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Monday, 30 April 2007 I have finally got around to annotating some more of the previously posted picture pages including my local trip to the Trafford Centre and Megan and I's holiday to Gibraltar. Tuesday, 24 April 2007 Liam emailed me the other day to let me know what he’s been up to. He was telling me he is working on a mural for the Midwest Renewable Energy Association. This made me think of when I was in Spain; my sister and I were traveling via bus to Gibraltar. I was sleeping and upon waking the bus was traveling through the hills near the coastline and there were literally hundreds of wind turbines turning along the ridges of the hills. They were beautiful living amongst the fields where animals were grazing. When I took the photos I even told Megan that I would have to send these to Liam; they reminded me of some of his paintings he was working on when I last saw him right before I left. Anyway, here are some of the photos from the bus window. Hey, actually wasn't it Earth Day just a day or two ago? I didn't even realize until I was about to post this. Monday, 23 April 2007 So I think that I should probably elaborate on not just my own travels about England and the rest of the continent, but also a bit more on the school that I work at every day. So I have decided to relay to you some of the common questions and assumptions about ALL of us in the US. 1. They always ask me if it is true that the students in the United States don’t have to wear uniforms to school. After I respond with “on the whole, no” I can usually expect to hear some disgust for their own system. If time and place permit, I do try to engage them in debate of whether this is a good or bad thing, because I, myself would genuinely like to come to some sort of decision on the issue. The debate stands with the understanding that on one hand uniforms are the great equalizer. They severely limit the distinctions between the haves and have-nots. Students can’t be judged based on looks but rather on their learning, ideas, and work (the basis of the institution of school). Though one cannot help but think that school is not simply about learning and ideas, but also about getting on in life, and that controlling yet another aspect of the students’ lives makes them more rebellious in the classroom. If students feel some autonomy and comfort in their own decisions and clothes – especially in a world that is very much not in their ownership – then they will feel and think that they too are part of this world that they do very much want to be apart of, but are, quite bluntly speaking, simply not ready (as far as knowledge is concerned) to take on. The conversation decidedly remains unsettled. 2. Perhaps most comical are the students views about America: apparently we ALL own guns. They all ask me “Sir, do you own a gun?” I feel as though I am trying to always dispel the belief that we all own and love guns. Although this could be due to the laws in the UK that forbid anyone to own a gun unless it kept and used solely at a (shooting) club. Not that the stereotype is unfounded either considering the amount of homicides and school shootings, especially with the recent events at Virginia Tech. A lot of the hubbub on the BBC concerning the shootings centered around the question of whether the recent shootings would spark a renewed conversation on gun control, which I have little hope in. Most of the discussions concerning the shootings, between my students or colleagues and myself have come down to considering the fact that the ownership of guns was somehow written into the constitution, not to mention the incredible political clout of the NRA. Not that the UK is free of crime either, considering you quite often hear on the news about the latest stabbing (and even an occasional shooting). Stabbing is not a foreign happening, perhaps one might say a frequent occurrence, which makes sense considering guns are illegal. 3. One other assumption is that because I am from America that I must know at least a few celebrities. This would seem ludicrous to most Wisconsinites considering we are a three-hour plane ride to either New York or Los Angeles. However living in Manchester is a lot like living in Los Angeles in the sense that Manchester is the place that most of the sitcoms and soaps are filmed. Most of the shows that are seen on British television come from either London (which is becoming a less popular location due to space and cost) or Manchester (which is growing by the day, and becoming a leading metropolis in its own right, second to only London). My roommate can recognize nearly every location in the British television shows as a point within the Manchester city centre. I have also been told Manchester is a bit more laid back, isn’t as paparazzi driven as London is, which is why it is also not unlikely to see British television stars on the streets in Manchester. 4. Being in England, a small country, indeed island (England is roughly the same size as Wisconsin), many of my students have little clue as to just how large the United States is. They fail to realize that the US is larger than Europe, and that traveling from the East coast to the West coast isn’t merely a three-hour car ride, but a four-hour plane ride. When the news of the Virginia Tech shootings came to be known by the students I was asked if I went to that University, or I frequently get asked if I was there (in New York) when 9/11 happened. Although these notions do not just pertain to students: just the other day, when I went to get a mobile (not a cell-phone) it was presumed that because I was an American that I was from New York. (Though, I suppose, if we were to meet Brits on the streets in America we would guess they were from London.) I just laugh at these assumptions, and begin to try to explain that I am from Wisconsin, which is often a difficult task in itself. So I have learned to simply explain that I am from a city three hours drive north of Chicago. They understand and can locate Chicago. Close enough. Sunday, 22 April 2007 The state of my bedroom is simply dreadful (obviously some things don't change with location), which can only mean that I have been just terrible in keeping up with any responsiblities outside of school, including this blog. At any rate here is what has been happening in Manchester over the past week. As you know (or may not) I lost my cell phone in New York in my rush to the airport. I left it in the taxi, and my mother, who had given me a call because she was expecting that I would call her one last time from Chicago, called the phone. The taxi driver answered my phone and said he would send it back. Needless to say this has not happened, last I spoke to my mother and father. I had hoped that this would be a good time to ease myself of the dreadful cell phone necessity (read frenzy). However, considering the fact that I would have to purchase a phone when I get home, and that communication has been quite costly with phonecards, and how annoying it is to hold a conversation in a telephone booth (don't let the charming red, typically British, telephone booths charm you), I decided to get a new cell phone whilst in England. But because their mobile technology is ahead of ours (hard to believe, I know) I had to get one that would be compatible with both the American and European cellular systems. I also needed to find a phone that would allow me to dump the sim card, thereby unlocking the phone for use with my carrier in the States. This left me with few (and expensive) options, but I must have the sleekest (ok, sexiest) phone there is. It had better be for the price. Besides, I like that I can say that I have a British telephone number.
And even if you don't want to call me still email me (flanat69@uwosh.edu) your mobile number so that I can re-enter all your numbers back into my phone since I have lost them. (More like lost my phone and have not memorized them due to the ease of the 'Contacts' list.) Saturday, 14 April 2007 Here are some photos from the last couple of weeks of travels. The last two weeks I have been on holiday (not vacation). The first week and a half I went to visit my sister in Sevilla, where from we took a weekend trip to Morocco. I returned on Wednesday, 11 April and have since been relaxing before I return to teaching on Monday. Photos and annotation from southern Spain: Sevilla, Jerez, and Cadiz (2-5 April), Gibralter, a UK territory on the Strait of Gibralter (6 April), Tangier, Morocco (7-8 April), and back in Sevilla (9-10 April). Friday, 13 April 2007 Cogratualtions to Cassie for getting into grad school at I NIU with a teacher's assistantship! Also, Cassie has started a blog, The Adventures of Cassie, so I have linked her sites in my blogroll. (That’s what I like to see, a move away from Facebook!?) She says it’s mostly for crafting stuff, maybe some cooking, etc... So check it out. It seems as though art, culture, and politics are inextricably tied to one another as France has agreed to allow Abu Dhabi to attach the Louvre’s name to a new museum for $520 million. It appears that France is a sell out country, open to the highest bidder. The plan to export a version of the Louvre has sparked accusations in France that the agreement signals a new willingness to exploit its culture for political and economic ends. "The logic of this project is purely political and diplomatic," says Didier Rykner (art writer), who points out that the UAE is a major ally and customer of France. Catherine Goguel, emeritus director of research in the Louvre’s prints and drawings department believes, “It is obvious that this deal is about petrodollars and military relations. It came from the French finance and foreign affairs ministries and Louvre director, Mr Loyrette, a man of culture, has had to support it even if he doesn’t believe in it.” Most controversially, the agreement will allow Abu Dhabi to lease works from the Louvre, the Georges Pompidou Center, the Musee d'Orsay, and Versailles for durations of up to two years. What on Earth is wrong with exchanging works of art with Abu Dhabi? Well, the purpose of a gallery should not be to franchise and make money. Not to mention, the Louvre must breach significant cultural barriers in its foray into the Muslim world, in which the representation of the human figure — even when clothed — can be a religious taboo. The Louvre is packed solid with figurative art; it is the basis of Western art. How does Abu Dhabi plan to square the circle considering Islam prohibits figurative art? One Arab reporter asked during a press conference Tuesday whether the museum would protect its visitors against "pornography." Needless to day, museum officials did not address the issue of nudity in works. If this move by the Abu Dhabi leadership is meant to signify some kind of shift in policy then that is seriously good news. Otherwise the Louvre in Abu Dhabi is a non-starter. "We're not selling the French legacy and heritage. We want this culture to radiate to parts of the world that value it," Donnedieu de Vabres said. "We're proud that Abu Dhabi wants to bring the Louvre here. We're not here to transform culture into a consumer product."But prominent figures in the French art world have accused their government of exploiting art for trade and diplomacy and said the lending of art will overburden French museums. Yet America's legitimacy and attractiveness in the eyes of West Europeans - particularly the French - has sunk often below those "enjoyed" by Iran, North Korea and - not surprisingly - Israel. In the words of The New York Times columnist Tom Friedman, America has become "radioactive" to many in the world, West Europe included. This might all sound bizarre, but this is hardly the first time France has cozied up to folks most everyone else seems to have rightly assessed as enemies or those who might too readily sympathize with the enemy. Today, on the eve of the French presidential elections, opinion polls show that three-quarters of French voters believe that France should distance itself from the United States. Despite a long history of alliance dating back to the American Revolution and including two world wars, France has always had a somewhat ambivalent attitude toward the US, and the Iraq War was not the first time that a controversial security policy undercut America’s attractiveness in France. And although anti-Americanism was born in France, here's a fascinating fact: it was born well before the United States existed. It was not caused by Coca-Cola, or McDonald's, or Hollywood or George W Bush. (After World War II, France banned Coca-Cola for a time, and, more recently, the farmer José Bové became a folk hero by destroying a McDonald’s restaurant.) France has long had a strand of cultural anti-Americanism. Polls show similar reactions after the Suez Crisis of 1956, the Vietnam War in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and the deployment of intermediate range missiles in Europe in the early 1980s. America became the nightmare that French intellectuals long feared, a nation built not on respectable ties of blood and tradition but on the self-conscious desire to create something new. In fact, the prevailing view among French academics throughout the 18th Century was that the New World was ghastly. It stank, it was too humid for life to prosper. (Read more on anti-Americanism on a new four part series from the BBC entitled Death to US: Anti-Americanism Examined.) I'm not sure whether the Anti-Americanism/Anti-Anti-Americanism divide is becoming one of the contemporary world's most salient fissures. (Andrei Markovitz's book Uncouth Nation: Why Europe Dislikes America suggests that it is helping to forge a common European identity on foundations that are less than ideal.) Anti-Americanism is often born out of an objection to our neo-colonialist doctrine, our frequently hypocritical approach to international relations, and our childish insistence on dressing up as cowboys and doing whatever we please. Cowboy diplomacy? What if that cowboy took on the appearance of a corporate art franchise?If Anti-Americanism is born out of an objection to our neo-colonialist doctrine then I think we should look to France who appears to be disseminating the same message, even under the veil of art (read: reductionist liberal notions of “diplomacy”). Sometimes I wonder if the French people will ever make a stand. Still, the French still flock to McDonald’s and to theatres playing American movies, despite limits on their import. Personally, I think the global branding of art, a result of the commoditization of art, devalues it, and therefore is of little interest. Another Louvre Big Mac, anybody? Maunday Thursday, 5 April 2007 Megan tells me that Seville has the largest Easter celebration in the world, known to the Spanish as Semana Santa (Holy Week). Most everyone is wearing black today and will continue to do so tomorrow. Each day sees the enacting of the story of the Passion of Christ via processions called pasos. Pasos work like parades do, the main spectacle of which is an elaborate float of the Virgin Mary. However these floats are carried on the backs of thirty men, not pulled behind a truck on a trailer, so the float actually appears to float. The procession begins with men from the sponsoring church in full out Catholic wardrobe including a pointed sombrero (that resembles the Ku Klux Klan, but obviously has so connection), the meaning of which I am still looking to find out. After the men of the church in the pointed sombreros pass, more men in church wardrobe carry crosses behind them as Christ did. Next comes the float that tells the chapter of the story (for example, Christ in the garden of Gethsemene). During the procession a band plays and they follow this float. A float of the Virgin praying finishes up the procession and is the main highlight. This float has many burning candles on it while very sombre music plays. Many pasos happen throughout the day and into the early morning (from about 4PM to 2AM) each sponsored by a different church. Otherwise holiday has been great. Megan has done all the planning and I have just tagged along. My clumsy Spanish still gets me by because Megan is fluent and can translate for me, while I stumble through explaining to the Spanish that I only speak a little of the language. Megan and the Spanish laugh and make light of it. On Tuesday we explored the Alcazar de Sevilla, the palace of Spain's royal family, and the Cathedral - the third largest in Europe. (Pictures to come.) On Wednesday, we took a day trip out of Sevilla to Jerez and Cadiz. Jerez is known for their wine, particularly Sherry, so naturally we had to tour the bodegas (vineyards/winery). In Cadiz, which is on the Atlantic coast, we went to la playa (the beach) and despite being hace calor (sunny) it was very windy so our afternoon at the beach turned into an hour and a half. The Atlantic of course was not ideal for swimming (read frigid) so I only walked in knee deep (albeit the waist high waves). Today, we will be doing as the Spanish do: taking it slow while observing Maunday Thursday. Tonight is the main event, the largest begins, which takes place at midnight tonight, although I am told that we will need to arrive and get a place to stand two hours before if we want to attempt to see the paso. Anyway, I will elaborate on these happenings some more later. I have already done too much work for today. Monday, 2 April 2007
Sunday, 1 April 2007 Technology is great; I have been getting behind in writing to all back home and I couldn't recall which day I had done some of the things I will relate to you in a moment, but I could find out which day I did these things by referencing, in iPhoto, the date on the photos I took. The digital camera records which days I take photos on; how great is technology? Now I don't even have to remember which day I was I went to the Trinity Bridge or Liverpool or the Trafford Centre. First up: Trinity Bridge and the Lowry Art Gallery. I went to see the Trinity Bridge on Sunday, 25 March, because it was designed by my favorite architect, Santiago Calatrava. Admittedly, I didn't expect to find a Calatrava in my backyard while living in Manchester. Although I shouldn't have been so quick to assume so considering he is much more prolific in Europe than he is in the States, probably due not to lack of interest in his architecture, but because he is Spanish. Originally what attracted me to his architecture was our very own Milwaukee Art Museum (his first American commission). In fact, the MAM recently gained international recognition with the construction of the new white structure contains a moveable, wing-like brise soleil (pictured below) which opens up for a wingspan of 217 feet during the day, folding over the tall, arched structure at night . He has also received the commision of the new Transportation Hub on the World Trade Center site. I see a both a representational and religous element in all of his buildings, which I believe sets his work and approach to architecture apart from the better-known Frank Gehry, best known for his design of the Guggenheim in Bilbao. It is obvious that there is some allusion to the Christian religion with the name 'Trinity' Bridge. It cannot simply be that the name only refers to the triangular composition of its support and suspension cables or the fact that the bridge connects three sources rather than two; in this way it is better represented by a triangle than a simple line. The triangle is truly an intriguing shape. It is composed of three points. Two points connect to form a line, but do not by any requirement give us a sense of direction. On the other hand, three points when connected points as an arrow aims, and thus gives us direction, a purpose. And paradoxically, while three points define a plane (a two-dimensional notion), the bridge not only directs its users from one point to another on flat land, the support also points in a direction that is foreign to the two-dimensional plane, upwards into the three-dimensional. Perhaps this is where the transcendental nature of the bridge comes into realization. This last Tuesday, 27 March, I went to a Mac event, what we in the States might term a “field trip”, at the Tate Gallery in Liverpool, at which they were demo-ing and lecturing (read promoting) their product Aperture and giving us all the reasons it is even better than Photoshop. I went with my cooperating teacher and some of my digital photography students. As expected, everything was done in true Mac (chic) style, from the location to the food to the models to the presentation. Upon arrival there were swanky sandwiches, tea (of course, how could there not be, we're in England), and "apple" juice. The photographer/Aperture spokesman was taking photos of the girls. Why they needed these models to show us how great Aperture is beyond me (even Apple has not been able to avoid the lure of selling with sex appeal), but they provided eye candy so to speak. There were mostly professional photographers at the event. In fact St. Pat's was the only school to represent the student population that might use Aperture. St. Pat’s has the privilege of being invited to many of these events due to their status as both a high school and arts college. After the models' photos were taken we proceeded to another room for the demonstration of how Aperature could organize and sort photos with more finesse than Photoshop and how using RAW images was light years ahead of using jpegs. The second half of the presenation was how Aperature could manipulate your photographs. Anyway, they were giving away £100 gift certificates for Apple products and one of my students and I both won! So it looks like that iPod Finally, the story on the Trafford Centre, an American-type shopping mall.
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Just to note: this does not neccessitate me to ring anyone back home, and in fact I can almost assure you such calls will not be made because of the overwhelmingly expensive nature of oversees calls from a mobile. I asked how much it was a minute and was told 50 pence, or about a dollar per minute. But, if you would like to chat you can give me a call. I am sure if you call it will be much cheaper, and I am willing to pay for the call. My mother said she called from her land line and it was only about 10¢ a minute. I'm just not willing to pay a dollar per minute. If you want to call, send me an email and I'll give you my number. 
