Credit roll
15/06/08 12:03
This is it.
Our time in the US is up. We have turned the last page
of our roadside diaries. At least for now.
In the past three months we have traveled several thousands miles, visited more than twenty states, and met enough people to colonize a small country. Everywhere we went, we were taken in by people willing to share their couches and their stories. An exchange that did not always lead to agreement, but never fell short of understanding. We came as strangers, and parted as friends, no matter our differences. It might sound like a candyfloss romance told by an imbecile trying to please, but it is the truth nonetheless. Mutually rewarding contact between different worlds is very much possible.
We want to extend a heartfelt thank to all of our hosts throughout the US - not only those who opened up their homes to us, but also those who just sat down for a cup of coffee, or gave us directions when we lost our way. Without you, this project status would have been an altogether different and more disheartening story.
We also want to thank all of our readers who have faithfully ticked in by the hundreds every day. A lot of people have sent us private emails and messages, commenting on our writings with suggestions and corrections. Having a participating audience has been a great inspiration to us, and has helped to keep us going on several occasions when we were out of gas or sleep or luck - or even all three.
Last but not least, we are thrilled that Anne-Mette decided to join our project, and bring our literary portraits to painted life on her canvas. Her ingenious brush added many new layers of color to our own black-on-white words, and though we never knew what we were getting, we always knew that we would not want to be without it.
We hope to be able to pick up our roadside diaries and add more pages to them in the not too distant future - whether from the US, the EU, or somewhere else entirely. But for now, we just need to kick back, grab a cold beer, and get the hell out of here before our visas expire at midnight tomorrow.
Keep on moving,
Kristian & Jacob
In the past three months we have traveled several thousands miles, visited more than twenty states, and met enough people to colonize a small country. Everywhere we went, we were taken in by people willing to share their couches and their stories. An exchange that did not always lead to agreement, but never fell short of understanding. We came as strangers, and parted as friends, no matter our differences. It might sound like a candyfloss romance told by an imbecile trying to please, but it is the truth nonetheless. Mutually rewarding contact between different worlds is very much possible.
We want to extend a heartfelt thank to all of our hosts throughout the US - not only those who opened up their homes to us, but also those who just sat down for a cup of coffee, or gave us directions when we lost our way. Without you, this project status would have been an altogether different and more disheartening story.
We also want to thank all of our readers who have faithfully ticked in by the hundreds every day. A lot of people have sent us private emails and messages, commenting on our writings with suggestions and corrections. Having a participating audience has been a great inspiration to us, and has helped to keep us going on several occasions when we were out of gas or sleep or luck - or even all three.
Last but not least, we are thrilled that Anne-Mette decided to join our project, and bring our literary portraits to painted life on her canvas. Her ingenious brush added many new layers of color to our own black-on-white words, and though we never knew what we were getting, we always knew that we would not want to be without it.
We hope to be able to pick up our roadside diaries and add more pages to them in the not too distant future - whether from the US, the EU, or somewhere else entirely. But for now, we just need to kick back, grab a cold beer, and get the hell out of here before our visas expire at midnight tomorrow.
Keep on moving,
Kristian & Jacob
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Back in black
13/06/08 13:12
Today, downtown was teeming with people buying and selling and preaching - and just plain hanging out. We can go people-wathcing in the shopping arcades of Underground Atlanta where guys and girls show off the latest in baggy and slimfit streetwear, we can circle the streets around the courthouse where teenage hoodlums offer crack cocaine to any passer-by without a uniform, or we can kick back on the lawns of Woodruff Park where self-proclaimed preachers read the words of the Lord from leather-bound bibles old and torn. And almost everybody will be as black and American as we are white and foreign. Race has been part of their consciousness from Civil War to Civil Rights, and with Barack Obama as the newly elected presidential candidate for the Democrat Party, it remains very much so.
Still, Atlanta is as welcoming as ever. The Marta metro trains retain that wonderfully rounded bright-orange-and-creamy-brown 70s feel to them, and the southern drawl continues to make art of pronounciation, constantly tempting you to ask people to repeat themselves just to hear their sweetly singing voices one more time around. And so we could not help but listen to Homeless Joe II as he told his story over and over again. We met Homeless Joe I down here three months ago, and we have been regretting not getting his story ever since. But now we finally have it. Black on white. Delivered in good, brotherly spirits. Ours, and ready for the telling.
12/06/08 11:07
We've uploaded some
pictures from the cit of brotherly love,
Philadelphia. And while you're at it, check
out the reels from the Phillies baseball
game.
Washington DC.
08/06/08 21:46
We’re trying to restitute
the leftovers of our bodies after spending a great
extended weekend in Washington DC. Francis, a salesman
living within a mile of every monument we could wish to
see, had invited us to spend the weekend at his place.
His apartment is on the top floor of a luxurious
apartment complex at 7th Street.
Washington DC is obviously known as the capitol of the states, but to be honest we haven’t really seen to much of it. The thing is, we got kinda drunk…
Francis had a few friends over for a beer after work on friday, and we gladly met all the guys - a great and joyfully diverse group. At some point we decided to move the party down stairs to a bar called Clyde’s. It’s a great place that besides a vast assortment of beverages also has a great kitchen.
It turned out it was a going away party for Sean, one of Francis’ old friends - a real estate agent - who was saying goodbye to his colleagues, and oh my - what a send off. We were served with Marland Crab Soup, Burgers, fresh oysters served on ice, shrimps, calamari, and alcohol. Lots of alcohol…
We even got a shot that had fresh oyster, tabasco and horse radish in it. We appreciate that we got to try it, but not sure we’ll be doing it again any time soon.
Well, after Clyde’s we went back to Francis’ and after that we went to a second bar, and although we’ve spent time trying to retrace our steps, we’re not sure how it happened - but after the second bar - a pool hall - we decided to keep the party going at the house of some of the real estate agents. And we pretty much did - it was only when we woke up that we found out that we’d gone to Virginia, a different state. The train ride did feel like it took a long time - and that explained why.
But they were very nice people and gave us a ride back to Washington, and we spent the day on which we had planned a visit to some of the Smithsonian museums passed out on Francis’ couch.
Totally worth it!
We did however spend a day walking the streets and parks of the city, so look forward to our Washington DC photo reels tomorrow - but for now, here's a shot of Capitol Hill.
Washington DC is obviously known as the capitol of the states, but to be honest we haven’t really seen to much of it. The thing is, we got kinda drunk…
Francis had a few friends over for a beer after work on friday, and we gladly met all the guys - a great and joyfully diverse group. At some point we decided to move the party down stairs to a bar called Clyde’s. It’s a great place that besides a vast assortment of beverages also has a great kitchen.
It turned out it was a going away party for Sean, one of Francis’ old friends - a real estate agent - who was saying goodbye to his colleagues, and oh my - what a send off. We were served with Marland Crab Soup, Burgers, fresh oysters served on ice, shrimps, calamari, and alcohol. Lots of alcohol…
We even got a shot that had fresh oyster, tabasco and horse radish in it. We appreciate that we got to try it, but not sure we’ll be doing it again any time soon.
Well, after Clyde’s we went back to Francis’ and after that we went to a second bar, and although we’ve spent time trying to retrace our steps, we’re not sure how it happened - but after the second bar - a pool hall - we decided to keep the party going at the house of some of the real estate agents. And we pretty much did - it was only when we woke up that we found out that we’d gone to Virginia, a different state. The train ride did feel like it took a long time - and that explained why.
But they were very nice people and gave us a ride back to Washington, and we spent the day on which we had planned a visit to some of the Smithsonian museums passed out on Francis’ couch.
Totally worth it!
We did however spend a day walking the streets and parks of the city, so look forward to our Washington DC photo reels tomorrow - but for now, here's a shot of Capitol Hill.
