Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Freedom of Speech

A man came to visit the land of freedom this week. He was invited to speak at a university where young and able minds were to decipher his aging wisdom. Even as a foreign national this man has the freedom of speech, which he intended to use at this university. Only problem is that in the land of freedom and free speech this man is considered dangerous, hence many free people had a problem with his freedom to speak, so they set the wheels in motion to use their own freedom of speech to let this man know that his speaking and freedom to do so was not appreciated. Also, if he could please abstain from saying anything at all, that would be preferred. He came, he spoke, and he provoked, a stir heard around the world. Later, after his speech, this man also wanted to use his freedom to visit Ground Zero, a place many free people have determined he helped create, but despite diplomatic international law allowing him to travel in a 25 mile radius of Manhattan's navel, the police has decided not to give him the freedom of travel. At least not there.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Traffic NYC style

It's UN week in the city and all the important people of the world have come to play, like worms in an apple. There are 192 member states of the United Nations, and as far as I know Norway alone has about 100 people scurrying the hallways. So if all the 192 member states each have the same amount of people, that means we have an invasion of about 200 000 new people in UN attendees alone. And that’s not counting the people who work for the people who are attending, making sure their schedule is up to par, the Secret Service and the bodyguards traveling with the higher ups, and the media here for the event. To top it off, these people are all staying within a 20 block radius of the UN, which means pretty much all in the same spot as half the radius goes into the East River, and the higher ups all have to travel in motorcades due to the fact that, well, they need to enforce a certain amount of security to make sure these heads of state don’t get into trouble. So the whole mid-section of the city is jammed by motorcades long as a city block packed with guns and protective eyes, each with a police escort to make traffic shy away, although the only other vehicles on the road to cause traffic are other motorcades equally long, also with a police escort to keep traffic away. Due to these chains of cars all traveling within 20 blocks of each other, everyone in a hurry with important meetings to attend, you get something so rare as a motorcade traffic jam.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Homeward Bound

A’ight. So it’s time to head back to city life. Actually, this is me talking from my kitchen table, in my smelly chinese neighborhood of New York City. Not exactly Alaska, but a wilderness in its own right. So, from now on, there will be some radio from the big Apple while the Last Frontier awaits in limbo.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Rich to be poor, poor to be rich


I just bumped into a guy who works as a park ranger during the summer. His job consists of floating rivers in a small rubber raft to make sure tourists behave as they’re paddling downstream; not littering, not leaving a visible fire pit, not leaving any trace of human existence at all. If he sees such a trace, he’ll stop, clean it up, and hunt the perps down to slap them with a hefty fine. Apparently it's the park's biggest selling point, true wilderness, some of the last on earth, he says. Because of this everybody who goes up there are entitled to the true Louis and Clark experience, and the illusion of setting foot where no man has stepped before. He, in turn, acts as the park maid.

One of the biggest reasons the park needs maids like him is that people will spend thousands of dollars to be able to go wild and live free. Travel to Alaska, get all the necessities for weeks on a river, get to base camp, fly to be dropped off at the mouth of a river, overweight on equipment, and finally the trip home. Apparently most folks spend about $6000.00 for the experience of essentially living where money has no meaning. Bears will take anything but credit cards. They'll spend thousands and thousands of dollars to find out what it's like to live off the land and be poor. Luxurious living indeed.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Coffee?



A proud fact for many Alaskans is that they drink more coffee per capita than any other state in the union. Wired on caffeine they tramp paths in the bush, on the trail to visit each other for more coffee so they again can put on their boots and go to the next neighbor to repeat the ritual. When you see a house like this, you can’t help but wonder how many pairs of bush busting boots these pots have served.

Friday, September 7, 2007

Eureka!



Eureka. I have found it. Someone told me that’s what it means. Regardless, it’s where we are at the moment. It’s on the map, but doesn’t have a zip code, post office, gas station, general store, cell reception or other amenities. Hardly even neighbors does this place have. The nearest one is Ed-the-miner, he lives three miles as the raven flies, and eight by road. What Eureka does have is a creek which serves us with water, and an airport. An international airport, even, abroad being Canada. It’s not so much an airport as an airstrip, but it’s where planes land and take off from far away places with such luxuries as running water and electricity, so by Alaskan standards, it’s an airport. And it’s actually our closest neighbor. Even closer than Ed.

The nearest town to Eureka is Manley Hot Springs, a small hub of nice folks from I don’t know where. The population there is all of 72 people (2000 Census), and it comes well equipped with it’s very own Norwegian named Espen, a guy who we’ve yet to meet, although we've met his wife, grocer, bartender, neighbor, handyman and seen a drawing his son Kjetil made. Being that there are now a total of three Norwegians living in the vicinity, it's practically as if Norway has invaded the place.

So, as I have little time to be online and I'm being consumed by about 50 mosquitoes, it's all for now, but more to come! Stay tuned, for the bush radio is now really in the bush.