed down. I managed to get one of the last busses to Albuquerque before the interstates shut down.

Oh yes - one more thing: Santa Fe may have Georgia O'Keefe to thank for its art life. I was not too familiar with her, but she is one of the most renowned artists of American Modernism. She lived and painted at Ghost Ranch, near the monastery, where the vistas are breathtaking. The area, galleries and high property prices reminded me a lot of our own art mecca - Clarens. I've just seen that my mom even has a website as one of the 'Clarens artists'- go mom! O'Keefe had a very colourful life, and i got my mom a book about her and her art - could she be the next Georgia?

Albuquerque
I think i first heard this name in a Wierd Al song, and thought he was joking. He wasn't. There really is a place called Albuquerque. Albie for the locals. No, thats a joke. The town isn't - it is rather a nice place! Great downtown strip with retro neon lights - from the route 66 heyday; wonderful Old Town square with touristy shops - the Native American fleece is made in Pakistan; and pretty earthy adobe style houses. I wouldn't mind visiting again.

After paying $3 for the state subsidised bus from Santa Fe, i arrived in downtown Abq and walked to Route 66 hostel. They let this poor snow covered stranger in and gave me a top bunk with a bad mattress. The dorm was full with 5 other guys. At least one of them snored! I had 3 nights there and then after the conference a friend of mine let me stay in his other bed in the hotel Albuquerque for my final night. For all my talk of simplicity etc it was very nice to be out of hostels and into a hotel with a big bed, clean sheets and a private bathroom for just one night! Thanks Ed!

Again the snow didn't allow too much exploring, but I did get to see Richard Rohr's Centre for Action and Contemplation; eat at some New Mexican food houses, explore Old Town and Nob Hill and have great meals at The Flying Star cafe and Kelly's Brewery. Both very arty and edgy places. As to the locals, i made friends with my waiters and hung out at Nickie and Adam's place for New Years with some friends, champagne, cigars and a Beck dvd. It was a neat time.

The conference ended and I caught my 7am flight, which only left at 9:30 and flew 'home' after a wonderful little adventure. I was very inspired to continue backpacking around, and to be intentional about meeting people that i admire and learning as much as i can from them.

The End.
Not!

distracting weather

needing a little break from writing my paper (almost finished Mom!)..
so let's talk about.. the weather!
I left 3 feet of snow to come to Atlanta in mid-winter. Thanks to some environmental change 'mid-winter' now means a wonderful 20 degrees Celsius and rain! I can live here in that! The sound of the rain on the patio outside my window is soothing, and the smell and subdued light reminds me of driving the windy Lowveld roads up to Sabie in the mist.
There was a seminary party on friday night, and i fiddled a bit with my camera and it's settings. Above is me at 2:30 am in our lounge feeling thin, and below are some shutter speed and colour experiments.

christmas with the monks

Yay! I received this email today:

From: guestmaster@christdesert.us
Sent: 06 December 2006 12:54 PM
To: Gareth Beyers
Subject: Dec 18 - 28

Dear Gareth,

Thank you for the reservation and deposit information. We look forward to meeting you on the 18 of December. Be assured of our prayers.

Peace,
Br Andre
Guestmaster

Things seem to have been falling into place this week. My International Drivers Permit came in the mail, as did the registration confirmation from the Centre for Action and Contemplation.
With today's email, my Christmas plans are now finalised:
10 days of solitude and silence (and reading for my thesis) with the monks at Christ in the Desert monastery. And then a New Years conference with Richard Rohr in Albuquerque.

New Mexico here I come!

biltong anyone?

Atlanta has just got a new South African restaurant!SAGA opened in Midtown last month. I'm not sure if i will go visit just yet, but it is nice to know the SA community is doing things. I actually heard about SAGA's chef from a Frisbee friend who lives in Midtown. The menu seems rather pricey, and not too South African actually. There is biltong and kingklip and a potjie of the day, but that is about it. Not even a melktert for dessert! Maybe I'll take some peeps over to try Amarula or a Springbok shot before we explore the nightlife of Midtown. Exploring Midtown really is something still to do - it is a great part of town, and the architect in me loves all the tall modern buildings.

Atlanta's original SA restaurant is 10degrees South. I went to look there on a Sunday. It was closed, but there was a Lamborghini and a Beemer parked outside. Pricey!
On more SA things, there is a store in town that sells Ouma Rusks, rooibos, koo, biltong, wines etc. If i feel home sick I'll pop in. So far I'm doing okay - coke, chocolate and microwave meals! yeah! ;)
There is also a jeweller/art gallery in Decatur whose owner is South African. She has been here 40 years, and still sounds foreign.
Proudly Seffrican!

bullet points

• The turkey tournament was great! I am really fortunate that I went - we had a great time. Won 3 of our 6 games, enjoyed it, and made great friends. There was a turkey shoot out on Sat night, a full thanksgiving dinner with loads of food, ultimate people, and a wonderful atmosphere. The 8 of us (and Marble the dog) shared a hotel room on Sat night!
• I wasn't the only active person this weekend - mat and graeme did the 94.7 Cycle challenge in Joburg on Sunday. They did 15okms training, shaved their legs, bought hot pants, and finished in under 4 hours! welldone!
• I guess Mat got the cycling skills - I managed to survive the frisbee weekend with only a few scrapes on my elbows, but then while cycling to class on monday I had an accident. My bike skidded out from under me, and i now have many more bruises! My bones are fine luckily, but my bike needs a bit of repair.
• I'm back in Huntsville again - this time for Thanksgiving. Staying at the Rass family until Sunday. Apparently Thanksgiving is about eating a LOT of food, and shopping at the sales on Friday. I can do that!
• A picture of the Wild Turkeys - what a team!:

l to r: Nat (Thailand), CB (computers, music - Atl), Jeannie (Captain), me, Diego (Columbia), Kevin (Decatur). Front: Sarah (aka Mom, via Britian), Laura (aka Wonderwoman), Marble (the dog).

The World

I really am enjoying it here, there are great people doing wonderful things, but every now and then i see some funny things that make the caricatures of the US real. Last week we played a game called 'Catch Phrase'. The idea is similar to '30 Seconds' - you have to make your team guess the word without saying it. There is a hand-held machine that you pass around like a hot-potato which shows the word. You try and make your team guess the correct word, then pass it on to the next person before the time runs out. It is fun. I did rather well, mainly because i didn't get some obscure phrase that i hadn't heard of.

Oh (this is where i poke fun, humbly) - in the game you can choose different categories for the phrases, such as Sci-Tech; Places; Sports & Games; Food; Entertainment; Everything or ... The World.
I decided to have a look-see at what the phrases were that made up 'The World'. The machine is next to me, and i will write them out for you now:

energy crisis; freedom of speech; third world; homeless; Tony Blair; pollution; import export; pigmy; the marines; african safari; budget surplus; air defense system; Sodom & Gomorrah; we shall overcome; Queen Mother; tear down walls; embargo; multi-cultural; ballistic missile; peace corps; epidemic; Geneva Convention; foreign language; Greek mythology; arms control; banana republic; cease fire; Pvt. Jessica Lynch; middle class; balance of power; arms race; Enron; Greek god; we three kings; bipartisan; population; friendly fire; guerilla warfare...

enough already? the list goes on but i'm tired. The beeping noise is too much.
At least Tony, the Queen Mother and Sodom&Gomorrah made it into the list (among all the warfare words). Welcome to "The World'. And America.

Anecdote

Just a quick humourous one:
Our fridge was running on reserve, so i went with my housemates to the local (24hour) Kroger to do our big shop - Kroger is like Pick n Pay here. Firstly, there is not much fruit juice selection - it is all made from concentrate. LiquiFruit or Ceres should seriously think of branching overseas!
But what made me laugh the most was that by the milk part of the store there is a speaker that makes cow noises when you walk past! I heard this 'Mooooo, mooo' noise and burst out laughing! I mean, come on, it's not as if cows even drink milk.

bumper politics

Here, in the South, you don't really talk about religion and politics. This conversation normally happens in other ways, like through bumper stickers. I have found a few that are really funny, so here they are - from the locals themselves. Some are rather explicit, but this is what they say. And yes, there are some people here who didn't vote for Bush! I'll try keep this list updated.

• God bless the people of every nation.
• Roast more marshmallows, roast less people.
• His middle name is W so that he can spell it.
• Someone please give him a blowjob so we can impeach him.
• More trees, less Bush.
• Discourage inbreeding; ban country music.
• Frodo lost. Bush got the ring.
• ... I'm still looking for more..