Varied Travel Writings

A couple piece of travel writing I have done recently for other web sites.

How to do Copenhagen Right,
http://diamondatlas.com/how-to-do-copenhagen-right/

London an introductory how to guide
http://diamondatlas.com/london-an-introductory-how-to-guide/

An Intro to Amsterdam's Red Light District
http://diamondatlas.com/an-intro-to-amsterdams-red-light-district/

Worth the Paper it was Printed On

Never has there been an era in my life time when a university degree has been more maligned. Not a University degree all together -leaving out the professional degrees – I am speaking more so of a liberal arts degree and to a lesser extent a science degree. For years, I heard back in Edmonton – a place where a premium is placed on practicality – how useless an arts degree was and how it created self entitled, unskilled individuals who in no shape or form were near the equivalent of a technical school graduate. Now with a glut of University Degrees - as a bubble of sorts developed the last decades where it was thought that a degree would immediately vault its holder into the middle class – a Bachelor of Arts is yielding less than ever job wise in a poor economy. With this information handy I have to ask myself, with future prospects presently not looking particular bright, would I take a liberal arts degree again if given the chance to redo it?

Connecting the past and the furture

Yes, I would and this is why. My degree in History and Sociology truly opened my mind’s eye to a world away from what I thought I knew. The ideas that I was brought into contact initially connected me not just to the present, but to a world of ideas and knowledge from the past which in turn gave me a method to look at the future. I was given a set of optics crafted from the thoughts of other thinkers to evaluate, critique, and understand what is around me in practical and abstract terms. Now to ask a rhetorical question, is the ability to think about society, art, and culture an avenue that has pragmatic social utility?... perhaps not, but still it is valid even if HR professionals and middle managers would have us believe it is not. I once told a girl friend if there was no art I wouldn’t want to live (I put intellectualism in with art) and I still feel that way. Beyond what is in front of our senses lies a beautiful world of ideas that I would have never have known about without further education. For me personally, it's that world that matters most.  

If you can’t see it, is it still there

The main skill I learnt in University was accessing things that are abstract and developing methods to question what is around me. In society, as it is now, these skills actually put you at a disadvantage as they stand against the status quo. The ability to assess information is the hall mark of an arts degree and it is this skill that creates a populous that will not passively accept dictates handed down to them about how they are suppose to perceive reality. Naturally these skills are not particularly liked in employers who would prefer to have employees that are passive and listen to rules without question, comment, or personality. People who think are dangerous and the question is why is that?  Perhaps because they have the possibility of leading legitimate dissent  against entrenched power structures. Those that do not respond to incentives they are "suppose" to - those incentives that have been socially engineered for people to respond to -are the actors that could effect change. The potential of this ability is a very powerful gift.

The question is more important than the answer

Perhaps a Bachelor Degree does not answer ones needs for societal reward, or even a passable income, but it still does give that possibility of seeing what is really there. In the end the trappings of success are just tertiary and lose their appeal as they become to common place for a person, being able to question and think for one self is the ultimate reward and the blue print for a worthwhile life. Now is a bachelor’s degree required for gaining this ability – no, does having a B.A. mean you will definitely get this view point – no... all that I am saying is that it certainly helped me get it. For that reason alone, despite all the derogatory things said about it, that made my B.A. worthwhile and something that enriched my life. 

Meditations from a Thirtysomething...

I remember growing up and seeing the television show “30 Something” in the late 80’s. The show always received rave reviews for its gritty depictions of baby boomers in their 30’s. At the time I quickly turned it off while at the same time thinking how much I hated one of the main characters long, Micheal Bulton’esque’ hair. The show had no relevance to me, I was just a kid in elementary and their issues and world views seemed alien and light years away. Well... here I am, having just turned 36 last week. I’ve lived, in my eyes, a successful life to date as I have a wealth of travel experience and have been fortunate to develop a number of sturdy, life long relationships. With that said, I have decided to grant myself a little Birthday self indulgence and write down a few meditations I have been having lately about life. Marcus Aurelius I’m not, but here goes...

Listen to other world views openly, without trying to trying to sell your own, “to hard”...

There are nearly an unlimited amount of different world views. You have the doers, the thinkers, the liberals, the conservatives, the foodies, the exercise junkies, the pessimists, the stoners, the over achievers... feel free to add to the list ad-infinitum. Each world view has pros and cons and generally can be applied to some circumstances with wonderful ease while fitting others horrifically. People that hold on to their view tightly usually try to surround themselves by people who think the same way. 

In my own pondering of Fredrich Nietzsche’s phrase “The Will to Power” I feel that the greatest demonstration of power is enacting ones own world view on to others. With that said, and not going into the social and political implications of that thought (for now... maybe another blog), people get tremendous pleasure and a sense of worth by getting others to think like they do, it’s the ultimate self validation. People, me included, really can’t stop themselves from trying to export their world view. The reality though is it almost never will be successful unless: A) the converted person is an utter doormat; or, B) the person pretty much thought that way to begin with. My comment here is learn about the world by watching the other world views than you have... soak them in, try to understand, try to intellectualize from that point of view, try to empathize with them. Doing this a great way to grow as a person.

In a sentence, try less to sell your world view and more to observe and learn from those you see around you.

Choose your battles, be easy going and flexible until you really have to go all in with confrontation...

Would you rather be right or happy? When I was younger I always wanted to feel that I was right. Connecting to the previous point, I was constantly trying to sell my world view to others. A conclusion that I have reached getting a touch older is simply – is there even a “right”? Think about that for a second, in terms of morals, scruples, and politics they each are culturally and interpersonally subjective and even in science – the so called bastion of the empiric world – a concept resides as truth until it is disproven. What I am saying here is that there really isn’t a definite “truth” except for what we as individuals decide that we want to whole heartedly believe in. 

Fighting to change someone else is self indulgence rearing its ugly head. Since most discussions of ideas are done in fun, spiced up perhaps with a little friendly competitiveness,  don’t bother fighting over them just enjoy the mental interplay. The caveat to this is if another person gratuitously attacks with malice the core of your world view. In those circumstances then it is worthwhile to go all in with confrontation, these moments should be used sparingly though and not based on perceived sleight.

The last quick thought I would say about getting older is I felt like I knew more when I was 20... everything seemed so definite in the ignorance of youth, at 36 I have pretty much realized how little I knew all along. 

The Devil Wears Holt Renfrew

“She has a confident walk.” 

“You should be a politician with that answer.”

“Well, meeting random people in the lunch room… who knows whose friends with who.” I was talking with an expat Irish man I had just met in the lunch room of a Toronto advertising company I was temping at. 

“True - though I’d say her walk is downright rude.”

“Okay, she does sound a bit like a horse trotting. For a low level employee though that's a god send.”

“Oh yeah - why?”

“You know well in advance when HR is coming.“

Anyone who has known me knows that I have not always held the highest esteem for members of the HR profession. My usual position, with a "few" exceptions,  is that they are vapid watch dogs who suck the spontaneity out of any work place and time people’s piss breaks with a stop watch. Their role is to help perpetuate that brutishly fake corporate culture where people sit in a lunch room and don’t talk to each other about anything beyond their job, sports, and extremely mainstream television. They are the teacher, the police man, the N.A.R.C. that forces everyone to behave completely average or be noticed for not doing so. Their profession looks to continue the fakeness of the job interview and make it into day to day theater.  How do they do this?... simple, come under HR’s cross hairs and your days at that company are done. Surf the net – HR will catch you; show up five minutes late from lunch – HR will catch you; cough to loud – HR will catch you; scratch your balls – HR will catch you.

At the ad agency I was privy for a few days to the loud walking HR lady. I was facing her desk with her back to me doing data entry. She spoke loudly with no filter despite my proximity, obviously not concerned if I heard. She was a tall woman, around 6 feet with heels on, probably early 40's with blond hair becoming a touch wispy with age, she had a husky unfeminine voice, and expensive looking skirts each day... perhaps from Holt Renfrew. 

What stood out most was staff coming up to her to tattle on other staff. Of those that wandered up, and there were a few, the one I remembered most was a lady about to go on vacation. People – rightfully so – get rather nervous when they head off on their short Canadian vacations that their job will be taken over by someone else. This soon to be vacationer, in hushed tones, proceeded to bash the girl who would be doing her job while she was gone, literally only stopping short of saying that she shouldn’t have a job at all. All through this the HR queen just nodded and listened… one could only wonder which of these two would really come under her cross hairs. 

Horse feet could make and break people at the agency. Though my time was short there she even managed to flare up my hopes. She played me well my first day saying she had seen my resume when I took the temporary assignment and had noticed I was a copy writer. Her exact words had been that I would have to dust off my portfolio. That put on enthusiasm dissipated after I worked my ass off at a menial task to try to impress her. When it came to looking at the portfolio it collected dust on her desk as I was subjected to watching her from my vantage not even look at it for one second the entire day after I gave it to her in the morning. My fate left to a woman so connected to regular people - the regular people she hires, fires and manages -  that she expounded this personal philosophy during one of her self indulgent mid work day rants: “There is no way in this day and age that you can raise a child without a nanny.”

Stengade – “Divided they fall together they stand”

When people think of Denmark one of the first things that comes to mind is the communal aspect of the culture. Now this shows up across the nation, but in one special case communalism has crossed over between the worlds of art and business. With monetary support from the Copenhagen municipal government the classic music venue Stengade 30 has been re-opened and is now being run by volunteers. The present reincarnation of Stengade allows young people with a passion for music the opportunity to direct their energy towards making the venue a success while gaining valuable industry experience.  Stengade has become an icon for communalism and socialism on a micro level as profit isn’t the goal - promotion of art and culture is.

 Stengade 30, named for the Street it resides on – Stengade, has been a hall mark venue for music in Copenhagen for the past forty years. The building itself erected in the 1930’s has enjoyed several different uses; initially it served as the hall for the painter’s union, then a TV station, and even existed as a squat house during the late 1960’s. Finally in 1973 it became the Stengade 30: a music venue and rock club. In this incarnation the Stengade thrived for years housing major Danish and international bands. Legendary Danish rockers Dizzy Mizz Lizzy as well as international icons like Sound Garden have graced the stage. However, after much success the new millennium was not so kind to Stengade 30. In 2009, after financial woes throughout the decade, Stengade was forced to close its doors because of debt and poor management. In the wake of this a major avenue for Copenhagen music was closed, seemingly forever...

From the ashes of the original Stengade arose Stengade 18 a new communal association not dictated by the greed of management and sticky fingered bar man, but rather by the passions of volunteers. Led by general manager Aslak Balle Hansen volunteers completely staff the Stengade since it’s reopening and fill all aspects of the venue’s operations. Departments have been opened for management and band booking, communications/ marketing, technology/sound, and bar staff. Decisions are not handed down as decrees, but rather made through consensus.

The volunteers are the engine that drives the Stengade. When asked why he works at Stengade, marketing strategist Alexander Lange had the following to say. “Working at the Stengade gives me the opportunity to see culture grow in Copenhagen and to give non mainstream bands a chance.”  This type of sentiment was echoed by band booker Nicolai Winther when asked why he was a part of Stengade. He answered passionately: “... because I love music, and I want to be part of a place that cares about music too.” Volunteers at the Stengade are concerned about the whole organization, because they are more than a cog - they are truly part of it. Success of the Stengade has become part of their identity as they have formed together into a dynamic group connected in purpose.

 As a Canadian writer having visited the Stengade I have never seen employees in this type of venue step away from their own interest for the purpose of seeing the group succeed. From the people I spoke with employees of the Stengade seem to get personal enrichment from the venues success. Without a top down hierarchy the volunteers feel like they are part of what is happening; their enthusiasm is not sucked away by monetary incentive. They choose to be there and for them that is incentive enough.

When you enter the venue patrons are immediately amongst the volunteers – they’re at the door, behind the bar, in the venue office. In a progressively more isolated world of social networking and individualism run rampant the dynamic in the Stengade is a breath of fresh air. There is a sense of unity here that is undeniable and something totally Danish. 

My Favourite Foreign Films

A while back I choose my favourite American films. ( http://iwasjustthinkingsomething.blogspot.ca/2012/06/top-20-american-films.html ) Now the time is right, after several personal blogs, to turn my sights to foreign film. Using a similar structure as the American film list, I have chosen, in no particular order, my favourite – not the “best” – foreign films. The list I have compiled while perhaps a little heavy in nature, is - in my mind’s eye – brilliant, thought provoking cinema. International directors, to their credit, are unafraid and unapologetic for making films of depth and tough subject matter. My choices have stories that range from a meteor cascading towards earth, a Mexican road trip, and a family gathering that has gone more than a little pear shaped. My hope is that for anyone that reads this list perhaps you’ll see some films that appear interesting to you and check them out. I have provided a brief synopsis with the films and some of my quick thoughts why I like them.

The Seventh Seal (Sweden) 1957  - A knight returning from the Holy Crusades questions his own existence, death, and life while playing chess with no more devious of an opponent than death himself. Igmar Bergman has long been the voice of Nordic cinematic existentialism and the depth of his story telling and range as a director are unmatched with this film of ideas. This film has seen itself seep into literature and popular culture in a variety of ways.

City of God (Brazil) 2002 – The City of God is one of the world’s most nefarious and dangerous slums in Rio De Janeiro. From the depths of this drug infested hell comes a story of the kids, on the right and wrong side of the law, that are both the perpetrators of this lawlessness and its casualties. This is the story behind  world be headlines of murder, exploitation and the war on drugs given a human touch.

Melancholia (Denmark) 2011 – A film of gripping intensity as a meteor plummets towards earth during a depressed woman's wedding. Never one to paint a rosy picture of human nature, Danish director Lars Von Triers looks at the already tangled interpersonal relationships of the bride to be and how catastrophe perhaps can be the only means to repair fragmented relationships and a damaged sense of self. The imagery of this film is luminous and horrifying... trademarks of Lars.

Amores Peres (Mexico) 2000 – Three inter related stories all centering around a horrific car accident in Mexico City unveil the complexities of modern life across social class. Seamlessly blended these stories  show realities seemingly unrelated and how the human experience cannot help but intermingle whether we know it or not. This film was once called the Mexican Pulp Fiction.

Reprise (Norway) 2006 – A coming of age story of two aspiring writers dealing with the pressures of young adult hood in Oslo, Norway. In turn funny and intense this film is a must for anyone that sees themselves possibly as a writer. There are prices one pays for giving themselves to art and this film encapsulates that while being stylish, funny and witty.

Y Tu Mama Tambien (Mexico) 2001 – Two teenage boys seize the opportunity to take an attractive older woman on a road trip across Mexico. Equal parts a tale of sexual discovery, friendship, and a discovery of Mexico itself and the shattering bonds of a land - as we can see even more now  in 2013– in peril from internal and external forces. The camaraderie of the leads brought me back to my own youth when everything seemed so possible.  I really laughed during this one.

The Lives of Others (Germany) 2006 –  ” The Lives of Other” tells the stories of artists in East Berlin and the limitations placed on their expression by an autocratic system that breeds mediocrity and enforces conformity.  People in this era legitimately feared who they spoke to and were amiss to even be candid in their own homes fearing bugs and government surveillance. This film is really thought provoking and scary stuff. Especially since it really happened.  

Persona (Sweden) 1966 – Is a persona an island of individuality or could it somehow merge with another person? After mysteriously stopping speaking and going mute in the middle of a performance an actress seeks treatment at a secluded cabin. A demonic relationship develops between her and her nurse as literally the idea of who they are becomes mixed between them. A true psychological thriller and Igmar Begman's second film on my list.   

Amelie (France) 2001 – With all these “heavy” films it’s nice to have one that just wants to show love and how everyone is better off having it in their life. This film is Jane Austen’s “Emma” transposed from England to Paris, France and given all the French trimmings. Amelie is a master of finding love for everyone around her just not for herself. No film endows Paris with magic like this, it breaths a new life into the Momartre district with its drowning water colours and magical realism. 

L’ Avventura (Italy) 1960 - During a yachting trip when a woman inexplicable disappears her boy friend and her best friend search for her. Most films are made for entertainment, this film actually puts forward an accurate portrayal of life as it is and the effect of time changing things whether we like it or not.  A stark display of the lengths people will go, or won’t go, for one another. A very unnerving slowly paced film - essential viewing if just once.

Pan’s Labyrinth (Spain) 2006 – If sheer terror was paramount on earth could it reach another dimension? Or perhaps would you create another world in which to psychologically escape from this horror? Such are the questions that face a young Spanish girl during the dogged days of the Spanish revolution. Wildly inventive, with surrealistic creatures that wouldn’t be out of place in a Salvador Dali painting, this film pushes art as projected through cinema to its limits. 

Festen (Denmark) 1998- With perhaps the most iconic and outrageous Birthday toast ever (below as a youtube clip) , Festen is a Danish dark comedy that manages to sear through social taboo without breaking stride or failing to entertain. A family gathering for their fathers 50^th birthday takes an unexpected turn and a family is forced to deal with truths previously swept deep underneath the rug. Amazingly laughs or brought in effectively to carry through otherwise extremely taboo subject matter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7N-x9TGCuw

Persepolis (Iran)  2007 - Unique animation is used to tell the story of a girl’s life growing up in Tehran and trying to find herself during Iran’s cultural revolution. Both eye opening to see how another culture, specifically middle Eastern culture, works, and more importantly engaging in showing that in reality we are all just the same as "people" regardless of the culture that generates many of our beliefs.

Down Fall (Germany) 2004 – The last days of World War 2 in Hitler’s Berlin bunker of the defeated Germans. Using a unique vantage the story is told through the eyes of Hitler’s secretary. Viewers are treated to a searing tale of megalomania and madness as Hitler and his chief lieutenants don’t want to believe, and in some cases will not believe, the war is lost. A psychological tour de force on a personal and a collective level. 

Waltz with Bashir (Isreal) 2008- A surrealist look at war and the effects it has on the minds of the combatants. A veteran of the Lebanon conflict in Israel tries to deduce why he cannot remember battles he was a part of, and to understand the nature of bizarre dreams that he cannot shake. Using animation, the realities of the mind – as fleeting as they can be – or transposed with the narrators journey of self discovery.

Lilya 4 Ever (Sweden) 2002 – Sixteen year old Lilya thinks that she is in love, but her dreams of a new life turn into a nightmare as she is tricked from her home in Estonia into a life of sexual slavery in Sweden. This film is deeper, darker, and more authentic than Hollywood’s try at the same topic of human trafficking “The Whistle Blower.” A hue of surrealism is employed to show how Lilya literally creates her own make believe world to disassociate from her horrid reality. Harrowing and eye opening stuff. 

The One Year Marker - Now and Then...

I was just considering making a one year back in Canada blog and I just by chance found my last such effort back when I was one year back in Canada from Amsterdam in 2007. ( See below as part 2) Fast forward 5 years and I am in the same situation, back in Canada after a year out in Denmark. Granted, this time there were plenty of differences. The main one being that I wasn’t on the back of a 6 year expedition previous to returning. Also, being in Toronto isn’t a new thing anymore. This is home. Is it perfect, well nope… if perfect means everything being handed to you, but it has the qualities I need and appreciate.

Time for a comparative discussion of Toronto versus other cities I have lived in.  On the surface, the main thing Toronto has going for it is that THEY CAN’T KICK ME OUT! I actually have the right to stay, which is something that was a bit of a stumbling block for me in the past. That’s not the full story though. The truth is that like the other cities I have lived in and enjoyed – Edinburgh, London, Sydney, Amsterdam, Copenhagen – I’ve developed close bonds with a lot of people. The beauty is this time these bonds are just going to continue to grow. I know it’s a cliché, but I really do believe that life is just about the relationships you form. If you need a million dollars to show the right status to people to be in their presence, so be it. But, I find that 30 dollars for beer should do just fine. Anyone who isn’t into that, rich or not, isn’t anyone I’m interested in knowing. I like people, like me, that are in the struggle: struggling for love, struggling for peace of mind; struggling for security; struggling for professional recognition; struggling to be their best selves… For those that don’t struggle have given in to the status quo and have become passive. Even if you’re not a traveler anymore, the pathos of the open spirit is striving and yearning and that is the struggle.

So there was my obligatory philosophical tirade – the doings and un-doings of my platonic mind type – now for some real talk. Toronto has a good size, its 4.5 million people with 2.5 million near, or near"ish" to downtown. That size means you can know the city well, but still find new things regularly. Perhaps for all of my continuous praise for London that gem of metropolitan life might be a little too big. I get around 9 months of the year in Toronto by bike, a proposition in London that would be impossible. Especially as the older people get the further they move from central London. What I have witnessed through friends is that given time London becomes more about the area you live in rather than the attractions of the centre. People eventually tend to rarely leave their niche socially. Toronto doesn’t have that problem. Everything is accessible enough.

There’s a place for anyone to go in Toronto as well depending on your mood and personality. Here is a little rundown of some of the locales. The artistic, intellectual sets generally flock to the Annex – more hardcore academic, writer types – and Queen Street West – slightly more musician, artist, faux hipsters. Both of them are great spots for the alternative scene of Toronto and my favourite parts of the city. Queen Street west houses a new jewel, by Canadian standards, with Trinity Bell Woods Park. People in the park are basically allowed to drink un-accosted by police. To my European friends that would seem like a natural right… but alas, in Canada we tend to be over controlled. King Street, one major street down from Queen, caters more to young professionals. Can be fun, but also has a veneer of snobbishness and yuppie entitlement. College street is kind of an inbetween for King  and Queen street for people that find one or the other to polarizing. The entertainment district, right downtown, is for the younglings who want to party club style. I guess I’m getting old, as I haven’t been down there at night since being back a year. To the east and west there are interesting boroughs for people wanting to be outside of the bright lights of downtown. The west has High Park, with Toronto’s largest park and trail network, and a pretty chilled area called the Bloor West Village. To the east is Leslieville and the Beaches. The beaches is Toronto’s attempt at beach culture, which goes alright – complete with beach volleyball and bikinis - except for one annoying fact – it’s not safe to actually go into the waters of lake Ontario. There are also more beaches on centre island – a small island just south of downtown on lake Ontario that you get to by ferry.

So my one year back words one topic spun forth more than any other - Toronto and the city it is… The reason for that is that this is home. I’m going to make it here or nowhere. Challenges lay ahead, but then again that will make it that much sweeter when it all works out smashingly. There is poetry in the struggle if you look for it…

Part two: Words a year back from Amsterdam 2007

  So a year has past since I have left Amsterdam, and ended my six year expedition. Considering in due candor there have been some enjoyable elements to my return as well as some obstacles to overcome… One thing as a traveler I put forth was perseverance, I knew that giving up on a poor situation was not an option. Will power, courage, and creativity will elicit the answer to those that have the patience and the confidence in themselves to allow an answer, or a situation to arise, that flips things upside down.

Now considering my travels, I do have to say that those dual elements did serve me well. There were times when easily I could have capitulated and folded under the weight of adversity. I could have followed suit of others, many others, that I have seen give in to stress and head straight home for the security of their home city. I always chose not to do this. Even during those times that I didn’t have money and I felt the fear and the pinch of poverty across my body and my thoughts. Especially then, I chose to stand tall and learn about myself and those around me from the experience. There is no better time to look into your self and try to grow beyond your own doubt and insecurities then when times are rough. 

Having spoken about the down times, my travels showed me that either through luck, or as a by product to my personality, I have had some amazing opportunities come my way. A person that has their imagination peeked by the strainer of necessity is ready to leap on an opportunity.  Like being given the chance to earn 5000 pounds in one month working nights in a shop in Edinburgh, or getting the opportunity to go from being a dishwasher to a copy writer in one of Amsterdam’s most successful advertising/ multi media companies with one interview and never showing a resume.I heard once you have to be at the right place at the right time. One element of that equation is left out: being in the right place at the right time, and being the right person to jump on an opportunity. 

The year in Canada has shown me that success here is not a given and something that one needs to strive for. Why have it any way. Comfort and complacency are the fuel of a lethargic mind… a dynamic mind feeds on tension and a need to move forward and step beyond any rings of idiosyncrasy. Bring it on, it's interesting to see what the future will hold...