Madrid

I have made it to Spain.
Mike Wigal and I (see his blog to the left) had an unveventful flight and arrived in Madrid with no problems. Driving is interesting with a lot of traffic circles and we got lost in the largest underground tunnel system I have ever seen.
We did touristy stuff the first night and staying in a youth hostel. We were in a 14 bed room. Do you like the smell of old socks and beer?
We went to the markets and saw alot of street perfromers but had to run back to the hostel for forgotten cameras (mistake #1) and by the time we returned they were gone. All except the Bolivian folk band outside the Puerta del Sol metro station. They were all that was left of a number of interesting mucial performers that were in and around this "Sol" area. We did manage to get some cool pictures and even had a couple "small beers" and tapas bocadillos (ham sandwhices on french rolls) while watching the Real Madrid futbol team on the TV with the locals. Tapas bars are a big deal in Madrid and they are excellent. It's very common to see the hog legs hanging in the Tapas windows where they cut it right up for you. We had lunch at a place like this that was kind of interesting because you get to eat right out on the street. Madrid has a very cafe style life. Many people are alwasy out eating and drinking on the sidewalk cafes. Our sidewalks are too small in American to allow this. Tomorrow we are going to finish in Madrid and heat to the real Toledo. One of the first things mike and I saw when we pulled in Madrid was the Plaze del Torros. We heard the bull fights are Sunday night....

The Best Show on TV

No...not "Dancing with the Stars". "No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain" on the Travel Channel. Some of you may recognize him from the Top Chef series on Bravo. This series tracks his travels around the globe visiting friends, eating new foods and generally having a great time. I know the show appeals to me for the things he gets to experience and see, as well as the good foods. But generally, I just like his style. He's funny, brash, a little bratty and just plain comical. The show follows his travels and hilarious misadventures between visits to the best restaurants and some out of the most out of the world locations.
Best episodes: Beirut (Emmy Nominated), Korea, New Jersey
Enjoy!!

Murderball!

I have a new favorite movie to add to my list. Murderball! Its essentially a documentarty that follows the American rugby team for parapalegics. The game they play does not resemble rugby in anything but name, but they have rugger spirit and what they do while confined to wheelchairs is amazing.
This film is inspiring, funny, sad, and hopefull. One of the best sports movies I've ever seen.
See the trailer at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kaT5dDiISw

THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF NEWPORT: God doesn't speak English#links

THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF NEWPORT: God doesn't speak English#links

This is a funny video I found at the PRN blog listed above. He's a atheist and I'm not but the video was pretty funny. It says alot of the same things that those of us that travel internationally think and feel. The American culture is pervasive, people want our music, food, and cigarettes all over the world but complain about us all the same.

My friend Jason Combs explained this quite well in his blog: http://advintrec.blogspot.com/2007/03/americanistic.html

One of my favorite examples of this is this picture from Bangkok. If only Ronald Mc'Thailand was so good for you as his blessings upon you. Sawasdee!

Livestrong!!

I've been riding my bike pretty hard for a about three months now to loose some wieght. It's easier on the kness but not so much on the posterior. One of the things that I've noticed in my rides on our local "rails to trails" path is the superiority complex of other riders. I call them "Livestrong's" instead of "Armstrong's", in deferance to Lance who I have a great deal of respect for. Here is the typical "Livestrong": 1) very expensive bike, preferably something Lance rode, sometimes Italian, but always top of the line. 2) some colorful jersey, bib, or riding shirt with the appropriate recognizable name (US Postal, Discovery Channel, Joe's Subs, or again anything French or Italian). 3) Complete disregard for any other rider not meeting the imprortant factors described in 1 and 2 above.
I generally try to make eye contact with other riders, acknowledge their presence, or otherwise exchange in polite human behavior. I guess the Livestrongs are too busy "training." They are hustling along on our 13 mile out and back trail, which I think for most serious riders is the distance at which they decide whether they are going for 50 or 75 miles that day. But, man are they serious. Gear all shiny, clip in shoes appropriately matched to either bike or riding suit, just in case they run into a wayward "Tour de Northwest Ohio" that just happens to be on our bikepath.
Look, I don't have a problem with people riding for fitness, pleasure, or just generally getting out in the fresh air. But give me a break Livestrong!! I see you already!! I like your bike, you gear is better than mine, you look better and are in better shape, but do you have to be so snotty? Say hello to somebody, embrace the rest of us in your personal peleton. Your'e not that great or you would be in Europe where they actually care. Especially you thirty plus guys like me, who are you kidding? Do I wish that I had the cash to get the $1300 cyclo-cross bike at my local shop, of course. But can't I wear underarmor shirts and running shoes with no wind channeling, air cooled, shaved leg, padded bike shorts with ballistic impact resistant uv-blocking sunglasses and still be a rider? Do you even remember the fun of riding? I really wanted to send this in to Bicycling magazine but as this post would I'm sure, piss off all thier advertisers who make thier profits off the "Livestrong's" and rely on thier having all the "best" gear for thier 100 mile a month training schedule.
So if I see you I'm going to keep trying to say hello, but most likely I'm just going to greet you with a falsely enthusiastic: LIVESTRONG!!

Why I love working at a university.

Last night I attended a Iftar dinner put on by our campus Muslim Student Association. It was a great event, attended by many students on campus as it was a free meal, and had a true feeling of oneness. The purpose of the MSA dinner was to raise funds and awareness for hunger. They took pledges for the fasting that they do for Ramadan and turned this into donations for our local food bank. This great idea earned over $750 for this worthy charity.
The best part to me however was that on the way to the event, which was held in the student union, was the other groups that were meeting at the same time in other areas. The first one that I passed was the International Socialists. This group for me is hard to put a finger on. Who are socialists today? I went to their website; http://www.internationalsocialist.org/, to see what they were up to. I'm not sure how they plan on distributing the upper classes money once they get their hands on it, however I can assure you a good bit of it will end up in the socialist leaders pockets, it always does, just ask Castro.
Moving down the hall, I came across the Campus Crusade for Christ. Since they are crusaders I wondered if they were preaching a violent overthrow of Jerusalem and the Holy Land by college students on spring break. I can see the advertising now. Perhaps they are the new Knights Templar. As a Christian I'm sure they are doing a great thing and the Lord knows they need to start attending the International Socialists meetings to bring them into the fold. Then they can just be Democrats.
I just found it fascinating that you could be a Muslim Socialist Crusader all in one night in the same building.

Chabal c'est magnifique

I generally am not a big fan of the French (particularly in sports) but I have a new rugby favorite, and suprise of suprises he's a frog. And he hits like a ton of bricks. His name is Sebastien Chabal, and he plays #8 for France. Check out his videos from youtube.com. Also since I have been sternly chastised by my brother Grant for not giving him proper credit here so I will say he gave me my first Caveman encounter.

Ramadan Vampires

So I have these two roommates from Saudi Arabia that are living with me this semester. It's Ramadan, which for those of you who may not know is the holy month in Islam where all adults, who are physically able, are supposed to do a complete fast from sunup to sunset. This means no water, no food, no listening to music, no smoking, no impure thoughts or actions. This is actually pretty hard to do if you are leading a normal life which I know from experience. Why you ask? Because in my spirit of brotherhood and international interest I agreed to do the fast with them.
I was not prepared the first day and had a horrible headache and was completely lethargic. My roommates found this quire humorous. The days since have been better for me and I'm getting used to it over time. I've cheated a few days when it was necessary (or when somebody brought in fresh tamales which I chalked up to unnecessary temptation from the devil) or when I was feeling really bad but mainly my contempt for this whole thing has come from my roommates.
Their solution to the whole Ramadan issue is to sleep as much as possible during daylight hours to avoid any type of discomfort or to have to deal with the temptation of the refrigerator or the excellent products from the Marlboro company of fine tobacco products. So I have taken to calling them vampires.
They rise usually about 30 minutes prior to the Iftar or break fast (even though its dinner time) and complaint about the next time until it's over. The complaining is mainly from my one roommate who I call a number of things, but my two favorites are Elvis and Abu Nome. The Elvis is for his hair and mullet and Abu Nome means father of sleep. He was basically sleeping the day away before Ramadan started so this isn't really a big change for him, it just means he gripes from the time he is awake until the Iftar.
They then stay awake all night, usually eating again at 2 or 3 in the morning, before going to bed around 8 or 9 am.
I'm not sure how they are going to class, which they are, but they seem to feel this is the best way to do it.

I asked the purpose of the fast and they said it was to make you feel like the poor people feel so that you can be more open to their suffering and to be open to God's message to you.
If so I asked what are the poor supposed to feel? They apparently get a special place in heaven as lifetime fasters.

Next: Islam and the covering of the women.