Nothing to say to start the day...

This morning is really nothing but a continuation of last night since I haven't gone to sleep yet for it was the yearly meteorite shower! The newspaper said the peak would be right before dawn so my friend, teacher, and I stayed up (other people were out but left throughout the night) until then to see the big finale. We hiked up this cliff to get away from the city lights as much as possible but it was still a bit polluted with light. Saw a lot of 'em though...and saturated the night with good conversation and the search for constellations from the Belgium star map. As the sky became pinker, the other two headed back but since I was up, I decided to hike up the hill to see the sunrise. It was quite a trek, up and down cliffs and through farm country. I took this road that had a lot of manure piles...one heap had steam rising from it so, of course, I had to take a picture. Finally arrived up the hill while the sun was just showing over the city. Breathtaking! Quite possibly the prettiest sight I have ever seen. I took a roll of film of it, but unfortunately I left my UV filter back at the apartment. Hopefully, they will come out in some shape or form. The outline of the citadel and the city were just shrouded in colors of red, pink, and purple while birds meandered through the sky (it's quite a feat to spot birds on the island since everyone likes to shoot them during the day). Walking back, this old Gozitan man stopped in his car to see if I was lost and wanted to give me a lift back into town...I had to decline since walking was enjoyable, although I did get lost along the way :-0 but it's not hard to find your way back on the island. Crossing over the bridge to get into the village, I spotted some skin divers suiting up to pick up trash (on their own accord) that was floating around in the water. Went for a swim (this is around 7 AM) and snorkel run. Found some cool rocks and such, spotted some mudfish (???or whatever they are called-those fish that swim sideways and are camoed with the sand), and experienced the only kind of village life without the tourists! City sweepers, fishermen coming in from their morning run, Catholics (well, everyone is Catholic here) walking to church, people washing their cars, and the cafes preparing the tables and chairs for the morning "rush". By far the most interesting and culturally valuable time in Xlendi so far.


Oh, and yesterday I saw a JELLYFIIIIISH while snorkeling. While I was watching it, the tide pulled it away and my first instinct was to get closer to catch up with it.....But then I kinda figured the tide would bring it in even further so I swam away. I did see a jellyfish and that's good enough for me. :-)


Two nights ago was Gozo Beer Festival. Some band did a Kraftwerk cover. Pretty funny.


Anyways, this post is way too subjective---me, me, me. Blech, just didn't want to forget my day that's all. Anyways, I get in (hopefully) this Thursday at 11:30 PM. If you want to have a special, special place in my heart, please come with joint in hand, any good microbrew in the other, and some numptous Thai food. The very thought of all that makes me go something something.

wie vil ist aufzuleiden!

I'd love to let you all know just how much I'm learning from my classes. Unfortunately, the only source through which I've learned anything at all (besides going out on my own and learning from the locals) is this book a classmate let me borrow for the week. Science and Poetry by Mary Midgley... Already half way done, here's some good quotes from it:

"A poet once said, 'The whole universe is in a glass of wine'...There are the things of physics, the twisting liquid which evaporates according to the wind and weather, the reflections in the glass, and our imagination adds the atoms. The glass is a distillation of the earth's rocks, and in its composition we see the secrets of the universe's age, and the evolution of stars, what strange array of chemicals are in the wine? How did they come to be?...There in the wine is found the great generalization: all life is fermentation. How vivid is the claret, pressing its existence into the consciousness that watches it! If our small minds, for some convenience, divide this glass of wine, this universe into parts-physics, biology, geology, astronomy, psychology, and so forth-remember that nature does not know it! So let us put it all back together, remembering ultimately what it is for. Let it give us one more final pleasure: drink it, and forget it all!- Richard Feynman, The Feynman Lectures on Physics"

"Set your sail, O happy youth,' he cried, 'and flee from every form of education'"-Epicurus (Yeah, that's how I feel right about now)

"True piety lies rather in the power to contemplate the universe with a quiet mind."-Lucretius, Book V


Well, wish there was more to write about. A little angry at the moment and I don't want to allow myself to go on another furious tirade so I'll just leave it be.

Iva/le

Morning, y'all (or cyberspace...I have a feeling no one reads this...)


Sitting at the staff house after breakfast. A cool breeze crawls over the ocean in through the door and the sun shines intently. So many things to update on. I really need to start writing exactly what I do everyday because it all seems like a blur now. Let's see...

Yesterday (Friday, Aug 3) I stayed in town (Xlendi Bay is where we are staying). Sat down to eat some lunch (Gozo Country Salad..the sundried tomatoes here are absolutely ridiculous). Sketched some people sitting down and around. Friend and I went for a swim, sketched some more, and laughed over these four children bickering over fish they were catching. He and I were also talking about hitchhiking to the other side of the island and spending the night on the beach in order to watch the sunrise. Had photography class and then dinner.

Thursday (Aug 2) Went to Valetta with a big group. Had to take the ferry to the big island, Malta (I'm on Gozo) and then a hour long bus to the city. The buses here are very old...look vintage and pretty fascinating. No air conditioning but big open windows which catch the breeze (and also massive amounts of exhaust). First stop was the archaeological museum which housed artifacts from the various temples around the island. Booked a ticket to the Hypogeum, an underground temple/cave in Malta (look it up, really fascinating)...so I have to go back to Malta next Saturday. Looked around the city on my own, found a record shop with traditional Maltese and Gozo music. The owner was very surprised I wanted to buy them, saying it used to be all over the island when he was growing up but now its all rock and roll. By the way, my project is traditional music. They gave me a place to check out on Gozo. Tried to go to the music school in Valetta as well but they have half days and close early. The rest of my time I sketched people, especially these taxi drivers waiting for customers. Quite proud, really. Came back to Gozo, had dinner, and drank with everybody on the rooftop . I was the last one left towards the end with my two teachers who were really fascinating to talk to. Philosophy, books, art, history, music, science...pretty much everything. We talked for hours and so didn't get home until late.

Wednesday (Aug 1): We went to a certain bay which is quite famous for the Azure window (probably could look it up). Checked out the fortress. On the way there we hitched a ride on a beer truck. It was pretty cool.

Tuesday (July 31): Checked out Victoria (main city in Gozo) and met some locals who were really funny. Everywhere around Gozo and Malta, the old men sit outside cafes and talk/drink. I sat down at a cafe and one man came to me and we were talking...then all his friends came. Really funny guys. Talked for quite some time and then gave me a ride back into town (before trying to take me around the island and for swims and the like).


There's more stuff but I had to really rack me brain for all that.

No one has e-mailed me. Quite disappointing. *shrugs*

So today we're going to see a festa in Qala. I'm going early to observe the band set-up and the like.