Passover Seder Reflection

Problem: What do you do when you are keeping kosher for passover and cannot eat the ice-cream you find in the freezer?

Solution: Make whipped cream.

Jessica and I are terrible. (FYI: Jessica is keeping kosher with me, even though she doesn't have to, isn't she great, folks?) We got a huge craving for sugar to push us through our policy reading, (which um, I still haven't done yet...hehe). We found some heavy cream in the fridge, whipped it up, and had a bowl each, and then put the rest in the freezer for tomorrow night, with leftover raspberry dressing on top of it from last night's Passover cake. Oh my.

Speaking of last night's seder...another "oh my." I cannot believe I decided to prepare such a huge event so last minute. We shopped and cooked the night before and all day the next day. We searched everywhere for a kosher chicken, but to no avail. There must not be many Jewish people in this area...all the Passover food was scattered all over the store. It was ridiculous...I felt like I was on a scavenger hunt! Jessica and Grace helped with the cooking and setting up, and for that, I am eternally thankful. It was absolutely beautiful, with 8 people crammed into the small dining room. We had to borrow chairs and dishes from another house to accommodate everyone. College seders are ridiculous. Nothing matches, and we used the silliest things for serving dishes. For instance, we used old plastic containers for the haroset and maror.

Isn't it lovely? I even put place-cards at each setting!

To wash my hands during the seder, I had to take a weird route to the kitchen. And we had no Haggadahs, so Grace and I made a stop at the library during the day and found a children's Haggadah. But...no others. And everyone needs a Haggadah, right? So I asked my friend from Conn College to bring some along with him, and said it was okay if they were all different because "seder" means "order" and it's all the same thing, right? hahah! Hoo, was I wrong! We had a hard time figuring out where we were. I started off pretty well, but started flailing once I realized I needed to practice my Hebrew reading, and then got really confused...did I skip a step?? Did we miss the 2nd glass of wine?? Oh shoot, we skipped the maror and went straight to the sandwich! I ended up resorting to the children's Haggadah. hahah! Good thing we had it on hand! Luckily, everyone was very patient with me, and laughed at my ways. I did start off with a lovely introduction of explaining why Passover is my favorite holiday. It is a welcoming of spring-time, the best time of year, and it is so special to me because I know there are millions of people across the world, at that moment, who are sitting around a table with their family and friends, Jews and non-Jews, celebrating their freedom from Egypt. For thousands and thousands of years, we have continued this tradition, and we continue to do so today. It is truly special.

The food was fantastic, and I was exhausted afterward.

Menu:

*Haroset (durr)-Made by yours truly

*Chopped hard boiled eggs in salt water (family tradition)--I put wayyy too much salt in it though. It truly tasted like the sea!

*Gefilte fish -from store, but prepped by me

*Matzah ball soup--store bought, and Grace fixed it up

*Citrus chicken/veggies-Grace (DELICIOUS!)

*Salad with spring greens and beets-Jessica

*Flourless chocolate cake with mousse-Jessica, Raspberry sauce-me

Oh, and Elizabeth was a major help with the dishes! :) And our guests helped with dishes afterward. (Thank you!)

Gefilte fish

I barely had any strength to clean. Right now, there's still matzah littering our floor. Uh-oh. And more than ever, I appreciate my mom for preparing all the seders and holiday dinners over the years. (Thank you, thank you, thank you!) It isn't an easy task at all. It made me feel so good to share something important to me, as well as having a chance to share good food and wine with people I love. I was also really proud of us...we pulled it off in the midst of work and studying, and just went ahead and did it because we could. It was completely worth it. It was much better than last year's seder, where I sat outside in the freezing cold with the Chabad group in Amherst, eating partially frozen chicken, and I wasn't allowed to bring in my hot cup of tea because it wasn't "kosher." I was sick for a week after that. So, thank you, Williams-Mystic! I couldn't have done this without you. I felt like it was truly a celebration! And I felt warm and cozy. It was simply wonderful. We finished the off the night with a long period of dessert eating and coffee drinking, finishing up the second half of the seder quickly, and then played a few rounds of Banangrams, (a great game, by the way).

Happy Passover!

It twas no joke...

Paddling next to our garage

Yep, that's our house on the left. In the backyard.

Biblical flooding, practically

If you watch the news in Connecticut, you will see me paddling in a canoe in my own backyard. No joke. A cameraman from the news kinda followed me. Photos will be up soon!

The flooding here is NUTS! Where's Noah when you need him??

And now, I am off to continue cooking for a seder I'm hosting tonight. It was the most last minute decision I've ever made about hosting an event. Yesterday, I moped a bit, sad I couldn't celebrate Passover. Then it occurred to me..."I'll just host it myself!" So here I am, up to my arms in matzah meal and gefilte fish. I'm a trifle nervous about leading a seder, but it shall be fine. Thank goodness there's a book of instructions. And it's not in Chinese, phew.

L'chaim!

Writing about PNW shall never end...

Hello family and friends!

I have returneth from the South! I had an amazing time, managed to avoid alligator bites, and probably gained about 5 lbs from all the fried food. I'm feeling relatively well-rested though and am currently having a fun weekend at Smith with my friends!

I will just continue with the updates about PNW because I really ought to finish up with that before I tell you all about Louisiana, which probably impacted me the most emotionally out of all the trips we've taken this semester.

PNW SAGA CONTINUES!

March 2, 2010

*Crown Point Overlook (Vista House): After days of discussing how the Columbia River affects society in the Pacific Northwest, we finally saw its might at this incredible overlook. It is closed during the winter, but Jim certainly has connections. We were given the opportunity to drink in the scenic view.

It was quite windy, but scenic. No, not us, the river, hehe.

Everyone has a turn to read from the lit packet we receive for each trip, so I had to read to everyone out loud a passage from Winthrop's The Canoe and the Saddle. Now I really want to purchase the book. Here's the passage:

"A wall of terrible breakers marks the mouth of the Columbia, Achilles of rivers. Other mighty streams may swim feebly away seaward, may sink into foul marshes, may trickle through the ditches of an oozy delta, may scatter among sand-bars the currents that once moved majestic and united. But to this heroic flood was destined a short life and a glorious one--a life all one strong, victorious struggle, from the mountains to the sea. It has no infancy--two great branches collect its waters up and down the continent. They join, and the Columbia is born to full manhood. It rushes forward, jubilant, through its magnificent chasm, and leaps to its death in the Pacific."

Reading and writing down the lines still makes my stomach flip and my heart leap. I read it so dramatically, that by the end, spittle flew out of my mouth. I'm not sure how moved people were by that...haha! I also asked the park ranger there about finding jobs with the National Park Service. He said there are always a ton available. Good to know!

*Bonneville Dam: Someone from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers showed us around the dam and described the mechanics of the dam. He explained how they try to help with salmon migration, such as with the use of ladders and spillways. We got to see the turbines. I'm not sure how I feel about the dams...they provide energy, which is in high demand, and help to control the torrential Columbia River, so people can use the water more safely when navigating through it or when recreating. The dams also created thousands of jobs during the Great Depression era when men sorely needed to find ways to put food on their families' tables. Environmentally, I am wary of its impact, especially on salmon.

Salmon ladder, definitely not what I expected when I first heard about it

*Multnomah Falls: I gazed up at the second highest waterfall in the country with wonder. I noticed it was so high, that like Niagara Falls, some of the water looked like it evaporated before hitting the ground. I breathed in the scent of wild pine and hiked up a few switchbacks, getting a better view of the falls the higher up we climbed. The cool air dripped with the waterfall's moisture and greenery popped out everywhere, seeming to breathe and perspire with wetness. I wanted to hike up all 11 switchbacks, but there simply wasn't any time. We only had an hour allotted for exploration.

*Columbia River Maritime Museum: We got to stay overnight on a lightship, the Columbia. It was so cool! All the equipment dated back to the 1950's and 60's. As we walked onboard, I could smell the fresh history. A musty, yet pleasant aroma of the ages greeted me. The mouth of the Columbia River is too deep for a lighthouse, so they had to use a ship with bright lights to warn other ships of the rocky coast.

I didn't have such a great night's sleep though. There were no bunks left by the time it came for me, Jessica, and Elizabeth to claim our sleeping territory. We slept on the floor in a room next to the food lounge. Sleeping on the floor was fine by me--I'm a camper at heart. What DID bug me was the fact we were unable to find a light-switch and therefore had to sleep in a room bright as day. I nearly suffocated under my sleeping bag, trying to keep light out of my eyes. Anyhoo, needless I say, as a result, I was falling asleep on my feet all through the next day. Oh and earlier that day, during the afternoon, we were given free time to walk around the museum. Jessica and I noticed a rainbow appear over the river through the window. We ran out of the museum and stood out on the dock, admiring the streaks of color against a bright blue sky. With the Columbia and a few fishing vessels in view, it looked so romantic.

March 3, 2010

*Cape Disappointment State Park Interpretive Center: We stood in the exact same spot Lewis and Clark saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time, a major event in American history, helping to propel the western expansion...manifest destiny. In 1805, Clark wrote: "I beheld the grandest and most pleasing prospects which my eyes ever surveyed...a boundless ocean, raging with immense waves and breaking with great force from the rocks."

Lewis and Clark's first view of the Pacific

We toured the amazing Lewis and Clark exhibit. It was very hands-on and the lay-out was easy to follow. (I'm very critical of museums, thanks to growing up in the free museum capital of the world. I'm so spoiled.) One thing struck me funny though, colonists had never seen grizzly bears, so one artist, after hearing about them from the expedition, painted one chasing a man up a tree. However, the bear looked exactly like a dog. A St. Bernard, perhaps.

*Young Bay Terminal Fishery Net Pen Project: We saw the pens in which salmon, such as coho and chinook, are raised and released.

Pens with many, many salmon

I FINALLY understood the difference between fisheries and fish farming. Fish farms raise their own fish and keep them in pens their whole lives, altering their genes slightly. They are not the same as wild salmon. Fisheries, on the other hand, raise fish and release them to the wild, allowing them to live out in the oceans for several years. This is an effort to increase the salmon population, especially for the purpose of human consumption. The salmon have the fishery's location imprinted in them and return when fully grown in order to spawn. Some are caught for food while others lay eggs and die. What struck me as peculiar was the fact that the fishery advertise their fish as "wild" in the markets. Is this honest? Yes, they do go out to sea and eat wildlife, but they are born in captivity, eating ground-up fish meal. The workers told me the fish meal is "natural" and is the same thing they'd eat in the wild, and they are released as healthy fish. I have my doubts though...the fish meal is fortified with extra vitamins real wild salmon don't necessarily receive when born in the wild.

*Cannon Beach: We ate lunch at the exact same place a law case, Thornton v. Hay, fought over.

Site of landmark case

We were finally able to see the Pacific Ocean! I've seen it before, but it's always quite a sight to behold. I also noted more this time the difference between the Atlantic and the Pacific--the Atlantic is much calmer and rolls on like a kind grandfather--constant, usually hitting the same places during low tide and high tide. The Pacific--goodness knows where it will hit. You can stand in one spot, feeling dry and happy as a lark, and the next thing you know, you are submerged in water. It just comes without any warning and is quite unpredictable. My pants got wet. Jessica's pants also got wet, but she was quite thrilled about it--she was covered with water of the Pacific, equalling a baptism for her as a marine biologist. She is also obsessed with salmon. There were times I worried she'd throw herself into the ocean and try to make friends with the salmon. Just kidding! Sort of... I think I have the same sort of love for the woods, the mountains. Greenery is where my heart has made its home, and when I leave the forest again, my heart breaks all over again. Anyway, Cannon Beach was spectacular. There was a huge boulder in the middle of the water, looking like some abandoned martian space craft.

After Cannon Beach, we continued driving down South. I fell asleep and kept jerking myself awake almost the entire time, thanks to the previous night's sleep. My van group planned out a way to share the daily summary of events and lectures. (Each day, a different group summarized at the end of each day.) We came up with a dating show scenario. It was pretty funny, I thought. I played a tree-hugging, ultra feminist vegan, who writes poetry. The staff also surprised us with a trip to the Tilamook Cheese Factory! It was fun getting to see how cheese is made and processed. We all waved at the employees who were stadning around in aprons and plastic head coverings behind a glass wall. Some awkwardly waved back. And of course, we had to have their ice cream--it was cheap and absolutely delicious. I remember thinking to myself, "My god! This is so creamy!"

March 4, 2010

We had a writing lab in the morning and had to write about animals/plants we observed. I watched a frog and wrote:

He sits, green large-pupiled eyes bulging,

his throat heaving with each gulp of air,

sitting under the cool, slate rock,

refusing to be the idyllic frog

stereotype leaping from lily pad

to lily pad, catching flies with

his sticky tongue. Instead,

he sits. He is the rock on which

he was found. Arms curled beneath

his fleshy expanse of belly,

an angry Buddha figure.

Even the water's constant gurgle

Dares not disturb his

wide-awake slumber.

*Oregon Coast Aquarium: Oh...my...goodness! Best aquarium ever! Like the one at Mystic, it is both indoors and outdoors, but the layout feels much more natural. It flowed with the paths, with rocks and plants everywhere.

The aquarium was beautiful!

I also appreciated how the museum showcased everything native to the Pacific Northwest. Mystic has penguins and Steller Sea Lions--hm...I suppose the public needs to be educated about the diversity of marine life in all areas of the country. The Mystic Aquarium is good for that, but I thought locality was certainly a special feature of the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Some things I learned: Octopus have an intelligence comparable to those of house cats! They are the only invertebrates who have a normal sleep cycle. Flat-fish, such as halibut, look like any other fish when newly hatched, with eyes on both sides of their head. One eye begins migrating to the other side, and the fish begin leaning sideways as it swims. It settles on the bottom and both eyes are on one side of the head. The other side of its body becomes ivory white. I also thought to myself, "Jellyfish are so beautiful, even though they are just floating stomachs. They make me feel peaceful with their luminescent glow." A quote I found on the wall in the aquarium which spoke to me: "There is a rapture on the lonely shore/ There is society where none intrudes,/ By the deep sea, with music in its roar." --Lord Byron

*Sea Lion Caves: What's strange about this place is that if you want to get to the attraction, you have to pass through a gift ship, and if you want to leave the attraction, you have to leave by going through the same gift shop. The sight was absolutely INCREDIBLE though--one of the biggest sea caves in the world filled with a colony of hundreds of Steller Sea Lions, some floating together in packs as the waves washed roughly against them, pushing them in every direction imaginable. I cannot imagine what it's like to never have 100% firm footing. I suppose the closest comparison I can come up with is being on a ship, but even then, you some some control of where your body manages to stay. The sea lions submit to the power and will of the ocean, simply going with the tide, huddled together in gregarious packs. And there were also many sitting idly on the rocks: the bulls and their harems. They were constantly hit by the ocean's spray and swell. Sometimes they were completely covered by water, managing to still hold onto their respective rock. I had a silly thought cross through my mind: "Do sea lions ever get seasick?" Of course not. Hehe. We humans cast our own feelings onto animals a little too much sometimes.

Steller Sea Lions!

I was skeptical about the whole place initially, especially with its rather convenient gift ship, but it occurred to me that if the tourist attraction wasn't there, other humans might have trampled across the cave ages ago, eager to get a sight of the sea lions up close. If that had been the case, the sea lions might not have been here today. Also, it does help educate the public.. I found the signs rather outdated, but it was better than nothing. The sight of the sea lions take your breath away. However, I can't help but wonder why that land is private. Maybe it should have been designated as a national park, still protected from the ravages of humanity. Why do we have to pay for a sight that is natural? I mean, I understand paying for an aquarium ticket because they have to feed the animals themselves and maintain equipment, as well as provide water, but this was different. The sea lions are wild. They catch their own food while the private owners collect money so people can take a peek at them. Isn't that a bit strange? I kind of feel like it's a bit against what the U.S. stands for. We can see a Bald Eagle fly overhead without having to pay a single cent, right? Hm. Weird issue.

Heceta Lighthouse, supposedly the "most photographed lighthouse in the world," a view from the sea lion caves

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Argh. Again. I can't seem to finish this entry! Let's just say the PNW was a huuuge trip. I will update again ASAP!

Hello, Louisiana!

Oh my stars. I don't think I've ever seen as much green worn collectively as I did today. The St. Patrick's parade is a huge deal in Mystic apparently. There were bagpipe players, high school marching bands, and fire-trucks from Rhode Island and from all over eastern, CT. I thought it was going to be just a local thing, but hoo, do I stand corrected! It twas fun indeed, with more people-watching to boot!

Anyhoo, I am going to finish sharing about my PNW adventures once and for all because I am waking up at 2:30am to head off to the airport in Providence for our final trip to N'awlins!

March 1, 2010 (continued)

*Port of Tacoma Observation Deck: As we climbed up the stairs leading to a view of the industrial shipping port of Tacoma, we could still see the glory of Mt. Ranier. Oddly, it was still picturesque despite it being a bit obstructed by views of trains, electric poles, wires, ugly, gray slabbed buildings. We saw containers stacked everywhere. Glenn told us a bit about the history of Tacoma--it used to be a rowdy, dangerous town. Frequently, sailors would be shanghaied--kidnapped and put at sea, all of their money and personal items gone. The "honest" way of taking young men's money was through a process called "crimping." Sailors would get a room in Tacoma. Whoever rented it out to them would set them up with a ship job and would have the captain pay them that sailor's first few months of wages in exchange for room and board they had on land. The goal of Tacoma was basically to get as much money out of sailors' pockets as they could.

View of Mount Ranier from obs deck

*Tour of Port of Tacoma Terminals: Again, I can't get over how much STUFF gets imported/exported across the world. I saw some John Deeres waiting to be shipped, as well as wood and other materials. I never realized that most of the "boxes" on trains we see passing by are actually containers from ships. By train, goods can be in NYC right off the port in 100 hours, (I think). Here, in Washington, more goods are exported than imported. Washingtonians (is that what you would call them?) are proud of how self-sustainable they are. Oh, and some of the trucks we see on the freeway carry containers as well. It never occurred to me that the goods inside (and the box itself) once traveled over water in order to arrive at their asphalt routes. From their they go into the arms of businesses and corporations, who in turn, divide those up and send goods to different locations. It makes my head spin. It's strange to see firsthand all the mechanics that go into shipping. It's rather like looking at the underbelly of a whale.

*Port Defiance: This place was quite lovely. We partook in a hearty lunch and played some frisbee. We also had a writing lab about Puget Sound, which we sat right next to. This is what I wrote:

"As I sit upon this mottled log, worn by age with blue, white, beige, dark grey stones inset in its cracks, I look across Puget Sound and I can see a cargo ship with smoke steadily rising out of her. To her right, is majestic Mount Ranier, quiet, seemingly benign, covered in snow, almost blending in with the cloud-covered sky. If it were not for rivulets of blue, I might be unable to identify the monarch of sky, land, and sea. The water gently laps the shore, and parts of the current moves faster in some places than others, creating a visible division within the water. As I look upon it, I am instantly carted away to my youth--my 15-year old self smiling broadly as I fight against the waves in Puget Sound, not hearing the crash and spray, but tasting the slightly salty residue on my lips, soaking in the heavy sun. I look up and return to the present, feeling the cool wind brush against my cheek as I hug my jacket closer to my body. Now that I am onshore, I can hear seagulls crying out to one another in search of their next meal. I hear the water coming and retreating, with each small wave's crash onto the lower tidal zone. A seagull flies--glides across the water. My seat is solid, sturdy, bleached with age, yellowing. Was it once a mighty Douglas Fir? The sun peeks out from behind the clouds, lending the day a yellowish hue. I look up again and I admire the mountains on the rim, encircling us, jutting out of land."

It was an inspiring place indeed! Also, I meant to share before how I felt atop the Space Needle in Seattle. I felt content, satisfied. Seattle is one of the prettier cities in this country. Despite some uglification that always comes along with urban life, nature peeks through the cracks, determined to live, despite the hardship of human destruction. I don't support further construction/expansion of Seattle, and I do believe they have a long way to go with the water pollution battle, but I have more hope for Seattle than any other city, (besides San Francisco, perhaps). I loved jogging through a park in the city at 6 in the morning, inhaling sweet flowers' breath while pumping my legs along a paved path overlooking the water, filled with all sorts of crafts, squinting slightly as the sun rose, dark orange laced with pink, growing lighter and lighter. I think just as much as I need sun, I also need my greenery...plant life. It fills my soul and makes me feel at peace. Seattle is so alive, full of life, and not very far away, are fertile, rich places simply teeming with life.

We continued on south and arrived in Troutsdale, OR. After dinner, we went to what may possibly be the largest new/used bookstore in the country...Powell's Bookstore. It was...AWESOME! I was so overwhelmed. We were handed maps so we could find out way through it. Ridiculous. I ended up buying four books. Yeep. I just couldn't resist, naturally.

Jessica, with a map of Powell's Bookstore. Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous!

Afterward, we returned to the hotel, and a few of us got into a hot tub, along with our professors, Glenn and Diane. At first, all I could keep thinking was, "Wait...I'm in a hot tub...with my professors??" But then again, this program is unique indeed. The professors are amazing. They're simultaneously educators and friends. They've seen us at our worst, puking off the sides of a ship or unkempt after three days of not showering. I love getting to know the professors and having one-on-one chats with them. And my gosh, they all have an amazing sense of humor and keep things quite casual. (One has to anyway for this sort of program). For instance, as a joke, twice, we did van circles over and over in parking lots, all the professors, (who doubled as chauffeurs), refusing to hit the open road. It kind of resembled the dance of the hippos from Disney's "Fantasia." It was pretty silly. Oh and at one point, Rich fingerspelled to us from his van window, "B-A-C-K-O-F-F" because Glenn was sort of tailing him. I taught Glenn how to fingerspell "No way!" and he stuck his hand out his side, fingerspelling at Rich. It was hysterical and we all burst out laughing. Later on, as Rich walked alongside our van, I stuck my hand out the window and fingerspelled "Back off!" to him. He and I laughed very hard, and after telling the others in the van what had just happened, I got a lot of high-fives.

Anyway, to finish my hot tubbing story: Glenn and I ended up talking about how important it is to learn about the trends and order of events in history, and how sad it is that students are turned off by history due to being required to memorize dates. He and I agree that is is more important to know what happened rather than exactly when it happened. He doesn't usually use specific dates when giving us lectures and says he doesn't know many dates himself. I find this so interesting...I'm bad with dates, and for this reason, didn't think history would have been a good field of study for me. Now I'm having second thoughts, ha. He said that post grad studies of history assume you already know your dates, (he didn't), and they actually focus on reading different historians' accounts of history and they learn how to evaluate those sources. You also learn different methods of historical research. Fascinating! I had no idea. It's basically a study of how people study history.

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I'm getting so tired...and now I'm mistyping a lot of things. I DO have to get up in a few hours, ick. So I am going to write a poem in here which I wrote during the trip, based on my people-watching experiences, (I'm such a creeper, aren't I?), and then I will copy and paste the schedule of our Lousiana trip on here. When I return, I will finish the PNW account in one go and then go through the process of reviewing the Louisiana trip, which won't take as long, hopefully, since we'll only be away for 4 days!

Poem (I still can't think of a title):

You remind me of a walrus

twirling your handle-bar mustache

belonging to an era in which you were not born.

Thick-accented, confused over how

someone can eat no meat, no,

not even chicken. She stares at me.

He skates by, thoughts of mortality far away,

he is immortal, he is a teenager

flying by a car within an inch of his life.

"Dflkiesh at?" she asks kindly,

over-enunciating all sounds. Again?

"Would you like fries with that?"

Sunglasses cover windows to his soul,

he who has faced the devil; the mighty Pacific

and Columbia colliding, always a step ahead of death.

Pink hair in a mohawk, is punk still alive?

Cloaked like the night, his whalish bulk

held high, bebopping through the streets.

Grinning broadly, she searches for customers,

serving up platefuls of burgers,

is she deaf like me? Is she ashamed?

A blonde woman ambles by with golden

retrievers to match. Delightedly, they

watch the fish fly. What a happy trio.

"Strawberries!" he crows, "Two for five!"

About to walk away, he casts his lure again,

louder, suddenly she has them. What is your magic?

You of the Northwest, you were born here.

You pick through colorful bouquets with

care--is it for your girlfriend? Your mother?

We of the East have come to the West.

We are connected by water,

land divides us, but the sea unites us.

Do you all see what I see? Do you all fear

what I fear? I long to slip into your

skin, but all I can do is feel the tide.

Fin! And now, here's the schedule for Louisiana, courtesy of Jim! (please excuse the formatting of the font, I just copied and pasted from the syllabus, too tired to put it in a normal style)

Mon, March 22nd (after a long day of traveling):

3:00 PM : Arrive ZAM'S SWAMP TOURS, in Kraemer, on Bayou Boeuf

> An exploration via pontoon boat of the bayous and swamps of southern Louisiana.

After dinner: Cajun Dancing lessons!

Tues, March 23rd:

9:00: To the Marsh! Canoe Trip to the Spartina-Distichlis marshe

1:00 PM :Trawling trip aboard the R/V Acadiana, one of LUMCON's research vessels.

7:00: Arrive the "Jolly Inn" for an evening of live Cajun music by the band COUCHE COUCHE (Werlein Prosperie and colleagues)

Wed, March 24th:

9:30 AM: Arrive Port Fourchon for a brief drive-through: Infrastructure of the GOMEX petroleum industry

10:45: Meet Chris Hernandez, a city official, A tour of Grand Isle

1:30 PM: Arrive Grand Isle State Park Beach

7:15: CRAWFISH DINNER at LUMCON

8:30: The Secret Society of Mark Twain Players

Thurs, March 25th:

9:00 – 10:15: New Orleans: The Vieux Carré

10:15 - 11:15 Free time to explore the historic French Quarter

11:30 - 1:30: Voyage on the Mississippi River aboard the Steam Sternwheeler Natchez IX

There are many other components to the trip I didn't include, such as lectures and travel time. We WILL be quite, quite busy. I am SO excited and I cannot wait to go on this trip! I'm sad it's our last trip though.

It'll be great to learn more about another place I've been to before, but didn't know much about. Anyway, I ought to go to bed. The deal is the same for this trip...no internet, but I will have intermittent cell phone access. I love you all! Have a lovely 4 days!

xoxo

Spr-ummer.

Happy first day of spring! Er...summer, rather. I am sunburned already and am rather itchy, but it's a small price to pay for the glorious day I had today (um, yesterday, I suppose). I spent most of the day at the seaport, walking around, getting my flip-flops dirty from the sandy road and sitting on a wooden bench next to the dock lined with boats and a lighthouse, overlooking glittering navy-blue water, watching people and happy families walking by, speaking different languages, all enjoying the novelty of the "town." What struck me was the singularity of purpose all the visitors had: to have an outing, to learn something new, to see new sights. I couldn't believe how many people were at the museum today. It's amazing what good weather does to people. We hibernate during winter. We are truly mole people. When the sun comes out to shine her warm, soothing rays, we emerge out of the dark, dank underground, shaking off the layers of dirt, soaking in the bath of sunlight.

People watching is fascinating. If I could, I would turn it into a full-time career. I don't need to know details of people's lives--I like to guess at them and admire individual peculiarities, which we all possess. I realize that I love humanity. On the large scale of things, we do horrible things as a race sometimes, but if you look a little closer, a little deeper, with sharp lens on one human being, just for a moment in time, you can see something...good? special? within that one person--the love they may have for another person, the way the couple hold hands like they will never let go, the care one dotes on a daughter or a son, one being excited about...a leaf or a blade of grass. It is the small events like these that fascinate me and restore my love for humanity continuously, despite my realist/pessimistic attitude about humanity at times. And that, my friends, is why I love people watching. And why I had such a lovely time today. I left the seaport with a renewed sense of vigor.

What also might have helped, was simply...the sun. I drink it greedily, like a hummingbird drinks nectar. I can't get enough of the stuff. I am an addict. I admit it. However, you must bear in mind that just last week, it was raining so hard, that our basement flooded and we lost electricity and internet for two days, which was extremely difficult since we had a paper due on Monday. Also, our stove is electric, so, scavenging for food was a challenge...we ate out most of the weekend. As for writing the paper, I had to hunt around for places with electricity and internet. Jessica and I ended up holing up at a coffee shop in town for five hours, but had to leave once a group of elderly Irish ladies began singing ballads loudly with an audience cheering them on. Then another place we went to lost power. And...it was just crazy all around. We did manage to get the paper done though! When the power came back on that night, I thought I was dreaming. I had to turn the lights on and off a few times before it finally dawned on me that we finally had it all back!

Carr House hosted a BBQ tonight, shortly after I returned from my sloth state, which was GREAT! I was so hungry, all I had during the day was a bowl of cereal. We don't really have much food left in our fridge at the moment. Where it all goes from week to week, I haven't the faintest idea. We played frisbee while listening to classic rock 'n roll, and continued tossing until the sun settled in her western cradle for the night, and could no longer see each others' outlines, but only the glimmer of the white disk spinning in the dark sky.

Edjamucation

I've learned a good many things this past week:

1. Chicken poop is the death of the Chesapeake Bay. More or less. Maryland seriously needs to watch its chicken output, haha! This is what I'm focusing on for my policy research project. Let's just say Maryland poultry farmers are feeling rather henpecked by environmentalists. (har har)

2. Wood isn't just for woodchucks. I am not that bad with wood carving. Here's to yet another art hobby I'll do for a good five or six months and buy all the supplies for, and then hang it up for a long time.

Yep, I actually made this woodcarving relief, believe it or not.

3. Printers are extraordinarily stupid. I am fed up with mine. PRINT, LAST PAGE OF MY POLICY PAPER, WHY DON'T YOU??!!

4. I do remember how to write analyses of poems. Hooray! I just need to remember the difference between anthropomorphism and personification. Silly me!

5. I CAN cook fish! Who knew?

6. It's rather ironic though cooking fish again right after you've basically killed fish larvae while doing lab research. Isn't the cycle of life funny?

7. I love taking naps in the sun. SO MUCH! Apparently, I can fall asleep on a wood bench under the bright sun overhead faster than I can fall asleep in a bed.

8. I realize all that I will really remember in life are the good times I've had with friends. Not what homework I had. Or what I had to read last night for class. I will remember and cherish the memories of pick-up games of ultimate frisbee while wearing a HUGE pirate hat, slowly realizing no one else is wearing anything silly, like we had planned. I'll always remember ditching my homework in favor of making dessert waffles smothered in nutella, hershey's syrup, peanut butter, sprinkles, jam, almonds, and god-knows-what-else, and sitting down with everyone, squished tightly on a couch, laughing over the teen angst in "Breakfast Club," but still so close in age, we can remember what it was like.

9. And my printer is still being an idiot. This thing is due at 9am tomorrow. What to do??

10. I WILL get things done! I WILL update you on PNW before heading off to Louisiana on Monday! (SO EXCITED!!!)

Procrastinating like there's no tomorrow!

Oh dear. I must confess, I enjoy cooking a little too much. I didn't do much homework last night...at all. Instead, I made a mean pasta dish, (sun-dried tomatoes, ripe tomatoes, kalamata olives, capers, garlic, mozzarella, parmesan cheese, fresh basil, olive oil, and red wine vinegar) for TONIGHT'S dinner. (And the aroma caused one of my lovely housemates to blurt out, "Whatever you're making...it sure smells great!") And then after my literature class today, did I pick up my policy reader and make headway on my readings like a good girl? No. Instead, I did some dishes and put together a baby spinach, strawberry, and toasted almond salad for dinner as well. One of my complaints about Williams-Mystic: There are way too many fun ways to procrastinate with actual work. We chat, we do laundry, we do laundry and chat. We do dishes. And chat. We have to run to CVS to pick up this and that. Whilst chatting. Oh, and of course, let's not forget how we must have lunch in town. Ooh, and then there's the ice cream shop...maybe we'll just stop by for a tiny bit of ice-cream. Just a bit. And oh gosh, maybe we should stop at the grocery store, y'know, cuz we're running low on food, sort of. Being busy like this is a terrible predicament! (But I kinda like it.)

Anyway, to continue with my tales of the Pacific Northwest:

Feb 28, 2010

1945: Today was quite a long day. We crammed a lot of information in. And I suspect every day will be like this. Now I'm glad all my projects/proposals were due last week, before the trip. I want to be able to drink it all in and learn as much as possible without any worries/stress clouding my mind. I shall list out all the things we did today, along with notes about each:

-Went to Port of Seattle conference room for a lecture: For every development made, they "give back" a certain amount of land...?? Doesn't make sense to me. Also, I didn't get much from the presentation because the presenter, who was an environmental planner, stood in the back, behind the projector, while my interpreter was in the front, standing next to the powerpoint slides.

-Went on a tugboat! (Described in earlier entry)

-Pike's Marketplace: The fish throwers had several of us stand directly under the thrown fishes...I got scales on my sweatshirt, pretty funny.

Throwing fish over our heads. Photo credit goes to David!

Top from left to right: Rachel, Anna, Bottom: Elizabeth, me, Ginger

A few of us went to a Polish place for lunch, where I went to 5 years ago, still just as good as I remembered. I also tried honey lavender ice cream at a stall. It twas...interesting? Delicious? I don't really know. And even though Pike's Marketplace is touristy, I still like it a lot. There are so many interesting people. It is a great place for people watching. Plus, it does support the locals and they happen to be so friendly, even while forcing their goods on you. If I ever live here, I will definitely purchase all my fruits/veggies/flowers/what-have-you from here. I love seeing and smelling the mixture of fish, soaps, tomatoes, apples, oranges, lettuce, onions, baked goods, ice cream, fries heavily doused in vinegar, and the list goes on. Sounds like a strange concoction of smells, I know, but I am able to pick out the distinct odors and identify them in the discordant mish-mash.

-Walking Tour of Seattle with Glenn: The man sure knows how to tell stories. He told us about Ivan and Skid Row. I'll try writing about these later, much too tired now, and I ought to get ahold of someone's notes first anyhow.

Glen sharing fascinating info about the statue of Ivan on his right

-Klondike Gold Rush National Park Exhibit: Very cool and a good lay-out of information. I found it concise, and straight to the point. People were spurred into action with the "final frontier" and hoped to strike it rich. Most people failed. Or died. I had a fascination with the gold rush period as a kid, so this certainly fed my former interest. I did remember a lot, which was lovely.

-Fishermen's Terminal: There were so many boats here...trawlers, gill netters. Most head off to Alaska in search of salmon in mid-March. We also saw the Fishermen's Memorial. It was sobering. A hushed silence fell upon our group as we read the names of all who had died trying to fish in Alaska's treacherous waters. Flowers and written sentiments were placed around it. It just made me think about how we romanticize sea life, how people view it as the great escape from responsibilities. Yet, people die for it. We don't think much about that. Between 2001 and 2009, about 70 men lost their lives. Even boys younger than me. It's incredibly sad. I left, feeling disheartened. How do their parents feel? Their lovers? Losing a loved one at sea...swallowed up by a cold, unfeeling beast, never to be seen or heard from again. No remains. It is truly the "deadliest catch."

This one in particular made me sad. Perhaps because it is so recent?

-Burke Museum: This was at the University of Seattle. It was a fantastic, small museum, summarizing much information you might find at the Museum of Natural History in D.C., (in which you could spend a month and still not have read or seen everything). We had pizza and a lecture from a W-M alum of S97. He has accomplished SO much and is now the Executive Director of the Yakima Basin Fish and Wildlife Recovery Board. I thought he was a much better speaker than the first. He raised many interesting thoughts about saving the salmon, including how they have evolved to human impact. If we try to restore the rivers to what they used to be, will that actually harm them? They have changed their way of life around our dams. Would it really help if we were to remove them? Could they evolve back to the way they used to be? Or is the old migration pattern still embedded in their instinct? We really don't know.

We met some other alums as well. It is wonderful to meet others who have graduated from this program. It's fascinating seeing how W-M has impacted their lives; in some, W-M has made a small impact, but still in notable ways, while in others, the impact is life-altering. No matter, W-M makes a mark on everyone. I have absolutely no doubt that it will make one on me as well. I'm already feeling it, actually. I am feeling fresh inspiration and I want to do so much with my life now!

March 1, 2010

0750:

Seattle

Big windows everywhere

like they're trying

to drink up the sun,

overlooking a sprung up city

emerging out of the hills,

born of men who thought

they could move mountains.

But far off behind a veil of

clouds, we can see the rim

of craggy mountains touch

the sky, and then there is

Mount Ranier, a shock of

hardened lava, which sends

a thrill through the heart,

a constant reminder that

nature still has dominion

over sky, land, and the sea.

PNW Adventures-Part One of Many

Well, that was quite a trip. I've spent the past 3 days, simply vegetating. So, forgive me for the late update on the PACIFIC NORTHWEST! Land that I love.

We barely slept, going to places where I probably could have spent an entire day, but at which we only stayed for an hour. Imagine cramming 5 or 6 places like that in one day. Whew, quite overwhelming. As Rich would say, I had a lot of spaghetti thrown at me. The tomato sauce splattered all over me, covering me with insight, and a few strands managed to collect in my hair, facts I will remember always. (I might have missed out on the meatballs...semi-vegetarian, you know?)

I would do it all over again if I could though. It was definitely worth the lack of Mr. Sandman visitations. I shall share some entries from my journal, just as I did when I shared about my experience with the Cramer. So, here goes!

Feb 27, 2010

1240: "Meditation and water are wedded forever and ever." -Melville

"Old, eternally dislocated and hungry, hugger/ of Earth that I am, I love it all. I love/ The breezy wide-openess of Northwest" -Al Young, "Leaving Home for Home"

Mmm. I love reading about places we are going to...it gives us something to connect with as we see all the sights. And this time around, I have seen some of the sights mentioned in the reader, (a packet compiled by Rich), already, such as Puget Sound, Mount Ranier, Mount St. Helens, and Seattle, so I was able to clearly picture the sights, sounds, smells the authors share. Reading their accounts of the Pacific Northwest's beauty made me deeply regret not keeping a journal whilst traveling. I long to look back at my memories and gaze through the eyes of a sheltered 15-year old backpacking the seemingly rugged and wild west. The experience made such an impression on me, that I can still picture some scenery as I had just seen them yesterday. I'll never forget how we walked through a meadow filled with millions of purple and white wildflowers. And if you looked up, you'd see the bluish top of Mount Ranier covered in snow, a sharp contrast to the lazy summer day we ambled along, filled with fat, buzzing bees.

Why did I not keep a record?! I don't think I took the experience for granted. It just didn't occur to me to write things down, I suppose. This time, I am returning to the PNW with a different lens. It will be purely educational, which is exciting, since I now get to learn more about the land that I touched, breathed, and fell in love with. I still yearn for the mountains with clear streams and pine-needled paths. (I'm starting to notice pattern here...I keep getting homesick for places that aren't even my home, like the Cramer!)

I think for most of my life, I am destined to be a wanderer. My home is the world itself. Each natural place I explore marks a permanent stamp on my heart forever, and no matter where I am or doing after that, I can feel the cells of my body creeping back toward that land, feeling the pull of invisible strings. I think the loudest cry of all is emitted from the Pacific Northwest. By embarking on this field seminar, I feel as if I am returning home. Oh Puget Sound! How I miss thee! The high mountains and volcanoes course through my blood, as do the waters of the Pacific. Older, and a bit wiser, I know now to record my experience not only to memory, but to the written word. I shall try my best.

We are about to land in Seattle! (Just passed over Lake Washington.)

Feb 28, 2010

1235: We just finished an hour and a half ride on the Crowley, a tugboat. It was quite interesting seeing the differences in make between that boat and the Cramer. The engine room was HUGE, and so hot (749 degrees F). I was even offered ear plugs. I declined, for obvious reasons, and turned off my cochlear implant/hearing aid. It was so loud, I was vibrating from sheer volume.

View from the Crowley, donning our hardhats and PFDs

Tugboats, same design as the Crowley

And from the boat, we saw container ships, loading tons of different colored containers on top of each other. The ships are so large, they can stack up entire trucks on top of each other. One danger though, is crates falling off. We had to keep our eye out for containers during bow watch while in FL, due to a recent spill...otherwise, it would have been Titanic all over again!

The magnitude of HOW MUCH "stuff"...STUFF gets imported and exported on each ship and how far everything travels boggles my mind. We are a world of instantaneous, non-ending appetites. This world has no room for instant gratification. At all hours, of every day, materials, goods, foods, are moving from one place to the next. It shakes me how we are always going going going.

Oh, and I saw a ship intended for carrying grain. It was next to a grain warehouse which holds the gain up to its ceilings and large tubes release the grain onto the baot. The boat sinks past the red painted on the bottom. If it's too heavy, it'll go beyond that mark. No one wants that to happen though because the grain would soak and would expand, ruining it. And they don't even put the grain in barrels or containers of any kind...it just fills up the entire deck. Crazy!

From this side of the continent, most items are exported to Asia; from the East coast, to Europe, and Rich thinks Africa may receive our cargo from the South.