I’m having an affair. #america2013

So, as noted I’m back in the good old US of A and couldn’t be happier to be stomping around my old grounds. That’s how they say that, right?

Anyway, if you’ve been following my twitter or facebook and seeing all my ridiculous reverse culture shock moments I’ve been hashtagging away with #america2013.

For real, go to my twitter and read them all. This country is so crazy and I can’t believe I haven’t been here for 18 months. I can’t seem to stop eating.

To the title of this post: I’m having an affair; with Grand Rapids, that is.

Grand Rapids was good to me and represents everything about being independent, responsible, and adult-like. We were together for a few years and Grand Rapids made me the man I am today, for that I’m eternally grateful.

As so many relationships do, things turned sour. Grand Rapids just wasn’t enough for me. It offered me all its joys and comforts and splendor but I just hadn’t been anywhere else – I wanted, nay, I needed something more and something bigger. At the crossroads, I had to walk away. And it’s fine. Grand Rapids was cool about it and was all like “Tommy, this is fine. Don’t be cliché. I’ve been here before and I don’t need the whole ‘it’s me not you’ runaround.”

And trying to hide my tears seeing that I had very mixed feelings about the whole ordeal. I walked away and started something new with this great place that I had only heard about. Senegal.

We’ve been together for awhile and we’ve had our ups and downs. Senegal is just so… exotic and hot and fun and brash and unexpected (just so different).  Sure, it has been frustrating at times but – hey – that’s to be expected when you’re leaping a cultural barrier the size of the Atlantic, but we work through it. Senegal has taught me a ton and I think I have a bit more to learn, but I don’t think that this LTR has much steam left.

I’m at another crossroads, I’ve come back to Grand Rapids and we’ve picked up right where we left off. HOLY CRAP! I gave all this up? It’s all so comfortable and happy and warm and fuzzy and everything makes me feel so good.

I prepared for this though. I knew what I was getting into and I told myself that I would indeed feel like this, but I need to just reflect on good times already past and get back to Senegal.

Senegal and I, We’ve decided we’re gonna have a sit down and do a little DTR concerning our future. I’ve reflected upon it a lot and, if the good Lord wills it, I may be staying with Senegal for another year. But my old friend and former summer fling, France, has been calling as of late and could be the next one in the cards.

It’s a lot to think about but Grand Rapids holds an extremely special space in my heart and perhaps, one day, will have all of my heart again. Until then, I’m gonna enjoy this lovely month back in its comforting embrace and reflect upon the future when I must.

Passing time in village. #podcasts

So I have a lot of free time in village and I can get the BBC on my radio of course, which I love, but I have a slew of podcasts that I listen to most every day whether it’s in the morning while enjoying my breakfast in hut, or laying down for an afternoon nap. When I’m sitting in my hut, I’m listening to something.

Isn’t my lock screen great?

So I open the thing up and have to skip past those games – they drain too much battery too fast and it’s precious in village – and go right on to my music section.

There you will find the plethora of radio drama that keeps me entertained in village.

1. APM: A Prairie Home Companion – News from Lake Wobegon – Now this stuff is the best. You can’t get the full hour to listen to but this is Garrison Keillor’s monologue that he does at the beginning of every show. I downloaded a few years worth and listen to them first thing while I’m making breakfast. I’m soothed by his descriptions of the seasons in the states and every story is always charming. Perfect way to start my day.
2. Mars Hill Bible Church – Now this is one that keeps me close to home. I was going to Mars Hill throughout college and the few years after while I was living in Grand Rapids, it’s an amazing church with an amazing message and I try to keep up with things going on their by checking up on their website, reading my emails, and listening to the weekly teaching.
3. The Moth  – Absolutely incredible show and there’s never enough of these stories to satisfy my appetite. This is a 15 minute in-your-face story that’s perfect to play while I’m sweeping the hut or doing any other quick task. These stories are told live in front of an audience without note cards, just a mic. There are famous authors, actors, and everyday people who share their stories every week although I only get one. It drives me crazy that I just can’t hear them all.
4. NPR: Wait wait… Don’t tell me – Be still my heart I love this show. Every Saturday since college I’ve tried to listen to this and it became the cherry on top of the metaphorical NPR news cake that I was devouring each week to and from work. I loved it. A panel of hilarious guests to joke about the weeks news together as they play pointless games for points. Don’t even get me started on Paula Poundstone. She’s amazing. So amazing in fact, that I just got tickets to see this radio show recorded in downtown Chicago while I’m home. I’m obsessed. Perfect to start the 3 hour bike ride in and out of village. 
5. NPR: All Songs Considered – This one is hit or miss with me and I often don’t always love it, but when it’s on IT’S ON. Basically, it’s NPR telling you what type of music to check out and being NPR they have a lot of small labels and cover a lot of small festivals to get you the music that you won’t hear on the mainstream. So I check the titles of the recent ones, find one that I think that I’ll like and pop it on while I’m doing some sort of mindless task like weeding my backyard or washing my underwear. A great chance to hear some music that you might not get a chance to listen to otherwise.
6. NPR: Snap Judgement – So if you’ve listened to The Moth imagine that meets This American Life. It’s fantastic and as they say “Story telling with a beat.” There’s a DJ spinning to the stories and each episode has some sort of them. Half reporting and half story telling. You must check this one out and Glen Washington, the host, grew up in east Michigan and often shares stories of his Michigan childhood/adulthood as he graduated from U of M. This one often comes on right after I listen to a Wait Wait episode during my bike ride into the regional house.
7. Savage Lovecast – This one is definitely not suited for everyone as it is a blunt, in your face, sex and relationship advice from America’s favorite advice columnist, Dan Savage. His article is in papers all over North America and a few years back he started doing the podcast version of the advice. He takes calls and calls people out on all their crap. It’s sometimes heartwarming, sometimes tragic, always hilarious. It’s fantastic to listen to from biking around to sitting around
8. This American Life – Now if you don’t know the lovely stylings of Mr. Ira Glass at WBEZ Chicago, you need to remedy that real quickly. Like Snap Judgment, every week they choose a theme and do a radio show in 3 acts on that theme. Expert storytelling and expert journalism. Feels more like a documentary than a radio show. The man is a genius and this show’s been going since 1995. I can listen to This American Life anytime and anywhere. If I’m squeezed into the back of a cramped station wagon or riding my bike, as long as I have an hour of time, I will listen to an episode.
9. NPR: The Diane Rehm Show – How do I count the ways that I love Diane Rehm? Is it even possible? I think not. This woman is one of my heroes and she brings amazing journalism to NPR with a panel of experts to discuss topics in the week’s new she asks hard hitting questions from people on the left, right, and everywhere in between. It’s incredible and it’s on two hours every weekday. So what do I do? I listen to at least two hours everyday, of course. After listening to an episode of A Prairie Home Companion in the morning, I listen to this lovely lady and keep up on my news. I love her.
10. CBC Radio: WireTap – Both The Diane Rehm Show and this one are favorites of mine and my good friend at The Green Egg. She got me into WireTap and we never fail to discuss an episode of Miss Diane any chance we get. Wiretap is a half hour radio drama with Jonathan Goldstein, a contributor to This American Life. He does stories on a multitude of themes but has essays, poems, and short stories to share. There’s also a healthy dose of radio drama in which his friends, family, and coworkers act in an over-the-top conversation with Jonathan and it’s always spectacular. You should really give it a listen. This one is a brief 30 mins every week so I get it in around nap time or washing underwear or dishes.
    

Well those are my podcasts, I just downloaded NPR: Planet Money and I’m looking forward to listening to that again since it’s been a few years. Do you guys have any recommendations now that you see what I like? Perhaps you can just tell me while I’m home in the states!!!!!

SEE YOU NEXT WEEK, AMERICA!