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Saturday, December 20, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Pictures
If you want to see all the pictures from my trip to the USA and the Dominican Republic, follow this link to Picasa:
http://picasaweb.google.dk/sundboell/200810USADominicanRepublic?feat=directlink
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Carpe diem. Ready for new challenges !
Six eventful, challenging and exciting weeks are coming to a close. It's Saturday morning, two days left here in the Dominican Republic, before I take the long trip home to Copenhagen, via Miami, New York and London. I'm sitting at the breakfast restaurant at a mountain hotel, with a view on the roaring Jimenoa river right beneath me - and pondering what I have spent the last 6 weeks doing....and the last 8 months...? With the fear of sounding cheap, I'll say I've been around...;-).
It started out with Tokyo and New Zealand - a city vacation and a road trip. Just what I needed at the time, having quit Maersk and wanting some time on my own, just to relax, enjoy, set my own pace.
Next came Fred and Anne-Mette's wedding, then a week in Dubai, then two great weeks in Greece with my family, a week in Switzerland, a weekend in Newcastle with Daniel and his family, then another four wonderful weeks in Switzerland in August. I love Lausanne - it's a beautiful city. Then two weeks of studying in mom's summer house at Mols (very cosy, by the way - will have to remember that !), before another short trip to Lausanne.
And then off to the US and the Dominican Republic; a few days in New York, two weeks working for the Obama campaign in Durham, North Carolina, back to New York and now two weeks here on the island of Hispaniola.
I can't complain, can I ? But what have I actually achieved, what have I done ? Well, I have studied and applied to get into a business school, let's see how that works out. And I have helped make history in the US - even if just a tiny little part of it (I saw the dude himself, up close and almost personal). There's the un-quantifiable, but potentially even more important, part about having had time for myself to think, philosophise, challenge myself creatively and wonder where to go next. And besides that, I have relaxed, enjoyed, experienced and taken a break from working since I was 19.
The negatives may say I'm lazy. I'll say that life is not only about working hard - as long as you don't drift around for the rest of your life. I saw a chance for a mini-retirement (in the words of Timothy Ferriss), and grabbed it - carpe diem, or carpe the opportunity ! But don't look at these months as a reward for good, faithful service to the working community; no, I believe you also achieve something for yourself, when taking time off like this. So, instead of saying that the whole experience is coming to a close, lagging towards the end, I'll rather say that I'm now bursting with ideas, recharged and ready to take on new challenges !
Bring 'em on !
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Hotel Haven - the first review
The light just went off in the entire neighbourhood here in Zona Colonial in Santo Domingo. That happens almost every night, so we're used to it. Earlier today I returned to the capital, after two days in a small house in the countryside about a hours drive out of town. Out there we didn't have any electricity, except what the generator provided. For two days I have been eaten skinny by mosquitos, slept in a hammock and lived on whatever Mother Earth provides - voluntarily ! Here's the story.
Berit and Willie had a dream - well, actually two dreams. Willie wanted his own land, grow his own food and raise animals - and Berit wanted a life, away from the 70-hours-per-week-rat race, where materialism and speed were not the main factors, but where the two of them could build a family and a little business. So they moved to the Caribbean, to the Dominican Republic and bought 22,000 m2 of land filled with coconut palms, avocado trees, lime trees, bushes and a lot of other good stuff. Now there's also four dogs, two horses (soon to be three) and a guard - plus the occasional rat, a million mosquitos (of which I've killed 999,999 - the last one kept bugging me till the end...!) and some Haitians running past once in a while. See www.beritjeanette.com for good reading, when you need a little escape.
Having arrived in the Dominican Republic on Sunday, I spent Monday walking around Santo Domingo with Berit and enjoyed the sunset from their rooftop terrace. Life is beautiful. Tuesday, I took the bus to the east coast to try out a few days of so-called all-inclusive resort life. White sandy beaches and beautiful blue ocean, with a first-class view from the my terrace....and fat Americans and middle-class Dominicans, loud music for those coming here to drink free coconut punch all night, every night for two weeks and a noticeable ambience of low-class, charter-vacation-to-Lloret-de-Mar. Am I being judgmental...? Perhaps I just didn't pay enough for my all-inclusive ? Life was still beautiful, though. Thursday, going back to Santo Domingo, I had two funny experiences in the bus; first, a preacher stood up and blessed the entire bus, made a long sermon, blessed us again, asked the audience some quiz-like questions about the bible, blessed us again, asked us to come to church on Sunday and donate some money - and blessed us again. Next, they put on the new James Bond movie, and I thought the piracy business here in country was quite cool - until I heard James speak to Q in German, with Spanish subtitles. Besides that, they hadn't really calculated the trip correctly, so half-way into the movie, we were back in Santo Domingo...
A quick repack and then we went straight to Berit and Willie's land of dreams. And you could hear my jaw drop to the cement floor, as we arrived ! Oh, it was primitive - especially coming straight from Lloret de Mar. But we had a great time there, though; what beats lying in the hammock at night with a freshly opened coconut drink, watching the stars to the sound of thunder and lightning (and the buzz of that last mosquito !), with a candle light and burning coconut leaves (to chase away that damned mosquito !), while chatting and being served great, fresh (it doesn't get any fresher that this) food ? What beats swimming in the Caribbean with good friends and two dogs, while the locals turn their stereos louder and louder to lure us into their beach restaurants - where we then get served the best fish I've tasted in a very long time ? Forget about the rat, the lack of electricity and running water; those obstacles will be overcome soon. Forget about the mosquitos (unless the one that's left finds a partner, it will die within a week) and the humid heat; I can see why Berit and Willie wants this so much !
The verdict
It's all very exciting and so completely different from everything we know in our safe, cocooned normal life in the Western world, that no matter what your expectation were before coming, you can't help being taken aback. Both by the hardship (yes, honestly; I had to flee that damned last mosquito, back to the civilization in Santo Domingo) - but also by what Berit and Willie are building out there, with their bare hands !
So, the verdict on Hotel Haven - the first-ever such review, before it becomes world famous; this zero-star, all-inclusive soon-to-be-cabana resort is so pure an experience that you will love it just for that. The host couple provides an excellent service and are very knowledgeable about all the facets of their kind of ecological tourism, from how much a coconut palm produces per year to riding the horses and cooking simple, but excellent meals. If you are a high-powered CEO, do this to de-stress in a cold-turkey-away-from-your-laptop kinda' way; if you are a backpacker or all-inclusive resort traveller, combine a four-day stay here with all the rest of the attractions this island offers. You will not regret the experience, you have my word !
Thank you, Berit and Willie !
Next
Back in Santo Domingo, I am now sitting on the terrace of Berit and Willie's nice apartment. The electricity is still out - but the little corner shop downstairs unfortunately has a generator somewhere in the back, so that doesn't stop them from blaring out loud music all night long. The cousins of that damned mosquito are all here, although not as numerous as out in the country side. I've rented a car - and tomorrow I'm driving north, up to the Samana Peninsula and the north coast, where there should be more bounty beaches and beautiful nature (can you get enough), plus the historical sites of the first European settlers in the Americas (besides the Vikings, of course !) and cute little villages. I'll drive back through the mountains, planned arrival in Santo Domingo on Sunday, the day before my flight back to Denmark. I better enjoy the last week of the Caribbean, before it's back to colder (aaaahhhhh....) climates - and see if I can get my mosquito kill tally over 2 million !
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Verdict on the USA: The Friendly Nation
I already knew the US would be a land of contrasts - I never expected them to be this stark, though. Here are the new, polished, suburban neighbourhoods with their prettily manicured lawns, clearly built for the wealthy, well-educated PhD's from the research triangle - and then here are the incredibly (at least for a Dane) poor neighbourhoods, with worn-down ramshackles, barely keeping out the weather and certainly not fit to pass a test by Danish authorities. Here’s the beautiful, beautiful nature with everything you need – and the boring, boring inner cities and mall landscapes.
But mostly, here’s a country whose reputation in many countries is of a superficial and arrogant people – and all I saw was a lot of incredibly friendly people. Yes, I have to get used to everyone (even the guy passing me in the street) asking me ‘how are you’, without answering them back ‘well, you know, I’m a little bit...’. But you certainly make so many more friends in this country, than you do living in for example Paris.
Take it from me; of the 25 nights I have spent in the US since arriving on Oct 15th, I have only spent 6 in hotels. I spent 16 nights on Lansing Avenue with Meredythe and Irwin in Durham, 2 nights with their wonderful friends Karen and Bill in New York (oh, we’ll just call them, they’re really nice people, I’m sure they don’t mind you sleeping there !) and one night with Hendrik in Washington. And I’ve known Hendrik the longest; less than a month ! All of these people let me into their homes, just like that – I’m amazed and grateful.
Besides that, I also briefly met the nice Danish family, the Bollerslev’s ! A funny co-incidence, I bothered them with phone call number 50 from the Obama campaign – and I ended up having breakfast with Marian and Tim halfway round the world on a Tuesday morning. Funny, isn’t it ?
I had expectations and prejudices when I arrived – we all do. The AT&T company was exactly as incompetent, inflexible and piss-me-off-annoying as I had feared it would be. But the hope and Yes, We Can attitude won a big victory. And the American hospitality exceeded my already high expectations – thank you for doing that, guys !
Thursday, November 06, 2008
North Carolina called; I take credit !
On election night, I had rushed downtown later that night, to be with my team the rest of the night. They were all happy and partying, as we went back to the office – but there was one little issue nagging us all; North Carolina had not been called for either candidate, as the numbers were simply too close. As the night wore on, it became clear we would not get an answer, a closure on what we had been working so hard on. Some had been here for months – so don’t tell them that North Carolina is not important, even as Obama had already won by a landslide.
But today, finally, somewhere in the constant flow of other news items, North Carolina was finally called – for the good guys ! I can only imagine that Eric, Damian, Spencer, Nora, Victor, Jessica, Donna, Stephanie, Becky, Dan, Chris, Alex, Phoenix, Kathy and Charles (who did I forget ?) were cheering as much as I was !
When people here in Denmark ask, I take credit. The margin ended up at only 12,000 votes in Obama’s favour – and I’m sure that’s exactly the 12,000 doors I’ve knocked on ! Who said that sticking flyers in doors doesn’t help ? I chose to believe that I made a tiny little difference in electing the next American President – we all made that tiny little difference...
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Durham ain't that bad, after all...
The morning after – and I’m about to leave Durham, on my way back to New York.
I quickly liked the people I met in Durham, from Meredythe and Irwin, over the team around the Obama campaign, to the Americans whose doors we knocked. But I’ve never hidden that as a city, Durham leaves much to be desired ! It has a boring downtown (or none at all, actually) and quite simply lacks life ! I’ve already gotten the history lesson about how the white people fled the inner city as segregation was banned, sparking the suburbanization, the segregation into black and white neighbourhoods instead – and the death of the inner city. But it doesn’t change the fact that a young man can’t go to a decent cafe after 20h to get a beer and read a news paper or his emails – while the malls stay open till 23h !
That was my impression until Wednesday morning, when Meredythe and Irwin took me on a guided tour. We saw the beautiful surroundings in the Research Triangle Park (can we do something like that in DK, please ?), the inspiring Duke University campus (British style, big parks, old buildings – just bigger !) – and we were lucky with the sun bringing out all the best of the autumn colours everywhere.
Durham ain’t that bad after all – and I may have to come back in a couple of years to check up on the progress...
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Obamania / E-Day
E-Day is upon us ! Good morning to the day America has been preparing for the last two years. This is the big game, bigger than Super Bowl and The World Series.
Today is also a tragic day; yesterday, the day before the grandson she helped to raise is likely to become the first African-American president, Obama’s granny died from cancer, aged 87 - she was the last of his parents and grandparents alive. Obama had been in Hawaii the week before to see her – but we had all hoped for her to at least get to experience his big night, the big night for the whole family. Passing away less than 48 hours before this incredible moment in history...makes you wonder a bit, doesn’t it...? Condolences from Denmark, Barack...
The radio show hosts are spilling over with enthusiasm – and so are the weather Gods; it’s pouring down for the first time since I arrived in the US three weeks ago. Starbucks and Ben & Jerry’s are quick to see the opportunity to catch freezing or wet voters waiting in line; they are giving out free coffee for those waiting in line tonight between 17h and 20h.
Coming to work this morning again amazes me. Even more people have showed up today, to go out and ring those last door bells and make those last phone calls. No more flyers today; now it is just about getting out that vote, knocking on all the doors possible. If we find an unlucky victim who admits to not having voted yet, we drag him into our cars and drive him to the polls ! Before noon, we run out of turfs to cover, or list of doors to knock – so we start diverting volunteers to other counties where they need them. Late afternoon most bets are off, and Eric, myself and another volunteer just drive out into a neighbourhood and start knocking on doors in the darkness and pouring rain. When finally we find Bryan, who hasn’t yet voted, I drive him straight to the poll site, while the others keep knocking. Coming home, we high five for having literally dug out one more vote for the good guys !
After a short stop at a staging location, where rumours are already starting to fly through the air about who has taken which state, I drive down town and watch the coverage on a big screen set up for the purpose. This is a day of partying; bands are playing and people are braving the rain, standing in little clusters and looking at the big screen, cheering when something happens (mainly when the networks announce that Obama has carried a state). After a little while, though, I get tired of the rain – and start missing the remote controlled cinema at Irwin and Meredythe’s house, so I rush home and viola, election nights as it should be, the American way; in a big chair, with chocolate pop corn and two screens to follow several networks at one time. ABC seems to be a bit faster on the trigger than the other networks – but I prefer CNN, for some reason. As the night rolls on, it becomes clear that McCain’s chances of coming anywhere close to winning are as small as all the pundits had predicted – and growing smaller by the hour.
At 22h00 Eastern Time, ABC calls Virginia to Obama – yet another upset to McCain, and a clear victim to the 50-state strategy. With that, and as the polls close on the West coast, ABC immediately calls California for Obama, pushing him beyond the magical 270 electoral votes. History is made; we now officially have the first African-American president of the United States of America. Within 30 seconds, all the other networks also call it – and scenes of joy erupt all over the nation ! Live scenes are shown from Grant Park in Chicago, Times Square in New York and.....downtown Durham !! Meredythe’s silently sheds a tear here at Lansing Avenue...;-) What a beautiful moment – I know I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.
Soon after, McCain goes on stage in Arizona to make his concession speech. His supporters are understandably disappointed and he has to calm some of them down. And he only adds to the emotional moment for the nation, by giving probably his best speech of this election. He is gracious, he tells us how much he loves this country and will continue to fight for her, how he will fully support President-elect Obama and do anything he can to help the transition process – and you can see on him, hear it in his voice, that he 100% sincere. More sincere than any of the mud-slinging or political stump speeches; he truly loves his country.
The crowd in Grant Park is working itself up and after a short while, the new First Family comes onstage in Chicago. The pictures will go down in history; everything from Michelle’s dress, to the young girls, to the kiss between Barack and Michelle, to the tear rolling down Obama’s cheek as he shortly mentions his grandmother. They will all be shown again, published in books, remember and pulled out many years from now. In his speech, Obama continues to pound on his ‘Yes, We Can !’ mantra – and the 250,000 people in Grant Park go nuts, along with the half or whole million outside the park and the many, many more around the country. Jesse Jackson and just about all the women (and many men) in the crowd shed a tear – many cry openly. I probably had a little lump in my throat, too...;-).
My dear hosts, Meredythe and Irwin, grew up in a time where segregation was the law in many states. It is only a little more than 50 years ago, when a black man couldn’t even sit next to a white man on the bus – something that my generation cannot comprehend. Irwin was in the middle of this, being the first African-American to graduate from University of North Carolina and a visible figure on the various sports teams when he was young. Meredythe and Irwin never thought they’d see this day. I dedicate this victory – if I may be so grand – to them, because they opened their house to me and tolerated me for two full weeks. That in itself is a test ! ;-)
Thank you, Meredythe and Irwin !
Sunday, November 02, 2008
The Obamachine
The experts on CNN tell us that every generation has a new way of organizing. Already before E-Day, they predict that not only may Obama win the election – but he has already redefined how a campaign is organized in this time and age. Although they try to remain objective (some networks more than others), they are all in awe over the way Obama and his chief strategist David Axelrod, have redefined this game. The Obamachine is particularly strong in its ground game – the hard work out in each of the battleground states, of which I have been lucky to be part.
For the Americans, convenience is king – for better and for worse. This is what has brought about drive-through McDonalds as well as drive-through pharmacies (I’ll take three Advils, two bags of morphine and a bottle of mouth wash) – but it also means that participation in elections has been slack for many years – and he, who can bring the voter everything on a silver platter, has a good chance of ‘getting out the vote’, as we call it – and win the election.
Look at how one of the best staging locations in Durham is run; a house opened up to volunteers, simply because the owners believe in the cause. Freshly brewed coffee, snacks, breakfast and everything you need to keep the energy going. Phoning stations are set up everywhere, from the bed room to the front porch. 5-10 people constantly sitting around the dinner table, hooked up to the voter database, and punching in numbers all day long. And then the all-important game-changer; so many volunteers, that a poor Dane cannot believe his eyes. Families, older couples, young students, single moms – the front porch is filled with people, just waiting to be told what to do, which doors to knock or who to call. They’re given a pack containing a list of addresses, flyers or door hangers, a 10-minute introduction to today’s talking script – and off they go !
Yesterday alone, the team in Virginia knocked on 1 million doors – 1 million, baby ! That’s one sixth of the Danish population – in one day ! If only Kraeftens Bekaempelse or some of the other charity organizations had these resources, imagine what they could accomplish...
Some people say it comes from Obama’s days as a community organizer, combined with David Axelrod’s impressive organization – which is probably true, you do need a strong management team. But I give these grassroots much credit as well; they’re not just hands and feet – there’s a lot of brains here, too !
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
How can you NOT like the guy...?
Wednesday was an amazing day – the best of this trip so far. North Carolina is still a battle ground state – one which, if Obama carries it, could effectively clinch the election – and as such the candidates are making frequent visits here. Biden was here a couple of days ago, Michelle Obama was here Wednesday, too – and yesterday we had Ashley Judd campaigning to get out the student vote. But, most importantly; Obama was back for a rally in Raleigh (makes me smile every time I say that...).
Our dear Field Organizer, mr Spencer White, had managed to get us VIP tickets – so at 08h30 we were off, four of us in the car. We arrived in Raleigh to find lines stretching three blocks – and thanked Spencer is our minds for getting us VIP tickets. We parked illegally – and hoped the officer handing out parking tickets wouldn’t be Republican.
After buying the mandatory t-shirt, waiting in line, going through security checks etc, we finally found ourselves inside the Halifax Mall, much closer to the stage than I would have thought. People were still cramming into the big outdoor mall and the atmosphere was like only the Americans can create it; nothing like boring Danish politics (see previous entry). It’s a show – and you’re the spectator.
The pre-show started with a few introductions, then a local field organizer for the campaign, who was given his 15 minutes of fame. Like at a sports game, the breaks were filled with music ranging from U2 to ‘Only in America’ (country; check http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/brooks-and-dunn/only-in-america-4920.html for a glimpse of the American dream). Then the pledge of allegiance (all turn towards the big American flag and put their hands on their chest) and then a choir performing The Star-Spangled Banner. But finally the rock star arrived...!
From where I am standing we can see the little white tent where he is hiding– and the camera eagerly waiting for him to step out. And off it goes ! Jeers, Obama signs everywhere, Stars and Stripes ! He comes onto the stage, takes a tour, radiates confidence and calm, before settling the crowd down to start his speech – and the rest is a solid performance by a genuine man. Mixing standard stump speech lines with issues important to the voters of North Carolina, while still managing not to look like your typical practiced speech (it is, though; he gave almost the same speech a day later in Missouri. That’s the name of the game). He doesn’t promise too much, either; when commenting on the many jobs shipped overseas (a touchy topic), he admits that many will not come back from the low-wage countries. Instead he emphasizes how he intends to create new jobs through the promotion of green energy, making USA a frontrunner on e.g. solar and wind energy (Vestas, watch your back !). On education, he intends to hire an army of new teachers and pour lots of money into the education system (my 15 year old friend coming down with us in the car looks content) – but also emphasizes how education is the responsibility of the parents, how they have to turn off the TV and the PlayStation and do something active with their kids (my 15 year old friend freezes). At some point, while Obama is laying out his policies on education and health care, a woman next to me in the crowd asks ‘how can you NOT like this guy ?’.
Suddenly a guy somewhere in the crowd faints – and Obama, seeing this, asks whether he is okay, asks for a Samaritan to get there and asks people around him to make space. ‘You gotta eat before these rallies, people – remember that ! Now, what was I talking about...?’. After the end of the show, he checks in again – and throws his water bottle to the poor (now, probably very happy) guy. Obamania will continue for at least another week, but this show must come to an end, because there’s another rally in Florida later that night, from which Obama will be transmitted live on national television. So the rock concert ends with Obama walking around the edge of the stage, taking his time, touching as many people from the crowd as possible (Secret Service must hate this part !). Unfortunately I was just about three meters too far away from the fence, with a few too many eager people between me and the dude himself. But Achiri, one of the guys with me in the car from Durham, makes a snap move and manages to shake his hand. The guy is 15 – he will remember this for the rest of his life ! Right, Achiri ?¨
Pumped, we walk out of the mall, again buy the mandatory t-shirt (I bought another 3...), bumper stickers and fridge magnets. From now on, the rental car goes by the name The Obamobile....
As a fitting closing note for the day, Obama goes live on 5 national networks at 20h00 with a so-called infomercial. America tunes in to 30 minutes of un-interrupted (you do not interrupt an infomercial with commercials...), pre-arranged, no-annoying-McCain-to-debate, sweet-background-music Obamania. Interspersed with clips from the lives of average Americans (where was Joe the Plumber ?), Obama re-iterates (if, somehow you have managed to miss them) his political views on the economy, energy, healthcare, education, foreign policy and all. Was it a bit too much ? Yes, perhaps. Did he make sense ? Yes; it was clear cut. Was he presidential ? Certainly.
PS – pictures will follow ASAP
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Divide and conquer
It’s always interesting to follow the latest strategic moves. McPalin is forced to play defence, and the odds are stacked up against them.
59% of voters do NOT think Palin is qualified for the VP job, much less for the top job. MSNBC, the most Democrat of the networks, has one expert describe it like this on their ‘McCain in the membrane’ evening show; even at McDonalds they require three job interviews, she only had one. Perhaps the basic McDonalds job preparation courses would actually do her good. A note on Palin in the rear view mirror; post-election, the internal war in the Grand Old party has broken out, accusations of her ignorance mounting. It’s like a soap opera to watch; she apparently did not know the difference between Africa – the continent – and South Africa – the country...
The Obama campaign is sticking to their 50-state promise, and have announced they will run ads in many Republican bastions, including Arizona. They’re probably not going to win Arizona – but the PR value alone of backing McCain into a corner where he has to defend his own home state is unmistakable ! States like Virginia and North Carolina have not voted Democrat since 1964 – and are now 50/50
The race for 60 seats in the Senate is on. 60 seats would secure a Congress completely held by the Democrats, where Republicans cannot even use the so-called filibuster-veto to stop legislation. In North Carolina, the race is between incumbent Elizabeth Dole, an old insider in Washington, and Kay Hagan, the Democrat. The race is dirty, with allegations of Godlessness (Hagan took money from groups denying Jesus Christ) and in-efficiency (Elizabeth Dole only spent 15 days in NC in 2006) and questioning of family values flying through the air. Ads, law suits and counter ads are the order of the day. When we campaign for Obama, we of course also strongly urge the voters to vote for Kay Hagen and the rest of the Democrat ticket
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Short notes from the campaign trail
- The term suburbia takes on a whole new meaning here in the USA. There are beautifully polished neighbourhoods with rows of new houses, with Stars and Stripes on the front porch, manicured lawns, wide driveways and three cars in the garage. And then there are low income neighbourhoods...
- In the rich neighbourhoods, however, you get the feeling of cocooning, a certain isolation. There are ‘no soliciting’ signs everywhere and many are actually rude, when they open the door. It’s like ‘how dare you step on MY lawn ?’...
- In the poorer neighbourhoods, on the other hand, there’s often a more open attitude. Granted; their guy seems to be winning, and we are the bearers of good news. I’ve been invited into the living room to sit and discuss with a fat, African-American guy in his boxer shorts, I’ve been asked if I didn’t have a dollar to spare, I’ve been asked whether people in jail or on parole can vote, we’ve met and hugged a woman who grew up with Gandhi and whose son is now an undercover FBI agent (!?) and I’ve driven old madam Deloris to the polls because she was SO happy she would have a chance to vote. My point is that these people are much more open and share much more – in the rich neighbourhoods, we never got this close to anyone. I wonder in which category the Danes fall...?
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
When is my next fix...?
Everybody is talking politics these days. America eats it for breakfast, you hear it on the radio and on TV – it’s everywhere. People wear their party affiliations on the outside, signs are plastered in the front lawns and in all traffic lights, t-shirts and badges are almost mandatory. It’s a circus – and Obama is the biggest rock star of them all right now, closely followed by Palin (she only plays punk rock, though – Obama plays everything from classical to easy listening pop).
And I’ll admit it; I’m caught up, too. I have become a political junkie. I love the entertainment element – and the rock star is my idol. This is so much better than boring Danish politics. Amusing thought; imagine Anders Fogh debating Obama in front of 100m viewers ? It would be a thrashing...! There’s 24 hour politics on CNN and all the other networks to satisfy my craving for a fix – and I wonder how I will re-enter the real world after this...
I arrived in Durham, North Carolina a week and a half ago, to start work two weeks before the election. Spencer and Becky greeted me at the office, and since it does not require a degree in rocket science to perform many of the tasks we have, I was off pretty quickly.
We canvas and make phone calls during the day, and at night we type all the information (what the voters we made contact told us in terms of choice for president, senator and governor, whether they intend to vote early, need rides to the polls or would like to volunteer etc) into one big mother-database. Next morning, that database then spits out new lists of voters to contact and the whole thing starts again.
There is a pleasant dorm-like atmosphere in the office; and it’s definitely Management by Chaos. People come and go, some are only there for a couple of hours (says Obama; make a few calls for me, knock on a few doors – and so we do) – others stay until 3 in the morning (Eric, go home !!). If you come from a business background you can’t help thinking there’s got to be a better way to use the resources, to get in touch with all voters – other than walking from door to door, sometimes only finding below 10% at home, and thus just leaving a flyer. But then you think about it; we would all lose our motivation if we were put in cubicles and asked to do the same job all day long (hey, you’re good at data entry; do that for 12 hours now !). Freedom is the motivator – now there’s an interesting concept that many companies could learn something from !
And somehow it all manages to come together; there’s hot food almost every night, a full fridge (we still live on junk, though), things just work. Management by Chaos ! I’ve heard people mention upwards of 15,000 volunteers in North Carolina alone (for the Democrats, that is) – and at an event in Reno, Nevada they had asked for volunteers during a weekend and expected 200 to come; 2000 (!) showed up, mainly from California. It works – and the media widely reports this campaign as one of the best run, most effective and tight organisations in the history of presidential elections. And that’s only on the numbers-side; the enthusiasm, I’m told by everyone, is beyond what anyone thought possible. It’s awesome (an American word used too little in Europe...!) to be a part of !
Now we just hope that people will not vote with their couch brain, but actually use a bit of common sense when they make their decision (read Rolling Stone’s very interesting take on this; http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/23318320/mad_dog_palin). Paris Hilton is actually running her own campaign – but in my humble opinion, my guy - Obama - has slightly more intelligent views than Paris and Palin...
Sunday, October 19, 2008
God bless our troops. Especially the snipers...
I'm in the South now. Not the Deep South just yet - but far enough down the east coast to see McCain / Palin posters in most driveways, far enough to see a Methodist or Baptist or Adventist church more often than usual. There's more country and blues music on my car radio, than there is rap and pop. This is the Bible belt - or the typically red states, as you hear it very often in the media these days. This is far enough South for you to find a bumper sticker reading 'God bless our troops. Especially the snipers' on the back of an old Ford pick-up truck. I'll just leave that one hanging for a little while, for everyone to digest...
I left NYC Saturday, after some great, but stressing days. I still haven't found THE perfect hotel to stay in at a decent rate, so I ended up trying two more hotels, other than the hostel I stayed in the first night. Both were decent, but nothing spectacular - and still too expensive.
I love New York. I always knew I would love New York, but being there really confirmed it to me. It's an amazing city, so full of life, so dirty, so crazy. And what probably confirms it to me the most is that I haven't even seen 1% of the whole city. It almost stresses me out that I can't even decide where to spend a few hours; should I go up to Central Park, down along Broadway, through SoHo and The Village ? Should I try the east side, where I've never been before – walk across Brooklyn Bridge, see the UN and so many other things ? Instead, I ended up jumping on a sightseeing bus, hoping I could take it all in during the two hours’ drive. I was wrong, it just stressed me even more, knowing there are so many things to see, experience, taste, try ! And that's just Manhattan - then there's the rest of New York, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island. Baby, we’re gonna have to live here one day !
And so I left New York on Saturday, having to start the long drive down to Durham, North Carolina. I didn't know what to see enroute, where to stay or how long it would take - so I just set the GPS for Durham and started driving. I drove most of Saturday and ended up staying in a little town called Charlottesville, at the Red Carpet Inn. It certainly wasn't fancy - but it was cheaper than New York, and I just needed a place to stay for the night.
This is also the beautiful South. Today is Sunday, and I’m getting the very best of it. The sun is shining from a blue sky, the temperature is mild autumn - and I'm getting the very best the USA has to offer. So this morning I loaded up on a Starbucks triple venti latte with vanilla and decided to try the Skyline Drive, a picturesque drive down through the Shenandoah National park. The autumn colours are everywhere, there's a lookout point every 200 meters with some amazing view of some amazing mountain - it's almost too much !
I've called and told my host that I will arrive tonight, so I can be ready for work tomorrow morning. As a volunteer, they offered me housing, which just shows how committed people are to the cause - I was quite amazed to hear that. So I'll leave my little Virginia lookout point - where I'm sitting and writing this post - head on further down south and into North Carolina. I can't wait to start working tomorrow, meet the people. Hear more country and blues music, experience the Deep South - and perhaps even see some more of those redneck bumper stickers.
But first, I have a few more hours of driving. And with weather like this, a car like mine, country music on the radio and another refill of Starbucks, that's not the worst thing to spend your Sunday doing. Although some around here would opine I should be in church...
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Aaaaaahhhhh.....Welcome to The City That Never Sleeps !
I had a terrible trip across the Atlantic: had to run across Heathrow's new Terminal 5 to catch my connection, because BA decided to just arrive a bit late. It's probably quite an impressive new building, that Terminal 5 - apparently the biggest freestanding building in the UK - but I wouldn't know, I didn't see much of it !
Anyway, I made it to my onwards flight and at least we weren't cramped, so I had space to sleep relatively comfortably during the trip. So I made my first ever NYLON trip (as it's famously known) - or I guess I did the LONNY ? I had a nap and otherwise just tried to get rid of the cold I had caught in the last couple of days - by relaxing, relaxing, relaxing !
As I touched down, I think it first occurred to me the experience I'm about to have. I've only visited New York once before and only for a weekend - so just that will be an experience. But going down to Durham in North Carolina for three weeks to help out on the Obama campaign will hopefully be an even bigger experience. So far, Becky and Spencer from the North Carolina For Change team have been really nice and forthcoming.
But the problems weren't over. BA didn't manage to connect my luggage in London, so I was told it would only arrive on the next flight. Luckily there's a flight about every hour, so it would only be 2-3 hours. I contemplated whether to stay at the airport and wait for it - or trust the airline to deliver it correctly at a hostel in downtown New York ?
The problem solved itself. National Car Rental had also fucked up, and I had to discuss with them for an hour, before I could get my car - a nice, gas-guzzling SUV (when in Rome...) ! So I ended up going back to the BA terminal, got my luggage and left JFK airport only 2.5 hours later than my arrival - with my bags !
I had booked a hostel bed in downtown New York - www.broadwayhotelnyc.com - after having seen a recommendation on a Danish website. It was cheap, okay - and the location is smack down in the middle of Manhattan - but damn it, I'm too old to sleep in a room with 5 other people, tip-toeing in at 01h30 in the morning with my entire luggage. I'm just not 19 anymore - I'm 30 ! I slept in all my clothes, with a blanket - and didn't have the energy to take a shower. Luckily nobody was snoring !
At 05h00, I couldn't sleep anymore - still on Denmark time (11h00). I got up, sneaked out of the room, and went downstairs to check my emails amongst the cleaning staff and early-morning 19-year olds. I found an old dingy couch, an electricity plug - and they have wireless internet.
And so, here I am, at 05h30 in the morning, at some rundown hostel on Manhattan. Now I'll go do the New York Experience - welcome to The City That Never Sleeps ! Har har haaaarrrrr....!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Delayed post card from Travelling Uncle Mac
It is now more than a month since I came back from New Zealand – but the New Zealand post service must be very slow, because only now is my post card arriving to this blog.....better late than never, though. Right ? I’ve got a few good stories and some pictures uploaded, so enjoy the rest of my trip.
Where did I finish last ? Yep, I had just arrived on the South Island and spent the first couple of days in some very nice little towns on the north coast. Especially Nelson is very cosy and beautiful with the autumn colours, plenty of cafes, and little outdoor coffee shops on the corners.
Driving down along the west coast from Westport, the weather acted up; heavy rain sometimes and nice sunshine the next. Fortunately, when I arrived at the two glaciers, Franz Josef and Fox, the weather gods were happy. I arrived before noon and looked for a ways to get up to the glaciers. Trekking was out of the question; the Tongariro Crossing was enough for me ! So a scenic flight sounded like the good solution. And it wasn’t difficult to find; basically the town of Franz Josef is made up of one main street through town, consisting of only tourist shops, a cafe and a gas station. So I got on a helicopter with three other people – crammed and not the best view from the helicopter itself. But once you get out and walk on the glacier, up there in the snow, with an astounding view, it’s all forgotten !
I was now officially in the region of The Southern Alps – and they are just as breath-taking as the real Alps, trust me ! I love driving – and when I get to drive on mountain roads, with little creeks, waterfalls and steep roads everywhere, then I’m happy ! After having slept in Franz Josef – and unfortunately missed quiz night at the local cafe – I drove down to the cute town of Wanaka. The alpine setting is beautiful – and even the guide book mentions the incredible autumn colours.
The main town in the region, however, is Queenstown. It is yet another cute alpine town, like Wanaka – with amazing colours, a lake and mountains all around. But it is also the self pronounced ‘extreme sports capital’ – and the town where bungy jumping was born. Bungy jumping is one of the things I promised myself, already before leaving Denmark, that I had to try. So Thursday June 5th was BJ-day (he he he) – I went to the centre early in the morning to book the jump, so I wouldn’t be able to talk myself out of it during the day. The whole experience is well coordinated; you’re picked up by a bus in Queenstown, taken to the jump site at the Kawarau Bridge, where there’s a whole audience just looking at the crazies jumping ! Once you’re out on the bridge, obviously the adrenaline is rolling – and luckily there’s really no way back; you’ve paid for the thing, people are watching you – and you want the damned t-shirt !! So you’re strapped in, asked whether you want to touch water (yes, sir) – and suddenly you’re standing out there, the security guy behind you with a hand in your back. He doesn’t push you....you have to do it yourself. You smile at the camera, lift your arms up and out to the sides - and suddenly you’re hanging in free air – it’s a crazy experience ! At Kawarau, the free fall time is only a couple of seconds, perhaps 2-3 seconds – at another site close to Queenstown, the free fall time is 8 seconds ! 20 seconds later, I was hanging with my head down, being picked up by a little rubber boat on the river. Walking back up to the centre, I’ve never felt more filled with adrenaline – and was wearing a big smile ! ;-) The rest of the day, I felt I deserved a rest. So I treated myself to a massage, a big load of sushi – and read Barack Obama’s ‘The Audacity of Hope’ in bed. It really rules having vacation !
The next day I drove down to Te Anau, the main town in the heart of Fiordland National Park (and three other national parks, I believe) – and where a lot of tours to Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound are organised. In and around Te Anau I could really feel that we were getting into winter here in the southern hemisphere – there were strong winds from the south. I later learned that the Southerlies, as they’re called, are blowing in straight from Antarctica, freezing cold and often dumping a lot of snow. I wanted to try the overnight cruise, but unfortunately we were just out of season. Instead I went with a small company called Trips’n’Tramps, opting for a coach ride down to Milford, a cruise on the Fiord and then back the same night. We ended up only being two tourists, plus our guide and driver, Steve. Steve has been driving for 18 years, so he knows what he is talking about – and I certainly don’t regret not driving down to Milford myself. Steve was knowledgeable, he took us on little tramps into the forests along the road down to Milford, showing us waterfalls and things I would have never seen if I were alone. Down in Milford, we boarded the cruise boat for a two hour cruise. I don’t think I have to say that it was amazing; Mitre Peak is probably one of the most pictured mountains in the world, rising abruptly almost 2000 meters straight from the fiord. We saw waterfalls en masse, steep cliff faces, little coves, the Tasman Sea – and a seal. I’ll let the picture speak for themselves. On the way home, the first snow started falling – and I would see more the coming days.
After Milford, the rest of the trip was more like ‘on my way home’. I would have to drive most of the coming days to get back to Christchurch in time – and I had given up on reaching Kaikoura to go on a whale watching tour. Don’t get me wrong; the landscape is still incredibly beautiful and I love driving – but it felt like just another stops en route back to Denmark – and there’s only so many beautiful mountain tops and lakes you can see, before it feels like you’ve seen them all...! So I drove across the southern part of the South Island in three days, coming through Omarama and Geraldine and finally ending up in Akaroa on the Pacific Coast, just outside Christchurch, the day before I was to fly off. Akaroa is actually worth a mention; a cute little weirdly French town, inside an old volcanic crater, now turned into a bay with dolphins etc. I spent the last night in the camper with probably the best view of the trip (from my camper, that is). And....for the first time, I tried fish’n’chips – and could certainly get addicted...
Next day I started the 36 hours of travel back to Denmark; Christchurch to Auckland to Hong Kong to London to Copenhagen ! I don’t mind the travelling, though; call me crazy, but I like being on the move and I like the busy and international atmosphere of airports. Funny thing, though; from Auckland to Hong Kong I was sat next to an older man from Tonga. I think this was his first trip ever outside Tonga and certainly on an airplane. So he needed help in everything, from turning on the movies to finding his way to his next flight in Hong Kong. And at night, he somehow felt so warm, that he had to sleep bare-chested, until a stewardess came and asked him to get dressed. He he he. Isn’t it just beautiful how we all have the possibility to travel around the world today – you just have to do it, jump into it !
And so endeth’ my trip halfway around the globe, to Tokyo and New Zealand. Even having done it alone, it was a great experience and just what I needed at the time.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Post card from Travelling Uncle Mac
I am hearing about beach weather in Denmark these days, which – I must admit – makes me a bit jealous. Here I am, on New Zealand’s South Island; and it is freezing cold at night ! Why would anyone be crazy enough to travel so far, just to experience autumn ?
So, it must be time for an update from New Zealand. I have now been away for a little over two weeks, of which five days were spent in Tokyo and a week in the North Island of New Zealand. The last two weeks I’ll spend here in the South Island. And it has been an impressive two weeks, so far !
It started out with the 11 hour flight to Tokyo, and straight into the Shinagawa Prince hotel, room with a view on the 30th floor. The first day was a bit jet-lagged, but I managed to get out and see a bit of town. The Ropppongi district was like an eye-opener to the immense city, and I felt like a dumb tourist as I walked around just looking up at the skyscrapers. The coming days I covered what I feel is only small parts of an enormous metropolis, but I did manage (for those who know Tokyo) to cover the Yoyogi park, with families on Sunday outings and young garage bands showing off; Shibuya, with so many people that poor little Simon got all confused (and a parade, where a guy showed off...); Omote-sando, the Frederiksberg of Tokyo; the Ginza shopping district; the imperial palace; Asakusa, with pagodas and a shrine; a river cruise and the Onshi park, with a little cute tea house in the middle of this bustling city. I also managed to disturb some locals with my appetite for sushi at a standing sushi bar – and to have a White Russian on the 39th floor of my hotel. Puha, that was a lot – I really felt like a tourist !
So, my honest opinion about Tokyo ? An impressive city, no doubt. It has everything – and then again, it lacks something ! I don’t know if it is soul or what it is. It just doesn’t have the beauty and charm of a Paris or the city-that-never-sleeps of New York. Many will disagree with me – and granted, I may be biased towards particularly Paris and New York. But I just didn’t feel that ‘thing’ for Tokyo – it was all too hectic and impersonal. Perhaps (or most likely) I just need to spend more than five days there, live there – and not ‘just’ be passing through...?
On to New Zealand, to visit the Kiwi’s, as the locals call themselves. All went well getting off the flight, finding the rental company and getting the camper van (as they call an autocamper downhere). I’d been told that for every week on the North Island, I should spend two on the South Island – so that has roughly been my aim. I started out going north from Auckland, wanting to reach the famous Bay of Islands, supposedly a little treasure bay with bounty beaches, lots of islands in the bay (voila; hence the name) and plenty of little sailing ships, diving etc etc. When I arrived there the day after flying into Auckland, it was just pouring down...! So much for autumn in New Zealand. So I decided to skip the northern part of Cape Reinga and instead go south again. Down along the west coast, through beautiful landscapes to Waitomo, famous for its caves. On to Rotorua, which just mainly smells like burnt pop corn all day long (actually it’s the sulphur from all the thermal geysers in the region).
And then, what must have been the best day so far, in the Tongariro National Park. I arrived at the camp site in Taupo at night, and was tired enough to not think, but just book the so-called Tongariro Crossing for the next day. I was up at five the next morning, ready to be picked up at six – to be on the trail in the national park at eight. Had I known what I was going to go through that day, I would have stayed in bed - I guess you can call it blissful oblivion...? 18 kms in about 7 hours; through desolate, rugged moon-like landscapes, up The Devils Staircase, to the South Crater (again, like being on the moon, except now the sun was coming through the clouds), up the Red Crater Ridge, finally to the top of the mountain. The ascents was tough for a city-boy like me – and I think that Snickers on the top of the mountain is the best I’ve ever had ! Then downhill – great, I thought, that’ll be easier ! But it is actually surprisingly hard going downhill, mainly on the knees and the heels. Down past the Emerald Lakes and Blue Lake (again, the stench of sulphur), a stop at the Ketetahi Hut and then the final trek to the end station. I thought I was almost there – but my watch showed me I still had three hours to go. Like I said, had I known it would be like this, I would have never gotten out of bed in the morning ! Finally down, I managed to sit for a full hour in the outdoor heated swimming pool at the camp site that night – just sitting, resting my legs...! But of course, looking back, it has been an amazing experience, the best so far !
The next day, I just spent driving down to Wellington, where the ferry would take me across to the South Island. I passed through a little city called Dannevirke; the most Danish thing I saw there was the city sign with vikings on it – and a street named Alexandra Street.
Finally over on the South Island, I have spent the first three days just enjoying the northern part of the island at a slow pace. From Picton to a little camp site on the Marlborough Sounds, where I went swimming (you have to !); then on to Nelson, a cute little city, with stops on the way to try a so-called Flying Fox and some horseback riding (I know; just call me a tourist !) and then finally on to Westport, where I am staying tonight. So far, the South Island is incredibly beautiful – and I haven’t even seen the west coast with the glaciers, the Milford Sound or Fiordland (viola; with Fiords...) National Park or Kaikoura with the whales and dolphins yet. And....I have yet to try bungy jumping !
More about that in the next episode...
Simon-san
PS – mom, I haven’t had any accidents and been driving carefully, don’t worry ! ;-)
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Off to New Zealand !
Rudyard Kipling called it the 8th wonder of the world. It's 7 or 8 times the size of Denmark - and 1000 times as magnificent !
North and South Island; whale watching; Milford Sound and Mitre Peak; adventure sports; the place where Lord of the Rings was filmed; the rugged South; Auckland - and you could keep going. I'll arrive in autumn or early winter - but I don't necessarily need summer and beaches. I've always loved driving - and I can't wait to experience this great country.
First there's an exam to take care of on May 14th. But right after that....off to New Zealand !
If any of you have been to New Zealand or have already dreamt about travelling there, I'd love to hear your suggestions; where to go, what to see, try or eat ?
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