The Two Weeks From Hell

Well, things in China haven't exactly proceeded as I had forseen. I have truly been through a trial by fire. I have been teaching for several weeks now, and the vast majority of my students don't understand what I'm saying at all, or can only understand a few words of English. This despite the fact they have been "learning" English for the better part of at least six years. So my educational adventure here is more akin to "Dangerous Minds" than it is "The King and I."

I have been experimenting with different ways of trying to reach out to the kids. My hands are tied by the lack of resources and the number of students.

22 classes per week X 70 students in each class = 1,540 students PER WEEK.

Bear in mind I do this in 45 minute blocks, with only a chalkboard and a microphone that doesn't work half the time. And in China, due to the sheer number of students, the teachers switch classrooms between periods rather than the students, so I spend my day running around the campus between buildings. So no classroom is "mine" and I have no base to work from. There are no copy machines, no printers, no overheads, no projectors, no TVs. This is truly testing my creativity in finding ways to teach all these kids with no resources.

Fortunately discipline isn't much of a problem. Chinese students are MUCH better behaved (on the whole) than Americans, I will give them that. The worst problem I have is talking while I am teaching, but fortunately these kids are usually taken aback so much by a raised voice that they shut right up.

Well, that covers my teaching quandry, now onto the rest of life in the PRC.

I got a horrible cold as soon as I arrived. As usual, I developed a cough that's still lingering. The next week I was told I would have to go to Changsha to have a physical done by a Chinese doctor, because some bureaucrat said she couldn't accept copies of my health documents and that I would have to either have the originals sent from America or redo the health check.

So after a particularly hellish day of teaching, off to Changsha I went, packed into a bus for the three hour drive to Changsha. Once I arrived my guide and I spent nearly two hours trying to find my hotel, the 7 Days Inn. Once I was settled and had had enjoyed my KFC dinner, it was off to bed so I could get up early enough for my physical.

After awaking very early, and not eating breakfast as instructed, my guide Jaclyn took me to the provincial government building where I was to have my exam as planned.

But that was not to be. The doctor/ director took one look at my documents, said I didn't need the physical, signed the papers, and left. All that for nothing.

Jaclyn then took me sightseeing around Changsha. We visited a very beautiful park on Orange Island in the middle of the river. The island lives up to its name, as it is covered in beautiful orange trees, which were loaded with fruit on this particular day. Changsha University is directly across from Orange Island, and Chairman Mao, in his youth, spent a great deal of time here. He wrote a very famous poem that is quite beautiful called "Changsha" about his time there. In his honor, the Chinese government has build a large Mount Rushmore-esque model of his head on the southern tip of the island.

Orange Island was followed by dinner at a Daoist Temple/ Restaurant called the Fire Palace. It lived up to its name, as Hunan cuisine is renowned for its spiciness. Then I was taken on a quick tour of the downtown shopping and bar district. Unfortunately, something I ate disagreed with me horribly and I discovered to my horror that Chinese drugstores, while looking modern with people in lab coats and medicines in professionally printed boxes, only sell Chinese herbal and traditional medicine. No Dramamine, Immodium, Pepto Bismol to be found. Not even ginger ale. Let me delicately say powdered dung beetle was not going to cut it in this instance.

It was in this sorry state that I was put back on the bus to Shaoyang. An hour into the ride I became a little concerned because we had been driving and driving but were still in Changsha. About this time, we stopped and about 50 differently-odored peasants crowded onto the bus. It was clear they were not paying for this ride, and they knew the driver, so I'm assuming he was helping his fellow villagers out by giving them a lift into town to sell their wares.

Once the local yokels were safely aboard, we were off again. The Bus of the Damned, next stop: Shaoyang.

 Unfortnately, much like my first trip to this town, the bus did not stop at the bus station. They didn't even stop IN Shaoyang. The bus stopped on the western edge of town FAR, FAR AWAY from any area I recognized. I was then strongly encouraged to de-bus. I was somewhat confused by this, but having my person and belongings forcibly ejected from the vehicle made their point pretty clear.

So there I was, left alone on the side of the road yet again. Fortunately there were cabs available, but the driver didn't even recognize the name of the school. The Chinese girl I had been next to on the bus, also forced off the bus, took pity on me and explained it to the cab driver, as my broken Chinese was quite obviously not working. After a 30 MINUTE cab ride from the far side of town, I finally got dropped off at San Zhong (the name of my school). I was promptly met by Flora, for all intents and purposes my "supervisor." She promptly scolded me for - wait for it - making her wait at the bus station for an hour.

I then vigorously expressed my displeasure at her attitude and illustrated the nature of the plight that I had just been through. Somehow I don't think she really understands what I had been through. I then signalled that the audience was at an end, and left my paperwork with her. I climbed the hill to the school, and then the steep steps up to my building and then the flight of stairs up to the apartment. I was finally home, seconds away from refuge. Keys in the door. Turn the lock. Home. And this was when I promptly vomited.

The rest of the night is a blur, wrapped up in blankets shivering with chills, feverish, and generally not feeling too well.

The week that followed was fairly uneventful. I'm feeling better, thankfully. The main problem being I still have my cough. As a matter of fact, I'm getting ready to go to the doctor right now to see what can be done about it. My understanding is that if I at least go to the hospital I may be able to get some Western medicine. Today would be a great day for codene. Thankfully health care is much cheaper here than in America. 300 RMB to see the doctor (roughly about 60 bucks). I can't testify as to its effectiveness as yet... only time will tell.

I still haven't formed my opinion yet. I can't lie, and I can't sugar coat it. The last two weeks have been miserable. There's no way around that.

But I'm just trying to hold out until Winter Break starts on January 14th. I get a paid month off and will get to do some travelling. When break is over, I get a brand new apartment all to myself. It's not on school grounds like the current one, but it's literally right over the fence. If I can just make it to Winter Break and have some time to decompress and adapt more, I'm hoping things will start looking up again.

I'm Here!

Well folks, I've made it to Shaoyang, Hunan Province.

It was quite a journey to get here. I left my dad's house in Columbia at 4AM on December 8th South Carolina time and arrived in Shaoyang around 6pm on December 10th China time (Which is 13 hours ahead of South Carolina time). Fortunately I got to stay the night in a hotel in Changsha, the provincial capital. But regardless, I was exhausted by the time I got here. The worst thing I've experienced so far was being dropped off at the wrong place in Shaoyang. I got on the bus in Changsha, and when we got to Shaoyang, everyone got off the bus, so I did too. Unfortunately it wasn't where my ride was supposed to meet me, but I didn't know that. So after standing there for a little while bewildered and trying to figure out what to do, I finally went into a shop and convinced them to let me use the phone in my very broken Chinese. Luckily for yours truly, the bus station was just right around the corner, and the owners of the store have children at my school.

I spent the weekend getting aquainted with the school, the city, and my fellow Westerners. There aren't many of us here in the city, probably less than a dozen, but the ones I've met so far are good people and I think we will get along quite well. We went to a bar at the university the other night and I was able to get aquainted with them. Last night I was invited along with the others to a local friend's apartment (which is frankly nicer than any American apartment I've ever been in) and we watched TV and played games. All good fun.The weather was fairly mild, but it rained constantly for the first four days I was here. Now it's getting cold and it's expected to snow tomorrow. I have yet to see the sun.

Shaoyang is a city of around 7 million people, and for all its size is considered something of a backwater. The people here haven't seen many foreigners and so I am something of a local tourism boon. I've had to re-adopt my "New York stride" and just look straight ahead and ignore the stares. It's just one of those things you have to get used to, I suppose.

On my first full day in the city, I was asked to be a judge in a TV contest show best described as an "English bee" where kids of all ages show off their English skills. This is the initial stage, and the winners from each city and province will eventually go on to the nationals in Beijing. Most, (I would say the vast majority) were pretty horrendous. Many of the kids seem take their skits from their English books. Unfortunately most of them used the exact same skits. I can't tell you how many times I have heard "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" "Auld Lang Syne" "Ten Little Indians" alphabet songs, and Chinglish love songs over the last few days. But I just smiled and held up my little judge's paddle, red for fail and green for pass.

Not all were so terrible though. One group of children gave a totally adorable rendition of "The Three Little Pigs" complete with pig and wolf costumes. One boy gave an empassioned speech about environmental degredation and world hunger. Another girl told Aesop's fable "The Sun and the Wind." There was even a retelling of "Curious George."

But out of all the hundreds of acts I saw, one actually brought tears to my eyes. There was a little Chinese boy, who couldn't have been more than 12 or 13, and he recited Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream Speech." Obviously it was nothing new to me, I've heard it a hundred times, but coming from this young Chinese boy in his halting English, it just touched me for some reason. It was just a reminder of how lucky we are to be Americans and how much the world can still look to our country for inspiration and freedom.

Another thing I have become thankful for is literacy. In the Anglosphere, I can write, speak, and read with ease; some might even say I have a little talent for it. But here, I am functionally illiterate. There are no street signs outside the major cities or away from major highways. I can't read the signs on shop windows and the only way I know places to shop or eat is because people are here to show me. Otherwise I would be totally helpless. That is a very humbling feeling. It reminds me of a time when I was a teenager a woman walked up to me in Winn Dixie and asked me to read the lables on some cans for her, because she couldn't read. I can only imagine what a humiliating experience that must have been for here. At least here, I have the excuse of being a foreigner.

Although I already knew it on an intuitive level, I am discovering in real life that the Chinese are just like any other people. Government, politics, and economics aside, they are regular folks. They get up and go to work, have children, have bills to pay, laugh and cry and have good and bad days just like the rest of us.

I have taught my first few classes already. It is quite an experience. I'm not really sure what my expectations are, but it's pretty clear I'm not going to be able to fulfill my gung ho idealism of teaching these kids to speak and read fluent English in six months. Even though they have been learning English in school since the third grade, most of these kids can barely say hello. Also, it seems I am not the "real" English teacher, but that my classes are basically like an elective class at an American school. The other Americans seem pretty resigned to being able to do the best they can, which I guess will have to be my fallback position. The children are friendly for the most part, and some do speak quite well and I am able to communicate with them. But with a class of 70 - 80 children and nothing but a blackboard and a microphone, there is only so much I can do. I am almost tempted to try to start a collection to try to buy some projectors and screens for the school. It would definitely make my job a lot easier. There's only so much I can do from my laptop.

I tried showing them pictures of South Carolina, to give them an idea of where I came from. The ones who were interested were wowed by the beauty of my home state, which made me feel good. They especially loved the pictures of Charleston and the beaches.

Well, that's all for now. Sorry if I rambled a bit, but I had a lot to write down and I wanted to do it while it was all still fresh in my mind. I miss all my friends and family back home terribly, especially Ethan, Erin, Nick, and Naylor. I love you all and I'm thinking of you often.

What a Week

What a week! In the last ten days I have:

* Got to hang out with Naylor while he was in town overnight on his way to surprise Nick for his birthday.
* Finally got my physical results and sent them off to China so my visa and work permit applications could  

   be processed.
* Got a flu shot which made me sick.
* Gone clothes shopping to get a new wardrobe for my trip.
* Attended a 30 hour real estate class to make my license permanent so it won't expire while I'm gone
* Gone to the State LLR Office to drop off my certification and get my license
* Had my weekly Chinese lessons
* Gone to the Health Department to get my travel vaccines.
* Visited an attorney to get my will, power of attorney, and living will in order.
* Gone to the bank to set up my financial matters while I'm away.
* Saw the new Harry Potter movie (not really related but still fun!)

The delay of my physical results almost derailed my job application process but it finally came through and most everything is in order for my trip. It's a good thing, too. I probably owe my poor roommate Justin an apology for my near-hysterics on Thursday. It's pretty hard to get me upset, let alone panicked, but this was an exception. All I needed was an antique fainting couch and some pearls to clutch to complete the image. I won't know exactly when I'm leaving until I get my visa mailed to me.

After the month I've had so far, I'm looking forward to going home to relax for a few days over Thanksgiving to see my mom and friends before I leave. 

The Interview

I just got off the phone with my interviewer in China.


She was supposed to call last night but had been out of town and didn't get back until today. So I had all of last night to be nervous. Tonight I was just ready to get it over with. It was a pretty significant interview, with some tough questions. I was actually a little surprised at how tough. But I think I handled myself well and after allowing me to ask some questions in return, I was told that the request for my Chinese work permit and visa would be put through as soon as they get my physical results (which unfortunately are delayed until next week).


I was pleased to learn that there will be another American at the school with me, and we will share an apartment on campus, with my own room, thankfully. I will be assigned to a high school in Shaoyang, a city of about 7 million people in Hunan Province. I'm told it's not as flashy or modern as Shanghai or Beijing, but I think I could be OK with that.


My duties will consist of teaching 16-18 classes of 45 minutes each a week, or roughly 12-13 1/2 hours of work per week. My pay isn't especially high, but it's much higher than the average Chinese salary and with the cost of living being so low, and my housing being provided, I should be able to get by quite nicely.


So yeah guys... this is really happening. I have so many things I need to do before I leave, I don't know where to start. I have to do a presentation for my TESL Certification this week, which the Chinese government requires of all foreign teachers. I'm required to do a 30 minute lesson on a topic which would help a Chinese person travel in the United States. How to order in an American restaurant was suggested to me by my Chinese teacher. I'm getting some help from teacher friends in coming up with a lesson plan. "Keep it simple" seems to be the consensus.


Also of interest this week, I got my Chinese. I am now Xiao Haiying 肖海朠. 
The character for "Xiao" means "to be like or similar too" but it is also the same sound as the 
word for laughter or joke, which I liked because of my sense of humor. "Hai" means "Ocean" which I
picked because I grew up at the beach and I love the water, and "Ying" here means "the color of the 
moon" (i.e. Silver). I like the color silver and I like the moon, and I couldn't decide which word to use. I
found that character and thought I combined both words perfectly. It was hard picking a new name for
myself, especially one that I'm probably going to be using pretty extensively. This isn't just for pretend or
for use in a class!


*sigh* What a week. 

Go East, Young Man!

Well folks, I've returned to my blog to start documenting my impending departure for China. I will be gone for at least six months, possibly longer if I choose to stay.

I've been taking Chinese lessons for several weeks now through the Chinese Culture Center in Columbia, SC, and they are helping to place me in a school in Hunan Province, which is in southern China. I don't know exactly where I will be yet.

Today after class I signed my contract and it's now official.

I am terribly nervous and excited at the same time. Change is always at least a little frightening, but it's much-needed change. Life has been pretty stagnant lately. Not being able to find work in my field, I tried my hand at real estate. Columbia was pretty fortunate for most of the current economic downturn, and its real estate market had been pretty well insulated from the worst of the recession and its aftermath. That is, until I became a Realtor. Talk about bad timing.

In this year I have known the indescribable joy of falling in love for the first time and also the inhuman pain of having your heart broken for the first time. I guess this hit me a little later than most people, but it happens to us all eventually. I don't bear any ill-will, however. He's an amazing, talented, funny and totally gorgeous guy who I still think the world of... it just didn't work out. Perhaps another time or another place... but not now. That said, it has also nearly killed me. I never knew such pain was possible, and  I never thought I could miss someone so much. I've cried over this more than I have anything else before. There will probably always be a part of me that loves him. I think that's true with a lot of first loves. But I'm slowly getting better, and this is just another challenge to overcome.

Most of my old college friends have left Columbia and moved to other parts of the state and country. My best friend Erin is getting ready to leave for graduate school. With her departure, I will truly be alone in Columbia as far as having close friends nearby.

So as you can see, as much as I will miss Columbia, I think the universe is telling me that I have accomplished all I can do here. Career, Love, and Friendships have all reached an end point for me here. It's time to move on.

And that's where China comes in. In this blog, I hope to document the excitement, the fear, the happiness, the sadness, and the anxiety that come from picking up and leaving the place you have lived your entire life. Now that I'm setting out on a new path and seeking to reshape my destiny, charting a new course on one of the new frontiers of human development, I welcome you all along for the ride with me.

A note about the new name of my blog. "Go West, young man" was newspaperman and politician Horace Greeley's advice to young men during the nineteenth century. Well, there's no more frontier in the United States, and there is so much growth and development going on in Asia that now I think the phrase should be "Go East, young man!" So I shall. 

Great Tune of the Day: Sinnerman by Nina Simone

This is a signature song by one of my favorite singers of all-time, Miss Nina Simone. You might recognize it from the film "The Thomas Crowne Affair" or a recent HTC cell phone commercial.

Must See Video: Icelandic Volcano Erupting

This is amazing footage of a volcano that is currently erupting on Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull glacier.

Cool Picture of the Day: A Young Martha Washington

We tend to think of Martha Washington as a dowdy, proper white haired old lady in a big lace cap. But at one time she was a beautiful, wealthy, young aristocratic lady who was the best catch in Virginia, as this portrait attests!

Great Tune of the Day: Don't Look Back in Anger by Oasis

This is totally the song of the moment for me, for multiple reasons. Life is great and finally moving again! :D

Great Tune of the Day: Winter by Vivaldi

In honor of South Carolina's first major snow in YEARS, here's Vivaldi's "Winter" from his series "The Four Seasons."

Composed in 1723, The Four Seasons is Vivaldi's best-known work, and is among the most popular pieces of Baroque music. The texture of each concerto is varied, each resembling its respective season. For example, "Winter" is peppered with silvery staccato notes from the high strings, calling to mind icy rain, whereas "Summer" evokes a thunderstorm in its final movement, which is why said movement is often dubbed 'Storm'.

Cool Picture of the Day: Vaccination

Dr. Schreiber of San Augustine giving a typhoid innoculation at a rural school, San Augustine County, Texas. Medium: transparency : color. Transfer from U.S. Office of War Information, 1944.

This picture, interesting in itself, is nearly 70 years old, but look at how clear it is and how vibrant the colors are!

Source: Wikipedia

Forgotten Realms: The Empire of Manchukuo

Manchukuo was a short-lived Japanese-sponsored state established in the 1930's. Created from China's heavily industrialized northeastern region of Manchuria, Manchukuo was under the nominal rule of Emperor Henry Pu Yi, whose reign as the last Qing Dynasty Emperor of China had been brought to an end with the Revolution of 1911.

However, Pu Yi's reign as Emperor of Manchukuo was mostly for show, and the real power rested with the Japanese political and military officials who oversaw the occupation and colonization of Manchuria by Japanese colonists.

Following Germany's defeat in 1945, the Soviet Union joined the Pacific War and declared war on the Empire of Japan. Soviet forces rolled into Manchuria and took Pu Yi prisoner. With the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese were forced into an unconditional surrender, and Manchuria was restored to Chinese sovereignty.

The 1987 Bernardo Bertolucci film The Last Emperor, depicting the life of Pu Yi including his time as Emperor of Manchukuo, won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

滿洲國 Mǎnzhōuguó / Manshū-koku Manchu State (1932–1934) 大滿洲帝國 Dà Mǎnzhōu Dìguó / Dai Manshū Teikoku Great Manchu Empire (1934–1945)
Puppet state of Japan
← 1932–1945 →
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem National Anthem of Manchukuo
Location of Manchukuo
Capital	Hsinking
Government	Constitutional monarchy
Chief Executive / Emperor
- 1932 - 1934 (Datong)	Aisingioro Puyi (Chief Executive)
- 1934 - 1945 (Kangde)	Aisingioro Puyi (Emperor)
Prime Minister
- 1932 - 1935	Zheng Xiaoxu
- 1935 - 1945	Zhang Jinghui
Historical era	World War II
- Established	1932
- Disestablished	1945
Currency	Manchukuo yuan

Diva du Jour: Joan Crawford

Joan Crawford (March 23, 1905 – May 10, 1977) was an American actress in film, television and theatre. Starting as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway, Crawford was signed to a motion picture contract by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1925. Initially frustrated by the size and quality of her parts, Crawford began a campaign of self-publicity and became nationally known as a flapper by the end of the 1920s. In the 1930s, Crawford's fame rivaled MGM colleagues Norma Shearer and Greta Garbo. Crawford often played hardworking young women who find romance and financial success. These "rags-to-riches" stories were well-received by Depression-era audiences and were popular with women. Crawford became one of Hollywood's most prominent movie stars and one of the highest paid women in the United States, but her films began losing money and by the end of the 1930s she was labeled "box office poison".

After an absence of nearly two years from the screen, Crawford staged a comeback by starring in Mildred Pierce (1945), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. In 1955, she became involved with the Pepsi-Cola Company, through her marriage to company president Alfred Steele. After his death in 1959, Crawford was elected to fill his vacancy on the board of directors but was forcibly retired in 1973. She continued acting in film and television regularly through the 1960s, when her performances became fewer; after the release of the British horror film Trog in 1970, Crawford retired from the screen. Following a public appearance in 1974, after which unflattering photographs were published, Crawford withdrew from public life and became more and more reclusive until her death in 1977.

Crawford married four times. Her first three marriages ended in divorce; the last ended with the death of husband Al Steele. She adopted five children, one of whom was reclaimed by his birth mother. Crawford's relationships with her two older children, Christina and Christopher, were acrimonious. Crawford disinherited the two and, after Crawford's death, Christina wrote a "tell-all" memoir, Mommie Dearest, in which she alleged a lifelong pattern of physical and emotional abuse perpetrated by Crawford.

Great Tune of the Day: La Folia, The Oldest Remembered European Melody

La Folía (also spelled "Follia") is one of the oldest remembered European musical themes on record. It originated in the Iberian Peninsula.

Over the course of three centuries, more than 150 composers have used it in their works. The first publications of this theme date from the middle of the 17th century, but it is probably much older. Plays of the renaissance theatre in Portugal, including works by Gil Vicente, mention the folia as a dance performed by shepherds or peasants. The Portuguese origin is recorded in the 1577 treatise De musica libri septem by Francisco de Salinas.

Examples of early folias include works by Juan del Encina in 1520, Diego Ortiz in 1553, and Antonio de Cabezón in 1557.

Jean-Baptiste Lully, in collaboration with Philidor in 1672, Arcangelo Corelli in 1700, Alessandro Scarlatti in 1710, Antonio Vivaldi in his Opus 1 No 12 of 1705 and Johann Sebastian Bach in his Peasants' Cantata of 1742 are considered to highlight this 'later' folia repeating theme in a brilliant way.

In the 19th century the theme's popularity decreased, but it regained composers' interest during the 1930s with Sergei Rachmaninov in his Variations on a theme by Corelli in 1931 and Manuel María Ponce and his Variations on "Spanish Folia" and Fugue for guitar.

The folia melody has also influenced Scandinavian folk music. It is said that around half of the old Swedish tunes are based on la folia. It is possible to recognize a common structure in many Swedish folk tunes, and it is similar to the folia structure. Old folk tunes (19th century or older) which do not have this structure often come from parts of Sweden with little influences from upper classes or other countries.

Source: Wikipedia

Cool Pictures of the Day: Darth Vader Gargoyle

The Darth Vader gargoyle on the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC.

The Cathedral boasts what is probably the world's only sculpture of Darth Vader on a religious building. During construction of the west towers of the Cathedral, developers decided to hold a competition for children to design decorative sculptures for the Cathedral. The image of the villainous Vader, sculpted by Jay Hall Carpenter and carved by Patrick J. Plunkett, was placed high upon the northwest tower of the Cathedral, fulfilling the role of a traditional grotesque. There are many gargoyles on the cathedral. The gargoyle designs are varying, but they are usually located on a roof or tower.

Notable National Anthem: Hail, Columbia, The First American Anthem

"Hail, Columbia" was the unofficial national anthem of the United States until its replacement in 1931 by the officially mandated "Star-Spangled Banner". Columbia is a poetic name for the United States in use during the 18th century. The anthem was originally composed by Philip Phile in 1789 for the inauguration of George Washington, titled "The President's March", arranged with lyrics by Joseph Hopkinson in 1798. It was used in the United States as a national anthem for most of the 19th century, but lost popularity after World War I. It is now the entrance march, or the official song, for the Vice President in a similar fashion as "Hail to the Chief" is for the President. When played in honor of the Vice-President, the song is always preceded by four ruffles and flourishes. In addition, the song has been used as a slow march during military ceremonies, often while the band counter-marches. This song is not to be confused with Columbia, Gem of the Ocean.

Lyrics

Hail Columbia, happy land!

Hail, ye heroes, heav'n-born band,

Who fought and bled in freedom's cause,

Who fought and bled in freedom's cause,

And when the storm of war was gone

Enjoy'd the peace your valor won.

Let independence be our boast,

Ever mindful what it cost;

Ever grateful for the prize,

Let its altar reach the skies.

Chorus

Firm, united let us be,

Rallying round our liberty,

As a band of brothers joined,

Peace and safety we shall find.

Immortal patriots, rise once more,

Defend your rights, defend your shore!

Let no rude foe, with impious hand,

Let no rude foe, with impious hand,

Invade the shrine where sacred lies

Of toil and blood, the well-earned prize,

While off'ring peace, sincere and just,

In Heaven's we place a manly trust,

That truth and justice will prevail,

And every scheme of bondage fail.

Chorus

Firm, united let us be,

Rallying round our liberty,

As a band of brothers joined,

Peace and safety we shall find.

Behold the chief who now commands,

Once more to serve his country stands.

The rock on which the storm will break,

The rock on which the storm will break,

But armed in virtue, firm, and true,

His hopes are fixed on Heav'n and you.

When hope was sinking in dismay,

When glooms obscured Columbia's day,

His steady mind, from changes free,

Resolved on death or liberty.

Chorus

Firm, united let us be,

Rallying round our liberty,

As a band of brothers joined,

Peace and safety we shall find.

Sound, sound the trump of fame,

Let Washington's great fame

Ring through the world with loud applause,

Ring through the world with loud applause,

Let ev'ry clime to freedom dear,

Listen with a joyful ear,

With equal skill, with God-like pow'r

He governs in the fearful hour

Of horrid war, or guides with ease

The happier time of honest peace.

Chorus

Firm, united let us be,

Rallying round our liberty,

As a band of brothers joined,

Peace and safety we shall find.

Source: Wikipedia

Cool Pictures of the Day: Moraine Lake, Alberta

Moraine Lake is a glacially-fed lake in Banff National Park, 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) outside the Village of Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. It is situated in the Valley of the Ten Peaks, at an elevation of approximately 6,183 feet (1,885 m). The lake has a surface area of .5 square kilometres (0.19 sq mi).

The lake, being glacially fed, does not reach its crest until mid to late June. When it is full, it reflects a distinct shade of blue. The color is due to the refraction of light off the rock flour deposited in the lake on a continual basis.

Interesting Video: German Army Band Parading In Moscow's Red Square

A very interesting video to watch. This is the band of the German Bundeswehr parading in Red Square as part of an international military band competition. They play some of the best of the old Prussian and German marching tunes. It's a marvelous sign of just how far we have come in international relations (at least in Europe) in the last seventy years.

However, I can't help but smile a little at the thought of old Stalin rolling over in his grave in the Kremlin at the sound of a German military band in his front yard, considering how hard the Soviets fought to keep the Germans out of Moscow back in 1941-1942.

Cool Pictures of the Day: Terraforming Mars

Ever since I wrote a report on the idea in high school, I've been fascinated by the idea of terraforming the planet Mars to make it available for human settlement. I think given the fragility of our planet and the (thus far undiscovered) absence of other intelligent life, it is essential that mankind expand into the cosmos, and Mars is the logical starting point. The process would not be easy, taking hundreds if not thousands of years, but I believe it could and must eventually be done in order to provide humanity with a second home and a stepping stone to further colonization. Here I have included some pictures I found of various interpretations of what an earth-like Mars would look like.

Great Tune of the Day: Birds of Paradise

This is a very pretty little song by a group called Peter, Sue and Marc I just discovered today. Yes, the video is incredibly cheesy, but just ignore that! It was 1980!

This song became a reprise hit in Slovakia in 2006 when it was played at a memorial service for 42 military personnel who had been killed in an crash. Seen in that context, I think it was very appropriate.

Interesting Video: Free Namibia

This is an old documentary (1970s?) that I ran across on YouTube discussing the situation in South West Africa (Now Namibia), a former German colony that was under South African administration until its independence in 1990. I've always found Namibia a fascinating country, and it's one of my top destinations that I want to visit.

Under-Appreciated Cinema: Wes Craven's "Chiller"

Anyone that knows me knows that as a rule, I hate horror movies. However, one of the few exceptions to that rule is a little-known Wes Craven film from 1985 called "Chiller."

The synopsis of the film is as follows:

Corporate exec Miles Creighton dies, and is cryogenically frozen in the hopes that he can be revived. 10 years later, the procedure is a success, and Miles returns--without his soul.

Sound creepy? You bet it is. I remember watching this movie as a kid by myself one night. I'm pretty sure I'm still suffering from PTSD as a result. But it's not the kind of movie that scarred me for life like "Pet Sematery" or "Arachnophobia." It's interesting scary... not "I need to change my pants" scary.

Right now you can watch the entire film on YouTube. But just watch this clip (preferably with the lights on) and I guarantee you will be hooked.

Diva du Jour: Bette Davis

What can I say? Bette Davis is probably the greatest actress ever to grace the silver screen. Her reputation is legendary. Her much-talked about rivalry with Joan Crawford is the thing myths are made of. The sheer weight of her brilliant talent is written on every role that I have ever seen her play. Over the course of her career, Davis played a Southern belle, a spinster sister, a has-been child actor eclipsed by her sister's career, an ugly duckling-turned beautiful swan, and performed the role of England's Queen Elizabeth I twice, just to name a few of her more prominent roles.

Additionally, she won two Academy Awards for Best Actress, was the first person ever to get ten nominations for the same, and was the first female President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Through it all, she maintained a thoroughly professional demeanor, putting her entire self into her roles. So dedicated was Davis to her career that she often said that it resulted in the failure of all of her marriages. But overall, it is doubtful Bette Davis would have changed a thing. She showed us what true grace, talent, drive, and hard work, not to mention those eyes, could achieve.