:: Current Location : Breckenridge, Colorado :.To start with: I was in a moped accident on December 19th. Since I am still posting to the website, you can assume that I am not dead.
December 19th was a Friday, and I had just finished 35 hours for the week, a hefty sum for most teachers around here. I planned to meet some other western travellers, but one of the moto guys, Mr. Long, called me up and said they were going to eat snake... they have learned how to drag me into a restaurant to drink, then only later to find out that there is no snake left.
So, there were 5 Khmers, me and an Australian guy visiting from Saigon. We went to our regular restaurant, drank some rice wine, and ate eel(the closest snake substitute)soup again. I was still supposed to meet someone at 10:00, so I rounded up the troops to gather more people to goto a Khmer nightclub for the rest of the night. One of the Moto drivers was too drunk to drive, so the australian guy drove him. My guy was semi-drunk, but he would not let me drive his moto... pride thing I guess. Plus, he has a birth-deformed hand, so it makes it more difficult for him to drive.
Just as we were about to leave the restaurant, a little girl with some very random fried insects for sale came up to us. She had crickets, grasshoppers, preying mantises, and cockroaches. We sampled all but the crickets, as I'd already had some before. The grasshopper and mantis were both much more chewey than the crickets had been, but I was pretty hesitant about the cockroaches. They were smaller and you had to peel the wings in a special way. After the australian guy bought one, I was shamed into getting one as well. 100 reil for 1, or about 2 or 3 US cents apiece. They were quite crunchy and not altogether bad. Seeing that we didn't throw them up, the little girl offered us a huge bag for 1000 reil. Seeing the bargain, and shock effect of presenting a bagful of cockroaches to our waiting friends, I bought the bag.
Off we went... until one of the moto guys blew threw a red light.... this is not uncommon here, but only when the crosstraffic is light. The rest of us stopped and were waiting to turn left. There was a big "no left turn sign" ahead of us, but again, Cambodians don't pay much attention to road signs. The traffic pattern here is to try an jump the light. You can see the other directions light turn yellow, and even before the crosstraffic stops, we were going and trying to cut in front of oncoming traffic from the opposite direction. There are no left-green arrows, so you either jump the light, or wait a long time....
unfortunately, a Toyota Landcruiser was timing the light from the other direction and didn't stop or slow down at the light. So, we are cutting across traffic, with a huge SUV coming straight for us, I'm carrying a bag of cockroaches, and my moto driver has no fingers on his right hand. You can see where this is going right?
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So, luckily my moto guy guns the gas and we are not hit head-on, but instead the rear wheel is clipped. The bike is spun around, and the moto guy lands right on his head. My many years of mountain biking, snowboarding, and motorcycle riding have prepared me well for this moment....
instincts tell you to brace the fall with your hands, but after seeing so many broken wrists in snowboarding falls, I remember quickly. As soon as i hit the ground, I tuck my hands in and do a roll, and pop up onto my feet before the bike even stops skidding. Now, I estimate that we were going 10-15 kmh max, but the landcruiser was going much faster than that... The instant the bike started to go out of control, I threw my hands up to try to keep my balance... and in the same motion... threw to bag of cockroaches in the air...
Now, I was pretty upset: First, that I had little cuts on my hands and arms... nothing gushing, but little bits of asphalt stuck under the skin is not pleasant. Second, that this would ruin the rest of the night. And finally, that I dropped my bag of cockroaches...
The moto guy was worse off than me, and his bike wasn't going anywhere, so I go off on the sidewalk to try and calm down. I am walking around and telling everyone to keep away from me. Now, by some chance of luck, another english teacher I've met here in Phnom Penn, Vinh, happens to be driving by at that moment and stops to ask me what happened.... But first a side note:
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Khmer road accidents
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When two khmers get into an accident, they quickly assess the damage, pay each other, and get the hell away from the crash scene if both motos or cars are still running. The reason: A typical accident will cost $5-20, but if a policeman comes to the scene, the cost will be 3-5 times higher. Only because the policeman wants money from the victims so that he won't file a report or arrest them.
If a westerner is involved, it is their fault. Sometimes, even if a westerner was near the accident, it is their fault. A good samaritan trying to help someone can quickly find a mob of Khmers demanding money for the injured person.
Also, there are no ambulances to come an pick you up. If you look like you don't have money, then you lay in the street and bleed until someone can prove that you will pay for the transport to the hospital. Also, it is a sick fascination with khmers(and all people I guess), to see someone hurt. But here, it goes to extremes. A mob will form in under 20 seconds. Within 5 seconds of our crash we had 20 people huddled around our bike and just staring. No one will do anything except stare and point at you. In one minute, I saw a huge group of people all yelling and pointing, but not helping my moto friend who was bleeding on the street. The other moto guys I knew were trying to get the bike started so they could get out of there, but after they found that to be a futile effort, they came to see if we were ok. Nice to see what the priorities are.
-----------------------
So, not knowing this information at the time, I want to stick around and make sure everyone is ok. Vinh, who knows better, throws me on the back of his moto, and we race off the scene. I was told if I stayed, I would have had to pay upwards of $50 for sitting on the back of a moto and nearly getting killed, all while doing nothing wrong other than having white skin. Sounds perfectly normal, right?
I see a moto accident almost everyday here, but most people never think it will happen to them. Now that a minor one has happened and I've escaped in one piece, I feel like I will be more aware of the motodrivers, and use my bicycle more often. I seem to be a better driver, and if anything happens, at least I know that I was in control so I would be the only one to blame.
I've got a wedding and a rave on top of a mountain to attend in the next week, so there should be some more uplifting stories coming....
Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year.
.: Ben Hansen :: 6:53 AM [+] 0 comments
I had a bunch of other things I wanted to mention, but they might be better understood if I ramble on a bit about my teaching duties. So, here they are:
I've been teaching now for 3 weeks. In that time, NO ONE has sat in on any of my classes. I could be teaching them how to speak German for all the attention the director gives his teachers. There are maybe 15 western teachers and 15 Khmer teachers. The school is 3 years old, which is pretty good as far as private english schools go. The director, Kwesi, is pretty aloof, and I don't think I've ever seen him frown or move faster than a stroll. His saying goes, "nothing here is going to raise my bloodpressure".
I have 10 classes:
2 children
2 grammar
2 beginner
3 intermediate
1 chinese
I have not had all those classes since the beginning. Each class is 1 hour long, and a few are 1 hour 30 minutes. I get new classes and lose old classes everyday. This week, I've had 4 new classes given to me, most of the time the same day and with only 1-2 hours to prepare. There are always Khmer teachers to fill in if the school cannot get a foreign teacher. Plus, the Khmers cost less than foreigners.
The school here is run like a business, with the children seen as customers. As long as they are happy, they come back and pay more money to the school. What makes the students happy is different in each case. Some of the kids are rich chinese kids who don't want to be there. So, they never participate and never learn. But, somehow(I know how), they magically always pass their exams and move up a level. More money under the table, but it really doesn't help the kid speak english any better. Fortunately, most of my kids are pretty good. I only have 2 classes that give me any trouble. One is the large kids class. I don't think they know the english word for 'quiet'. I keep yelling at them, but they keep talking. I am not allowed to reprimand them, as that would make them angry and not pay money to the school. So, I am told to 'deal with it'. Lately that has been giving the kid candy and telling him to go outside and play.
Sometimes, I don't even get to stay in a class more than 1 day. A few times, I just get sent in so the kids see a foreign face. They ask me loads of questions, all of which are fun for me to answer. I've never been so popular. Outside of the school, things have changed as well. The moto drivers were really annoying me, but now they see me in my teacher's uniform(dress shirt and tie) and ask me questions instead of pestering me to go to the shooting range or killing fields. They see that I'm here for the long term and not as a tourist, and it's not so stressful walking around the city(as long as I'm dressed up).
I teach at 6am all the way up until 8pm. There are large blocks of time in between that I get off, usually from 11-3, so that I can get chores done, or go home and sleep. The school caps the number of hours per week at 30, and I have reached that. Since I am a new teacher, I don't get the best schedule, but people come and go, and the longer I stay, the more I can customize my schedule. It takes 30 min walking, and 10-15 by bicycle, and about 5-10 by moto.
Still, the difference I see coming to work, say from 6am, 11am, 5-7pm... it all feels like a different city. My morning classes are pretty relaxing, and oddly enough, my kids classes are all in the evening.
I'll be stuck at my pay rate of $8/hr for a while, but my expenses here are done with after I get my visa sorted out. After working for 1 week, pretty much all my expenses are paid off. But, now that I know the city, I think I may start venturing off into the country on the weekends. Renting a motorcycle is $3-6 a day, and will get you to some really interesting places. All the landmine scare tactics don't seem to be in effect around phnom penn, as its pretty safe to go anywhere.
There may be another side job opportunity, but it's still being worked out... I'll let you know when I do...
.: Ben Hansen :: 6:51 AM [+] 0 comments
Visa Hell
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My tourist visa ran out on Dec 5th. So, on the 4th I decided to try to find out where I could get an extension. The 'official' crazy rules for cambodia are: $20 for tourist visa, but you can only extend once. So, $40 should get you a 2 month visa. Now, you don't need a business visa to work in Cambodia, no one checks. Since business visa's are $25 for one month, most people use up the tourist visas first since they are cheaper. The business visa can be extended indefinitely, but a 1 year visa is the longest time period you can get.
1 month is $25
6 month is $75
12 month is $150
So, it saves money to get the longer ones. However, at those prices, the 'government' or whoever the hell gets ahold of your passport needs 1 month to process the visa. This means I would be without my passport for a month. I need it for bank withdrawals, motorcycle rentals, and just peace of mind. The reason for this is that you cannot change from a tourist visa to business visa within the country. The passport must physically leave the country and come back in.... Bear with me.... Now if you pay double the official price, magically it only takes 1 or 2 days to get your passport back. So for $250 I get a 1 year visa. Also, Thailand is the only border that has the visas at the border.
So, what appears to be the process is: I will physically have to take another trip to Thailand and bargain with the border guards to get my tourist visa changed to a business one. Also if they try to overcharge me(they will), I will have to try to find a cheap place to do month by month, instead of the whole year visa...... I tried to goto my embassy to ask about this, but the khmer guard working outside only knew the phrase "Come back at 2:00". I asked him who the president of Cambodia was? same answer, I asked him if I could date his sister, same answer....
Again, if you can figure out the reasoning behind all of this, you're a better person then me.
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There is a huge Olympic stadium close to my house. I thought it was closed, but walking back from work, I saw a bunch of monks and citizens going in. It is still used as a exercise park, and it's close to the tallest non-building site in the city. One of the oddest things to do to earn money I've seen was inside of the stadium. There was a lady with a bathroom scale, charging for people to weigh themselves. I guess where you find people exercising, it makes sense. Beautiful sunset, and no little kids trying to sell you stuff....
Speaking of which, I had a pic-nic in front of the royal palace, and about 5 shoeshine boys came and tried to shine my sandals. After I told them it wouldn't work, they stuck around and played hackey-sac for a while. We drew the attention of the police, who then chased the kids away. After he left, we resumed our game and about 20 people gathered(I assume impressed that the police didn't have any effect on us). Biggest game of hackey I've ever seen. The circle must have had 30 people at one point.
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Last week, there was a wedding/funeral(I can never tell the difference, people wear white to both, and they are both festive, like an Irish wake). Yesterday, however, they set up a big tent right under my apartment balcony. I went away for 3 hours and when I came back, they were already starting to take it down. It took them a long time to put up, and I don't see how they could have had the festivities that quickly.
However, even stranger was the house that used to be across they street. Mid-day, I walked by and saw some guys on the roof, tearing off shingles. By the next day, the entire house was gone.... nothing left, not even foundation. Wood, brick and concrete were all gone. I am still amazed at how fast they tore it down.
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On my way to the market where I eat dinner everyday, I have to pass by a little stall outside a house. There is a big group of cyclo drivers that hang out outside. The reason for this is, this is where they shower and bath. The owner puts out buckets of water, and they bath, right on the street. I've noticed at night, that they setup their cyclos in groups, hang hammocks, and sleep outside. I guess if you have no home, you need a bath house or someplace to shower.
Also, while I was at a bar on the river, I saw the most awful moto accident. I was on the 4th floor looking down on the street, and saw the accident happen. A white sedan was parked and the rear door opened. One moto guy swerved to miss and hit another guy coming from the other direction head on. Both guys flew over the bikes and landed hard on the ground. Within, 5 seconds, the sedan quickly drove away. A huge crowd of people stood around and pointed, but never touched the guys. One guy jumped over the guys and looked like he was performing Voodoo. This went on for 20 minutes until a policeman arrived and started directing traffic. Now, no one has helped or touched the 2 guys laying in the street, but the cop is directing traffic. Being such a shock to western thinking, many of the tourists got upset and asked where the ambulance was. When they were told that the guy didn't look like he could pay for one, so none was called... well, that upset a lot of people. So, again, a pool was collected so that the ambulance would come and see to their injuries. Much like my time in Morocco, if you get hurt, you are not guaranteed help.
I have a bunch of news about my teaching, but I will leave that for the new post.
later....
.: Ben Hansen :: 6:56 AM [+] 0 comments
Been busy lately, so this will entry will try to catch everyone up...
Nov 15th was the day I found my apartment. It is geographically located in the center of town. I am on the top floor, 3 stories up. I have a balcony, den, A/C bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. Very tall ceilings, so no chance of me bumping my head. $150 per month, plus electricity. I get water, cable, gas, and a personal guard at the gate for free. The family that owns the building is Korean, and they use most of their home as storage for products(mostly beer) that get shipped in and out to somewhere. So, I pass by them everyday and they let me in and out of the building. I am paying a little more than I wanted, but it came fully furnished, which most other apartments did not do. The only drawbacks of the place are: there is a disco across the street that plays cheesy music and khmer kereoke, there is a pig slaughter house near and you can hear pigs squealing, and the dust seems to settle everywhere, so things are always dirty. But the wind cools things down, so i don't mind the dirt so much
I have had friends, Omri, Steve, Nasra, stay over at my place, so I needed an extra key made. I couldn't explain to the family what I wanted(they speak no english). So, I went out to the market to look for a locksmith. A moto guy had a little locksmith workshop on the back of his bike. For $.50 I got a copy made. Back in the states, they use a machine to copy the etchings on the key. Not in Cambodia... The guy got out a file, eyeballed it, and started filing away. He banged out an exact copy.
The sun comes up at 5:30 in the morning and sets about 5:30 in the evening. So, most people are up at 4 or 5 in the morning, and by 7 it is very busy. Being by myself, I got up when everyone else did. However, with all my friends staying over and sleeping in, 11:00 seems to be the earliest time we get outside... The problem with that is, that most of the people here take a siesta from 11-3. It's too damn hot. Much like Morocco, everything officially is open, but no one will acknowledge your presence or serve you. So, most people sleep. Restaurants fall into this category(except markets), so you can't even eat during this time. At least not in the cheap places.
Speaking of food... Add cow brain and eyeball to the list. I keep going out asking for the snake soup, but no restaurant ever seems to keep much snake in stock. The duck fetus soup is another dish I've been told to try. But when I'm not grossing out my traveler friends, I usually eat rice and meat at the street vender stalls. A medium size plate only costs $.50, and you get free tea and peanuts if you sit at their temporary tables. The food is fine, and I can try something new everyday.
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"You want boom-boom?"
-------------------------
I had been in Phnom Penn for nearly 3 weeks and had not been to the Heart of Darkness(know as "the heart" by the locals). It is really nothing much to describe, just a little bar with a pool table and dance floor. However, there is about a 5:1 ratio of prostitutes to tourist. They are called bar girls or taxi girls, because they have to pay to get in, while westerners get in free. Literally within 5 seconds of walking in the door, a girl walks up and asks, "You want boom boom"? It's not looked down upon so much in this culture, but the novelty of sitting back and watching these girls fight over the guys was entertaining. They will slap and push each other around trying to get closer to the men so they can negotiate a price. I've been told there is a shooting there about every 6 months, and the police come and threaten to close it down. It is so popular though, so it seems that will never happen. I've been there once, and the novelty was all I was looking for. The cambodian nightclubs have and much more energetic and interesting atmosphere.
So, I've been walking(a near impossible task due to the frustration brought upon by the hundreds of moto drivers than annoy the hell out of me asking if i want a ride) the entire time here in phnom penn. I decided that I could see some of the outskirts of town if I rented a moped. $3, no insurance or helmet. Not 5 minutes of driving and I get stopped by the traffic police. Now, the way cambodians drive, I assumed there were no laws. They drive on the left or right, or wherever there are not potholes. For all the madness and chaotic driving patterns, after a while, it all makes sense. The traffic rarely stops, and everything flows at a steady slow pace. The main reason being that all the mopeds are really old and poorly maintained.
Anyway, I was told that the police will try to weasel some money from tourists. The most you should pay was $1. I got stopped for an illegal left turn. If I had actually turned left within 500 meters from where the policeman was, maybe I could justify whatever he was trying to tell me. The fact was, I was driving straight and never turned left. I think that was the only english he knew, so that is the crime that everyone commits... turning left. Anyway we started out at a $20 fine, but I started to get angry and if it were not for the army soldier with the ak-47, I probably would have just driven off. I've been told that you just ignore the traffic cops, they don't have guns, and they won't chase you. So, I worked him down to $1.50 after 20 minutes and vowed not to rent a moto for a while.
There seems to be a traffic accident everyday here. Just today, there was a guy laying in the middle of the street after he crashed his moto. A mob of rubberneckers had surrounded him, but no one was helping him. A policeman showed up, but all he did was direct traffic. No ambulance ever came, and the guy was in and out of consciousness and looked pretty beat up.
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How to work in Cambodia
--------------------------
So, I had contacted a school APIS about work and was told there would need people all the time. I talked to a guy named Steve. When I got here, I called him up, but he was working for a different school. However, he was very helpful and gave me loads of contacts to follow up on. I went to at least 20 schools. Pretty much the standard response was, "We are in the middle of the semester, come back later". I only had an email address, and was told that it was necessary to have a mobile phone so they could contact you. What happens is a teacher decides to leave, and they go through a list of people and will call up whoever is available. So, all that work for nothing because I didn't have a phone. I quickly bought a phone and had to go back to all the same schools to drop off my cell number.
No luck for almost 2 weeks, but I had my friends over, so I was spending alot of time with them instead of looking for work. I finally found a school that would offer me hours, but the director was a creep. He kept asking if I knew any american girls who wanted to work. So, I got the impression that if any showed up, I would quickly lose my job. But, since I had nothing else lined up, I said I'd sit in on a couple of classes. I was told by the other teachers that the director gives you a list of kids who have already passed the tests, before you even give them the test. It just shows how deep some of the bribery and corruption goes here. Plus, I was told that the schools don't always pay the teachers on time, or at all at some places. Just when I was about to sign the teaching contract, APIS calls me up and asks if I can come in for interview.
Kwesi is the name of the new director, and he called me in at 9:00am. This school is not run by a Khmer, so most of the shady business doesn't go on here. I talked to him for maybe 3 minutes and he says, "When can you start?" I said as soon as possible. He said, "We have a class starting at 1:00pm today, you can have that class."
So, they gave me a uniform, showed me how to clock in, gave me the lesson books, and threw me into a classroom of about 6 kids, age 15-25. I had no experience and no clue what to do. I basically answered all the kids questions, because when a new teacher comes, they want to know all about you. So, I really didn't even teach the first day, just talked to them.
Now, after 3 days of working there, I have been given more hours, and I teach elementary kids too. I have to give a test every week, but most of the kids just want to play games and talk.
That should be enough for now, at least until I figure out more about the schools and how many hours I eventually end up teaching. More to come!!!
.: Ben Hansen :: 5:51 AM [+] 0 comments
:: Current Location : Breckenridge, Colorado :..AFOOT.and.light-hearted,.I.take.to.the.open.road,.Healthy,.free,.the.world.before.me,.The.long.brown.path.before.me,.le ading.wherever.I.choose....Henceforth.I.ask.not.good-fortune-I.myself.am.good.fortune;.Henceforth.I.whimper.no.more,.pos tpone.no.more,.need.nothing,..........Strong.and.content,.I.travel.the.open.road....The.earth-that.is.sufficient;.I.do.n ot.want.the.constellations.any.nearer;.I.know.they.are.very.well.where.they.are;.I.know.they.suffice.for.those.who.belon g.to.them.......Still.here.I.carry.my.old.delicious.burdens;.I.carry.them,.men.and.women-I.carry.them.with.me.wherever.I .go;.I.swear.it.is.impossible.for.me.to.get.rid.of.them;.I.am.fill'd.with.them,.and.I.will.fill.them.in.return.)....You. road.I.enter.upon.and.look.around!.I.believe.you.are.not.all.that.is.here;....I.believe.that.much.unseen.is.also.here... .Here.the.profound.lesson.of.reception,.neither.preference.or.denial;.The.black.with.his.woolly.head,.the.felon,.the.dis eas'd,.the.illiterate.person,.are.not.denied;.The.birth,.the.hasting.after.the.physician,.the.beggar's.tramp,.the.drunka rd's.stagger,.the.laughing.party.of.mechanics,.The.escaped.youth,.the.rich.person's.carriage,.the.fop,.the.eloping.coupl e,....The.early.market-man,.the.hearse,.the.moving.of.furniture.into.the.town,.the.return.back.from.the.town,.They.pass- I.also.pass-anything.passes-none.can.be.interdicted;.None.but.are.accepted-none.but.are.dear.to.me..You.air.that.serves. me.with.breath.to.speak!.You.objects.that.call.from.diffusion.my.meanings,.and.give.them.shape!....You.light.that.wraps. me.and.all.things.in.delicate.equable.showers!.You.paths.worn.in.the.irregular.hollows.by.the.roadsides!.I.think.you.are .latent.with.unseen.existences-you.are.so.dear.to.me....You.flagg'd.walks.of.the.cities!.you.strong.curbs.at.the.edges!. You.ferries!.you.planks.and.posts.of.wharves!.you.timber-lined.sides!.you.distant.ships!....You.rows.of.houses!.you.wind ow-pierc'd.façades!.you.roofs!.You.porches.and.entrances!.you.copings.and.iron.guards!.You.windows.whose.transparent.she lls.might.expose.so.much!.You.doors.and.ascending.steps!.you.arches!.You.gray.stones.of.interminable.pavements!.you.trod den.crossings!....From.all.that.has.been.near.you,.I.believe.you.have.imparted.to.yourselves,.and.now.would.impart.the.s ame.secretly.to.me;From.the.living.and.the.dead.I.think.you.have.peopled.your.impassive.surfaces,.and.the.spirits.thereo f.would.be.evident.and.amicable.with.me.....The.earth.expanding.right.hand.and.left.hand,.The.picture.alive,.every.part. in.its.best.light,.The.music.falling.in.where.it.is.wanted,.and.stopping.where.it.is.not.wanted,....The.cheerful.voice.o f.the.public.road-the.gay.fresh.sentiment.of.the.road....O.highway.I.travel!.O.public.road!.do.you.say.to.me,.Do.not.lea ve.me?.Do.you.say,.Venture.not?.If.you.leave.me,.you.are.lostDo.you.say,.I.am.already.prepared-I.am.well-beaten.and.unde nied-adhere.to.me?.O.public.road!.I.say.back,.I.am.not.afraid.to.leave.you-yet.I.love.you;....You.express.me.better.than .I.can.express.myself;.You.shall.be.more.to.me.than.my.poem....I.think.heroic.deeds.were.all.conceiv'd.in.the.open.air,. and.all.great.poems.also;.I.think.I.could.stop.here.myself,.and.do.miracles;.My.judgments,.thoughts,.I.henceforth.try.by .the.open.air,.the.road;)....I.think.whatever.I.shall.meet.on.the.road.I.shall.like,.and.whoever.beholds.me.shall.like.m e;.I.think.whoever.I.see.must.be.happy.....From.this.hour,.freedom!.From.this.hour.I.ordain.myself.loos'd.of.limits.and. imaginary.lines,.Going.where.I.list,.my.own.master,.total.and.absolute,....Listening.to.others,.and.considering.well.wha t.they.say,.Pausing,.searching,.receiving,.contemplating,.Gently,.but.with.undeniable.will,.divesting.myself.of.the.hold s.that.would.hold.me....I.inhale.great.draughts.of.space;.The.east.and.the.west.are.mine,.and.the.north.and.the.south.ar e.mine.......I.am.larger,.better.than.I.thought;.I.did.not.know.I.held.so.much.goodness....All.seems.beautiful.to.me;.I. can.repeat.over.to.men.and.women,.You.have.done.such.good.to.me,.I.would.do.the.same.to.you....I.will.recruit.for.myself .and.you.as.I.go;....I.will.scatter.myself.among.men.and.women.as.I.go;.I.will.toss.the.new.gladness.and.roughness.among .them;.Whoever.denies.me,.it.shall.not.trouble.me;.Whoever.accepts.me,.he.or.she.shall.be.blessed,.and.shall.bless.me... ..Now.if.a.thousand.perfect.men.were.to.appear,.it.would.not.amaze.me;....Now.if.a.thousand.beautiful.forms.of.women.app ear'd,.it.would.not.astonish.me....Now.I.see.the.secret.of.the.making.of.the.best.persons,.It.is.to.grow.in.the.open.air ,.and.to.eat.and.sleep.with.the.earth....Here.a.great.personal.deed.has.room;.A.great.deed.seizes.upon.the.hearts.of.the .whole.race.of.men,....Its.effusion.of.strength.and.will.overwhelms.law,.and.mocks.all.authority.and.all.argument.agains t.it....Here.is.the.test.of.wisdom;.Wisdom.is.not.finally.tested.in.schools;.Wisdom.cannot.be.pass'd.from.one.having.it, .to.another.not.having.it;.Wisdom.is.of.the.Soul,.is.not.susceptible.of.proof,.is.its.own.proof,....Applies.to.all.stage s.and.objects.and.qualities,.and.is.content,.Is.the.certainty.of.the.reality.and.immortality.of.things,.and.the.excellen ce.of.things;.Something.there.is.in.the.float.of.the.sight.of.things.that.provokes.it.out.of.the.Soul...Now.I.reëxamine. philosophies.and.religions,They.may.prove.well.in.lecture-rooms,.yet.not.prove.at.all.under.the.spacious.clouds,.and.alo ng.the.landscape.and.flowing.currents.......Here.is.realization;.Here.is.a.man.tallied-he.realizes.here.what.he.has.in.h im;.The.past,.the.future,.majesty,.love-if.they.are.vacant.of.you,.you.are.vacant.of.them....Only.the.kernel.of.every.ob ject.nourishes;.Where.is.he.who.tears.off.the.husks.for.you.and.me?....Where.is.he.that.undoes.stratagems.and.envelopes. for.you.and.me?...Here.is.adhesiveness-it.is.not.previously.fashion'd-it.is.apropos;.Do.you.know.what.it.is,.as.you.pass ,.to.be.loved.by.strangers?.Do.you.know.the.talk.of.those.turning.eye-balls?....Here.is.the.efflux.of.the.Soul;....The.e fflux.of.the.Soul.comes.from.within,.through.embower'd.gates,.ever.provoking.questions:.These.yearnings,.why.are.they?.T hese.thoughts.in.the.darkness,.why.are.they?.Why.are.there.men.and.women.that.while.they.are.nigh.me,.the.sun-light.expa nds.my.blood?.Why,.when.they.leave.me,.do.my.pennants.of.joy.sink.flat.and.lank?.Why.are.there.trees.I.never.walk.under, .but.large.and.melodious.thoughts.descend.upon.me?....I.think.they.hang.there.winter.and.summer.on.those.trees,.and.alwa ys.drop.fruit.as.I.pass;).What.is.it.I.interchange.so.suddenly.with.strangers?.What.with.some.driver,.as.I.ride.on.the.s eat.by.his.side?.What.with.some.fisherman,.drawing.his.seine.by.the.shore,.as.I.walk.by,.and.pause?.What.gives.me.to.be. free.to.a.woman's.or.man's.good-will?.What.gives.them.to.be.free.to.mine?.......The.efflux.of.the.Soul.is.happiness-here .is.happiness;.I.think.it.pervades.the.open.air,.waiting.at.all.times;.Now.it.flows.unto.us-we.are.rightly.charged....He re.rises.the.fluid.and.attaching.character;.The.fluid.and.attaching.character.is.the.freshness.and.sweetness.of.man.and. woman;....The.herbs.of.the.morning.sprout.no.fresher.and.sweeter.every.day.out.of.the.roots.of.themselves,.than.it.sprou ts.fresh.and.sweet.continually.out.of.itself.)...Toward.the.fluid.and.attaching.character.exudes.the.sweat.of.the.love.o f.young.and.old;.From.it.falls.distill'd.the.charm.that.mocks.beauty.and.attainments;.Toward.it.heaves.the.shuddering.lo nging.ache.of.contact.....Allons!.whoever.you.are,.come.travel.with.me!....Traveling.with.me,.you.find.what.never.tires. ...The.earth.never.tires;.The.earth.is.rude,.silent,.incomprehensible.at.first-Nature.is.rude.and.incomprehensible.at.fi rst;.Be.not.discouraged-keep.on-there.are.divine.things,.well.envelop'd;.I.swear.to.you.there.are.divine.things.more.bea utiful.than.words.can.tell.......Allons!.we.must.not.stop.here!.However.sweet.these.laid-up.stores-however.convenient.th is.dwelling,.we.cannot.remain.here;.However.shelter'd.this.port,.and.however.calm.these.waters,.we.must.not.anchor.here; .However.welcome.the.hospitality.that.surrounds.us,.we.are.permitted.to.receive.it.but.a.little.while......Allons!.the.i nducements.shall.be.greater;....We.will.sail.pathless.and.wild.seas;.We.will.go.where.winds.blow,.waves.dash,.and.the.Ya nkee.clipper.speeds.by.under.full.sail....Allons!.with.power,.liberty,.the.earth,.the.elements!.Health,.defiance,.gayety ,.self-esteem,.curiosity;.Allons!.from.all.formules!....From.your.formules,.O.bat-eyed.and.materialistic.priests!...The. stale.cadaver.blocks.up.the.passage-the.burial.waits.no.longer....Allons!.yet.take.warning!.He.traveling.with.me.needs.t he.best.blood,.thews,.endurance;.None.may.come.to.the.trial,.till.he.or.she.bring.courage.and.health.......Come.not.here .if.you.have.already.spent.the.best.of.yourself;.Only.those.may.come,.who.come.in.sweet.and.determin'd.bodies;.No.diseas 'd.person-no.rum-drinker.or.venereal.taint.is.permitted.here....I.and.mine.do.not.convince.by.arguments,.similes,.rhymes ;.We.convince.by.our.presence.........Listen!.I.will.be.honest.with.you;.I.do.not.offer.the.old.smooth.prizes,.but.offer .rough.new.prizes;.These.are.the.days.that.must.happen.to.you:...You.shall.not.heap.up.what.is.call'd.riches,.You.shall. scatter.with.lavish.hand.all.that.you.earn.or.achieve,....You.but.arrive.at.the.city.to.which.you.were.destin'd-you.hard ly.settle.yourself.to.satisfaction,.before.you.are.call'd.by.an.irresistible.call.to.depart,.You.shall.be.treated.to.the
