First Sorrow -- Franz Kafka

A trapeze artist—this art, practiced high in the vaulted domes of the great variety theaters, is admittedly one of the most difficult humanity can achieve—had so arranged his life that, as long as he kept working in the same building, he never came down from his trapeze by night or day, at first only from a desire to perfect his skill, but later because custom was too strong for him.  All his needs, very modest needs at that, were supplied by relays of attendants who watched from below and sent up and hauled down again in specially constructed containers whatever he required. 

This way of living caused no particular inconvenience to the theatrical people, except that, when other turns were on the stage, his being still up aloft, which could not be dissembled, proved somewhat distracting, as also the fact that, although at such times he mostly kept very still, he drew a stray glance here and there from the public.  Yet the management overlooked this, because he was an extraordinary and unique artist.  And of course they recognized that this mode of life was no mere prank, and that only in this way could he really keep himself in constant practice and his art at the pitch of its perfection.
           
Besides, it was quite healthful up there, and when in the warmer seasons of the year the side windows all around the dome of the theater were thrown open and sun and fresh air came pouring irresistibly into the dusky vault, it was even beautiful.  True, his social life was somewhat limited, only sometimes a fellow acrobat swarmed up the ladder to him, and then both sat on the trapeze, leaning left and right against the supporting ropes, and chatted, or builders' workmen repairing the roof exchanged a few words with him through an open window, or the firemen, inspecting the emergency lighting in the top gallery, called over to him something that sounded respectful but could hardly be made out.  Otherwise nothing disturbed his seclusion; occasionally, perhaps, some theater hand straying through the empty theater of an afternoon gazed thoughtfully up into the great height of the roof, almost beyond eyeshot, where the trapeze artist, unaware that he was being observed, practiced his art or rested.
            
The trapeze artist could have gone on living peacefully like that, had it not been for the inevitable journeys from place to place, which he found extremely trying.  Of course his manager saw to it that his sufferings were not prolonged one moment more than necessary; for town travel, racing automobiles were used, which whirled him, by night if possible or in the earliest hours of the morning, through the empty streets at breakneck speed, too slow all the same for the trapeze artist's impatience; for railway journeys, a whole compartment was reserved, in which the trapeze artist, as a possible though wretched alternative to his usual way of living, could pass the time up on the luggage rack; in the next town on their circuit, long before he arrived, the trapeze was already slung up in the theater and all the doors leading to the stage were flung wide open, all corridors kept free—yet the manager never knew a happy moment until the trapeze artist set his foot on the rope ladder and in a twinkling, at long last, hung aloft on his trapeze.
            
Despite so many journeys having been successfully arranged by the manager, each new one embarrassed him again, for the journeys, apart from everything else, got on the nerves of the artist a great deal.
            
Once when they were again traveling together, the trapeze artist lying on the luggage rack dreaming, the manager leaning back in the opposite window seat reading a book, the trapeze artist addressed his companion in a low voice.  The manager was immediately all attention.  The trapeze artist, biting his lips, said that he must always in future have two trapezes for his performance instead of only one, two trapezes opposite each other.  The manager at once agreed.  But the trapeze artist, as if to show that the manager's consent counted for as little as his refusal, said that never again would he perform on only one trapeze, in no circumstances whatever.  The very idea that it might happen at all seemed to make him shudder.  The manager, watchfully feeling his way, once more emphasized his entire agreement, two trapezes were better than one, besides it would be an advantage to have a second bar, more variety could be introduced into the performance.  At that the trapeze artist suddenly burst into tears.  Deeply distressed, the manager sprang to his feet and asked what was the matter, then getting no answer climbed up on the seat and caressed him, cheek to cheek, so that his own face was bedabbled by the trapeze artist's tears.  Yet it took much questioning and soothing endearment until the trapeze artist sobbed: "Only the one bar in my hands—how can I go on living?"  That made it somewhat easier for the manager to comfort him; he promised to wire from the very next station for a second trapeze to be installed in the first town on their circuit; reproached himself for having let the artist work so long on only one trapeze; and thanked and praised him warmly for having at last brought the mistake to his notice.  And so he succeeded in reassuring the trapeze artist, little by little, and was able to go back to his corner. 

But he himself was far from reassured, with deep uneasiness he kept glancing secretly at the trapeze artist over the top of his book.  Once such ideas began to torment him, would they ever quite leave him alone?  Would they not rather increase in urgency?  Would they not threaten his very existence?  And indeed the manager believed he could see, during the apparently peaceful sleep which had succeeded the fit of tears, the first furrows of care engraving themselves upon the trapeze artist's smooth, childlike forehead.

Around the world, around the wo-orld... Around the world, around the wo-orld...



It's that wonderful time of the year again - 1 month and 1 week (or so) before the semester ends; Spring still has not arrived to Brookings, SD, and it's seriously driving me nuts. No wonder the AXD ladies gave me the "Me gusta el tiempo de Dakota del Sur" Award, haha.

Anyway, I certainly do not want to spend the summer in Brookings, it would be contra natura for me to do so, given the fact that the past 2 years, I've had a fabulous travel experience during the summer (Never an ordinary day in Paris-zuela 2007, and the great move of 2008). Plus, the townie lifestyle is getting to me. It's been a great semester, in so many ways, but the nomad in me is always itching to set foot in new and exciting places.

So, where could I potentially go? This depends on air fare, places to stay, time, people to see and most importantly, CADIVI.

Here are the choices, prices and accomodation opportunities.

1. Italia und Deutschland, with my bro Jorge and my cousin Enrique - $650 roundtrip

2. Puerto Rico! with my bro Hector - $696 roundtrip (this is ridiculous, given that it's US territory)

3. La Ville Lumiere (I could drop by to see my bro and cousin too), with the lovely Sabino - $677 roundtrip

4. Houston, TX, with "this year's love" - $402 roundtrip

5. Seattle, WA, by meself - just 'cause I've ALWAYS wanted to go there - $444 roundtrip

6. Caracas, Venezuela - haha, just kidding! (Incredibly enough, sometimes I miss it, or maybe just those I left behind) - but it would cost about... $1,160 roundtrip

7. And finally (just for kicks)... Doha, Qatar, also by meself, to find my oil-rich heir husband! - $1,650 roundtrip (not bad at all, actually, if I seriously had the chance)

Let's see what happens!


If not, I could always try to get a summer job and murder my spirit, er... have fun in good old Brookings!