Friday, July 31, 2009
Article for ADAJ
I have agreed to write an article for the Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan at the request of Bert de Vries of Calvin College. I am nervous and scared. I was able to deal with the thought of writing a masters thesis because it didn't have to be completed for another couple of years, but this article needs to be written and edited by February 2010. I know I can complete the job well, I'm just really nervous about doing it. I read articles and wonder how I will ever be able to write something in article format and with such confidence. I often find articles very rambling and random. So much information is compacted into such a small article. I want my writing to be sensible, but that means I have to make sense of what I know (my data and information), which is always difficult for me to do. Deep breaths Laurie. You can do it.
Völkel-Prohaska Family, Sabastian, and Me
Pratibha returned to India Thursday morning and Louis is moving to a new apartment today. Wednesday night was a festive occasion when everyone in the house and the landlord's family got together for photos and socializing. In the one photo you can see my landlord Reinhard with his wife, Erika, and son, Jan. Erika is the painter of the pictures I showed you and Jan is the boy I went swimming with in the local lake. The other picture is of my wall-mate Sabastian who I have attended the opera with a couple of times. I have previously posted a photo of Pratibha and me, and there's no photos of Louis because he and I never really spent time together, so I am going to let his image fade from my memory in due time.
Friday, July 24, 2009
New Roommate
This little green dude has been hanging out in my room these past few days, so I decided that he needed to be officially documented per photo and declared my roommate.
Worst Architecture in Erlangen
This building is part of the Erlangen mall. I hate it. I find it ugly with its awkward tilts, excessive material and random steelwork.
Thoughts While Working
When I sit alone at home working, my mind wanders. If I were in the presence of other people, then I might share some of these thoughts and have a nice little conversation. But, I'm not in the presence of other people, and I probably wouldn't bring up some of these thoughts for conversation anyway. So, I write out a few lines of internal conversation, then go back to work. You would be correct to notice that the two themes I seem to dwell on are my surroundings and my place in the world.
There is a plant growing outside my kitchen window which is supposed to attract butterflies and it does its job really well. It additionally attracts a lot of Bumblebees. It seems like nearly any time of day I pop into the kitchen the long purple clusters of flowers are swarmed with orange butterflies. I really quite enjoy the spectacular and am very glad that my neighbor planted this plant in such a convenient location for me.
With every new beginning I dream of finding an unwavering happiness. I imagine finding the perfect friends, the perfect entertainment, the perfect happiness. Of course, I never find it. Even as I tell myself, "There will never be anything 'perfect' but this is pretty good. You should be happy.", my thoughts and emotions get the best of me and find fault with my situation. When I was younger I used to be angry with myself for thinking so much. I pleaded with myself to stop critiquing, analyzing, and reflecting on everything. As I advanced in education, I realized that I could use these annoying thoughts as tools in my academics and work. There are some aspects of my personality which I have been able to change for the better, such as increasing my patience and confidence, but there are some things about me which are just who I am and don't need to change. Still, if only I could figure out how to be contented. Maybe my discontent is just my natural instinct trying to find me a life situation which is perfect for me. Perhaps there is paradise at the end of this dark tunnel and I will be happy that I pushed through to get there.
In a song, life lasts for an average of 3 minutes. In a tv sitcom, life is about 20 minutes in duration. A tv drama a little longer at 45 minutes. Watch a movie and life averages 2 hours. In a book, life lasts a few days. Read a book series and it lasts about a month. But when you live for real, then every single second lasts a full second and every minute a whole 60 seconds. Time passes slow. Second upon second, hour upon hour, year upon year. How crazy it must feel to be old.
What's your favorite place in the world? This question is easy for me to answer: my bed. And it has to be my bed. My bed is my most private and precious territory. If I were a queen, my bed would be my throne. In my bed, I feel the safest and experience the most amazing adventures of my life through books and dreams. My bed is both my work and playplace. Whether it is my sleeping bag in the woods, my double bed with the wool comforter in Michigan, my quilt covered bed in Austria, or my blanket covered bed in Germany, I love curling up in my bed. This bed here in Erlangen is pretty sweet because I can watch tv while lying in bed. There's also a big table and couch within arms reach where I can access books and food. What's your favorite place in the world?
I watch television in German and enjoy it. Do I comprehend every conversation? No, but I understand enough. And, very importantly, my vocabulary increases! When I watch American shows that have been translated, then I learn words based on American contexts. Alternatively, when I watch German shows, I learn how Germans approach certain types of conversations. Both of these situations are important to my language education and enjoyment of entertainment.
It is at times like these when all the plans are falling into place, when I am just beginning the difficult work, that my mind starts to wander. It wanders to bookstores where I could be organizing the shelves of fascinating books and helping customers find just what they want. It wanders to the state park where I could assist people in enjoying nature. It wanders back to the library where I wondered if I should be a librarian. And back to the craft store where I was always discovering new products and listening to people dream up new ways of using the products. I know that I'm in the right place right now doing the right thing for me, but I always wonder what my life would be like if I took a different path. It's my nervousness and fear wandering away to jobs that are safely distanced from reality.
I bet that if we asked them, cats could teach us a lot about birds. I was doing my work out on my porch this afternoon and was frequently distracted by the adorable little birds in the trees. I acquired quite the aviary education in those many distracted moments. If I feel so enriched from my short period of observation, just imagine how much cats must know about birds, considering they spend hours upon hours every day staring at their feathered friends!
She works in retail, has a loving family and lots of good friends. She is happy living a simple life. People like her don't aspire for anything more. Maybe they don't have the ability to accomplish anything else. But, I think that people like her know best how to love and be content. It is people like me who always want to know more, to be more, to achieve more, and in the process we never find contentment. My parents may have raised me with the phrase, "I don't want you to grow up and work flipping burgers", but it has long been my dream to be simple-minded and aspire to nothing more than flipping burgers. I like to dream of how nice the world would seem to me if I were an Idiot. (Maybe I need to read the novel, The Idiot. I wonder what it is about.) It's the dream we all have when we say, "I wish I were a dog or cat and could just live the easy life." Not much is usually expected of Idiots. Sure, parents and teachers try to get the most out of them and their abilities, but really, life for them is a free ride. I know, all the psychologists of the world are going to yell at me saying, "But Idiots go through a lot of inner and social turmoil because of their inabilities to comprehend and connect." Well, I say, at least at the end of the day they don't understand the deeper meanings of anything, and don't care to either. (This paragraph has been brought to you by the "Laurie's afraid of science foundation".)
"Pictures of you, pictures of me, up on the wall for the world to see. Pictures of you, pictures of me, remind us of what we used to be. Remind us of what we could have been. Could have been." -The Last Goodnight, "Pictures of You"
There is a plant growing outside my kitchen window which is supposed to attract butterflies and it does its job really well. It additionally attracts a lot of Bumblebees. It seems like nearly any time of day I pop into the kitchen the long purple clusters of flowers are swarmed with orange butterflies. I really quite enjoy the spectacular and am very glad that my neighbor planted this plant in such a convenient location for me.
With every new beginning I dream of finding an unwavering happiness. I imagine finding the perfect friends, the perfect entertainment, the perfect happiness. Of course, I never find it. Even as I tell myself, "There will never be anything 'perfect' but this is pretty good. You should be happy.", my thoughts and emotions get the best of me and find fault with my situation. When I was younger I used to be angry with myself for thinking so much. I pleaded with myself to stop critiquing, analyzing, and reflecting on everything. As I advanced in education, I realized that I could use these annoying thoughts as tools in my academics and work. There are some aspects of my personality which I have been able to change for the better, such as increasing my patience and confidence, but there are some things about me which are just who I am and don't need to change. Still, if only I could figure out how to be contented. Maybe my discontent is just my natural instinct trying to find me a life situation which is perfect for me. Perhaps there is paradise at the end of this dark tunnel and I will be happy that I pushed through to get there.
In a song, life lasts for an average of 3 minutes. In a tv sitcom, life is about 20 minutes in duration. A tv drama a little longer at 45 minutes. Watch a movie and life averages 2 hours. In a book, life lasts a few days. Read a book series and it lasts about a month. But when you live for real, then every single second lasts a full second and every minute a whole 60 seconds. Time passes slow. Second upon second, hour upon hour, year upon year. How crazy it must feel to be old.
What's your favorite place in the world? This question is easy for me to answer: my bed. And it has to be my bed. My bed is my most private and precious territory. If I were a queen, my bed would be my throne. In my bed, I feel the safest and experience the most amazing adventures of my life through books and dreams. My bed is both my work and playplace. Whether it is my sleeping bag in the woods, my double bed with the wool comforter in Michigan, my quilt covered bed in Austria, or my blanket covered bed in Germany, I love curling up in my bed. This bed here in Erlangen is pretty sweet because I can watch tv while lying in bed. There's also a big table and couch within arms reach where I can access books and food. What's your favorite place in the world?
I watch television in German and enjoy it. Do I comprehend every conversation? No, but I understand enough. And, very importantly, my vocabulary increases! When I watch American shows that have been translated, then I learn words based on American contexts. Alternatively, when I watch German shows, I learn how Germans approach certain types of conversations. Both of these situations are important to my language education and enjoyment of entertainment.
It is at times like these when all the plans are falling into place, when I am just beginning the difficult work, that my mind starts to wander. It wanders to bookstores where I could be organizing the shelves of fascinating books and helping customers find just what they want. It wanders to the state park where I could assist people in enjoying nature. It wanders back to the library where I wondered if I should be a librarian. And back to the craft store where I was always discovering new products and listening to people dream up new ways of using the products. I know that I'm in the right place right now doing the right thing for me, but I always wonder what my life would be like if I took a different path. It's my nervousness and fear wandering away to jobs that are safely distanced from reality.
I bet that if we asked them, cats could teach us a lot about birds. I was doing my work out on my porch this afternoon and was frequently distracted by the adorable little birds in the trees. I acquired quite the aviary education in those many distracted moments. If I feel so enriched from my short period of observation, just imagine how much cats must know about birds, considering they spend hours upon hours every day staring at their feathered friends!
She works in retail, has a loving family and lots of good friends. She is happy living a simple life. People like her don't aspire for anything more. Maybe they don't have the ability to accomplish anything else. But, I think that people like her know best how to love and be content. It is people like me who always want to know more, to be more, to achieve more, and in the process we never find contentment. My parents may have raised me with the phrase, "I don't want you to grow up and work flipping burgers", but it has long been my dream to be simple-minded and aspire to nothing more than flipping burgers. I like to dream of how nice the world would seem to me if I were an Idiot. (Maybe I need to read the novel, The Idiot. I wonder what it is about.) It's the dream we all have when we say, "I wish I were a dog or cat and could just live the easy life." Not much is usually expected of Idiots. Sure, parents and teachers try to get the most out of them and their abilities, but really, life for them is a free ride. I know, all the psychologists of the world are going to yell at me saying, "But Idiots go through a lot of inner and social turmoil because of their inabilities to comprehend and connect." Well, I say, at least at the end of the day they don't understand the deeper meanings of anything, and don't care to either. (This paragraph has been brought to you by the "Laurie's afraid of science foundation".)
"Pictures of you, pictures of me, up on the wall for the world to see. Pictures of you, pictures of me, remind us of what we used to be. Remind us of what we could have been. Could have been." -The Last Goodnight, "Pictures of You"
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Remember...
Remember to click on the photos for a better, closer view.
And, I always enjoy comments.
Also, my complete collections of photos can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/larriettasimon/
And, I always enjoy comments.
Also, my complete collections of photos can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/larriettasimon/
Brandenburg Technical University Cottbus
If you follow the photos from first to last, then you can see a panorama of the central area of the Brandenburg Technical University Cottbus campus. The building on the left (last photo) has the cafeteria and a few shops, the middle building has large and small lectures halls where the majority of lectures are held (note that the roof is a green roof where flowers are growing), and the building on the right (first photo) is the old lecture building (but I can't remember what Bernhard said its modern purpose is). I took the photos from the main administrative building near the international student department.
Regensburg with Baraa
This is a photo of Baraa (center), his Egyptian friend Mahmut, and me in Regensburg.
We walked along the Donau and I became intrigued by the river bank. The river is on the left, then there's a sloping soily bank, then this middle zone, and then the levee on top.
Bamberg with Pratibha
I like this succession of photos of Pratibha and me. After the photo was taken we both got funny looks on our faces (my face was asking the cameraman if he was done)and then the cameraman took another picture.
Before these photos of both of us were taken, it was just Pratibha sitting pretty on the rock having her photo taken. As a male friend of hers and I approached the scene, Pratibha was totally ignoring us. I took the opportunity to be a bully: I ran up and pushed her right over. Usually when I try to attack people in the snow they brace themselves or are simply too big for me to take down. I finally tackled someone! And, when she looked up from the ground, she thought that it was her male friend who had done it! Oh, how proud I was of myself ; )
Cottbus, Brandenburg, Germany
I paid Cottbus a visit for the first time. In order to save money and time, I rode in a car with someone who had advertised on the "Mitfahrgelegenheiten" (drive together opportunities). I used this service on the drive back to Erlangen as well. The website works like this: I select my beginning and destination cities and the date on which I want to travel, then the website shows me a list of people who will be driving that stretch at certain times on that date. I simply call up the driver and set up the specific time and place to meet. The majority of travel opportunities are on Fridays, Sundays, and Mondays when people are going home or on vacation on the weekends.
While in Cottbus I stayed at Bernhard's apartment where there are also something like 8 other residents. One of the residents has an adorable dog, but over the few days I was there he became very dirty so I didn't touch him any more. The apartment is located in the city and a tram passes right in front of the house starting around 5am. I found the apartment to be very loud with all the trams, bicyclists, cars, and pedestrian noise.
One of my goals during my visit to Cottbus was to find an apartment for the Fall. It turned out to be a very good thing that I experienced Bernhard's loud apartment so that I could understand the proper criteria for a good place for me to live. I ended up finding an apartment on the edge of town which I think will make me very happy. By "edge of town", I am speaking in German city standards, and it should be made known that it is only 12 minutes by bike to the university. A tram also passes right by the apartment complex, but the complex is a DDR-era, large, concrete structure, and my apartment is sufficiently far away from the tracks so the tram can't be heard.
People say that it takes me a long time to make decisions, but sometimes I can make decisions very quickly if I have enough data to make me confident in my choice. When I stepped off the tram I thought, "Oh, it's so quiet here. I like it". And then the residents of the apartment were very nice and normal German students. I will be sharing a bathroom with a guy and then the other two girls will have the other bathroom, although we all have to use the girls' bathroom for showers. The interior of the apartment looks a bit shabby and ugly because of funny colored carpets and a strange mural on the wall, but as the residents said, "You get used to it". It doesn't really bother me to begin with and I'm sure I'll get used to it.
While I was at the university I paid a visit to the international students office where the ladies helped me a lot in figuring out what I need to do when in order to get a resident permit. I am very grateful to those women for all of their help. I will be officially moving to Cottbus at the beginning of September so that my governmental paperwork gets completed before my tourist visa expires in late September. I have been debating whether I should continue to stay in Erlangen during September because I know and like this place, but now that I have met my new apartment-mates, I think it will be okay to move to Cottbus. You see, I was nervous about being all alone and sad in Cottbus without any social life. Living in Cottbus during September will give me time to organize all of my official business and find personal necessities like a bike and mattress.
In the general comment category about my visit to Cottbus, I must confess that the city is not as well-kept as Erlangen. But, the city has a lot of character. There are a lot of old buildings with ornate architecture, lots of trees, parks, and a few rivers that run through town. The tram travels a direct route from my apartment, past the university, and to downtown. I only explored a little bit of the city on foot and then saw some more on a bus, but I look forward to exploring many more of Cottbus' corners once I acquire a bicycle.
While in Cottbus I stayed at Bernhard's apartment where there are also something like 8 other residents. One of the residents has an adorable dog, but over the few days I was there he became very dirty so I didn't touch him any more. The apartment is located in the city and a tram passes right in front of the house starting around 5am. I found the apartment to be very loud with all the trams, bicyclists, cars, and pedestrian noise.
One of my goals during my visit to Cottbus was to find an apartment for the Fall. It turned out to be a very good thing that I experienced Bernhard's loud apartment so that I could understand the proper criteria for a good place for me to live. I ended up finding an apartment on the edge of town which I think will make me very happy. By "edge of town", I am speaking in German city standards, and it should be made known that it is only 12 minutes by bike to the university. A tram also passes right by the apartment complex, but the complex is a DDR-era, large, concrete structure, and my apartment is sufficiently far away from the tracks so the tram can't be heard.
People say that it takes me a long time to make decisions, but sometimes I can make decisions very quickly if I have enough data to make me confident in my choice. When I stepped off the tram I thought, "Oh, it's so quiet here. I like it". And then the residents of the apartment were very nice and normal German students. I will be sharing a bathroom with a guy and then the other two girls will have the other bathroom, although we all have to use the girls' bathroom for showers. The interior of the apartment looks a bit shabby and ugly because of funny colored carpets and a strange mural on the wall, but as the residents said, "You get used to it". It doesn't really bother me to begin with and I'm sure I'll get used to it.
While I was at the university I paid a visit to the international students office where the ladies helped me a lot in figuring out what I need to do when in order to get a resident permit. I am very grateful to those women for all of their help. I will be officially moving to Cottbus at the beginning of September so that my governmental paperwork gets completed before my tourist visa expires in late September. I have been debating whether I should continue to stay in Erlangen during September because I know and like this place, but now that I have met my new apartment-mates, I think it will be okay to move to Cottbus. You see, I was nervous about being all alone and sad in Cottbus without any social life. Living in Cottbus during September will give me time to organize all of my official business and find personal necessities like a bike and mattress.
In the general comment category about my visit to Cottbus, I must confess that the city is not as well-kept as Erlangen. But, the city has a lot of character. There are a lot of old buildings with ornate architecture, lots of trees, parks, and a few rivers that run through town. The tram travels a direct route from my apartment, past the university, and to downtown. I only explored a little bit of the city on foot and then saw some more on a bus, but I look forward to exploring many more of Cottbus' corners once I acquire a bicycle.
Talking About the Weather
Rain. Nearly every single day for the past 4 weeks it has rained. And when I say "nearly every single day", I really mean 6 out of 7 days of the week. Some days it is blue skies and fluffy clouds until it rains dusk. Sometimes it rains early in the morning and then is beautiful for the rest of the day. Often it is partly to mostly cloudy all day and rains at period times. I recall a lot of rainy days last summer when I was riding my bike to all my jobs, but not this much rain. I don't want to be one of those people who is always bringing up the weather in conversation, but this rain has really got me caught up on saying, "It is raining, again". I'm just so stunned.
Birthday Weekend
The weekend of my birthday was good. On Saturday the 11th of July, I took the train to the nearby city of Regensburg with my friend Baraa and a friend of his. Both of them are Egyptian so I spent a good portion of the day listening to them converse in Arabic. I found it interesting, but didn't understand a word of it. The city wasn't particularly interesting, but I did learn an interesting fact. The royal family of the region has the last name of "Thurn and Taxis". I puzzled over this name because I had no clue what the words meant in German. Thankfully, the cashier in the castle gift shop kindly explained that the names Thurn and Taxis have Italian origins. Ah ha.
On Sunday the 12th of July, my birthday, I began by sleeping in. Sleeping in is always a very positive start to a day. Around Midday I headed over to tour Bamberg with Pratibha and a couple of her friends. Pratibha's friends are from India, so I spent another afternoon listening to incomprehensible conversations, this time in Hindi. Once again, I didn't mind. Pratibha was really keen on climbing the big hill up to the castle and I thought it would be a strenuous waste of energy. But, I went along and was glad I did. The path traversed a wheat field and provided us with a wonderful view of the city. I completed my birthday by spending the evening hanging out with Steve. He introduced me to the tv series "My Name is Earl", which turned out to be a good show. The day was a good beginning to my 23rd year.
On Sunday the 12th of July, my birthday, I began by sleeping in. Sleeping in is always a very positive start to a day. Around Midday I headed over to tour Bamberg with Pratibha and a couple of her friends. Pratibha's friends are from India, so I spent another afternoon listening to incomprehensible conversations, this time in Hindi. Once again, I didn't mind. Pratibha was really keen on climbing the big hill up to the castle and I thought it would be a strenuous waste of energy. But, I went along and was glad I did. The path traversed a wheat field and provided us with a wonderful view of the city. I completed my birthday by spending the evening hanging out with Steve. He introduced me to the tv series "My Name is Earl", which turned out to be a good show. The day was a good beginning to my 23rd year.
You Get What You Pay For
I went grocery shopping today(Saturday) at the local discount grocery store and finally decided after several months of being unsure that I don't like how these stores are operated. I wanted to put the blame on myself for the problems I find with these stores, but it really is a problem that reaches beyond just me. Here's the problem: In order to keep down costs, these stores are understaffed. Long lines are the norm at the single cashier and there is only a tiny little space for groceries after being scanned by the cashier. It is the responsibility of the customer to pack up the groceries in bags, boxes, or a grocery cart as quickly as possible, and you really do have to be fast because the cashiers are really quick. By the time the customer gets half-way through removing the groceries, the cashier is already asking for money. At this point the customer has to whip out money, put the change back in a wallet, and then put the wallet back in a secure place (who wants to forget their wallet on the counter? not me.) Half of the groceries still remain sitting on the tiny table at this point and the cashier won't start helping the next customer until the previous customer is completely out of the way. The situation would not be so bad if there were a few other cashiers available and the table was larger.
I recall encountering a similar situation when I worked at Michael's Arts and Crafts. The tiny cashier tables also bothered me in particular. The tables at Michael's were okay if you were buying just a couple of small items, but typically they didn't suffice for the job they were there to do. If a store wants to encourage customers to buy lots of products, then shouldn't they make check-out a happy and low stress part of the shopping experience? I suppose that the conclusion here is that high-end stores do provide plenty of cashiers, table space, and grocery baggers, but higher product prices are paid for this better customer care. Since I am not willing to pay the price, I will have to put up with the dirty looks I get from my fellow frugal customers lined up behind me.
I recall encountering a similar situation when I worked at Michael's Arts and Crafts. The tiny cashier tables also bothered me in particular. The tables at Michael's were okay if you were buying just a couple of small items, but typically they didn't suffice for the job they were there to do. If a store wants to encourage customers to buy lots of products, then shouldn't they make check-out a happy and low stress part of the shopping experience? I suppose that the conclusion here is that high-end stores do provide plenty of cashiers, table space, and grocery baggers, but higher product prices are paid for this better customer care. Since I am not willing to pay the price, I will have to put up with the dirty looks I get from my fellow frugal customers lined up behind me.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Happy Birthday, Laurie
I am now 23 years old. Right? Yup. I had to check on the calculator just to make sure I really am 23.
What a year. This past year has been one of my most unique years yet. I wasn't a student, I lived alone, I tried bicycling the USA, I worked a retail job, I traveled to the Middle East, I moved to Germany, and began working on a master's project. Oh yeah, and I got my first boyfriend who has taught me a lot about who I am. Actually, I learned a lot in general this year about who I am. I've had a lot of time to just be myself, which I would say has been a good thing. I think I'm stronger now than ever before.
What a year. This past year has been one of my most unique years yet. I wasn't a student, I lived alone, I tried bicycling the USA, I worked a retail job, I traveled to the Middle East, I moved to Germany, and began working on a master's project. Oh yeah, and I got my first boyfriend who has taught me a lot about who I am. Actually, I learned a lot in general this year about who I am. I've had a lot of time to just be myself, which I would say has been a good thing. I think I'm stronger now than ever before.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Schokolade
Last night as Baraa and I were getting on our bikes to ride home, I said that I really had a hankering for chocolate. He replied that he hadn't eaten chocolate in about 3 months because he is trying to lose weight. I was shocked at the idea of not eating chocolate for such a long time! A random middle-aged woman happened to be riding by us on the street just at this moment so I cried out to her, "Was ist Leben ohne Schokolade?" (What is life without chocolate?), to which she quickly and emphatically replied, "Scheisse" (Shit). Perfect answer. I couldn't have asked for better.
Living it Up in Europe
When my housemates and friends reappeared in my life last week, everyone seemed to be in a tourist frenzy and living fun lives. I thought it would be nice to get on board and start the tourist part of my German summer. The result was an exciting weekend.
My house was abuzz with plans to visit a nearby city called Herzogenaurach, which is where the Addidas company has its headquarters and an outlet store (although everything in it is in fact manufactured in China, not Germany). Pratibha had already visited Herzogenaurach by car with a coworker. Sabastian doesn't have a bicycle, so he planned to travel to Herzogenaurach by bus. I do have a bicycle and thought the trip would make for a pleasant little tour of my region. On Friday I mentioned to Baraa my interest in bicycling to Herzogenaurach and he responded with an equal interest. So, we decided to head over that afternoon in the lovely sunny weather. Before our departure, he went to the Mosque for an hour and I played my flute on Erlangen's mainstreet for a half hour, during which time I earned 3 Euros! The route to Herzogenaurach passed through a few villages and some nice fields filled with wheat, horses, and streams. The sun was quite hot, but thankfully I had on a hat and had brought plenty of water. Considering we didn't quite know exactly where we were going, we first ended up at the Addidas headquarters building where the nice receptionist redirected us to the outlet store. I do want to mention as an interesting observation that the majority of employees who passed through the atrium in the Headquarters spoke English with one another. The Outlet Store was full of all sorts of sport and exercise products. Even with everything reduced in price by 25-30%, I still found the prices high, so I just wandered the store like it was a museum. Baraa purchased a military style baseball cap because he was going to Barcelona for the weekend and needed some sun protection for his eyes (and receding hairline). He convinced me that a cold, prepackaged ice cream would taste delicious on such a hot day, so I spent 90 cents of my earned 3 Euros on a savory Nestle chocolate and vanilla ice cream stick. While we were eating our ice creams a storm came blowing in. We thought we were doomed to ride in the rain, but it surprisingly only sprinkled a little before we made it back to his apartment. Our visit to his apartment was brief because he just needed to change clothes before his going shopping in town for some new summer pants (for Barcelona). I thought the apartment looked tidy and decent, but apparently, as Baraa told me yesterday, the apartment-mate was quite displeased that a "woman" had been in the apartment because the apartment was not in nice, proper viewing order. ?!?!? Sure, crazy man.
Friday evening I chatted with Sabastian in our kitchen and he told me of his plans to attend an opera the next evening in Nurnberg. I thought a visit to a real, live opera in Europe sounded like a splendid idea, so I decided to attend with him. Saturday morning I got up at a decent hour and took the train to Nurnberg for a day of being a tourist. I first walked across the old city from the train station to the Kaiserburg, passing by a variety of big, old giants along the way. The old city is quite lovely with narrow winding streets lined with tall buildings, the Pegnitz river running through the middle, and a thick wall enclosing it all. I found out that a ticket to the Germanisches National Museum would also get me a tour of the inside of the Kaiserburg, so I plan on going back some time to do that. A thunderstorm steadily approached Nurnberg and sent out warning sounds via thunder, but the streets remained full of people, even as the rain began to dampen us all. Considering the humidity of the day, I think we were all glad for a little drizzle. As it seems to happen these days, the rain didn't last long and the rest of the day remained sunny.
My next destination was the Documentation Center, which is a museum about WWII, with a specific emphasis on Nurnberg's role in the Nazi Party. Nurnberg is famous for the "Nurnberg Trials" after WWII, but the city was also home to large Nazi Party rallies. The building in which the museum is housed was intended to be a large meeting place for party members, sort of like a congressional hall. The museum was very well organized in a way that enabled me to learn everything they had prepared for me. I learned a lot in the museum and would highly recommend it to anyone who visits Nurnberg. After the museum I walked around some of the rest of the old party grounds and passed through Zeppelin Field, which is famous from photos of Hitler giving speeches there. As a sidenote, I passed the modern city stadium where Elton John was apparently giving a concert that night. No, I didn't see him wandering around outside by the buses. That would have been pretty nifty if I had though...
Time was quickly passing and I had to get back to the opera house. Sabastian had convinced me to attend the opera by telling me that the music was beautiful and I would have to agree that the music was quite wonderful. The opera was called "Die Puritaner", by the Italian Bellicini. I'm told that it is an older opera from something like the 1800s. What I loved about the opera is how beautifully the sounds of the human voices and the orchestra accompanied one another. The opera was sung in Italian, but above the stage was a screen with translations in German. I found myself closing my eyes sometimes in order to focus on the sounds instead of thinking about what was being said. Our seats gave us a great view of the orchestra pit and I enjoyed dividing my visual time between the orchestra, the stage, and the text.
I initially thought that the plot of the opera was too simple and silly, but the more I've thought about it, the more I realize how real of a situation it is for some people. Simply stated with some details omitted, the story is about a woman who is about to be married to a man she really loves, but then he runs away with no explanation to her. She goes into a state of mourning and distress over his abandoning her. When he finally returns after 3 months he explains to her why he had to run away and she is delighted over his return. But, the story ends tragically with him being shot as punishment for the act of treason he had committed when he ran away. I had thought the story simple and silly because I didn't understand why the woman would carry on her sadness for months on end over his leaving her. But, I began to realize that she had really, really loved him. I am not well acquainted with such deep love, but I know a few people who are, and when I put my brain in their shoes, I can see how this story has more of a hint of complexity and seriousness.
I now possess the schedules for the operas, plays, and dance programs in Nurnberg, so I may have to visit one of these events again before the summer is over. Sabastian has highly recommended the opera house in Dresden, which is a city near to Cottbus. I intend to take his suggestion and enjoy another delightful evening at the opera.
Sunday was a hot and humid day which just begged me to go outside and enjoy it. I wanted to see if a nearby lake, the Dechsendorf Weiher, was swimmable, so I invited my landlord's son to join me in a bike ride and possible swim. Jan is 13 years old and doesn't have many friends, but I know he likes to bike ride, so I thought we could have some fun together. His parents warned us that the lake may be too full of algae to swim, so I wasn't too optimistic about swimming when we arrived and I saw that there was a lot of green globs of algae in the lake. But, as I said, it was hot and humid, and other people were swimming, so I thought "why not give it a try". Boy am I glad I did! The water was quite shallow for a long ways out and the temperature was great! I decided to not get my head wet because it didn't seem necessary under the algae conditions. We spent about an hour swimming, floating, and chatting. I had a great time and we both agreed that we were spending our time much better than we ordinarily would have been on a Sunday afternoon, which would be sitting alone at home in the yard reading. We both love reading, but swimming in a lake with company is so much better on a beautiful, hot day! The algae did have the one negative effect of accumulating in the snug areas between my body and clothing, but it was nothing a little showering and clothes washing couldn't fix.
In this recollection of my weekend, I can't eliminate Monday. I went to the lab for a few hours Monday morning and then headed over to hang out with Steve. We spent a pleasant afternoon together. I introduced him to the television show "Bones", he taught me the basics of Swing Dancing, we ate scrumptious Kraft Mac 'N Cheese for dinner, and viewed the film "K-PAX". I had four days in a row of good times. I was blessed.
My house was abuzz with plans to visit a nearby city called Herzogenaurach, which is where the Addidas company has its headquarters and an outlet store (although everything in it is in fact manufactured in China, not Germany). Pratibha had already visited Herzogenaurach by car with a coworker. Sabastian doesn't have a bicycle, so he planned to travel to Herzogenaurach by bus. I do have a bicycle and thought the trip would make for a pleasant little tour of my region. On Friday I mentioned to Baraa my interest in bicycling to Herzogenaurach and he responded with an equal interest. So, we decided to head over that afternoon in the lovely sunny weather. Before our departure, he went to the Mosque for an hour and I played my flute on Erlangen's mainstreet for a half hour, during which time I earned 3 Euros! The route to Herzogenaurach passed through a few villages and some nice fields filled with wheat, horses, and streams. The sun was quite hot, but thankfully I had on a hat and had brought plenty of water. Considering we didn't quite know exactly where we were going, we first ended up at the Addidas headquarters building where the nice receptionist redirected us to the outlet store. I do want to mention as an interesting observation that the majority of employees who passed through the atrium in the Headquarters spoke English with one another. The Outlet Store was full of all sorts of sport and exercise products. Even with everything reduced in price by 25-30%, I still found the prices high, so I just wandered the store like it was a museum. Baraa purchased a military style baseball cap because he was going to Barcelona for the weekend and needed some sun protection for his eyes (and receding hairline). He convinced me that a cold, prepackaged ice cream would taste delicious on such a hot day, so I spent 90 cents of my earned 3 Euros on a savory Nestle chocolate and vanilla ice cream stick. While we were eating our ice creams a storm came blowing in. We thought we were doomed to ride in the rain, but it surprisingly only sprinkled a little before we made it back to his apartment. Our visit to his apartment was brief because he just needed to change clothes before his going shopping in town for some new summer pants (for Barcelona). I thought the apartment looked tidy and decent, but apparently, as Baraa told me yesterday, the apartment-mate was quite displeased that a "woman" had been in the apartment because the apartment was not in nice, proper viewing order. ?!?!? Sure, crazy man.
Friday evening I chatted with Sabastian in our kitchen and he told me of his plans to attend an opera the next evening in Nurnberg. I thought a visit to a real, live opera in Europe sounded like a splendid idea, so I decided to attend with him. Saturday morning I got up at a decent hour and took the train to Nurnberg for a day of being a tourist. I first walked across the old city from the train station to the Kaiserburg, passing by a variety of big, old giants along the way. The old city is quite lovely with narrow winding streets lined with tall buildings, the Pegnitz river running through the middle, and a thick wall enclosing it all. I found out that a ticket to the Germanisches National Museum would also get me a tour of the inside of the Kaiserburg, so I plan on going back some time to do that. A thunderstorm steadily approached Nurnberg and sent out warning sounds via thunder, but the streets remained full of people, even as the rain began to dampen us all. Considering the humidity of the day, I think we were all glad for a little drizzle. As it seems to happen these days, the rain didn't last long and the rest of the day remained sunny.
My next destination was the Documentation Center, which is a museum about WWII, with a specific emphasis on Nurnberg's role in the Nazi Party. Nurnberg is famous for the "Nurnberg Trials" after WWII, but the city was also home to large Nazi Party rallies. The building in which the museum is housed was intended to be a large meeting place for party members, sort of like a congressional hall. The museum was very well organized in a way that enabled me to learn everything they had prepared for me. I learned a lot in the museum and would highly recommend it to anyone who visits Nurnberg. After the museum I walked around some of the rest of the old party grounds and passed through Zeppelin Field, which is famous from photos of Hitler giving speeches there. As a sidenote, I passed the modern city stadium where Elton John was apparently giving a concert that night. No, I didn't see him wandering around outside by the buses. That would have been pretty nifty if I had though...
Time was quickly passing and I had to get back to the opera house. Sabastian had convinced me to attend the opera by telling me that the music was beautiful and I would have to agree that the music was quite wonderful. The opera was called "Die Puritaner", by the Italian Bellicini. I'm told that it is an older opera from something like the 1800s. What I loved about the opera is how beautifully the sounds of the human voices and the orchestra accompanied one another. The opera was sung in Italian, but above the stage was a screen with translations in German. I found myself closing my eyes sometimes in order to focus on the sounds instead of thinking about what was being said. Our seats gave us a great view of the orchestra pit and I enjoyed dividing my visual time between the orchestra, the stage, and the text.
I initially thought that the plot of the opera was too simple and silly, but the more I've thought about it, the more I realize how real of a situation it is for some people. Simply stated with some details omitted, the story is about a woman who is about to be married to a man she really loves, but then he runs away with no explanation to her. She goes into a state of mourning and distress over his abandoning her. When he finally returns after 3 months he explains to her why he had to run away and she is delighted over his return. But, the story ends tragically with him being shot as punishment for the act of treason he had committed when he ran away. I had thought the story simple and silly because I didn't understand why the woman would carry on her sadness for months on end over his leaving her. But, I began to realize that she had really, really loved him. I am not well acquainted with such deep love, but I know a few people who are, and when I put my brain in their shoes, I can see how this story has more of a hint of complexity and seriousness.
I now possess the schedules for the operas, plays, and dance programs in Nurnberg, so I may have to visit one of these events again before the summer is over. Sabastian has highly recommended the opera house in Dresden, which is a city near to Cottbus. I intend to take his suggestion and enjoy another delightful evening at the opera.
Sunday was a hot and humid day which just begged me to go outside and enjoy it. I wanted to see if a nearby lake, the Dechsendorf Weiher, was swimmable, so I invited my landlord's son to join me in a bike ride and possible swim. Jan is 13 years old and doesn't have many friends, but I know he likes to bike ride, so I thought we could have some fun together. His parents warned us that the lake may be too full of algae to swim, so I wasn't too optimistic about swimming when we arrived and I saw that there was a lot of green globs of algae in the lake. But, as I said, it was hot and humid, and other people were swimming, so I thought "why not give it a try". Boy am I glad I did! The water was quite shallow for a long ways out and the temperature was great! I decided to not get my head wet because it didn't seem necessary under the algae conditions. We spent about an hour swimming, floating, and chatting. I had a great time and we both agreed that we were spending our time much better than we ordinarily would have been on a Sunday afternoon, which would be sitting alone at home in the yard reading. We both love reading, but swimming in a lake with company is so much better on a beautiful, hot day! The algae did have the one negative effect of accumulating in the snug areas between my body and clothing, but it was nothing a little showering and clothes washing couldn't fix.
In this recollection of my weekend, I can't eliminate Monday. I went to the lab for a few hours Monday morning and then headed over to hang out with Steve. We spent a pleasant afternoon together. I introduced him to the television show "Bones", he taught me the basics of Swing Dancing, we ate scrumptious Kraft Mac 'N Cheese for dinner, and viewed the film "K-PAX". I had four days in a row of good times. I was blessed.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
German Generalizations
I will admit to two generalizations about Germany.
1) German males have a tendency to be tall and slim.
2) German dogs obey their masters really well.
1) German males have a tendency to be tall and slim.
2) German dogs obey their masters really well.
The Upside to Friendship
I am cozied up in my bed as a beautiful thunderstorm delights the world with cracks of thunder, splashes of blue lightening, and rushing rain. I feel rapturous. I recall the time I was on the famous North Shore in Hawaii and I was riding the huge ocean swells. Those immense swells brought forth from my deepest parts laughs of utmost joy. It is times like these ones when I am brimming in all of my bodily parts with nearly numbing happiness.
This amazing extent of glee does not manifest itself in many of life's situations. But, there is one way of tasting this happiness without having to catch a thunderstorm at bedtime or take a trip to Hawaii, and that is through friendship.
I meet all sorts of people every day as I make my way through grocery stores, gas stations, neighborhoods, city streets, and the work place, but only a handful of these strangers will become friends. There must be some common ground which brings us together and then a repetition of meeting opportunities, preferably incidental meetings. An unforced friendship is a beautiful thing. Extensive similarities of personality and interests are not necessary so long as each person respects and loves the individuality of the other. Neither party intends to find a friend, but over time bonds are formed through shared experiences and confidentialities. The friend becomes someone who's thoughts, presence, and actions in my life cause me nearly numbing ecstasy.
It is because friends bring so much sweetness to my life that it is so bitter when friendship related disappointments occur. Oh, this "Bittersweet Symphony called Life."
This amazing extent of glee does not manifest itself in many of life's situations. But, there is one way of tasting this happiness without having to catch a thunderstorm at bedtime or take a trip to Hawaii, and that is through friendship.
I meet all sorts of people every day as I make my way through grocery stores, gas stations, neighborhoods, city streets, and the work place, but only a handful of these strangers will become friends. There must be some common ground which brings us together and then a repetition of meeting opportunities, preferably incidental meetings. An unforced friendship is a beautiful thing. Extensive similarities of personality and interests are not necessary so long as each person respects and loves the individuality of the other. Neither party intends to find a friend, but over time bonds are formed through shared experiences and confidentialities. The friend becomes someone who's thoughts, presence, and actions in my life cause me nearly numbing ecstasy.
It is because friends bring so much sweetness to my life that it is so bitter when friendship related disappointments occur. Oh, this "Bittersweet Symphony called Life."
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Die Puritaner
"O gebt mir meine Hoffnung zuruck,
oder lasst mich sterben."
Elvira, Die Puritaner, Opera by Bellini
Translation:
"Oh give me my hope back,
or let me die."
I went to the opera in Nürnberg on Saturday with my housemate Sabastian. The orchestra music and singing were beautiful and wonderful. This is a line from the opera which I found poignant. We all need hope in our lives.
oder lasst mich sterben."
Elvira, Die Puritaner, Opera by Bellini
Translation:
"Oh give me my hope back,
or let me die."
I went to the opera in Nürnberg on Saturday with my housemate Sabastian. The orchestra music and singing were beautiful and wonderful. This is a line from the opera which I found poignant. We all need hope in our lives.
Moments Like This
"Moments like this will bring you down.
Moments like this will bring you round.
Moments like this will make you strong."
Raemonn, "Moments Like this"
Moments like this will bring you round.
Moments like this will make you strong."
Raemonn, "Moments Like this"
Sandstone in Nürnberg
The bedrock sandstone in Nürnberg is called Burg Sandstone because it was first identified in the location where the Burg was built. This photo shows how water once flowed by this sandstone for an extended period, carving it out. What I find interesting is that this indentation is part of the support rock for the Burg wall.
Photos from Nürnberg
I love these crazy Nürnberg statues. The painting on the fortress(Burg) door is pretty cool looking.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Roommate Update
I suppose I should update you on my housemates again. Pratibha is still here and keeping me good company. She leaves on July 30th and that will be a sad, sad day. A molecular biology doctorate student named Sabastian is living in the room next to me. He is here in Erlangen only for a short while to perform tests on rats in the neurology lab at the university. His university in Koln (Cologne) where he has completed all of the tests leading up to the live animal tests does not have rats, so he had to come to the university here. Sabastian is very friendly and a lot of fun to chat with in both German and English. Living in the room next to Pratibha is Louis, who if you can't tell by the name, is French. Louis is working at an internship at Areva, which is a company related to Siemens. Louis is a decently friendly guy, but his English isn't very good and he doesn't know hardly any German, so it is a pain in the brain to talk with him. He is actually here in Germany to learn English, which I find funny. He was going to live in this house for 6 months, but due to recent developments in his financial situation (he found out that certain taxes were being removed from his paychecks), he is most likely going to be moving into a cheaper, less desirable abode. He will be missed a little, but I'm hoping someone I can actually converse with will move in to replace him. That covers it for the human inhabitants...
Now for the animals...A bird tried to move in to my room a few days ago by flying through my window. It didn't work. He died on impact. Felix the cat has been adventuring into the entry hallway of the house in recent days. With him he brings ticks who like to burrow into his thick hair or crawl onto human hands who pick him up. Yup, not picking up the adorable little kitty any more this summer. The indoor spiders have been behaving themselves and sticking to their respectable corners, for the most part. One thick guy tried climbing along the wall next to my bed, but I attempted to squash him and either succeeded or disabled him enough that he fell to the floor in a handicapped state. Now I think that covers it for an update on my housemates.
Now for the animals...A bird tried to move in to my room a few days ago by flying through my window. It didn't work. He died on impact. Felix the cat has been adventuring into the entry hallway of the house in recent days. With him he brings ticks who like to burrow into his thick hair or crawl onto human hands who pick him up. Yup, not picking up the adorable little kitty any more this summer. The indoor spiders have been behaving themselves and sticking to their respectable corners, for the most part. One thick guy tried climbing along the wall next to my bed, but I attempted to squash him and either succeeded or disabled him enough that he fell to the floor in a handicapped state. Now I think that covers it for an update on my housemates.
Struggling with the Fundamentals of Humanity
Friendship and love are really disappointing fundamentals of humanity. They don't set out to be, but they always end up so.
As people age their numbers of close friends tend to decrease. When you are a person who has difficulty making friends, then the number of close friends decreases immensely with age. And the few friends one does end up finding along the way rarely have time for you or you time for them. According to Anneli Rufus, the author of Party of One: The Loner's Manifesto, loners are quite happy being alone and do not find separation from loved ones to be lonely.
After reading that book, I have decided that I may have "loner qualities", as she likes to call it, but I am really an outcast nonloner. This is not to say that I have ever been purposely shunned from the nonloner mob. Rather, an outcast is someone who wants to be part of the nonloner mob but isn't due to personal inability to fit in or is being kept out on part of the mob. I know that I am a nonloner because I like the self-affirmation I feel in communities and sharing the mundane details of my life with friends, which Anneli Rufus identifies as nonloner characteristics. Before reading this book I thought that I might be a loner because I enjoy working alone, don't mind completing any assortment of tasks alone, and often enjoy entertainment and activities alone. But, there are explanations for why this list of seemingly "loner" qualities fails.
"I enjoy working alone." Just like many other people, I concentrate best when alone and feel confident to do go about my work however I please because no one is observing me. But, when there are people I really like present in places such as the lab, I love to have their company. When my college roommate Kathy was actually home once or twice a week and did her work in our bedroom next to me, I loved it! Being in the presence of others does not mean that words or glances need to be exchanged. I just like knowing someone is there with whom I could share a thought or experience if I so have the urge.
"Don't mind completing any assortment of tasks alone." Anneli Rufus mentions at one point in the book that nonloners like having company to do simple tasks like grocery shopping. I don't mind going about my daily errands alone because then I can take as long as I want in each place looking for exactly what I want and dreaming up ways to use products. But, I think that it can be nice to have someone else along so that the pros and cons of certain products can be discussed and new ideas for product applications can be brainstormed together.
"Often enjoy entertainment and activities alone." This is a tricky one to explain. When I was young and my brother Paul still lived at home, he and I would watch cartoons together after school. That was lots of fun. I even watched movies with him which I didn't necessarily like because I enjoyed sharing the experience with him. One must be wary though of sharing experiences with certain people who can mar the whole thing with disagreeable criticisms and negativity. When these people are the only option around, then it is better to be alone. When I participate in activities, I tend to not go for team sports, but I do enjoy the camaraderie involved activities like dancing and bowling. I find bicycling and swimming alone to be very lonely. When I am alone with no particular task to concentrate on, my head fills with thoughts of things I want and need to get done, I replay conversations I've had or overheard, I replay scenes and stories from tv, movies, and books, or I dream up my own fictional stories. All of this thinking gets just as or more exhausting than actually conversing with real people. With real people I can be entertained for a while with their thoughts and stories. I like that.
Now, what do I have against friendship and love if I am a nonloner who wants the companionship of people? Well, as previously mentioned, the availability of both members of the companionship team is often in question due to work, physical distance, or other commitments. Another problem is that even friends and loved ones do not always behave how you would desire them to. In a conversation with myself, a story I create, or a replay of another form of entertainment, the characters always give the proper responses and reactions. Not so with real people. Some people might call this one of the greatest delights of interpersonal relationships, but I call it disappointing. I wonder how an argumentative person feels about this aspect of human interaction because it seems to me that argumentative people plow their ways through this "problem" by arguing things out until the topic of the response or reaction has been exhausted. I still wonder if at the end of all the arguing the issue feels settled and at rest in the arguer. I suppose it depends on the person and the topic.
I tend to keep quiet about anything that is special and important to me because I don't want to risk not getting a desired reaction from my audience. A lot of artists do this. They keep their paintings, stories, and books all to themselves until someone finally persuades them to share, or they die, and all their works become super-duper famous.
Most personalities cannot be placed in any specific category because people are just too complex for such constraints. And any particular traits that can be labeled in a positive light according to one person may be labeled in a negative light by another. This is definitely the case when it comes to varying cultures and individual histories. I feel like I am constantly redefining myself according to the labeling rules of each new person I meet. Sometimes I don't like the way certain people label me and this can make me very sour towards them. I can also become sour towards people if they present themselves to me in ways that cause me to make labels for them which aren't very appealing. What can be really difficult though is when I love someone simply for who they are without any labels and someone else comes along and starts labeling my loved one with negative words. The new, negative labels may be stated with no ill intent, but the fact still remains that my emotional feeling of love has now been spliced with narrowly defined words.
Friendship and love are such bittersweet fundamentals of humanity. Bittersweet: pleasant but marked by elements of suffering. What a perfect word to describe so much of earthly existence.
As people age their numbers of close friends tend to decrease. When you are a person who has difficulty making friends, then the number of close friends decreases immensely with age. And the few friends one does end up finding along the way rarely have time for you or you time for them. According to Anneli Rufus, the author of Party of One: The Loner's Manifesto, loners are quite happy being alone and do not find separation from loved ones to be lonely.
After reading that book, I have decided that I may have "loner qualities", as she likes to call it, but I am really an outcast nonloner. This is not to say that I have ever been purposely shunned from the nonloner mob. Rather, an outcast is someone who wants to be part of the nonloner mob but isn't due to personal inability to fit in or is being kept out on part of the mob. I know that I am a nonloner because I like the self-affirmation I feel in communities and sharing the mundane details of my life with friends, which Anneli Rufus identifies as nonloner characteristics. Before reading this book I thought that I might be a loner because I enjoy working alone, don't mind completing any assortment of tasks alone, and often enjoy entertainment and activities alone. But, there are explanations for why this list of seemingly "loner" qualities fails.
"I enjoy working alone." Just like many other people, I concentrate best when alone and feel confident to do go about my work however I please because no one is observing me. But, when there are people I really like present in places such as the lab, I love to have their company. When my college roommate Kathy was actually home once or twice a week and did her work in our bedroom next to me, I loved it! Being in the presence of others does not mean that words or glances need to be exchanged. I just like knowing someone is there with whom I could share a thought or experience if I so have the urge.
"Don't mind completing any assortment of tasks alone." Anneli Rufus mentions at one point in the book that nonloners like having company to do simple tasks like grocery shopping. I don't mind going about my daily errands alone because then I can take as long as I want in each place looking for exactly what I want and dreaming up ways to use products. But, I think that it can be nice to have someone else along so that the pros and cons of certain products can be discussed and new ideas for product applications can be brainstormed together.
"Often enjoy entertainment and activities alone." This is a tricky one to explain. When I was young and my brother Paul still lived at home, he and I would watch cartoons together after school. That was lots of fun. I even watched movies with him which I didn't necessarily like because I enjoyed sharing the experience with him. One must be wary though of sharing experiences with certain people who can mar the whole thing with disagreeable criticisms and negativity. When these people are the only option around, then it is better to be alone. When I participate in activities, I tend to not go for team sports, but I do enjoy the camaraderie involved activities like dancing and bowling. I find bicycling and swimming alone to be very lonely. When I am alone with no particular task to concentrate on, my head fills with thoughts of things I want and need to get done, I replay conversations I've had or overheard, I replay scenes and stories from tv, movies, and books, or I dream up my own fictional stories. All of this thinking gets just as or more exhausting than actually conversing with real people. With real people I can be entertained for a while with their thoughts and stories. I like that.
Now, what do I have against friendship and love if I am a nonloner who wants the companionship of people? Well, as previously mentioned, the availability of both members of the companionship team is often in question due to work, physical distance, or other commitments. Another problem is that even friends and loved ones do not always behave how you would desire them to. In a conversation with myself, a story I create, or a replay of another form of entertainment, the characters always give the proper responses and reactions. Not so with real people. Some people might call this one of the greatest delights of interpersonal relationships, but I call it disappointing. I wonder how an argumentative person feels about this aspect of human interaction because it seems to me that argumentative people plow their ways through this "problem" by arguing things out until the topic of the response or reaction has been exhausted. I still wonder if at the end of all the arguing the issue feels settled and at rest in the arguer. I suppose it depends on the person and the topic.
I tend to keep quiet about anything that is special and important to me because I don't want to risk not getting a desired reaction from my audience. A lot of artists do this. They keep their paintings, stories, and books all to themselves until someone finally persuades them to share, or they die, and all their works become super-duper famous.
Most personalities cannot be placed in any specific category because people are just too complex for such constraints. And any particular traits that can be labeled in a positive light according to one person may be labeled in a negative light by another. This is definitely the case when it comes to varying cultures and individual histories. I feel like I am constantly redefining myself according to the labeling rules of each new person I meet. Sometimes I don't like the way certain people label me and this can make me very sour towards them. I can also become sour towards people if they present themselves to me in ways that cause me to make labels for them which aren't very appealing. What can be really difficult though is when I love someone simply for who they are without any labels and someone else comes along and starts labeling my loved one with negative words. The new, negative labels may be stated with no ill intent, but the fact still remains that my emotional feeling of love has now been spliced with narrowly defined words.
Friendship and love are such bittersweet fundamentals of humanity. Bittersweet: pleasant but marked by elements of suffering. What a perfect word to describe so much of earthly existence.
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