mourningdove

Day Two in Athens: The Agora and Ancient Greek Technology

After a quick breakfast at our corner taverna, Taia, we hopped on the tram for a winding trip from Kassomouli to Syntagma through the National Botanical Garden. From there, we walked through Plaka–both really touristy and really beautiful, with jewel-box Byzantine chapels and crumbling villas tucked at the end of alleys–to the Roman Agora. WeContinue reading “Day Two in Athens: The Agora and Ancient Greek Technology”

First Day in Athens: Anchovies and the Acropolis

I’m here in Athens tagging along with my colleague Birgit, who’s presenting at a really cool project called Weather Engines at the Onassis Stegi art center. The exhibition collects various interpretations by multimedia artists of the factors that drive weather–human and nonhuman, and Birgit is one of the scholars making presentations that help put theContinue reading “First Day in Athens: Anchovies and the Acropolis”

German Game of the Week: Bildergalerie-Solitaire

I learned a new form of solitaire from my colleague Birgit last week while we were in Spreewald. It’s fun and not too hard to win: you just have to make sure not to fill up all the open spots in a row if there are any cards already down that belong in that rowContinue reading “German Game of the Week: Bildergalerie-Solitaire”

Aikido and Rhetoric: Diplomacy

All life is a manifestation of the spirit, the manifestation of love. And the Art of Peace is the purest form of that principle. A warrior is charged with bringing a halt to all contention and strife. Universal love functions in many forms; each manifestation should be allowed free expression. The Art of Peace isContinue reading “Aikido and Rhetoric: Diplomacy”

People Gardening

So at around 10:10 am every weekday morning, the caretakers at a nearby nursery school pull a wagon stuffed full of adorable toddlers past my kitchen window on the way to the park playground. There are 4 toddlers on each side of the red wagon, facing each other and holding on to a yellow gripContinue reading “People Gardening”

Mask Lift

I’m going to kind of miss wearing a mask when we finally can stop doing it: it covers at least 60% of the evidence of my actual age!

Field-Trip Fridays: End of Spreewald Week

We finished up our retreat in Spreewald yesterday, so I’m at last posting the pics I took with my real camera. Friday night we paid a final visit to Schloss Lübbenau, built in the 19th century on the site of the family seat of one Count von Lynar or another since the 17th century. MostContinue reading “Field-Trip Fridays: End of Spreewald Week”

Ostereier, etc.

The Zorbish folks here get seriously into Easter. They have a tradition of making beautiful Easter eggs using techniques including batik-dying, etching, and embossing. Back in the day, these used to be presented to feudal landlords as tribute–decorated on Good Friday to be eaten on Easter Sunday. But now they’re blown out and kept asContinue reading “Ostereier, etc.”

Paddling the Lehder Graben

Yesterday afternoon we kayaked about 4 km to Wotschofska for some Hefeplinsen (yummy yeast-risen German pancakes, served at Wotschofska either with applesauce or cinnamon/butter/sugar). Sadly, they were closed for spring renovations! On the way back, though, we got to go through two of these cool self-service Schleusen (locks) that allow kayaks to navigate small rapidsContinue reading “Paddling the Lehder Graben”

Spreewald Holiday

So, I’m back in the Spreewald for a work/fun retreat with my colleague Birgit and her friends Ruth and Tasja. The weather is drop-dead gorgeous, and so far we’ve biked to town and rented kayaks to paddle the network of canals here. I was in the middle of trying to explain Spreewald to my friendContinue reading “Spreewald Holiday”