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And the Pursuit of Happiness

dteweles — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 16:42:21 +0000

For those regular devotees of the New York Times on the internet, you have surely delighted in Maria Kalman’s artistic renderings and musings over the past months as she explored all things America via her blog: http://kalman.blogs.nytimes.com.

Reading her most recent entry on George Washington today (sample illustration below), I redoubled my reflections on what being American means to me.

Don’t worry, no grand exposÃ¨ on why America is grand, but rather a simple thought:

How is it that after America has exhibited so much outright aggression toward the Muslim world since 9/11, do the Muslims of the world still love America, the idea, and Americans, the people?

A simple answer:

A hope and belief in the good of the world and its people. The power to see good is redemptive.We must loo beyond the darkness to see the light; in the world and within ourselves.

Endorsement: “Distortion” by The Magnetic Fields

dteweles — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 21:19:21 +0000

Rarely does a band offer such a combination of wit, creative elitism, and fun on a studio album, but The Magnetic Heads have done just that.Â The Magnetic Fields have never before come so close to the dreaded mainstream, an accident at best, though fortunate nonetheless.Â Their latest studio effort, Distortion, is imminently listenable, marking the major difference between this album and their previous recordings, which were just as original, though much more conceptual in both nature and accessibility.

I doubt that Distortion will find itself on your permanent playlist rotation, but I don’t think that is a fair measure of this album’s potential influence and pleasure, as it does not and cannot be blended into the background of your life.Â This is not the soundtrack, but the cause.Â Take a chance with your music, check out the Magentic Heads’ Distortion, and then realize just how indistinguishable most mainstream rock groups have become from one another.

Karibu Kenya

dteweles — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 11:11:19 +0000

I have a feeling I’m going to get along just fine in my newly adopted homeland.Â Kenya is lovely, as areÂ Kenyans.Â

Since landing two nights ago, I have trudged around to multiple government ministries locating the required maps for our engineers and my upcoming population density assessment.Â As bureaucratically inhibiting as the process has been, I must say, it could have been worse, much, much worse.Â The current President (who is up for re-election shortly), has been credited with making the government more accountable to the people, and anti-corruption measures and campaigns are in place most everywhere.Â

I think that my innate openness when dealing with people, new and otherwise, will serve me incredibly well here, because though Kenyans are extremely polite, I have found that they are incredibly appreciative of straight forwardness as well, something which I have certainly have a surplus of.

My mother made the comment that in talking to me, it sounds like I have just moved to a different suburb instead of a different continent.Â I attribute her sentiment to the fact that I feel quite comfortable here, though I truly feel comfortable everywhere.Â People are people, and people are good, and as long as there are good people, I am good to go.Â Copy that down, that was deep.Â In all seriousness, yes, everyone around me is as black as the Nile is long, and yes, I am surrounded by a million and one (at last count) things that are new, and some even incomprehensible, but ultimately, I don’t feel out of place nor out of my element, so hakuna matata (no worries (and yes, most of you are familiar with that phrase from the Lion King)).

Several observations:

1)Â The Nairobi City Council is incredibly progressive, and has even outstripped America’s hat (aka: Canada) in protecting non-smokers from the evil cigarette puffing menaces amongst us!Â Smoking outside in the city is not prohibited, unless in specifically designated areas, of which I have counted no more and no less than exactly one!

2)Â I suck at math, as if there were any doubt.Â The exchange rate between the shilling and the dollar is 70:1, and multiples of 7 are not conducive to calculations on the fly.Â Until I start thinking in shillings, I will rely on my cell phone, which mercifully, comes with a conversion tool.

3)Â Nairobi has a bad ass reputation, replete with its own name for theft: Nairobbery.Â It is even said to be the most dangerous city in Africa, and that puts it in some seedy company… Jo’burg or Lagos anyone…?Â Despite this, the city is teeming with people and commerce during the day, and is generally quite safe to be out and about.Â It is only at night that the streets empty and the shadows creep sinisterly…

4)Â Swahili is beautiful and I am going to learn it, all my past attempts at languages (with the notable exception o English) be damned!

5)Â Begin planning your trip to Kenya.

More to come as I go apartment (the one which I was supposed to have fell through) and furniture shopping in the days to come (I fly to Mombasa this evening)…

Endorsement: Weddings

dteweles — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 02:46:17 +0000

What I imagine most weddings should be like: true celebrations of the Michael Jackson in all of us!

A Wedding Thriller: