Mitteilung von Ferien

Not that has been too rapid an output here, but please be informed that Bauzeitgeist will be on haitus at least until the end of July, if not later in August, for the following reasons:

(1) It is summer in the Northern Hemisphere. If you find yourself above the Tropic of Cancer, stop staring at a computer screen and go outside. I am trying to as much as possible.

(2) I am already in the middle of traveling, and this will continue over the next few weeks, namely: Boston-New York-Boston-Amsterdam-Nürnberg-München-Malta-Köln-Brussels-Paris-Conakry-Monrovia. This will, I hope, be great for finding topics to post on that are worth reading, but I can't keep up with any sort of production schedule on this blog or elsewhere. I'm trying out a novel concept of paying attention to my physical surroundings for a change (please see #1 above).

(3) As indicated by the itinerary in #2, I will be ending up back in West Africa. I will be going to Liberia for the remainder of 2011. I have been invited to lead the launch of a new economic development venture which should be very rewarding, and again, I hope provide some inspiration for some worthwhile essays here at Bauzeitgeist. More soon.

I have over a dozen half-finished posts around the place, all of which I hope to mature and eventually be of merit to read. Several of them are, alarmingly, months old, particularly a very detailed series of posts returning to the topic of African cities. I wish I had finished these up before now.

I am wildly optimistic that I will experience better bandwidth in Liberia than in my previous seasons there, which won't hinder my connectivity either for multimedia posts on this blog, or messages on the Bauzeitgeist twitter feed. The Bauzeitgeist channel on Vimeo may, however, not have any additions soon.

For anyone who just can't get enough of me, or think me slothful for taking a break, I'll also use this post to announce that I'm thrilled and honored to participating in Quiet Babylon and A Softer World's 10-week Toronto summer studio, Border Town as a Foreign Correspondent reporting from Monrovia. Perhaps I will post my correspondent's report from that--I suppose that would only make sense.

For readers of Bauzeitgeist, those regular supporters as well as the occasional or one-time visitors, these past months of writing have been enormously enjoyable and rewarding personally. Thanks to everyone for the attention, encouragement, and feedback. I certainly hope to keep up the pace into the fall, but in the meantime, please be patient as I attend to the personal and professional transition back to West Africa over the remainder of July and August.

Given the schedule for my return to Liberia, my time this summer in Europe will only be a previous few weeks, and in such case I'd frankly much rather be wandering around taking pictures in the Bavarian summer sun, or snorkeling in the Mediterranean, or even staring out the train window, than starting at this screen, blogging. I certainly hope you'd do the same. Thanks again to all for your continued interest.

Bis Später, MM Jones