This American Life, 23 February
In the Shadow of the City
Act One 3:00-28:00
Brooklyn Archipelago. Out for a simple pleasure cruise with two friends, Alex Zharov was planning to see Jamaica Bay in New York City. But this end-of-the-day excursion, which should have only lasted 40 minutes, turns into an out of control adventure that will leave him lost, stranded, and bleeding ... all within sight of the Empire State Building. Brett Martin reports. (22 minutes) (taken from www.thislife.org)
1. What does Alex say about himself?
2. Why did Roman take to Alex right away and what did he and his friends call Alex?
3. What was the agenda?
4. What did Roman say about his state after a lot of cognac?
5. What did they do rather than panic when they got caught in the current?
6. What could they see in every direction the next morning?
7. What was Alex’s three-fold explanation for why he swam?
8. What made him mad at New York?
9. What were Alex’s strange ideas about the ducks?
10. What could he smell?
11. What reminders of the metropolis are close at hand?
12. Why didn’t Roman rush to signal the helicopter?
13. Why does Alex like badgers and Utah?
14. Why did this happen to him?
15. How does Alex make the reporter feel?
You can read the news article about their little escapade (and see a photo of Alex with blond afro and Roman with pirate eye patch), at The New York Times' website
Article: Feel Like a Kid Again, Put a skip in your step, America!
I came across an ad for this website in my new PDF format of Satya Magazine the other day and found it delightful! How many times have I wanted to skip down the aisle of the grocery store or walking down the street (actually at the grocery store, I want to push the cart and go for a ride like I did when I was young and uninhibited). Anyway, more power to these people! And may we not forget, as we get older, what it means to be awed by life's simple pleasures!
1. What does it mean that Kim’s an “avid skipper”?
2. What’s the impetus behind Kim’s efforts to pass on the skipping fever? ”
3. Why does she say that some would be less inclined to jump on the skipping bandwagon?
4. “It _______ positive energy”. What does that mean?
5. “Let skipping ______ _____ the _____ _____ you!”
6. What other activities mentioned do adults tend to grow out of?
7. Why shouldn’t one feel silly skipping, according to Kim?
8-10. Write your reaction to the listening and/or reading as a comment below.
4 comments:
VERY IMPORTANT:
The dates of the podcast are wrong.
The show aired on the 23rd of February, but it apparently was only put on line March 2nd, the date which another show aired as well.
Anyway, it would be wise to use the following link to the story mainpage instead of the other one to the main site, just so one doesn't have to search the archives for the right piece:
http://www.thislife.org/pages/descriptions/06/307.html
[You would then only have to press the blue icon on the left with the spearker and the waves]
Thanks, M. Fixed it.
Answers:
Listening
1 He loves to have very radical experiences; He’s a psychedelic, artistically productive sort of person
2 Alex appeared to be special with a twinkle (though Roman said blink, I think) in his eye, writing music at age 12 that Roman was writing at 18; little piglet
3 Go to the bridge, turn around, come back in about 40 minutes
4 He was out of commission
5 They shot off all the boats flares just for fun and then went to sleep
6 Signs of civilization
7 He thought they’d be stuck there for a long time, the islands were calling to him and he was bored
8 They had nothing on the island to register someone’s presence
9 Use them as slippers or make a raft out of the ducks. NOT VEGAN!
10 His death in the air
11 Garbage, boats, mobile phone
12 They were having fun and enjoying the weather
13 They might be hiding something cool from him and that attracts him
14 He was with the right people at the right time in the right place
15 Like it would be good to be a teenager again
Reading
1 she does it with great enthusiasm
2 There’s too much negativity in the world and skipping is “simple, free and positive”
3 They’re self-conscious about doing it in public
4 exudes: strongly and openly displays/shares an emotion or quality, in this case positive energy
5 bring out / kid in
6 splashing in puddles, giggling to themselves, being in awe of life’s simple pleasures
7 It’s fun, good for you physically and makes you feel young and spreads joy
From M, an interesting commentary:
If you recall a comment on the previous quiz, there was something Roger Ebert wrote about "Bully" regarding society offering nothing to some of their children and those children not having the imagination and courage to try to escape.
The story of these ex-Soviet immigrants is curious - they are obviously way too "blasé" or slack, if you will, for their own good. Their adventure is childish, irresponsible and, on occasion, utterly stupid.
But we cannot deny they have imagination... and while we could call their courage (and imagination as well) stupidity or insanity, it is undeniable it's there. It might be a pose, but there's a small fragment of courage there, no question about it.
If Alex and friends keep both their imagination and courage - however warped they may be - and live enough to use it - which might be hard if luck isn't on their side on their next big adventure - they might have something new to offer this world. To them, in their relative youth, boredom and adventure depend only of them. I hope they are one of those cases Trey Parker , the creator of Southpark, mentions in "Bowling for Columbine", where the strangest people in his high school were by far the most creative, and even the most successful, later on.
Kim Corbin's ideas of skipping are, in part, a way to recapture that feeling you had as a kid, that sense of adventure with no thought to consequence Roman illustrates so well in his refusal to call the helicopter when he first sees it. She also talks about fun, and I agree it's vital to have it, but I think the exuding of positive energy she talks about might relate more to what is said about bringing out the kid in you, than the simple act of trotting like the lion and the scarecrow of "The Wizard of Oz".
We all seek adventure - that we know is true from ancient times. If you read the Iliad you'll find a lot of adventure-seeking men speared left and right by both Ajax. In adventure we try to find ourselves, regain our individuality from our routine and unfulfilled potential, whatever the reason.
As a kid would say: Ain't that what's life all about?
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