Home is Where the Heart is

I spent the weekend in New York City this past weekend, visiting my college roommate and his girlfriend and seeing a few other friends while I was there. The weather was amazing, and I finally realized how big central park really is. While in the park, we spent almost half an hour watching a bunch of people in a little skating rink dancing to some sweet tunes. Some wore roller skates, some rollerblades, and one guy was tearing things up in heelies (sp?), you know, the shoes with wheels in the heels. It was my first weekend away from home in a while. 

A couple of weeks ago, I was thinking about that scene in "Garden State" where Zach Braff and Natalie Portman  are in the shallow end of the pool and talking about notions of home. Braff tells Portman that he no longer feels at home in his home and he wonders at what point did this sensation materialize. When I was thinking about this scene a couple of weeks ago, I was thinking that home felt different to me as well. It's not that I didn't feel welcome in my home because I do, but I felt a sense that I didn't belong. Maybe it's just my independent side trying to peek through, but I definitely was feeling like there was something else to be desired. However, upon coming home from a fun weekend away, I was really missing home and glad to be home. 

It's tough to say when and why this sensation of not feeling at home happens. In college, although I was away from home for the majority of the year, I always felt at home when I came back. I think there is something about expectations of graduates to move away from their homes. In American culture, that appears to be the normal trend. It's a little different for me though. In Asian cultures, it's typical for people to live with their families well into their mid or late 20s. Often times, they only move away from their families when they marry into another. For me, being exposed to both cultures for the past 23 years, I'm often caught in the middle and often confused. However, regardless of where I am, I'm glad to have multiple places where I can feel at home. It's not just in my actual home but also when I'm with friends and other loved ones, hence "where the heart is."

Also, I was reminded of this phrase because I was playing a movie game in which "Where the Heart is" was mentioned. I think we decided that that was the one in which Natalie Portman has a baby in a Wal Mart. I usually don't feel at home in that place though.

Bad News

Today, John Madden declared his intentions to retire from the world of sportscasting. The long-time commentator and football juggernaut will be sorely missed. How will we know what's happening on that confusing mess of a football field without Madden as the torch to guide us along. Who will draw the most insane diagrams on the screen? It's always like looking at clouds when you were a kid and imagining shapes of dragons and unicorns, that's what Madden's artistry meant to me. I don't have the minute to post a picture of the man of the hour, but do google him for a good time.  

My prediction in light of these events: Football, as a sport, fails without its most famous icon and titan of the game. The NFL becomes obsolete, opening the door for arena football and its future superstar owner, Bon Jovi. However, that won't last very long as Bon Jovi will try to use the arena football's popularity to revive a rock and roll career. This will not go over well. In the end, wrestlers and UFC fighters develop an XFL-like league in which many fine athletes lose their lives. That's the bleak football future we can look forward to now that John Madden is retired.

Good News

Yesterday, the ship captain who was taken hostage by the Somali pirates was safely rescued and returned to his Vermont home. I've been watching this story on the news for the last several days and I'm really glad that everything turned out ok. From what I heard, these pirates boarded a ship and tried to hijack it, but the crew fought back and nearly got rid of the pirates themselves. The captain, fearing for the safety of his crew, offered himself as a hostage to the pirates. They held him inside a life boat for several days until a group of snipers took out the pirates in a successful rescue. I have tremendous respect for the captain and his fortitude as well as the Navy, which handled a potentially disastrous situation. My guess is that this Halloween, we're going to see a dramatic drop in pirate costumes. You heard it here first.

I heard news last night that I was offered a position on the SEAD staff again this summer. I'm pretty excited about the opportunity to be back in Hanover for a month in July. Some of my best memories have been made during the summer months at Dartmouth. I'm also looking forward to seeing who else I'll get to work with this summer. Blogging will also be a lot easier while I'm at SEAD because I'll be busy doing stuff all day which I'll be able to write about before going to bed each night. My life is pretty boring right now and blogging is becoming more and more difficult. 

I like the warming trend that seems to be taking place. I wouldn't mind some more of that.