I am in Minneapolis. I am engaged to my wonderful fiance, Tory. We are very excited about this recent step in our lives and plan to be married by late summer. Instead of a wedding blog, I decided to pick up my old blog again and update it about whatever seems to be relevant to continuing our life together. Tory is living in our new home in North Minneapolis and I'm there often so we have been encountering all kinds of new adventures that come with home-owning and living in a diverse neighborhood that has traditionally been marginalized.
Wherever I go, or rather, wherever I am directly determines what people and experiences I will encounter. These in turn shape my understanding of the world, it's people, and it's needs.
If you put yourself in certain locations, life can be monotonous and uninteresting unless you make it otherwise. So far it seems as though if you put yourself in North Minneapolis, monotony isn't even an option.
Firstly, what I didn't realize was a problem in America: spring feral cat population explosion. Our neighbor feeds them all from a huge bucket and it's attracting and feeding and sustaining anywhere from 12-30 now teenage cats who I'm terrified are about to unleash a few litters each. Our plan is to catch them, take them to Animal Ark to get neutered and release them again to live happy, non-reproductive lives. We caught one, who is now living in our garage and set the live trap again before we left to get coffee in what is now being referred to as the North Loop. Since it was warm out, I suggested biking and we took our first bike ride two convenient miles down Broadway into downtown.
We discovered that Java J's has $1 pbr's on Friday nights and began wedding planning. VERY EXCITING. We stayed past 1am and got on our bikes only to discover that my slowness was (partially) due to a flat back tire. We stopped at the Beehive gas station for a spot of air, which cost a dollar and was probably not usually used for bikes so Tory, in his banana-yellow hoodie went to the line in front of the bulletproof window to ask for change. 3/4 customers ordered a pack of 'swisher sweets,' (the relevance of which had to be explained to me) and since no one would talk to him, much less agree to get him change for a dollar, he waited in line and returned to me laughing. When we continued on, Tory the speedy biker breezed through red lights when the roads were clear and to his impatience, I hesitantly waited them out. On one such light, as Tory biked on, I waited for a car in the distance to pass by and heard a deep voice over my shoulder say, "THAT WAS A GOOD DECISION YOUNG LADY." Then as the light turned green, I watched a cop car pull Tory over on his bicycle. Then an officer got out and made Tory put his hands on the hood and frisked him, for what, I don't know. Another cop got out of the car too and to my initial confusion, they let an older random guy help himself out of the back of the car. I now know what an undercover cop looks like. He is virtually indistinguishable from a layperson.
When I pulled up, this is the conversation I heard:
-Do you know where you are?
-Yeah, I'm on Broadway!
-Does that mean anything to you?
-It means I'm on my way home!
-You live around here?
-Yeah, I live a few blocks past here.
-Is there a reason you ran that light?
-Just trying to keep moving I guess...
-Okay, I believe you.
(To me)-You should teach him a few biking lessons!
Then they let us bike away and we laughed together.
When we got back to the house, we looked in the trap and laughed even harder. A fat possum gave us a look that said, "It's not my fault I'm the kind of animal that is not meant to be seen in the light of day!"
His demeanor was just that of Fantastic Mr. Fox's friend. We opened the trap and he stood there for a while before slowly wandering away. I'm a little afraid he was so indifferent that he'll try to get another free meal sometime.
Meanwhile, the cats run free and the neighbor raises pitbulls in his basement.
Wherever I go, or rather, wherever I am directly determines what people and experiences I will encounter. These in turn shape my understanding of the world, it's people, and it's needs.
If you put yourself in certain locations, life can be monotonous and uninteresting unless you make it otherwise. So far it seems as though if you put yourself in North Minneapolis, monotony isn't even an option.
Firstly, what I didn't realize was a problem in America: spring feral cat population explosion. Our neighbor feeds them all from a huge bucket and it's attracting and feeding and sustaining anywhere from 12-30 now teenage cats who I'm terrified are about to unleash a few litters each. Our plan is to catch them, take them to Animal Ark to get neutered and release them again to live happy, non-reproductive lives. We caught one, who is now living in our garage and set the live trap again before we left to get coffee in what is now being referred to as the North Loop. Since it was warm out, I suggested biking and we took our first bike ride two convenient miles down Broadway into downtown.
We discovered that Java J's has $1 pbr's on Friday nights and began wedding planning. VERY EXCITING. We stayed past 1am and got on our bikes only to discover that my slowness was (partially) due to a flat back tire. We stopped at the Beehive gas station for a spot of air, which cost a dollar and was probably not usually used for bikes so Tory, in his banana-yellow hoodie went to the line in front of the bulletproof window to ask for change. 3/4 customers ordered a pack of 'swisher sweets,' (the relevance of which had to be explained to me) and since no one would talk to him, much less agree to get him change for a dollar, he waited in line and returned to me laughing. When we continued on, Tory the speedy biker breezed through red lights when the roads were clear and to his impatience, I hesitantly waited them out. On one such light, as Tory biked on, I waited for a car in the distance to pass by and heard a deep voice over my shoulder say, "THAT WAS A GOOD DECISION YOUNG LADY." Then as the light turned green, I watched a cop car pull Tory over on his bicycle. Then an officer got out and made Tory put his hands on the hood and frisked him, for what, I don't know. Another cop got out of the car too and to my initial confusion, they let an older random guy help himself out of the back of the car. I now know what an undercover cop looks like. He is virtually indistinguishable from a layperson.
When I pulled up, this is the conversation I heard:
-Do you know where you are?
-Yeah, I'm on Broadway!
-Does that mean anything to you?
-It means I'm on my way home!
-You live around here?
-Yeah, I live a few blocks past here.
-Is there a reason you ran that light?
-Just trying to keep moving I guess...
-Okay, I believe you.
(To me)-You should teach him a few biking lessons!
Then they let us bike away and we laughed together.
When we got back to the house, we looked in the trap and laughed even harder. A fat possum gave us a look that said, "It's not my fault I'm the kind of animal that is not meant to be seen in the light of day!"
His demeanor was just that of Fantastic Mr. Fox's friend. We opened the trap and he stood there for a while before slowly wandering away. I'm a little afraid he was so indifferent that he'll try to get another free meal sometime.
Meanwhile, the cats run free and the neighbor raises pitbulls in his basement.
Group to group; new people, new focus, new networks, new job!
It has been a while since I wasn't part of some collective and going through group dynamics. I like individuals (whether they are part of groups or not) better than groups. I am united to my new Americorps co-workers by technology-related job experience and probably many other things to be discovered. I'm really enjoying my co-workers at my specific location as well so that's exciting.
The transition to Minnesota felt pretty normal since I left Grand Rapids behind before Thailand and all those adventures on the other side of the world. It somehow makes sense that life would not continue as it was after a semester like that. I'm still the midwest, and now seeing lots of Tory, so life doesn't feel that different from Grand Rapids, just disconnected. I'm really missing out on Art Prize, I know. It was so good for me to feel connected to the place I lived for those years that it's hard to miss out on what might be the initial peak of that small, neat place into a place deserving flourishing artistic or at least creative recognition.
I went to a farmers market here... and that's when I realized the size difference between GR and minneapolis. It was comparative to markets in Thailand! Huge, colorful, crowded (the sellers were more diverse than in Thailand), selling everything from local berries (yay!) to imported anything (yikes!). I asked details about local fish farming but the guy only gave me planned answers, so I won't be buying yet if ever. Tory and I picked up some awesome mint for Moroccan tea and blueberries for pancakes and biked our goodies home for breakfast.
First I climbed mountains. Then I learned to weave. Then I ate squirrel. There's so much more to say, and too many words to express it.
I'm not sure I'm cut out for blogging.
Put simply, our entire group is in the air, my calves are stronger, I know some really neat Karen people committed to their villages, and a lot more about political ecology.
Ps-The night before we left, I got the job!
There are approximately 7 weeks left in my course here in Thailand. I have lived for anywhere from 1-5 weeks both in families of urban wealth and rural poverty and the differences have been striking. The rest of the time so far has been split between my apartment in Chiang Mai and the week on the Yom river, camping. Needless to say, we are getting wonderfully varied experiences.
Tomorrow at 6am, we are leaving to take a public bus (yay public transit!) to Mae Hon Song, near the first village of many Karen hill tribes we will be staying with over the next 2 weeks. A lot of Karen people have immigrated to Minneapolis/St.Paul, so I'm hoping to make some new friends when I get back to the States and have some insight into what their past or background culture may be like. And hoping to learn a lot the next two weeks!
So, again, you won't be hearing from me until I get back. Leave your address if you would like a postcard before this whirlwind of a semester is over and I'm headed back to the States. Moving back has been on my mind a lot lately because I've been job searching.
I have a job interview tonight! (a phone interview for a media position with Americorps in the Twin Cities in September).
Tomorrow at 6am, we are leaving to take a public bus (yay public transit!) to Mae Hon Song, near the first village of many Karen hill tribes we will be staying with over the next 2 weeks. A lot of Karen people have immigrated to Minneapolis/St.Paul, so I'm hoping to make some new friends when I get back to the States and have some insight into what their past or background culture may be like. And hoping to learn a lot the next two weeks!
So, again, you won't be hearing from me until I get back. Leave your address if you would like a postcard before this whirlwind of a semester is over and I'm headed back to the States. Moving back has been on my mind a lot lately because I've been job searching.
I have a job interview tonight! (a phone interview for a media position with Americorps in the Twin Cities in September).
Chiang Mai is beautiful.
The city is in a valley, and on clear days like today,
I can see the mountains on every side from the roof of my apartment.
The country is in a state of stark contrast... and emergency, but in Chiang Mai, you'd never guess by looking outside. There is chaos everywhere across the country, taking very different forms. Chiang Mai is erupted in a country-wide water fight. And you're certainly not exempt for being a foriegner... I've seen kids whisper 'farang, farang' and dump water down the backs up unsuspecting tourists. I can't get down the street to a restaurant to eat without getting a bucket of water in the face. Tomorrow I'm going out with my host sister (it's a three or four day event) and I'll do some of my own attacks.
The situation in Pattaya and Bangkok, and in the privacy of people's homes across the country is much different. The "Red Shirts" who support exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin are facing rounds of tear gas and real guns, not buckets of water and water guns. Thaksin, exiled for corruption among other things, is video conferencing with the protesters and encouraging a "people's revolution" which would give him a chance at reclaiming power. Protesters broke into the building hosting the ASEAN Summit meeting of leaders across SE Asia, and current Thai Prime Minister Abhisit declared the state of emergency. Though I'm in Thailand, I'm sheltered from really noticing what is going on if I wasn't pursuing knowledge of it. In Thai culture, people smile and go about their day no matter what is happening in order to save face. The cancellation of the ASEAN Summit is embarrassing to Thailand, a country still fighting to be seen as developed by the Global North.
Don't worry, I'm safe here and I won't be going anywhere near any protests. I'll be watching to see what happens in the next while.
