Trees and Trains

          The Trees, by Rush, commences with soothing strings and gentle vocals by Geddy Lee as an arboreal struggle is introduced. There exists two rival factions, the oaks and the maples, where the point of contention of the song is oaks stealing all of the sunlight, while maples lie under the oaks’ looming shadow.           Breaking their silence, the maples voice their concerns to the oaks. The energy of the song is heightened as the instruments change from a soft lute to a raging guitar. However, the oaks stand indifferent to the maples’ grievances. This song mirrors many revolutions where either a class or a more specific group of people is being oppressed to the point where they reach their limit. Ultimately the oppressed organize and resist the powers that bind them.           Emulating the class struggle seen in France in 1789, the oaks appear to be analogous...

Ever since I have departed from Ecuador at the tail end of summer I have always desired to return to the mountains. My dream location would have an abundance of mountains. Furthermore a culture different from Midwestern United States would be preferable. After searching far and wide in google earth virtual reality I have found a place that suits the dream of finding breathtaking landscapes. Following my time looking around on Mount Everest I descended to the nearby cities of Lhasa and Kathmandu where I witnessed spectacular natural beauty. Furthermore the Himalayan range is home to a diverse set of ecosystems in such a compact area. Just southwest of Mount Everest lies the city of Kathmandu, capital of Nepal, and sight of filming for Doctor Strange. Nepal is home to a plethora of temples, pagodas, stupas, and breathtaking landscapes. Along many daunting suspension bridges across the many gorges of Nepal prayer flags are erected to carry blessings downwind. Throughout my early years...