Seat of Our Pants » USA

Guns ‘n Ammo

Martin — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 22:58:26 +0000

Growing up in Europe, we had all these ideas about America. You know the usual stereotypes: burgers, cowboy hats, endless opportunities and extreme violence fed by a complete lack of gun regulation. This last bit about the violence was no doubt fed by the hours and hours we’d spent watching cop shows such as Kojak, Hill Street Blues and Hunter.

Living in Europe, I never really questioned these misconceptions – not out of ignorance (or arrogance), but rather because I never got around to doing it. Now, living here, I often find myself chuckling at how we used to see this country, and at how people back home still probably see it.

So, back to the guns. Here’s how it’s dealt with here: guns are around, so you might as well enjoy them.

Hence, we took Mom in law to the trap range the other day. We blasted away at clay pigeons and had an outrageous amount of fun.

Guns at their best. Truly.

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Jersey Shore: Living Up To The Hype

Jaime — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 03:12:34 +0000

The ladies are burned to a bronzed crisp. The men’s hairdos are greased into stiff perfection. The sun is shining and tanned skin is as abundant as bad taste.

This is the Jersey Shore, a surreal strip of boardwalk that has been featured in a number of popular reality television shows recently. We were in the area and decided to stop by for an afternoon to see what the hype was about.

The boardwalk itself surprised me. It has a classic old fashioned vibe. Pastel colors abound, as do fun games and the usual bad souvenir shops. The beachfront has calm water (it’s the Atlantic ocean, after all) and white sand. It’s paradise – in theory.

The reality is this: the Jersey Shore isn’t about the waves or the sand (you have to pay to access the beach anyway). It’s all about the people watching. Yes, you could make the argument that all boardwalks are about people watching and I’d have to agree with you. But this one takes the cake. It’s, well, it’s just plain ridiculous.

Most striking, in my opinion, are the extreme measures the kids (most of the people strolling the boardwalk were high school age) took their bodies to. The boys were heaving around overworked upper bodies on little chicken legs. The ladies looked like they had just rolled out of a tanning bed because, you know, you have to tan before you go to the beach to tan.

The food was terrible, as Martin describes here, but the people were unlike any we’ve ever seen. And coming from two people that just spent 14 months traveling the world, that’s saying something. If you’re in the New York area and have a half day to kill, head on over to the Shore. Pack a lunch, plenty of sunscreen and at least $7 to get to the beach. Otherwise you might have to spend your day in the shade of the carnival games, vying for one of these fabulous prizes.

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The Sunny Center of the Free World

Martin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:43:38 +0000

The Forum Romanum, Trafalgar Square and the National Mall in Washington, DC. These are all big stacks of monuments, gathered together to impress visitors to each capital. The white marble monuments speak of warlike efforts, of heroism in the face of danger and of the self-glorification of the ruling people.

What makes the Mall stand out from the others is the fact that it is still a work in progress. New monuments, such as the World War II memorial, are still being added. It is also an active place of mourning and devotion – we found the Vietnam war memorial especially gripping: a place where people leave flags and flowers for their fallen loved ones.

Other than that, it is a pleasant, sunny expanse – the perfect place for a stroll with an ice cream in hand. If this fails to entertain you, you can always go check out the Lincoln Memorial. Isn’t Lincoln’s head just strangely Frankensteinish?

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Not What We Thought We’d Have to Fear

Martin — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 00:48:04 +0000

I think food is half the journey. I love trying new things, experiencing new flavors and making mental notes on how I’ll enrich my cooking once I come home. There’s also that element of fear involved: will my stomach be able to handle this stuff? Are deep-fried bamboo worms really safe to eat?

Coming back, we supposed that the stomach adventure was over. Food safety standards and pasteurized products would keep us safe from Delhi belly and the Rangoon two-step. Imagine our surprise when we realized that we had a hard time digesting American restaurant food. All those processed items like fluffy white bread, sausages, cheese and god knows what they do to meat over here – almost ended up making us sick.

Thankfully, our friends have been treating us to home-cooked food, made with love and good produce. Meanwhile, I’m not sure if I want to eat a cream cheese bagel or have a Starbucks latte ever again. Funny how things work out sometimes.

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Cheers to CKO Kickboxing!

Martin — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 00:43:31 +0000

One thing we’ve been missing throughout most of our trip is regular work-outs. The muscle groups used in long-term backpacking are surprisingly few: mostly a bit of shoulder work (for carrying those 80 lb backpacks) and some stamina-enhancing rushes between connecting buses. Throw in the odd 8 oz arm curl (aka beer drinking) and you pretty much get the picture.

So the other day, our friends at CKO Kickboxing in Whippany, NJ, treated us to a good old-fashioned kickboxing session. Kickboxing as an exercise form is completely new for me but not to my wife (she’s the Muscles in this relationship). The verdict? This is a great way to work out. The first 10 minutes are awful, I felt like I was about to throw my lungs up through my nostrils. After that, endorphins kicked in and I slowly began to feel better. A tough 45 minutes later and I couldn’t help but feel rejuvenated and happy.

This was a great way to start working out again. I wouldn’t mind if the soreness in my upper body was a little less intense, but then again I only have myself to blame.

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