The Eph and I

Since I am still living at home I'm trying to keep my weekends busy, so this past Friday night I visited one of my good friends, Abby Rampone. at Williams College. It had been a month since I had seen her, so I didn't know if she had become an ultra hipster or something, but I was happy to find that she was stil the same awesome person. We did the typical college stuff, eating in the cafeteria and taking a tour of campus. We checked out her room and entry and then hung out in her dorm room. Their junior assistant was there, who I was slightly unimpressed with because he said he had been to UVM before with the Williams a capella group, and didn't remember what the UVM group was (guess I'm a little overly judgemental!) while the twenty-one year old freshmen hockey player came carrying a whole box of beer and is passing it around to everyone that was passing by. For someone that really didn't have much of a social life in high school, this was a major culture shock, so Abby, her friend Megumi, and I set off on our adventure through campus.
Even though we had eaten dinner before, we went to the Jewish Sabbath dinner anyways. We sort of intruded right in the middle of it and everyone saw us awkwardly coming in, but we were warmly welcomed. Abby was feeling a little uneasy about things, which was totally understandable because we were kind of getting the cold shoulder, so we left and then went to the Pop Rocks Catholic club "party." There was no one there, some party right, but across the hall we heard a bunch of laughter and chatter, which was from the Muslim Student Association. Abby recognized her friend, Bushra from Dubai (who also took a gap year working as a journalist,) and we went over there to see how it was "crack a lackin" (AKA what was happening.) Bushra invited us to join them, but I felt a little uneasy at first, maybe because I haven't been around many Muslims, but my time with them was by far the highlight of my time at Williams. They were the brightest people that I had met on campus and were also seemed happiest. I didn't feel like I was out of place at all. We spent over two hours sitting playing "fish bowl" (which is kind of like charades) and then went to do the typical college thing, eat ice cream at 12:30 in the student center.
Three months ago, I thought I knew that I wanted to be a dual major, maybe with History and Chinese or Environmental Science, but my past few experiences have changed my thoughts. My mother has said that if you want to become fluent in a language then you should really enjoy being around native speakers. Although I have met some lovely native Chinese speakers, the majority of them have not been people that I would find myself being friends with. But after my time with the Williams Muslim Student Association, learning Arabic is definetely on my checklist, as well as starting to be a Bollywood fan. (I am a little disappointed that UVM doesn't have an Arabic program.)

A River Runs Through It (Utah That Is!)

Travel can give one new insights on the world and themselves. After my past few trips I have come to greatly appreciate Vermont and have narrowed down on where I would like to live and what career I'd like to pursue. While in Utah I was able to appreciate the scenery but also able to appreciate Vermont's protection of natural resources and the people that inhabit it.
Late Friday night my dad and I arrived in Salt Lake. Despite being exhausted we drove to Park City, where would be staying at the Canyons Resort, one of three ski areas in Park City, Deer Valley and Park City being the others. The Canyons is actually one of several mega hotels owned by David Siegel, who sponsored Newt Gringrich's 2012 campaign (no comment.) Because it is a ski hotel it is only navigable coming from the slopes,which my dad and I were doing, so we were pretty much stuck in a never ending labrynth with migrant housekeepers popping out of nowhere (they were helpful.)
                                                    
Saturday I was very light headed, partially due to exhuastion and high elevation (Park City is at 7,000 feet opposed to Brandon, VT which is 431 feet.) Later we went to the fly shop in Heber City to get our fishing licenses and to meet my guide, and to meet my guide Jim O'Neil. Later, when we were getting ourselves geared up to fish in the Provo River, I told Jim that I had no expectations of getting a fish, and he give me a bewildered look. I got three brown trout: a 15 inch, a 16inch, and an 18 inch. The fishing is actually really good in Provo, due to the constant current speed and temperature (57 degrees Farenheit all year,) which are controlled by the Jordanelle Dam.
Sunday we had another guide, Brian, who was a transplant from North Carolina (there are a lot of transplants from the south in Utah) and is actually a snow patrolmen at The Canyons. After three hours of fishing I hadn't been able to catch anything, and was growing extremeley frustrated,  mostly due to the fact that my dad had already caught five by that point. After changing my fly and getting the right cast I got a bite and striked. After a long fight the fruit of my patience was a 19 inch brown (which I don't have a picture of.)
Later on we went to the house of the woman who was organizing the conference that my dad was attending at The Canyons. It was pretty awesome, but the most interesting aspect of the house was how it was built around this big red sandstone table that sort of looked like Aslan's table from The Chronicles of Narnia.

Monday my dad had meetings with educators from around Utah, so I went to work out, then I got lost and went groccery shopping. After his last meeting with dual language curriculum coordinators we headed to Falcons Ledge, an Orvis sponsored fishing lodge in Altamount, to spend the week hiking and fishing in the Uintas. We were originally going to backpack all week but after my father's double henia surgery and the 90 mile canoe race he wasn't feeling up to carrying a 50 pound pack. During our stay there was a beginners adult fly fishing camp, which consisted of mostly people from the south who didn't know much about the outdoors and really just wanted to drink and eat the whole time.

Tuesday we hiked into Granddaddy Basin, where a chain of small lakes are located. The trailhead was at 10,000 feet, so the temperature was already cool, but when we reached our destination the temperature had to dropped to above freezing. By then we were under a horrendous thunderstorm with hail and the whole schaBANG! We didn't see any fishing rising and the storm didn't look like it was lightening up, so we headed back. On our way back we noticed that the top of the Uintas were actually covered in SNOW! No wonder I was so cold! While driving back we noticed that although we were on national forest land, there were cows everywhere by the streams. This got me slightly outraged, because I had learned that fertilizer, which sometimes comes from cow poop, causes water to become polluted.

 

That eveing we went to the local hotspot for dinner, in nearby Altamont, which was pretty much the equivalent of eating in my parents old shipping room with the walls painted orange while eating food served by the FFA booth at the fair. But this was the only decent place for 25 miles, so who can complain, especially when two meals cost $10. While driving to Altamont we went by the natural gas processing plant (the flame below is from the plant.) Oil is a pretty big industry out there. Across from where we ate was a huge brand new high school. It was bigger than Otter Valley with the student body the size of Proctor.?

                          

Wednesday we were supposed to have a guide, but because of the all the rain the streams were off color and the currents were extremely strong. So instead my dad and I went on another hike to another lake, but could not reach it because the trail was blocked by a another raging river. We did have beautiful views of aspen forest and the highest point in Utah, Kings Peak. While I was hiking I kept thinking about how everywhere I had been the weather had been off: Ireland the weather was ridiculously dry, Vermont had way too many thunderstorms, and Utah was having a wet autumn.

Thursday we drove to Falming Gorge, which is the dammed up portion of the Green River. We stopped in the fly shop in Dutch John and met the owner who was actually from Paul Smith, NY. He told us all about his crazy canoe adventures in Canada, mostly in Algonquin Provincial Park. He mentioned how he had been through Indian Lake, which you can only camp on islands because there is a group of recluse Indians on the shore. Because of the Indians, adventurers are only allowed to bring flare guns as protection, which they actually need because polar bears will track them down. We went on our way and fished on the lower part of the Green River. We were fishing in a canyon, which was awesome, but the coolest thing was when we saw two deer, a mother and her fawn, swim across the river. We didn't catch anything, despite there being 20,000 fish per mile, mostly because of the wind, but we were entertained by the drift boats. When we got back to the parking lot we saw a group of ambulance and an emergency helicopter. We later learned that it was one of the women that were staying at Falcon's Ledge. She dislocated her hip but her pain tolerance was high because she was taking oxicotin.

Friday we had a guide and we did fish. Our guide, Mike from Kansas, was one of the managers at the lodge. He graduated from Kansas State a year ago and spent a season working at a fishing lodge in Patagonia, Argentina. We fished the Rock Creek, where I caught three rainbow trout. I had to stop for a while to give my dad a chance to get a fish, which he did. Afterwards we headed back to Heber City.

Saturday we hiked up to Stewart Falls, which is up the road from the ski resort that Robert Redford owns, Sundance. There were over a hundred cars in and around the parking lot, which is understandable since we were near the metropolis of Utah (Provo, Salt Lake, Park City.) After hiking we went back Heber and fished in the Provo one more time. Within five minutes I caught a fish. I was actually incredibly proud of myself because I did all of the handywork independtly.

That evening we went into Salt Lake, which is sort of a mega Burlington with Mormon headquarters mixed in. We went out to dinner at The Copper Onion, which was so good, considering the food that we had prior to then. After dinner we were orignially going to go to the Olympic Square, but our waitress told us that it was under construction, so we went to a nearby mall. Walking to and from was sort of eerie, considering that it was a Saturday night and there was barely anyone around. 

                                                        
After the trip, I have come to several conclusions. First, I don't think I could tolerate living in the Wild West. Yes, it is beautiful and I do live in a rural place, but some of these towns are so desolate and it's a distance to anything. Maybe I am a little biased when it comes to Vermont, but I need some sort of natural green, not manicured type. But overall, after my past few experiences, I really wish that I had done two years worth of Moosalamoo, opposed to one semester. Maybe it would have been better for me, considering how terribly junior year went, but also I would have had the opportunity to learn how to fly fish and how to properly steer a canoe. But life shouldn't be all about regrets. Right now I'm thinking of the Shel Silverstein poem about all of the didn'ts and the wished and the won'ts, well I did and I will. I think I'll make that my "catchpoem" for my gap year.

Ireland

9/10/13

After my last post I've been asked by several people to write about my trip to Ireland this summer. Well, here it is. This past July I went through the University of Vermont's Continuing Education program to take a course in Irish History (which was taught by fellow Brandonite and UVM history professor Kevin Thornton.) We stayed at the University College Dublin campus, which is located in the Dublin suburb of Stillorgan. For our academics we had three hour lectures in the morning, and in the afternoon we took day trips to sites that corresonded to the material that we learned that morning. To get to and from the UCD campus we usually took public transportation, which really helped get a sense of Dublin cutlure. In order to recieve a grade for the course we had to write two papers, one that focused on the texts that we read before and during our trip, and the other was about something that had interested us while in Ireland (I chose to write about St. Enda's, which was an experiential school established by the revolutionary martyr Partrick Pearse.)
The amount of information I learned about Irish history is astonishing. Because I was so immersed in the subject that I was learning I felt like I gained a totally new perspective. Last year I took AP European History. Personally, I thought that the curriculum was biased when it came to the topic of Catholicism vs. Protestantism. I felt that I was routing for Elizabeth I to chop the heads off of Blood Mary and Mary Queen of Scots. However, I didn't know that Elizabeth I promoted plantations to be formed in Ireland, forcing the natives to be pushed off of their lands. I didn't know that Catholics were unable to receive a proper education, unless it was to become a priest. I also didn't know the amount of influence the Irish had on the world, such as having one of the first anti-violent political leaders, Daniel O'Connell.
Now, let me get to the highlights of the trip. We went into to Dublin so much, that I think I know it better than any other city I've been too, including Rutland, Vermont. The day after we arrived we went to the National Museum, which had a lot of Viking and Medieval artifacts.

                                                    

The next day we went to Powerscourt, which is a grand estate, which is located in Enniskerry, in County Wicklow, which is south of Dublin. I actually think that I might be distantly related to the family that originally owned the estate, because my great-grandmother's maiden name was Power. The Powers family was one of the first groups of people to migrate from England to Ireland during the time of the plantations. Also, Powers evolved from LePoher, meaning poor. 

                         

Right after our visit to Powerscourt we went to Glendalough (Gaelic for Valley of Two Lakes,) which was one of the major medieval monasteries in Ireland. It was founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century, and was destroyed by the English in 1398.

                        

The next day we went to Dublinia, a museum about the vikings and Medieval Ages in Dublin. It was a little cheesy, but it was a nice thing to do for teenagers that were still suffering from jet lag. Below is my friend Johannah and I in some Medieval ware.

 Monday afternoon, after learning abou the Tudors and Cromwell, we went to St. Patrick's Cathedral (where Jonathon Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels, is buried) and Christ Church. Both were Catholic, but after Henry VIII formed the Church of England, they both, and still are, were put under the domain of the Church of Ireland. 

Tuesday we learned about the Protestant Ascendancy, and that afternoon we took the classic Viking Splash Tour. The tour consisted of us going around the city and screaming at pedestrians. Because our professor was so good, we already knew the majority of information that our tour guide gave us. However, we did get to see the original U2 studios.

That afternoon we walked around Grafton Street, and two girls and I went to St. Steven's Green, which is the equivalent of New York City's Central Park, but smaller. That evening we learned how to play gaelic futbol, which is a combination of soccer, basketball, and handball. 

Tuesday we went to Trim Castle, where Braveheart was filmed, and Newgrange, a neolithic tomb. The highlight of the day was going inside the tomb at Newgrange and seeing the light come in through the passageway.

Thursday we had a lecture on O'Connell, and in the afternoon we went to Castletown House, located in Cellbridge, another grande estate. Unlike Powerscourt, the inside was preserved, thanks to the Georgian House Society. It actually reminded me a lot of Downton Abbey, which made things even more fabulous.

Friday we had lunch at the Brazen Head, the oldest pub in Dublin. AFter our meal we went to City Hall,  Dublin Castle, and the former House of Lords, which is now the Bank of Ireland. At 2:30 we had a tour of the same sites with just a few extra facts. (Left to right: Dublin Castle, House of Lords, Dublin Castle lawn.)

Saturday we went to Dalkey, which is where Bono and Enya live. That evening we went Celli danicing. (Below Dalkey Harbor.) A funny story about that day, was that after going to a historical renactment we took a short walk to the top of a hill to see the ocean. Because it hadn't rained in two weeks it was very dry, and to much of our surprise there was brush fire. Some kids and one of the teachers decided to go and find the source of the fire. Some fire trucks camp up, but turned around because they didn't see anything, and then when we were coming down we almost got hit by some tankers. 

Sunday we went to Croke Park, where the sports part of the Gaelic Athletic Association are played (gaelic futbol, hurling, rounders, and handball.) The GAA was established in 1884, as part of trying to preserve Celtic traditions. The interesting part about Croke Park and the GAA is that all of the seats cost the same (90 Euros), the fans mingle with one another, and all of the players are amateurs. That afternoon we had all afternoon to wander around Grafton Street. My friend Marissa and I decided to instead go to by O'Connell Street, and found some cool Asian Markets. Later we went to watch cricket on the Trinity College campus. (Below: Croke Park, Cricket at Trinity.)

Monday we went to Kilhelmain Gaol, which is where many of the revolutionaries from the Easter Rising were held before they were executed. Also, during most of the 20th century many children that they purposely committed so that they could have food and shelter. It was very somber, yet interesting.

Tuesday we went back into downtown Dublin to take a Revolutionary tour, which focused on sites that were important around the time of the 1916 Easter Rising. Highlights included the Abbey Theater, which was the center of the Celtic Revival and where many Gaelic plays were performed, as well as the Garden of Rememberance which was a memorial for those that persihed during the rising. That evening we saw the legendary Riverdance, which was FANATASTIC!!!!!!!!!! (Below: Garden of Remembrance.)

Wednesday we went to Collins Barracks, which is actually another national museum with mostly materials from the 17th century to the present. It was interesting getting there because we had to get a cable car from O'Connell Street through the northern part of the city. For those that are not familiar with Dublin, the city is bisected by the Liffey River. The northern part is the poorer part of the city (my Left Foot takes place there,) while the southern part (which is where UCD) was much more manicured. Actually, while on the train I heard my first and only authentic Irish accent.

Our last day on the Emeral Isle consisted of going to Leinster House, which is where Parliament meets. It reminded me of the the Vermont State Legislature, maybe because of its small size (they're actually getting rid of their Congress because it's so small.) Afterwards we went took a tour of Trinity College and saw the Book of Kells, as well as thelibrary that is the basis for the Jedi library in Star Wars. 

Overall, my two weeks in Dublin was AMAZING!!!! My classes were highly intriguing and I was lucky to be surrounded by kids that were also passionate about history. I enjoyed doing the work that came along with the course, and actually feel lucky to have read Seamus Heaney's Field Work in his native country while he was still alive. When I do come back to Ireland I do plan on traveling around the rest of the country, but I feel that because I took the course I will have a deeper understanding and appreciation of Ireland's culture and people. 

Bring It On!!!!

9/8/13

I am proud to say that my father and I finished the Adirondack 90 Mile Canoe Classic. After three days of exhausting paddling in the scenic Adirondacks I feel unbelievably sore and rewarded. For those that aren't familiar with the 90 Miler, it is an endurance race that goes from Old Forge Saranac Lake and is divided into three sections. The first day is 35 miles, and goes from Old Forge and ends at Blue Mountain Lake. Second day is 30 miles, and goes through Long Lake and goes along the Racquette River for 20 miles, with only one long, technically difficult carry. The third day is 25 miles, and goes from Fish Creek on Upper Saranac to the town of Saranac Lake, with only three short carries amounting to a half a mile.
The course on the firs day goes through the Fulton Chain, then through Racquette Lake, the Marion River, Uttowana Lake, Eagle Lake, and then Blue Mountain Lake. There is also a total of 3.5 miles of extremely long carries (when you transport your boat over dry land.) The first day was by far the hardest day, not only because of the long distance, but also due to our expectations. My father and I expected there to be a lot of 80 year olds just doing the classic for fun (all the 80 year olds passed us.) We were actually surprised to that most of the participants were wanna be 60 year Olympiads, with their carbonfiber paddles, and special racing boats. We on the other hand had a touring kevlar canoe with traditional paddles. Our technique was also inefficeint, with us overextending our strokes, and going slower than we really should. After eight and a half ours of paddling, we did finally reached the far shores of Blue Mountain Lake.

Here we are before starting Day 1 in Old Forge.

 And here is us during our first portage through Inlet. Quiet chaotic and stressful for a first time canoe racer. 

On the second day we started at Long Lake (here we to the starting line.)

From the starting line, we went done the length of Long Lake, which is 10 miles, and then 7 more on the Racquette River, until we reached the main carry of the day 1.5 miles of strenous terrain along the length of Racquette Falls. It was only steep uphill and downhill, with plenty of boulders in the way. 

After the portage, we went through 13 more miles of the Racquette River. It was similar to the Otter Creek with steep banks and with the scenery rarely changing. Overall, we did improve our speed and technique, as well not overstraining our muscles. 

The third day started at the Fish Creek Campground on Upper Saranac Lake (here we are at the start.) 

Technically, it was the hardest day to canoe. With winds blowing up to 20 miles per hour, the waves in the open water were large and frequent, which made navigating through Middle and Lower Saranac difficult. Although we were going slow, we told ourselves that going at a steady pace would have to be acceptable. Though, after over five hours of paddling with the wind at our face, we finally reached Saranac Lake. 

Here we are reaching the finish on Flower Lake.

And look, we're still happy!

So bring it on world! Let's see what other extreme activities you have in store for me. Maybe the Seville Marathon?