Some holiday this is!

Back in the day when this blog had more stories of adventure and hijinks, I had no shortage of tales to tell. These days, my ideas are more of the philosophical rumination variety.

And summer is a time that is meant for travel and adventure, right?

I’m at home now, visiting my family in America, and although it is indeed a holiday/vacation, I still long for a bit of peaceful time away from everybody, away from it all, alone with some books, daily walks to improve my constitution and some time for writing inspiration; 6 weeks on Lake Como would do nicely – I don’t know why, but I’ve always dreamt about Lake Como. I know that sounds contradictory, sort of: I don’t long for time on my own so that I have tales to tell, so that I can get myself into all sorts of sticky mishaps – literal and figurative. I long for peace and quiet, time to reflect, think and write with a clear head.

At home, you don’t get that. Family duties, projects to be done outside the house (taking advantage of the weather), pressure of various sorts, playing with and cuddling all the cats (around 10 at the moment), spending 4 hours watching the Tour de France every morning, an inability to relax because time spent on your own leads to guilt that you’re not spending ‘quality time’ with others. Sitting down long enough to actually write is almost impossible. Even this short bit of drivel is a big ask.

When I get back to Kyiv in a couple of weeks, I’m setting myself the ambitious task of writing a post a week. Seriously. I really must get round to sharing a few more tales (I still have to finish my recap of my summer travels from 2 years ago, for crying out loud!) as well as more philosophical, existential insights.

For now, I’ll share a few highlights from this blog’s predecessor, the old Layman’s Guide to International Relations. Consider it a kind of ‘best of’ – some summer stuff, some other stuff, and generally some of my favourite stuff. They are not in any particular order. I’ve made a few comments on some of them. Click on the highlighted titles in varying shades of green to read more.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Kochkor Part II: Shock and Awe

I love cities. I’ve always been a city man, and I love nothing more than soaking up the atmosphere and culture (especially of the café variety) of a vibrant, pulsating city centre. In years past, countryside sojourns were merely a change of pace from urban life, as I never really felt the need to ‘escape’ like I’ve done here. Because I don’t necessarily love the countryside. Sure, it’s pleasant, it’s nice (notice the uninspiring adjectives?), but on the whole, a bit humdrum. Not always, but generally I find weekend getaways, in any country for that matter, to be more beneficial and therapeutic because of what they are ‘not’. So it’s not as if I’m raving wildly about the exquisite Kyrgyz countryside or anything, it’s just that it makes such a refreshing change from the old routine that I’m thankful for some clean, country air and the absence of grimy, Soviet-esque architecture.

But thanks to Jeff, I’ve come to realise that there is so much more to how we view nature, the countryside, open spaces and, most especially, mountains. For on the Sunday of my recent excursion to Kochkor, we hiked in the meandering valleys of nearby hills, which offered stunning views of the mountains. But, deep down, were they really that stunning? And, even deeper down, are mountains stunning at all? Is nature stunning at all? Why do we love nature so much?

Friday, July 17, 2009

This is my post popular post – based on page views and Google search results. The title is most likely what did it. I can only imagine the disappointment on a few middle-aged men’s faces when they actually clicked on the link. Perverts – serves them right.

A bit of soft-core porn - Uzbek style - in the back of a taxi

I'm fully aware that thus far on my travels I have yet to really describe in great depth some of the places I've seen, other than to offer up some cursory and inchoate observations. That won't change with this dispatch. I'm saving some of my more properly thought-out analysis, regarding the stunning architecture, rich cultural heritage, vast array of mausoleums and exquisite, intricate Islamic faience for after my return to Bishkek, when I can properly sit down and digest everything I've seen in its entirety. Instead, I give you more oddities and quirky little happenings I've had with various local people. Those have proved to be the most memorable bits so far anyway.

Friday, July 3, 2009

A highlight reel of my time in Kyrgyzstan

A bit of doggerel on Kyrgyzstan's finest moments

Or, a coruscating wrap-up of 5 months of mayhem and shenanigans

Horse-riding and blistering burns in the countryside…drunken wedding shenanigans… bizarre medical treatments…being stalked by a student and yelled at by a ‘prostitute’…almost getting jumped by the Kyrgyz army in the bathroom…grabbing the undercarriage of a bouncer at a nightclub and almost seeing a repeat of the Latvian broken rib experience…wonderful new friends (and one very special one)…and the Vagina Monologues in two languages. These have been among the numerous gems and highlights during my time in Kyrgyzstan.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

One of my first posts from my time doing teacher-training in New Hampshire. It was my first time living in America since 2002.

Local Pillars of the Intellectual Community

 

I recently had an interesting conversation with my good friends Asif, Jeff and Yuhan regarding this very blog. They all seem to enjoy it and have much useful, constructive criticism to offer. One of the more perceptive comments – from Asif – regards my ‘orientalist’ tendencies and what he calls my ‘tolerant disdain’ for whatever subjects I happen to be banging on about. He was specifically referring to the way I talked about the Kyrgyz. I like this expression, tolerant disdain, and I do stand guilty as charged. As for me being orientalist…I can’t deny that, but it’s definitely more subconscious. I’m not going to say that I hope I haven’t offended anyone because I don’t care if I have. Damn, I’m ruthless.

 

Friday, March 26, 2010

This is a painful, terrible post – but I felt like including it just to illustrate the existentialist angst I was faced with at the time. This is an emotional, rambling, confusing piece of doggerel.  It’s also painful overwritten and fairly pretentious. Hey, nobody’s perfect!

Another Day of Life

 

‘The unexamined life is not worth living’.
Socrates

I've never been so lost or confused in my life.

Okay, so maybe that’s a tad melodramatic, but I’m feeling a bit out of sorts at the moment, in a bit of an existentialist funk (if existentialism isn’t your cup of tea, then cease reading now) or something.

Indecision, impatience and anxiety stemming from uncertainty are my biggest vices (coffee has been banished from the list since I’m down to no more than 2 cups a day now).

My friends think I live quite the charmed life; Andrew calls me a ‘rambling soul’. Others tell me how lucky I am. Luck’s got nothing to do with it.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

This post from when I was teaching history in New Hampshire – here in its entirety – proves that I can actually write a succinct, to-the-point post. If only I could re-create this form at some point. (It’s followed by a comment my sister made)

Lessons to be learned

 

Two things a male teacher should never do:

1. Lend a 15 year old girl a pair of pink socks.
2. Ask, loudly, in front of about 15 people who are not your own students, 'hey, where are the socks I lent you?'

This is never a good idea.

In my defence, she asked to borrow them for that recent 'fashion disaster day' the school had.

All the same, I'll add this to my list of forbidden topics and chalk it up as a learning experience.

Jo Pedzo May 8, 2010 at 2:50 PM

This girl went to her 33 year old male teacher for pink socks? She didn't have any female friends her own age who owned pink socks? Darnell, it's time you re-evaluated your wardrobe...

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

I’ve referenced this recently on these very pages but I’m referencing it again: it’s one of my favourites, and one of my only forays into ‘faction’. I also wrote it quickly under major time constraints, with very little editing and thought.

To the fruits of the land, to the beautiful women, to eternal friendship. Tiraspol, I toast thee!

Chişinău itself was an oddly surreal place, somewhat like I had expected yet different in other ways. As ridiculous as this may sound, you definitely seem to realise you’re not in the EU anymore, not that I am in any way expounding the wondrous virtues of EU membership.

 

Saturday, December 19, 2009

I started this blog when I got to Kyrgyzstan early in 2009. Before that, I had stints in Nigeria, Lviv, San Sebastian and Riga. Here I delve back into the past and offer up some brief and not-so-brief roundups, in a variety of formats, about those places.

Ways of Escape

“The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.”
(LP Hartley)