moving blog

I'm going to move over to wordpress.com... for now. i'll see which one is best!


please follow me there!

cnewm.wordpress.com

why make a fuss?

There is a professor here, a doctor, researcher, anthropologist (whatever that means) who absolutely is the worst professor I've ever encountered.

Spends 10 minutes at the beginning of every class struggling to get the computer prepared, flashes the most benign fact across the screen (with absolutely no context of importance), bounces from one culture to another just attempting to spew every fact she has in her brain, spouts the most insensitive and inaccurate cultural generalizations. I honestly don't think she's read our textbook in at least a year. No joke.

"They had no flour."

No, I'm quite sure they had flour. In fact, the book mentions what grain they used for flour.

So I wrote a letter to the programme chair. Scathing. The UMN has it's head so far up its ass with becoming a renowned research institution to realize that many of its professors cannot teach, some who barely speak English. This college is piddly in size. If they cannot legitimately address the major issues with this professor, it's just too late for academia.

So hey, if she can't come to class prepared neither will I.

if it keeps you from getting facebook, ma

The international students had a sightseeing tour in the Gros Morne National Park area. These are some pictures from that trip. We are composed of about 12 south americans, mexicans, US americans, and asians. A small, motley crew.



This traditional newfoundland fishing house was occupied by 3 fishermen and their families for about 34 fishing seasons. They'd have to boat there from norris point, as there was no road to this village. They caught lobster, cod, & caplin. It's now owned by the National Park Service, we got a sweet little tour :)


Kerry walking on the weirdest rockscapes I've ever seen.


lost lobster trap.


in Norris Point, fishermen were unloading some (thought) mackerel. big refrigerated trucks were waiting on the roads to receive the catch. the men were repairing that giant black net, because the green vacuum handled the fish! Norris Point is home to Memorial University's marine field station. I wish I had come here to do some of their marine ecology classes!

and caving...




"The Corner Brook Stream has cut deep into the limestone ad exposed a variety of caves.
A waterfall, a cave above a cave, huge caverns and muddy crawls. The upper branch involves some fancy foot work to negotiate the way along the edge of some fairly deep water. This section ends in a 3 m rappel and a cool wade to the exit that faces the Corner Brook Stream."
more info & pictures

Three guys that we know explore these caves very frequently, we joined them on Sunday at about 10 am. I'm so glad I brought my bike helmet, I smacked my head quite a few times. We had to swim across a very deep area of water under a large overhang that left only a foot of headroom and was about 4 feet width. It wasn't as scary as I thought, generally. We took a route that didn't involve lots of tight squeezes. The swims took your breath though, absolutely freezing. One area we could see water coming from somewhere underneath us, in another cave! The guys discovered lots of new crevices to explore on future trips. Dunno if I'll join them again, it can only get colder. We ran most of the 2 mile trek back to campus.

Next up, sea kayaking and horse back riding in Stephenville with a girl from the floor. Road trip to L'Anse aux Meadows on the northern peninsula during thanksgiving break, and hopefully hiking Gros Morne Mountain during that time.

don't even think i'm in school...

what sticks

"Solsbury Hill"
-the incredible Peter Gabriel

Climbing up on Solsbury Hill
I could see the city light
Wind was blowing, time stood still
Eagle flew out of the night
He was something to observe
Came in close, I heard a voice
Standing stretching every nerve
Had to listen had no choice
I did not believe the information
(I) just had to trust imagination
My heart going boom boom boom
"Son," he said "Grab your things,
I've come to take you home."

To keep in silence I resigned
My friends would think I was a nut
Turning water into wine
Open doors would soon be shut
So I went from day to day
Tho' my life was in a rut
"Till I thought of what I'd say
Which connection I should cut
I was feeling part of the scenery
I walked right out of the machinery
My heart going boom boom boom
"Hey" he said "Grab your things
I've come to take you home."


When illusion spin her net
I'm never where I want to be
And liberty she pirouette
When I think that I am free
Watched by empty silhouettes
Who close their eyes but still can see
No one taught them etiquette
I will show another me
Today I don't need a replacement
I'll tell them what the smile on my face meant
My heart going boom boom boom
"Hey" I said "You can keep my things,
they've come to take me home."

planning

graduate, move to duluth, get cheap apartment, work at northern waters smokehaus, earn money, quit commitments, take off to travel.

even the maintenance man offered me moose. soon, soon.

i'm so depressed that i'm missing the ray lamontagne show at the state theatre the day before my birthday... that would have been a perfect way to celebrate!


it's picking up 'rounds here. YES B'Y! huck finn in weeks!

lack of inspiration

ominous crow presiding over the Corner Brook Pulp & Paper lumber yards.

"i am the lorax and i speak for the trees"pulp & paper
the things that irks me the most about corner brook is the lack of recreation areas for its residents... you've got to drive out of the city to enjoy the river...

because Pulp & Paper owns most of the waterfront and it is quite grim

and that is the squire building, the tallest in corner brook.

cod fish moratorium here's an interesting, though long, video on the cod fish moratorium of 92...Fisheries Minister John Crosbie shouts "i didn't take the fish from the god damned waters"

I spent the day across the bay at an organic gardening workshop. it was free in exchange for a survey on attitude toward and personal practice of organic gardening. The rural secretariat of newfoundland sponsored it, and a student I know was involved in organizing it. It was hosted at Full Tilt Creative Center in McIvers, where an artist has started organic gardening at her art center. In the morning we heard from people about their experiences starting and maintaining organic gardens, both for personal use and some for a small business. Most who attended seemed encouraged by the 15 person turn-out, it's been a slow road to confronting the completely idiotic way Newfoundland manages agriculture. Less than 5% of food consumed in Newfoundland was grown on the island. This year was the first for Corner Brook's farmers market.

Of the 3 groceries in Corner Brook, 2 are supplied by Sysco, who must first ship their products all the way across the island to St. Johns for inspection, before it can again return to the west side of the island for sale. 1 is locally-owned, and the food luckily receives inspection on the west coast.

Highlight of the day was the lunch, root vegetables and tomatoes grown in the full tilt gardens. Amazing, amazing salads, rolls, and Vichyssoise, apples and wild plums, spearmint tea.

The moose season started yesterday, already heard of some people getting one! And on the way to the workshop, there was a processing business but I missed the giant moose hanging on the side of the road. Can't wait to eat some moose steaks.

stunning heights

I'm sick of flat MN forever! Kidding, but a hike in mountains along oceans will never compare to those over-used, over-worn trails of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Ryan, who is a 5th year folklore student from Oregon, took Kerry and me to his favorite hiking trail (in the region). It's the first trail he hiked when he arrived, and made him fall in love with Newfoundland. It was near the trail I hiked a few days ago, on that small peninsula, but instead we kept driving to the ocean to a village called Little Port. I wish I could encapsulate this trail in images (see 2008 alien/viking movie "Outlander" for that). The hike up was so steep it required ropes, when we reached the top we watched ocean fog blow over and obscure the view of the adjacent peak where the trail continued.
We continued along despite it, walking along cliffs above the ocean.
The goal was to reach Cedar Cove, but we first had to descend the hill, again using ropes. Minnesotans don't have to hike like that.


At Cedar Cove we attempted to make a fire and cook the vegan dogs we brought, but no luck... windy and wet.




We drove back to town and Ryan cooked us General Tso tofu, all homemade. I should really learn to cook.

Best hike I've ever had. Met some kids tonight who promise caving next week. Then there is the Appalachian trail to explore!