11-17-07 

CROSSING THE POND…

          In late October of 2007 I found my cure.  I should have known it would present itself in the form of location and inherently culture. Given my track record of “grass is always greener on the other side” mentality to find a way around the writers block I’ve been plagued with recently should have been obvious. Location, location, location.  I haven’t drawn in so long but this place made me miss the very thing that’s starting to define my future and person I will become.  Europe was like a wake up call of all the things I’ve been missing out on.  You know you’re in good place when you can be exactly what you want and do exactly as you want.  You know this place is something different when if you walk all the way through the men’s room it becomes the women’s.  It’s my kinda place where last call isn’t an ever-looming deadline of intoxication but rather the next morning.  We’ve all heard the myths of Amsterdam, and they do not disappoint trust me, but what’s really special about Europe is the things that aren’t fantasized about by frat boys across the U.S.  It’s the fact that you can go out at night and not be judged by anyone.  When you’re standing in a pub or club no one cares if you’re wearing a long enough T, or if your if your goggles were sagging low enough in the park that day.  Your not in competition with anyone, your just in a bar having a drink, nothing more nothing less.  The best part is that people want to talk to you!  And they have relevant things to say!!!  I had more in depth and meaningful conversations in two weeks in Belgium than I’ve had in a year here in the States.  Don’t get me wrong though, I love where I’m from, there’s just something to be learned from new cultures, or more accurately very old cultures.  They’re a relaxed people.  They have styles that are so diverse the big box of Crayola’s doesn’t even scratch the surface.  Most importantly they think.  Their conscious of what they do and say.  Smart people if I may say so myself.

It’s the little things.  Riding bikes in Amsterdam just might be one of the funnest things a person can do.  Picture the chaos of millions of people (half of them stoned or otherwise) flying around very aggressively on thirty-year-old rickety bicycles through cobblestone streets barley wide enough for an SUV.  The stuff memories are made of.

AMSTERDAM!

October in Amsterdam.  I ran around like a tourist with the enthusiasm of teenager discovering porn, snapping photo’s at everything and most likely embarrassing my local tour guides 2/3 of the infamous Euro trio the “Duchies”. 

Graffiti is everywhere in Europe and I love it.  The debate will rage on with the likes of “Skateboarding Is Not A Crime” until those artists are given the proper outlets and respect for what they are doing.  It’s time to start recognizing Graf Writing as a legit art form, not just some juvenile way of vandalism.  I'm not a graffiti artist but I hold a ton of respect for those that are and often find inspiration in their work.  Nothing makes me happier than cruising the city and seeing the public artwork they provide.  Look to skateboarding for the path, cities that provided decent skate parks saw a drop in the so-called vandalism that street skating cause.  Young artist unite!!! DEMAND AN OUTLET!!!

I wonder if Anne Frank every saw a view like this from her attic?  I took this photo while strolling through Amsterdam one afternoon with Bo (my girlfriend at the time).  It’s my attempt at getting artsy with the photography medium that I’m actually farley unfamiliar with.  I loved how this photo came out though.

This was the most beautiful thing I saw in Europe.  This was taken in a hotel room one morning in Amsterdam and I was one the luckiest tourist in world to cruising these cities with one of their own.  I found two things over there, one being the kind of place that can inspire a bored American, and the other being the confirmation that this girl is all time, I could wait a decade to see a view like this again….love.  (She was a great a girlfriend and has now become a greater friend, much respect Bo, thanks for all the European memories.)

This was at the “Arcade Fire” show in Brussels, Belgium.  I don’t think I ever felt as comfortable cutting loose at a show in the States as I did at this show.  This was definitely the best show I’ve ever seen and seeing it over there made it that much better.

This is a photo that Bo took right at the perfect moment as a tour bus passed in the background.  On this night in Brugge, Belgium we were meeting some friends for drinks at the oldest establishment I’ve ever drank in.  The directions were easy enough, “go through the city center, take the road in the corner, take a right at the small street (the street was literally three feet wide) follow that to the end, look down into what looked like the entrance to a common cellar, and your there.  It was like pub hopping through Pan’s Labyrinth.

One of things I didn’t expect to happen in Europe was that I would have to use my public speaking skills.  I was asked by a high school English teacher who was in the middle of an American studies course to come and speak to her students.  This of course sounded like a fucking riot to me as I tend to thinks kids are the funniest things on Earth.  I was totally shocked at how smart these little punks were.  They had all morning to prepare questions on American politics, pop-culture, sports, laws, and even questions about my personal life.  I gave them free range to ask anything they wanted, even through in a disclaimer that I am not their teacher and might swear on occasionally.  I promised them no-holds-bar honest answers to anything they were curious about.  They asked everything from, “Do you know Paris Hilton?” to, “What are your thoughts on Bush?” to, “How did you meet your girlfriend?”.   It was unbelievable how much these kids knew, we debated highly intelligent issues for an hour and a half.  Even after the bell rang these kids were so genuinely interested in the conversation they didn’t want to leave.  In the States the kids would have been bolting for the door the second before the bell rang, but these kids even wanted a group photo!  This school was in what seemed like an industrial town, not much money and definitely off the beaten path.  Most of the students had never met anyone from the States, and notice the walls in the classroom.  I was surprised that were no computers, barely even posters.  The classroom was hardly mentally stimulating and compared to what most schools here look like you could go so far as to say it was poor, which I found strange considering Belgium's strong EU economy.  I want to give a huge thanks to the students in Deinze for having me that was something not soon to be forgotten.

I in no way consider myself a religious person but I could not help but walk into every church I saw, these things are unreal.  Think about all the corrupt things that must have happened in these halls, you don’t see this in the States.  Two things really came to mind as we toured these cathedrals, one being “how”, and the other being “this is some damn fine real estate”.    Asking how is a pretty natural reaction I think but when your second thought is real estate that’s personally a little disappointing.  I guess it's American capitalist mindset.  Your humbled and brought back to your basic thoughts of wonder when strolling these halls, it’s hard to think of much else in a place like this.

The girl in the middle of this photo was only sixteen…let me explain.  One of the things I discussed with the high school students was the U.S. laws on drinking.  After being out with this group of friends in Gent, Belgium this particular girl said she was leaving and that her father was picking her up out front.  This sort of took me back a little, I’ve never heard of such a thing in the States.  The girl to her right was her older sister and later informed me she was only sixteen.  Imagine this seen in the States, this was the opening night party of this particular bar, totally packed house, imagine a sixteen year old American girl here.  She would be falling over drunk with a puke stained blouse and probably under the radar of more than a few Cradle Robbers.  This particular girl however was very responsible, only had a couple of glasses of wine, spoke very intelligently on Bush (yes the Bush conversation again, as an American over there you will not escape this redundant conversation), and was the same age as the kids I spoke to in a class room across town earlier that day.  Not that I like spending my nights out on the town with adolescent kids but the maturity surrounding some issues is incredible.

Speaking of maturity, this is me in Leuven, Belgium.  The nightlife in Europe is amazing.  They don’t even bother going out to the bars until at least eleven.  The beers are much smaller though, making this photo a little less absurd.  Those are only ten ounce glasses, the top three ounces foam.  So in actuality that’s only 70 ounces, or in more American terms, 4&1/2 pints.  However I am standing back at the bar trying to order a few more and this was taken relatively early for European standards…hey it’s a Holiday, and I landed an art show earlier that afternoon, CELEBRATE!

This was taken on one of the many trains.  The train system in amazing, if you lived in the city you could go your entire life and never even get into a car.  A little logo placement never hurt anyone… shout outs to the Lowdown & Ramco, thanks for the deck, see ya in the spring.  If you’re ever in Leuven go to a shop called Lowdown, these guys are great and they have one of the best shops I’ve seen.

I looked closer at this car and these are actual bullet holes.  Maybe I was wrong about civilized and socially responsible people of Europe.

          I am back on the art train and I have Europe and Bo to thank for that.  I’ll be spending most of next summer and fall there and I can’t wait.  It’s an amazing place, maybe even a new home.