Lif.e|In|G.eneral

Green Culture

Matt Poolman — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:10:57 +0000

Illadelph glass collection

I love Marijuana.

Which is not to say I just love getting high (although I rather do).

No. I love the culture of it. I love the possibilities associated with it. I love the health benefits possible with it, when used properly, and accordingly.

So when I see how people behave around this little plant in the USA, it makes me sad.

This it not to say Cape Town was a weed-haven, a wonderful eden where one could reach over and grab a bud off a nearby bush, but… compared to here, that seems pretty accurate.

The only assumption I can make is that this is directly concerning America’s proclaimed “War on Drugs”, but it still confuses me how people can become so wrapped up in it. It’s killing me to go pick up some bud and to have it thrown through the window, with a few bills sticking out for the pitcher to grab onto.

Why?

Is it possibly the nonstop torrent of propaganda that’s been raining down on the land for the past century or so?

What’s so different here that we can’t be friendly, that we can’t go inside and have a chat and talk about anything and/or everything, and take much longer than we should have?

I don’t know. I just find it very strange.

What I find even more odd is that in a land where marijuana has been so terrifically bastardised, there can be such an amazingly clean and well run market for paraphernalia, and in a land like CT, where we can be so civil about it, we can be so backwards?

Ok that might be a little harsh, and I think I might just be a little spoilt with the amount of clean well produced glass over here.

I even found myself picking up a sexy little number for a quarter of the price of my RooR.de… unfortunately I have no pictures of the gong just yet, but here’s a sweet detail shot of one of my bowls!

Detail shot of one of the bowls

for a full look at my adventure to secrets, jump here

I think it’s time to fly.

Peace

3:29AM

Matt Poolman — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 08:31:22 +0000

3:25AM is a terrible time to start writing, but… these days have been busy and I gotta take it when I get it.

small update.

I got a gnarly infection of the ear, which ended up just getting worse and worse in a day and a half. I went to an american/polish doctor, where Beth normally goes, which was worryingly expensive compared to back home.

the doctor frowned terribly big when he looked in my ear, and said something about having a high pain threshold. oh yeah. ear threshold.

oh no, staying awake is feeling impossible now, I’ll write more in a few hours.

Matt

oh looky here

Matt Poolman — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 07:22:42 +0000

Urk! I’ve been trying to get to wordpress and spend some time writing a post for ages, but I’ve go so many things to write about, I really don’t know where to start.

I desperately want to write about my adventure to the House on the Rock, which is a daunting task alone, but I have so many other things to write about as well. heavens.

it’s almost 2 in the AM, but here’s a brief update:

House on the Rock – blew my mind, pictures available here

As said in my last post, I went to a headshop called “Secrets” in downtown Chicago, surprisingly though, they let me take as many photos as I wanted! all available here

There’s another gallery here on my flight and arrival in Chi-Town.

I went to a Medieval banquet last week, which… I really have few words to describe how epic that was, but pictures will be up, and I’ll add a few in here, but all of them will be going to my “Americana” gallery on my website

Beth and I went to a poker game over the weekend, we decided to play as a team, and were raking it in, but then I got distracted, and Beth carried on pulling chips and losing them in an intense dual, which eventually ended in a profit of $30!

Beth and two friends and I went to a fun place by the name of Haunted Trails on monday (labour day, which meant free food, and cheap rides) which was… very fun, but I have a terribly messed up back at the moment. I suspect this was from the go-karts, which we repeatedly stood in line to ride over and over.

They had another, larger go-kart track, but with a much bigger line which took… probably an hour to navigate. (the line, not the go-kart track).

There was also a fun putt-putt course, two actually, a spooky trail and a “sports” trail (we decided on the former). Photos of Haunted Trails will go online soon, along with a few other sets.

I must go sleep now, my back is “throbbing” which just… doesn’t seem right.

Peace

teeny update

Matt Poolman — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:07:24 +0000

only just realised I never actually did finish writing my post this week, I apologise, and will when i get back home (am currently on an adventure Downtown, to a headshop called Secrets. I wish i was allowed to take photos, but alas, they’re not that friendly.

Headshops here are insane.

and cheap. Dirt cheap for some bits.

But I’ll be back! Photos are aaaallllmost up!

In The Middle of Middleton

Matt Poolman — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:48:54 +0000

Writing this from a “business center” in a Country Inns & Suites hotel, in a little town of Middleton, Wisconsin, I can’t help but think that someone in this creepy little town is watching what I’m writing.

I have these suspicions purely because this is the second time I’m writing this, I think they know about my critical post i was getting ready to send out last night, and disconnected me. Fuckers. I feel like locking my door now.

VisitMiddleton.com writes:

“In CNN Money’s 2009 Best Places to Live, Middleton ranked fourth. This year’s honor comes after Middleton was named #7 on this same list in 2005 and #1 in 2007, also years in which CNN Money ranked small communities.”

…Which all sounds pretty funky fresh, but something about this place gets me. Everything, and I mean everything, from the roads, to the banks, to the factories, to the restaurants and even this hotel, are brand new. there are no blemishes, no coffee stains on the sidewalk. There are no stray cigarette butts hidden in alcoves, disguised by dirt and dust, there are no people on the streets.

Very little, if any of this, affects myself or Beth though, since we’re just chilling in 320, with a big ol’ tv with Comedy Central, and a jacuzzi. inside our room. Yeah, you’re right. It is pretty awesome!

We’re leaving to go see a place called House-on-the-Rock, which… sounds like a pretty fucking epic place all round… I won’t try and describe it, I don’t think I’d know how, but I will report back with photos once i get back to Chicago (I do apologise, by the way, for the sheer lack of photographs on the internet, they will be uploaded… if my laptop can ever pull itself together to export more than one photo at a time)

Light and Love

MLP

Ps: I do hope this goes through. last night they told me the internet suddenly broke, now they’re censoring my gmail/googleimages/wikipedia/yahoo by saying it’s a naughty website.

Oh God.

I hope i make it out of middleton alive.

Wild U.S. of A?

Matt Poolman — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:43:26 +0000

Just about a week has passed since I set foot on Americanos soil, and I do have to say, it feels like much longer; I’ve been beyond busy most days, whether it’s exploring the town of Norridge on my own, or exploring a bit further with beth in her vehicle.

I’ve met a notably broad plethora of people, of the most amazingly vast inclinations.

I’ve seen some amazing things already, I’m still trying to remember all of them, but every time i remember one thing, i’ll forget another, but the simple jist I’ve found to all of these things I try to remember to write here is this: They work.

Arbitrarilly small things at times, like more sensitive light sensors on street lights (I don’t even know if South African street lamps have sensors, or if they’re only on timers) which activate in bad weather as well.

I’ll try remember more of the interesting oddities I’ve come across so far, or at least update you as I find them.

I’ll be travelling up to a kid called Jamie’s house, in Kenosha, Wisconsin on friday, to a farewell party for Beth’s best friend Krystal, which should be interesting.
From what I hear, it’s a gathering of a large amount of musicianny friends and family, plus a lot of food.

Oh my god.
I think I might actually end up putting on some weight.
Food here is ridiculous. I can’t think of a single other word to describe it.
It’s good, don’t get me wrong, and a lot of it really doesn’t seem all that bad for you, when you check it out, but man… Shit fucks you up.

Airheads.
Twix’s in packs of 4. with peanut butter.
Peanut butter Oreos. Fucking 20 different shapes, flavours and types of Oreo.
Cooldrink cans, with lids.
Paydays.
So many skittles.
So many things taste like skittles.

I love MSG.

I had something called Wendy’s a few days ago, which, is hard to describe because there’s very little like it back home.
Try and imagine something that’s a similar size to a macdonalds cheeseburger, with a decent little patty that isnt completely grey, a rasher of bacon, blades of lettuce and a tomato, not the onionpasteshit. for the same price.
Yet reading that, it doesnt sound nearly as appealing as it is in my head.
but like I said, it fucks up your innards.

The internet, while frowned upon by locals (it would seem) is blazingly fast, and one can steadilly download at about 500 Kb/s, so it’s the equivilent of a 4mb/s line, uncapped.

… Sweeeeeeeet!

It’s a miserable day out, Beth’s at work, and I am getting ready for a Wii showdown.
Peace.

So what’s it like?

Matt Poolman — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:16:47 +0000

Sitting on the second step of the porch to my girlfriend’s house, looking ahead at 6PM traffic whizzing by, the only way to describe life at the moment would be some kind of serene. Which is by and large not what I was expecting.

Six large airplanes are slowly descending towards O’Hare international airport, waiting their turn to land, a very large bank of clouds is speeding past overhead, dark and torrid, violet and peach mingling overheard.

Harlem avenue is screaming with blue lights and sirens, somebody’s in trouble. Pig vans don’t exist here, instead, they’re those speedy slick things you see on T.V. all the time.

almost everything here is very much like you see on T.V.

Okay no it isn’t… But there are a LOT of things the Tube has shown me which i simply expected to see, at the back of my mind, and did.

Screen doors. Totally awesome. (but very difficult to maneuver if you are bringing in a box of groceries.)

Roads sound different over here, they’re also grey, which i expected, but i didn’t realise that they used to be black like ours, they’ve been faded by extreme weather and salt on the roads, for melting ice. black ice. oooo.

as expected, it’s damn easy to spend money over here, what is interesting is most of it’s on food. mmmm food. Well, some food. lots of sweets and chocolates, and not terrifically expensive in comparison to home, in fact, cheaper in some cases.

I did drop some dough on two slick pieces of headgear though. checkit.

Nike Jordan

Justice League of America

Dashing must be done right now though. so I’ll update in a short while.

Possibilities

Matt Poolman — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:51:40 +0000

Hello there, and welcome to LIG.

This is a partially personal account of life for a South African living in the U.S. of A, recounting the differences in lifestyles i’m constantly noticing, and a general way to tell my loves ones and anybody who’s interested about my day to day discoveries.

I hope this finds you well.