Reflections on a Facebook Cleanse

In early October, I decided I was in need of a facebook cleanse, and challenged myself to not login for the next 30 days.  I posted a notification on my wall (which I found out was a bit cryptic for some) and let my "friends" know I would be gone for a while and to email and call me.  Some people thought this meant I was purging my friends list, while others understood I just simply needed a break. 

Obviously, I'm back online and posting this blogpost to facebook, but thought I'd share with you some of the things I learned over the course of the past month. 

1) I have no routine
For those of you who don't know, I spend a lot of my year traveling and have a hard time committing to things.  My job takes me all over the US/world (which I take full advantage of), but often find myself feeling as if I'm missing out on things.  I was away from home for a total of 8 weeks between May and September this summer, driving Boomer to NY to stay with his grandparents while I went to Europe twice and sought refuge volunteering at Manitou Experience in Maine.  

I was not (still am not) good at returning emails (sorry Red, I still owe you a long one!) or reaching out to people when I got back home.  I often felt overwhelmed when walking back in the house and thinking, okay, now back to reality, but what is my reality? 

2) I had a false sense of friendship

Oddly enough though, I still felt as if I was connecting with people and knew what was going on in their lives.  Because of facebook.  I was/am still more of a facebook voyeur, reading people's posts, following their updates, looking at their pictures, but never really responding or commenting.  I didn't feel the need to reach out and ask "how are you?" because I felt as if I already knew.  I could sit in front of the computer or on my phone for an hour and "catch up" with people.  But no words were ever spoken, no sounds were ever made besides the clicking of the keyboard, and I'd often find daylight bleeding into darkness and all those things on my to-do list getting put aside.  And I was feeling inadequate.  But, why?  Because everyone else's lives seemed happier, or more exciting, or because they were checking things off their to-do list?  Maybe, guilty is a better word, because I was wasting time and not getting anything out of it.

3) I was lonely and needed human interaction
Adding to all of this, I work from home.  So I'm either running at 150%, traveling, smiling, being nice to people, leading teams, fixing problems, etc or I'm home and sitting in my pajamas all day.  Quite the contrast.  While everyone else was coming home for the day and unwinding, I was looking for ways to get out of the house and to fulfill my need for human interaction.  I sign up for art classes and love my stained glass class on monday nights.  I look forward to my spring and fall tennis seasons because we practice every wednesday night.  But what about the other nights?  Could I go to the gym - of course.  But did I always make it?  No.  I'd find myself "playing" on the computer, checking facebook and then talking myself out of things.  I was again, wasting time. 

4) I needed a change
All of this lead up to the 30 day cleanse challenge.  I deleted the app off my phone and cleared my cookies/browser cache so if I slipped up, I'd be forced to login.  I admit, for the first week, I had a big urge to see what was going on, but after a while, that went away.  I made a list of things I wanted to get done and I started to push myself.  Believe me, it wasn't easy.  The introvert in me wanted to go back to the routine of quiet, but I forced myself to step outside my comfort zone.  I called neighbors and friends and went for walks.  I lingered at the dogpark longer and actually talked to people and got to know them by their name, instead of as "Wolfgang's Dad or Disa's Mom".  I went to the coffee shop, sat on the patio and worked outside for the afternoon (Boomer liked that).  I networked with work friends and went into the office.  I called friends I hadn't talked to in a while and actually had a long phone conversation.  Not via text or email, actual phone!  I went to lunch with friends during the day.  And I started to research my next career and the one after that.  I figured out how to fill gaps by volunteering.  And I'm in the process of applying to another grad school program.  

5) I did miss out on things
Was I feeling better?  Yes!  When my 30 days was up and I finally decided to log in and respond to the emails and friend requests I realized though that I was missing out on things.  Significant events in people's lives were occurring (happy and sad) and I didn't know about it.  I wasn't always seeing the pictures my family members were posting.  But on the flip side, people weren't communicating with me either outside of facebook.  Were they sending me pictures directly?  Not all the time.  Were people communicating difficult times directly via email.  Not always.  Was I missing out on an interesting article from NPR or updates from my Manitou Experience friends and fellow volunteers.  Absolutely!  I was feeling left out, but I was no longer feeling lonely about it or as if I was wasting my time.  I did question though, can I live in a world without facebook?  If everyone else is using this for communications, how can I not be included.  What would happen if I stopped it completely?

6) Is there a conclusion to all of this?
That's a good question.  I'm still trying to find my routine and figure out what a happy medium is for me.  I know that I want to keep in touch with people and feel connected and a part of their lives.  But I also know that I have started to build some bigger friendships with people face to face and outside of the social media world, and I like these better.  But I also don't want to be out of the loop.  How can I include social media in my life without it taking over my life.  How can I pick and choose and be in control?  For now, I'm still limiting my time on facebook and have gradually added it back in.  I log in every few days now, but not on a daily basis.  Am I missing things?  Yes.  Am I okay with that.  Absolutely! 

So if you'd read this far, I'd be interested in your opinion.  Would you be willing to take the 30 day challenge?  Do you find yourself contemplating a break from facebook?  

Oh the smells....

The last day and a half in Amsterdam were filled with sensory overload - smells, sights, and sounds.  There is an ever lingering smell of marijuana in the city, it's just always there but every once in a while you pass through a cloud of it that makes you look up and wonder where it's coming from.  Is it the person next to me, is it from the window on the second floor, or maybe it's the green lit coffee shop in front of me.  You momentarily ask yourself these questions and then you continue on where you were going. 

I was up early Sunday morning and was quite excited for my countryside bike tour.  It was raining, well sprinkling a bit so I armed myself with my raincoat and walked the 5 minutes to the bike place, passing people on their way back in for the night, beer cans in hand.  We loaded up on our Yellow Bikes (that's the name of the company) and proceeded to head across the ferry and north of the city into the "country".  Within about 10 minutes you are winding along canals on a bike path, past an old windmill and through fields with the most amazing floral smells.  It's hard to believe that you are still in the same city.  The tour was about 4 hours and covered about 30 km (about 18 miles) and stopped at picturesque little villages along the way and even gave us a chance to climb to the top of a 16th century church.  It was the highlight of the trip, allowing me to see just how diverse and healthy and amazing the landscape and people were.  The rain lasted for the first 30 minutes and cleared the way for beautiful blue skies and sunshine, a perfect day for bike riding. 

I made my way back to the hotel, and after taking a short nap decided to find an outdoor pub for a beer and some "chips" (french fries).  Guess all that biking made me crave some fries :-)  I hadn't been over to the Damraak part of town yet, so I walked over to a cute little pub right on the corner of a very busy canal.  As I sat drinking my beer I noticed a boat docked immediately across the canal, against a house with a small bench attached to the wall.  It's hard to explain, but basically the bench was floating over the water and boat was just hanging out underneath.  It was full of shirtless men, laughing and drinking and having a good time.  After about 5 minutes, one of the men, the oldest in the bunch (60s?) decided to strip down naked and jump in the canal.  The entire patio of the bar started giggling and staring.  I asked the waitress if this was normal and she said, well yes, it's a gay bar across the way and I said, they swim naked?  And she said, ohh, that's a first and started to laugh.  The man was giving us a show, he kept stopping boats along the way (this was a high traffic area too) and trying to pull himself into them.  He finally made his way back to his boat, climbed in (no tan line btw) and about 10 minutes later he and his party of 10 were off to the next canal.  I couldn't help but laugh, it was quite the spectacle. 

After dinner, I decided I needed dessert and googled a gelato place a few streets over.  I started to walk there and realized I was in the heart of the Red Light District.  It's hard not to pass by the windows with the lights on and glimpse at the "ladies" selling their "goods".  Most were a bit older and ragged and texting or playing on their phones.  One older lady (oh, in her 60s) with enormous boobs was quite animated and was having a laugh at two older female tourists walking by.  She looked at them gawking at her and shook her finger and her head as if to say, "no, no, not you two".  I grinned, they looked so embarrassed. 

In and out of the pot smells, into the gelato place filled with smells of warm belgian waffles I devoured my chocolate covered chocolate gelato waffle.  I figured I earned it after the biking and the beer and chips (there were veggies too in there).  Finally, I made my way back to the hotel to pack and get ready to leave in the morning.

I was up early, to make sure I had a chance to eat breakfast at the Cafe Winkel, famous for the their homemade apple cake.  After realizing the hotel had no hot water temporarily, I went for a walk (it was 8:30) and took in the last of the city.  I walked over to the cafe, past men smelling as if their evening had just ended, and along the canals, which were quiet as can be.  So this is what Amsterdam is like when no one is around.  It was a holiday, so the cafe which normally opens at 7, sadly didn't open until 10.  Back to the hotel it was, for a quick shower and then I headed back over for a quick apple cake before making my 11:15 train. 

I walked to the train thinking to myself, it's amazing the sensory overload you experience in such a beautiful city.  It's an interesting contrast, defying what you have been taught as wrong/right and putting them all in the same category.  Quite fascinating and somehow blending together into a peaceful, happy city.  I smiled as I thought, it was a super weekend and I don't know how going back to Paris could ever top it.

I boarded the train, and sat down and was hit with some more smells. This time I wasn't happy and I wasn't sure how I was going to make the 3.5 ride back to Paris.  I'll just kindly say that some cultures should learn to use personal hygiene products, such as deodorant and leave it at that.  Luckily I was able to squat in a seat a few rows up and escape the nauseatingness (and the crying baby in the row over).  It must not have been my day, because the train had some problems and we spent an hour in Antwerp while they "rebooted" the train before they had us switch to a new train in Brussels.  All to arrive 75 minutes late in Paris to pouring rain.  

So the Amsterdam weekend has come to an end and a successful weekend it was.  I'm already trying to figure out how to get back to be able to see more of Holland and it's neighboring countries.  Smells and all....

One more trip tomorrow to the Loire valley, then work on Wednesday and home on Thursday.  Feels like I've been here forever!! 

20,000 Steps....

I couldn't have asked for a better day yesterday! The weather was perfect, not a cloud in the sky (except for when it rained for 15 minutes around 2 pm), and the city was buzzing (haha, literally and figuratively).  I did a total of about 20,000 steps, give or take a few and thought I'd capture some of the highlights. 

I got up early and took a nice stroll in the sunshine over to the Noordmarket, a Saturday fruit/veggie/cheese/everything market.  I love to wander the local markets when I travel and pretend I have a kitchen and fridge to be able to buy whatever looks fresh and exciting.  Just as at home, it's strawberry season and I picked up a pint of local ones, which were quite smaller than I'm used to, but so sweet and flavorful.  I also grabbed a handful of cherries, literally, and the man behind the stand probably laughed at me because I only wanted about 30 of them.  I figured I'd at least start with the healthy stuff as I proceeded to the bakery stalls.  Oh how wonderful the breads and pastries looked.  Lots of seeds and brown breads and spelt and whole grains, I was in heaven!  I opted for a multigrain croissant (who knew?) and a cinnamon scone.  Mmm....

After purchasing a couple of skirts and ogling at the apple pie everyone was eating for breakfast, I wandered along the canals for another hour or so, meandering through the neighborhoods.  People were biking back from the markets with their bags full of bread and flowers and fresh fruit and veggies.  Or hanging out at the cafes reading the paper and drinking their coffee and chatting with their neighbors.  I had to remind myself I was in a big city, not a small town, but that's how it felt.    I knew I had a ticket for the Anne Frank house at 2:20 and had a couple of hours before needing to make my way over.  I decided that it was time to eat again and I found a great cafe/pub on a boat (supposedly the only one in the city?) and had a hummus sandwich and a white beer.  It's so easy to order beer - it's beer, white beer, or brown beer.  Fine with me :-)  I sat on the boat, in the sunshine, in the middle of a canal, in the middle of Amsterdam with a white beer, people watching and admiring the amazing architecture, life really couldn't have gotten better at that point. 

I dropped my stuff back at the hotel and walked over to the Anne Frank house.  I had bought my ticket online before (they have limited numbers they sell for specific times), and was glad I did as the normal wait was about 1.5 hours, with a quick sun shower to dampen things.  I buzzed the little door I was supposed to and was let in right away and entered the exhibit. 

Immediately I'm reminded that the happiness and warm vibe of the city wasn't always there, and that Amsterdam wasn't always a welcome place for all.  Had I been Anne Frank in 1942, I too would have been forced into hiding, hoping for one day being able to walk back out into the streets and not be persecuted for my religion and family heritage.  I walked through the house, thinking about how hard it would be to not be able to go outside, to stay quiet all day for fear of being found out, to know that people were allowed to be free.  I thought about how the family must have had such hope and trust in the Allied Forces and how D-day is still very real to a lot of people in France and Europe.  Unfortunately, Anne never knew about freedom as their cover was blown and she died in a camp 1 month before she would have been liberated.  It's a very humbling, emotional experience. 

I walked out of the museum a bit drained and in search of a cup of tea.  Somehow instead I ended up at Wynand Fockink, a 300 year old distillery of spirits and liqueur.  They have this gorgeous old tasting room, with a wall of about 40 different flavored liqueurs for you to try.  (Not my picture btw)


A bit overwhelmed and still feeling the drain of the museum earlier, the bartender (is that what you call him?) started me off with a sample (half a shot) of their oranje liqueur.  He gave me the history of the company, continued to let me sample 4-5 flavors and two full shot glasses later (these I paid for, passion fruit and oranje) I walked out feeling grounded again, warm and toasty and with a recommendation for an off the beaten path place for dinner. 

I got on the tram, as instructed by Hans (the bartender) heading towards the zoo, got off at the Artis stop and walked to the left over the bridge to the restaurant.  Not really sure how the paper coaster directions got me there, but I found a quaint little outdoor restaurant in a newer development area overlooking a canal, but it was full of locals and very quiet.  I continued my vegetarian diet for the day with refreshing gazpacho and a beet risotto with feta and chickpea/lentil falafel type things.  And of course a white beer.  It was so good and refreshing.  Just the clean eating feeling I needed after a day of lots of steps, heavy thinking and just enjoying the wonderful city. 

By this point I was getting tired and ready to call it a day.  I walked back to the tram stop, and saw it pulling away, I missed it by 10 seconds.  The next one was coming in 12 minutes so I decided to walk and follow the line until the next stop.  I noticed a supermarket on the way and stopped in for some water and remembered my friend Simona telling me to look for smoothies in the glass bottles.  I picked up a pineapple/orange/banana one for the morning.  I started following the tram line again and plugged in the hotel to my GPS.  It was 1.6 km away and I just figured, why not and I walked. 

By the time I got to my room my body was tired, my feet a bit achy (9 miles in new flip flops isn't recommended) and I thought to myself, damn, that was a good day, I sure saw a lot in 20,000 steps!  

Initial Impressions - Amsterdam

My first thought as I exited the train station in Amsterdam was  - Why haven't I visited here before?!  After a super smooth and fast train ride from Paris (about 3.5 hours), you arrive in Amsterdam Central station.  The station is right on the water (well, water is everywhere) and you are immediately greeted by thousands and thousands of bikes parked outside.  I carefully navigated my way across the bridge, figuring out you have to look both ways to make sure you don't get run over by a bicycle or tram, and found my hotel.  It's in a perfect location, one block away on a cute, old street.  I immediately noticed that everyone, even in shops, greet you in English to begin with.  And everyone is super friendly, I have yet to meet someone who hasn't smiled and started a conversation, such a happy city (and not just because of the legalized substances).

Michael, the front desk guy who checked me in, pulled out a map of the city and started to circle all the things I should do.  He's an expat from Philly who came here for vacation 25 years ago and decided to stay, and talked my ear off for about 10 minutes.  After getting settled in my room (it was around 3:30) I decided to head out and check things off of the list that Michael gave me.  (And Gijs and Simona too!) 

Talk about happy people everywhere!  It was a beautiful day and the start of a 3 day weekend (Monday is a public holiday) and people were out everywhere.  Every street/canal side cafe was filled and groups of drunken British stag and hen parties dressed up in outrageous outfits stumbled around (think Jane Fonda circa 1980 for one group and a large inflatable penis worn by the bachelor for the other).  Little boats filled with people traveled up and down the canals, just hanging out, the Dutch equivalent of a picnic.

I found my way to a medieval little courtyard with one of the only two still standing timber houses in the city, and admired the beautiful flowers at the Floating Flower Market.  There were so many bulbs I would have loved to have taken home, but I know if I did I'd probably end up in trouble with the customs agent.  Then it was off to weave my way around the De Negen Straatjes (The Nine Streets), getting away from the main area and loud partiers.  The first thing I noticed was the gorgeous architecture.  The buildings are all different, so narrow and tiny and impeccably maintained.  Flower boxes were in the windows, and I loved being able to peek in open curtains.  There were cute cafes lining the streets, boutique shops, and nice looking restaurants.  But I just wanted to be near the water.  Which isn't a problem with canals everywhere.

After a Thai curry for dinner, which tasted so good after all the heavy, rich french food, I took an hour long canal tour.  What a great way to see the city, learn a bit about the history and most of all get my bearings for where I was and what the city was all about.  After mapping out my plan of attack for the next day, I got into bed thinking, for only a few hours I sure did a lot!

Well, if that was a lot, then not sure what Saturday was!  According to Fitbit I'm an overachiever and managed to walk about 9 miles around the city.  But don't worry, I'll save you every detail of those 20000 steps for my next post .   :-)

The Little White Book

I had dinner tonight at a restaurant my parents ate at 42 years ago almost to the day.  It is the oldest restaurant in Paris, Le Procope, a famous hangout of Voltaire, Napolean, Ben Franklin and many others.  I went tonight, not because the food is spectacular (the Coq au Vin was so rich and sinful) or because the service is amazing (it was pretty bad actually, typical French), but because my Mom kept her Little White Book.  Or I should say, my Mom threw out the book and my Dad kept it.  He keeps everything! 

Before they were married, they took a 3 week vacation to France, where they split the costs, except for on Saturday nights, when my Dad treated.  My Mom had a little "travel book" (that's what it said on the cover) which had sections for expenses, weather, restaurants, etc.  She wrote down the date, where they ate and gave it a rating (she even wrote down when my Dad got sick, ha).  On June 1 or 2, they went to Le Procope and she gave it a B+.  When I was getting ready to return for the week, she kept saying she wished she had her book, but she threw it out years ago.  My Dad chimed in from the other room, no you didn't, I have it.  So after a quick Tripadvisor search we realized that the restaurant was still there and of course I had to go.  I'm sure they will appreciate the pictures, as the inside probably hasn't changed in the last 50 (200!) years.  :-)

But what is even more fascinating is that they planned a 3 week European vacation using only guidebooks and mail reservations.  I don't know what I would have done this week without the Internet, specifically Tripadvisor and Yelp.  As soon as I decided to stay for the week, I immediately spent an hour booking hotels, researching things to do, where to eat, and mapping out my plan of attack.  What took me an hour, probably took my Dad days. 

I wandered through the Tuileries this morning, past the Louvre, and finally found a seat in the sun in front of a fountain in the Palais Royal gardens.  I picked up my phone and found where I was (did you know GPS is the most amazing thing?), and searched for someplace to eat.  Forget paper maps, you just need to tell Tripadvisor to search the best near you and Voila!, the best crepes in Paris!  I meandered through old passages and indoor galleries and eventually made my way up Rue de Martyrs to Montmarte and the Sacre Coeur, where I sat in a pew and rested. 

Now, I'm not a religious person, but there is something moving and humbling about sitting in a church in a foreign country, reflecting and absorbing the moment.  I thought about the people that had sat in my seat in the past 100 years, about my parents wandering around France with their Little White Book and nothing else.  I thought about how I would never in a million years have guessed I would be sitting here, thankful for a great job that let's me experience amazing adventures. 

As I made my way back through the hustle and bustle of Montmartre, through the square with sooo many portrait sketchers (it was like a flea market of people painting and drawing and offering to paint your portrait, such a zoo), I stopped at an older man painting flowers.  They were just so beautiful, the colors and the textures were amazing.  Without even thinking I picked up one with purple flowers (of course) and I said I'll take it.  He carefully placed it in between two pieces of cardboard to help ensure its safe journey home and I thanked him for helping to create a lasting memory.  I told him I'll frame it nicely when I get home and hang it in a special place, and smile each time I pass it, remembering my wanderings through Paris.  I'll remember the warmth of the sunshine, the sound of the crowd milling around, the chills I got from sitting in the church and most of all, how my parents were there too 42 years ago.  :-) 

 

Channeling Sartre: Being is. Being is in-itself. Being is what it is.

After a slow start to the year and enjoying being home and getting into a semi-normal routine, I find myself back in adventure mode.  Well, it's a continuation of the adventure that started mid-May, but I failed to chronicle that in detail.  I had a work trip #1 to Paris a few weeks ago, which was mostly work, with a side trip to Giverny for an afternoon, followed by a 4 night "vacation" to Barcelona.  My Mom came along and we had an amazing time!  She wandered Paris during the day, and told me all about the amazing things she did over dinner.  We rented a small apartment in Barcelona, ate our way across the city and making sure we were daily Fitbit "Overachievers".  I need to sit down and recap that trip, but for now I'll pick up with where I am today.    

I sit here in my second hotel room of the week (I only arrived Monday morning and it's Tuesday), looking out over the City of Lights, wondering how I ended up in Paris yet again and trying to figure out when I'm going home.  The plan when I left NY on Sunday night was to complete my client meeting Tuesday morning, spend Tuesday afternoon and all day Wednesday being a tourist and then flying home Thursday.  But in our client meeting today, they decided to ask us to meet with them again next Wednesday and I was suddenly hit with a dilemna - stay or go and come back.  You are probably thinking, that's easy, stay!  Take advantage of the free trip.  Go, enjoy, take it all in!  But before I came to that conclusion, a few things ran through my head.  You only packed for 3 days.  You don't have any hotels booked. It gets a little old traveling by yourself after a while.  I really don't want to sit on a plane for an extra 18 hours if I don't have to.  I'm so damned tired I just want to sleep and figure it out later. 

So here I am.  I took a nap, woke up at 8 pm, decided to get out the map, pick a neighborhood and see what Yelp recommends for dinner and just walk.  I'm staying near Montparnasse, close to the 6th Arrondissement and found a great little wine bar/restaurant (Au Pere Louis) and set off.  I walked around the Montparnasse Cemetery, through the Luxembourg Palace gardens (it was still full of people hanging out at 9:15 and completely light out!), had a glass of wine and french onion soup/smoked salmon salad and took a good look around.  Maybe it was Jean-Paul Sartre speaking to me as I passed the cemetery walls or the calmness of wandering streets older than my own country or the glass of Sancerre, but I came to a decision.  Just be.  Stop worrying about between now and next Wednesday, don't waste precious time on an airplane when you don't have to and just enjoy being in Europe. 

Though I'm exploring on my own, I'm not really by myself.  I'll take it all in and try to share here at the end of the day.  Hope you join me as I figure out the week!  Send suggestions on places to eat, things to see, if you have friends who wouldn't mind having a glass of wine with a stranger and if so inclined and you want to hop on a plane, let me know! 

Here are a few pics from the first evening:

Luxembourg Palace



Eiffel Tower in background

Not so quick recap...

It's hard to believe that it's been over two weeks since I first landed in Australia!  I was hoping to keep this updated more often as a way to keep everyone at home updated on my adventures and also a way for me to remember what I've done, but as usual, time has gotten away from me. 

I have settled into a routine, getting up early to call family/friends back home (I'm 14 hours ahead) and for some reason my body just keeps waking up around 4 am.  Technology is amazing though.  I have an old unlocked cell phone that I use for international travel and I bought a prepaid SIM to throw in it.  I still find it funny that I can call home on a cell phone and it only costs me 7 cents a minute and no more than $1 a call.  It makes being half way around the world much easier and accessible.  Like when we had storms in Atlanta and I had to call the alarm company because my Mom kept getting calls from them saying the system was low on battery.  (it was just recharging after the power was out)

So after arriving and wandering around old stomping grounds, I decided to spend my second day in Sydney doing something new.  It was a gorgeous "winter" day, sunny and 60 degrees, so I thought I'd venture out to do one of the many coastal walks around the city.  I took a bus to Coogee Beach and headed north for the 5K walk along to water to Bondi Beach.  I'm sorry that I hadn't found it when I was here 6 years ago.  The views were amazing, the water crisp and clear, and tons of people were out just being healthy.  Running, walking, playing lawn bowling, snorkeling, surfing, SCUBA diving, SUP'ing, swimming (at an old ocean swim club).  One thing I've noticed about Australians is that they enjoy their outdoor activities and they make a point of being healthy.  It's something we could learn from at home. 

Here are some of my favorite views from the walk, including my yummy lunch treat at the end

Bondi Beach

 Mmmm, fish and chips! 

I ended the day by catching up my co-workers and taking in a Jazz concert at the Sydney Opera Hosue.  We weren't in the main concert hall but downstairs in the intimate studio.  Funny, we came all this way to hear two Brooklyn based jazz writers play with the Australian Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra.  It was awesome!  They played pieces written by Sean Wayland and Darcy James Argue.  I found Darcy to be amazing.  He has an 18 piece big band in Brooklyn, called the Secret Society.  I highly recommend if you are in the NY area that you check them out. 

We lucked out by having a day off the first Monday after we arrived - thanks Queen Elizabeth II and Happy Birthday.  So one of my coworkers and I went on a wine tour of the Hunter Valley.  I've been on wine tours before, but this one was more like a class, we spent a lot of time learning about the wines, the history, tasting, etc.  Another gorgeous day and somehow I came home with 6 bottles!  Let's hope they make it home in one piece!  (okay, I'm down to 5 now)

Needless to say, we were quite content and rested and over our jetlag before starting our meetings on Tuesday. 

The hard work began, with our meetings running from morning til night and me having to keep the team coordinated for dinner plans and such after work.  We were truly a global bunch, with two guys from Argentina, two from the Czech Republic (one Czech, one Slovak), two Americans (one Cuban American so he was always speaking Spanish with the Argentians) and then me (the only female). 

By the time Saturday rolled around again I was beyond exhausted.  All but one team member headed home and I had the day to myself.  I thought I would up my game and do another coastal walk, this time the 10K Spit Bridge to Manly walk.  It was a bit chilly and windy and overcast, but I decided I needed the quiet and peacefulness and a good walk.  I took the bus to the Spit Bridge, found the trail only to see the sign say that it was closed for trail maintenance.  So back to the bus it was, thinking I could pick it up a few kilometers down the road.  I ended up finding the trail again but only 2K from Manly.  I missed the wildlife habitats and the walk on the water but still had a good walk over to Manly Beach.  I found a cozy place in the sand, and sat and watched the surfers. Those little dots in the water are surfers, so many of them!

 I walked around a bit more and took the ferry back at sunset to some amazing views of the bridge and opera house.

I'll catch up on week 2 in the next update.....

Amazing how your memory works...

I made it Sydney!  It only took me 28 hours total, 3 different airplanes and 4 airports.  But thankfully it was uneventful and I actually feel pretty rested today.  Because I needed to drop Boomer off with his Grandparents for the week, I started the trip in NY on Thursday afternoon (after driving up from Atlanta on Sunday/Monday).  Little airports are great, if I could fly out of Stewart-Newburgh all the time I would.  So I left NY, connected in Detroit, then LA and finally off to Sydney.  When we stopped in Detroit, I figured it would be worth a shot to ask the agent if I had an options to upgrade the Sydney flight (usually they say no) and it must have been my lucky day, because for 25K miles and a crazy amount of $$ I was able to give up my exit row seat for a lie flat business seat.  And it was so worth it!!  15 hours is a ridiculous amount of time on a plane!

Before I forget though, even though I know no one reading this blog would ever do this, please, please, please do not spray yourself with perfume while on an airplane.  The girl sitting next to me on the flight from Detroit to LA decided she would "freshen up" before we landed.  This included about 30 minutes of makeup application at her seat and then a quick little spray of her perfume on her wrists.  She may have thought she was being discreet, but no, we all smelled it. 

By the time I got on the plan in LA it was about 2 am EST, so I was exhausted and ready to sleep.  We boarded, they served us a decent dinner, I took my Xanax (only when flying), had a glass of wine and settled in watching Les Miserables.  I remember seeing it for the first time on Broadway with my Dad when I was 12 and I bought the soundtrack (on tape) and used to play it all the time, I know the whole thing by heart.  Funny thing though, until this time watching it, I don't think I really knew what it was about.  How dark and sad the story is, but beautified with such amazing music.  I only made it about 3/4 way through before passing out but I did finish it before we landed in the morning.  I rested, probably slept for about 6-8 hours, which really isn't bad at all.  I left the plane feeling pretty good. 

The Sydney airport is so easy to get through, making it through immigration in 5 minutes, bags in 15 and straight thru customs.  Let's hope the return trip though LAX is as easy! 

There was a Vodaphone store right as you exited baggage claim, so I picked up a local SIM card for my unlocked ATT phone and had my local phone up and running in no time.  Then it was off to the hotel.

By 8:30 am, I was checked in, unpacked, showered and had to decide what to do for the day.  The last thing I wanted was to take a nap, knowing I probably wouldn't get up.   I decided to take it easy and take a little stroll down memory lane.  For those who may not know, this is actually my 4th trip to Australia, and 3rd time in Sydney.  The first time I was here was in 2001 with my friend Bronwyn, whom I was visiting in Melbourne.  And I spent 3 months here back in 2007 for work.  As I was walking around the Rocks (old historic neighbhorhood), I kept smiling as I looked at familiar buildings and places.  Everything was still there, 12 years later! 

The little pizza place where we had dinner and I remember having potato skins for the first time with sour cream and sweet chili sauce.  Not sure why my mind remembers food the way it does (thanks Mom and Dad), but I distinctly remember having the sweet chili sauce and thinking I hope we have this in the US.  Now it's a staple in the house!  I next wandered around to the little bakery where I used to always get Anzac cookies, but sadly they didn't have them anymore, but I did get a Whole Meal Scone with raisins for breakfast this morning.  The backpacker bar where I remember (or maybe I don't) having too much cider and being the reason I don't drink cider anymore. 

The whole city was alive and bustling, the market at the Rocks had exactly the same vendors, Circular Quay was busy with street performers and Aboriginal music.  The Opera House still makes my jaw drop every time I see it, mainly because it reminds me that I'm in Australia.  Turn the globe 180 degrees and go below the Equator, and that's where you find the Opera House.  So humbling, no matter how many times I see it. 

I wandered towards Darling Harbour, memories filling my mind around every corner.  I passed my old client's building, the Woolworth's where I used to go shopping, the cafe where I would sit and have a cup of tea. And the old IBM building where I used to work every day.  Everything where it used to be and I was proud of myself for remembering how to get around. 

I made it back to the hotel, very tired at this point from wandering for 4 hours and decided to take a short nap.  1.5 hours short.  I woke up around 5 and decided I needed to keep pushing it was too early to go to bed.  I had passed a Wagamama right near the hotel earlier so I decided to have some quick noodles for dinner.  Well, that was a mini adventure.  If you've never been to Wagamama, it's a quick noodle/stirfry restaurant (started in UK, I think?) and you sit at big communal tables.  Well, the staff wasn't exactly on top of things last night and after waiting about 15 minutes I was finally seated at a little table/bar against a wall.  Facing the wall.  I sat and started to read my Kindle, and about 10 minutes later realized no one had been by to take my order.  I flagged down the waiter who seemed to care less and asked if I could get the noodles I wanted but without meat and just with veggies.  He said, sorry, we can't do that.  I looked at him and said, you can't just take the meat off and add some broccoli, and he said no, but you can have this one.  And pointed to something completely different.  I then said, okay, I'll have this one, but can you do no Tofu (it had the veggies) and he said no.  I was so hungry by this point and tired, that I just said thank you and got up and left.  Guess Wagamama doesn't like substitutions or believe in customer service. 

Good thing I left though!  I wandered back towards the Rocks and found their night market was open, with food stalls and food trucks and I found some great dumplings and gyoza! 

It was also the Sydney Vivid festival.  The place was jam packed with people, lots and lots of people.  All of the buildings in the area were lit up, including the Opera house, with art installations everywhere, music, lights, it was unbelievable.  I took a few pics.  It's hard to see, but they had a whole show of lights/film playing, it was contantly changing to the music. 

Finally, I grabbed a beer, sat and watched the people go by and went back to the hotel and was in bed by 9:30. 

Not too shabby for what felt like the longest day ever!  And this is probably one of my longest blog posts ever!  Will try to keep the rambling to a minimum as I try to keep the adventure journaled for the next few weeks. 

Simple Pleasures....

It's almost the end of May and I feel like I'm finally waking up from the winter.  Last year seems to have ended and I hit the ground running in January and haven't really stopped to just enjoy the simple things.  I feel as if I've just been focusing on the next trip for work or the next deadline and have just kept my head down and I haven't really looked up to just figuratively smell the roses. 

So what have I done?  I went to Peru for work in January and hiked Machu Picchu, then returned for a 2 day trip with a head cold in February.  I drove to NY and dropped off Boomer, then visited San Francisco and Berkeley in March, where I was disappointed in the lack of hippies and organic smells on campus.  I visited with family for a few weeks and then returned home to fly back to Oakland for 23 hours.  I started and completed my first commissioned piece of stained glass for a friend, which took my 3 months longer than expected.  I'm almost finished with the second one.   And I've booked a work trip to Australia, and will be gone for the month of June.  What I'll be doing there, who knows, but I'm looking forward to the adventure and tell all of you about it!   

So why all of a sudden am I waking up?  I tend to be a facebook voyeur, watching what others are doing and occasionally posting something of my own.  It took a good friend's post last week to make me realize that I need to slow down and just get myself back in a state of "just being".    I've been too focused on the future, on the next "thing" to just realize what I have around me.    Thanks Shannon for the reminder!  Here is the post that got me - http://nourishedbodynurturedsoul.com/blog/2013/05/ive-been-keeping-something-from-you

So what are simple pleasures?  Or as Shannon calls it - your Soul Food?  What are the things that make you happy and make you realize there is good in the world?  What things heighten your awareness, make you think, make you want to laugh, smile and be a better person?  If you stop for a minute and just think about your day, your week, your month, I bet you can come up with a list of things that make you smile.  It's hard sometimes to disengage from the world, from the sadness and feelings of being overwhelmed at not being able to help.  Turn off the tv, sit in the sun, close your eyes and make your list.  Here are some of my moments from the past week:


- Knowing my sisters, one an Ironman, one not, were running the Brooklyn Half Marathon together.  Hearing how one pushed the other to finish, never giving up on her even though she wanted to give up on herself.  Seeing the pictures from the race and laughing so hard when one was smiling and the other was on the verge of giving the finger.  And being so proud of both of them. 

- Planting the garden and watching the little seeds start to pop their head above the soil. 

- Seeing a close friend and her family off on their new adventure at their going away party last weekend, where they were toasted and given a book of memories written among the pages of a Mark Twain novel.  Feeling bittersweet about losing a second family, but happy for them as they close one chapter and start another.  

- Thinking about a friend all weekend who was a guest speaker at a national enthusiast club event.  Feeling overwhelming happiness for him as all his hard work over the past few years was being put on show and hoping he was soaking it all in and just enjoying the moment. 

- Playing trivial pursuit with a friend who amazed me at how much useless knowledge he has in his head.  In awe of how smart he was, feeling a little bad that I had doubted him in the first place! 

- Watching Boomer run at the dog park or run/play in his sleep

- Finishing a good jog in the 85 degree heat

- Trying a new recipe for Granola, which was so yummy!! 
http://www.elizabethrider.com/easy-healthy-homemade-granola-recipe/

- writing this blog and sharing with others

There are so many more little things I could write about.  What are your simple pleasures?  If you've read this, take a moment and share one or two below. 

And thanks in advance for making me smile :-) 

Skipping 2012....

Well, sad to say it's been over a year since I've updated this page.  It's amazing how time flies by and we lose site of our goals and ambitions.  I told myself at the end of 2011 that I was going to make a concerted effort to write and keep this updated.  That didn't work out too well, so we'll just skip 2012 and start afresh with 2013.  I promise (myself) I will focus on rambling more this year.  But not before telling the story of Boomer (which most of you know already anyway).

I started last year year off great, work was slow, I was volunteering at the Atlanta Humane Society on Mansell, was dealing with some random hyper thyroid issues (due to a viral infection, who knew?) and started to take a stained glass class at Spruill Arts Center.  I could stay out late, sleep as late as I wanted, take day trips and be away for more than 8 hours.  That was all B.B (Before Boomer). 

In April, I was doing my normal volunteer shift when one of the AHS workers placed a cute little bear cub puppy in my arms and asked me to walk him.  He was supposed to be putting on a show for a family that wanted to adopt him but he was scared to the point where he was frozen.  I took this little guy in my arms, he stiffened up and put his head against my face and his heart was beating out of his chest.  He was scared.  And rightfully so, the world can be a very scary place.

I took "Cory" outside and put him on the grass, and started to pet him and tell him it was okay (as if he understood).  After a few minutes he started to sniff around and I swear he looked at me and smiled.  We spent the next 20 minutes walking around outside, he followed me everywhere, his tail finally wagging and his long body swaggering.  He reminded me of a little Mocha Bear, our second family Rottweiller growing up.  I brought him back inside and pulled him into my lap and he cuddled up against me.  I remember someone randomly coming by and saying "that's your dog" even though I was in my red volunteer shirt and clearly not there to adopt.  Hmm...did he know something I didn't?  I reluctantly put Cory back in his pen, he looked at my with his puppy dog eyes and I told him I'd be back. 

I couldn't sleep a wink that night.  I kept thinking about Cory and how he had such a great personality, and could make me quite happy.  I called my parents and told them that after 10 years of saying I wanted a dog, that I was about to go get one.  A 4 month old supposedly Shepherd Lab Mix (we think he's a Rottie/Shepherd/Lab/Beagle now).  I had no idea how I was going to handle travel for work, house training, and I knew that soon my favorite pair of shoes was going to be eaten.  I didn't care, I drove over to AHS and had the paperwork ready to go the minute they opened.  Here is Cory (AKA Boomer) in a laundry basket on the car ride home...

Fast forward to A.B (After Boomer)...an extra 40 lbs later (he's up to 60!), minus 2 pairs of flip flops, a pair of boots and nice dress shoes, 4-5 tshirts and too many socks I can't count.  I can't even remember what it was like to sleep in, as Boomer likes to jump on the bed at 7 am every morning (when my neighbor leaves to take the kids to school!).  And if you have never heard a dog whine and talk, then come on over as his quite vocal!  As I tell everyone, Boomer rescued me and I'm so glad I made that decision last April to give him his forever home.

If you haven't had a chance to go visit the AHS Mansell facility, you must!  It is a beautiful building, with lots of happy dogs and cats that are cared for by such wonderful staff and volunteers.  They run an amazing operation and I regretfully haven't been in to volunteer as much as I'd like.  Along with this blog, that too will change this year!

I'll spare you the stories of the dog park visits, swimming in the lake, the river, and the LI Sound in 20 degree weather.  The two trips to NY to play with his Uncle Milo and cousins Mia, Sofia, Caleb and Abigail, and the day he ate an entire package of dried apricots and shredded coconut.  I'm sure he'll be the topic of many a stories this year, we will just have to see!  Here he is yesterday showing off his Nylabone collection.  

So...time to get the year going and add to the list of new adventures.  I leave Sunday for a week of work in Lima, Peru, ending with a 3 day quick trip to Machu Picchu!  And don't worry, Boomer won't be in the kennel, his grandparents are coming to visit with Uncle Milo to take care of him for the week.  Such a spoiled doggie.

My next update will be from below the Equator.... :-) 

My catering adventure....

Well, I did it!  I successfully made it through my first catering event this past weekend and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  No one threw up (that I know of), no one spit out the food in front of me, and I haven't received any phone calls asking "what was in that" (and not in a good way).  So, overall, success!

You may be asking, hmm, I didn't know she catered.  Well, I didn't know I did either!  My good friend Laura, one of the first people I met after moving to Atlanta (we both taught swimming at the Ashford Dunwoody YMCA 12 years ago), asked me to help her out with her Holiday party.  She knows I like to experiment and I've been talking to her about how I would love to open a bakery one day.  She normally just gets a Honey Baked Ham or food trays (nothing wrong with that) for her parties and thought this would be fun.  Easy for her and fun for me...so I thought.

Well, it was a bit stressful to say the least, but a great learning experience.  It's one thing when you are cooking at your house, but hard when you need to figure out logistics in someone else's kitchen.  And then there is the dilemna of figuring out how much food to make.  What do you serve 38 adults and 25 kids?  And when I say kids, I mean soccer playing 10 year olds who probably eat more than I do!   I did what any good project manager does, I created a spreadsheet and consulted my mom. :-)

Luckily work was slow last week, so I was able to spread out everything over the week.  I created a menu, consulted the Sam's Club, Kroger and Publix sales for the week and went shopping.  I researched catering websites to figure out how much food to make per person, the last thing I wanted to have happen was someone going hungry.  Especially at a 6 pm party!

So, I began cooking.  Did you know that:

• 10 lbs of potatoes makes 210 mini latkes
• 5.5 lbs of ground beef makes 165 mini meatballs
• 6.5 lbs of chicken tenders makes 66 chicken satay sticks
• 2 pork tenderloins make at least 80 crostini bites
• grape jelly and heinz chili sauce actually make a nice meatball sauce?

Not to mention the antipasto platters with yummy cheeses, meats and veggies.  And fresh vegetables with dip.  And of course, dessert - butter cookies, peanut chews, mini cupcakes and fresh berries. 

After 4 days of cooking and planning, I packed the car and was off! 

I arrived at Laura's house 2 hours early, used her grill to cook the meats and we set up the food around the house.  Antipasto and veggies in the kitchen, hot stuff in the dining room, desserts in the hall.  Everyone loved it!  They kept saying how they liked that the food was spread out around the house.  That it was nice to have a variety of fresh foods, and protein, that so many parties it's just carbs.  And the chicken was a huge hit, I was afraid it would dry out sitting in the warmer all night, but nope, people commented on how moist it was. 

This was like a big experiment for me.  A test to see if I could do it and most of all to see if people would actually enjoy what I cook.  I learned quite a few things in the process:

• to keep it simple, yet with bold fun flavors
• that it's hard when you are spending someone else's money!
• to figure out logistics and serving arrangements BEFORE you get there
• that not everyone's gas grill cooks like yours
• that adults like to eat frozen pigs in a blanket and mini taquitos too, not just kids
• frozen cranberry juice cubes makes for great ice cubes in a pitcher of prosecco
• and to make sure you label the pitcher with the "adult" drink in it (he was 10 and it was only a small glass) 

The big question is, would I do it again?  Absolutely!  It's all part of the adventure!  My true passion is baking, so if you need a tray of muffins, scones, cookies and biscotti for a tea or brunch or an office party, let me know.  But small parties, sure, why not?  :-) 

My favorite dish of the night? The Crostini with Grilled Pork and Apple Chutney.  I blended a couple of recipes together and it turned out delicious.  The pork can be eaten by itself also and the chutney used with anything.  If you don't want to use pork, you could try chicken or just the chutney itself with a nice cheese (like Manchego).  Let me know if you try it out and enjoy! 

Crostini with Grilled Pork and Apple Chutney

Crostini: Cut baguette into 1/4'' slices, spray with cooking spray and cook for 7-10 minutes at 400, until lightly browned.  Cool and put in airtight container.  Can be made 48 hours before.

Pork: Mix together a paste of crushed garlic, cinnamon, ground coriander, nutmeg, black pepper, salt and olive oil.  Rub the tenderloin with the paste and wrap in plastic wrap.  Let marinate in fridge overnight (the longer the better). When ready, grill for about 20 minutes, depending on size.  Let sit before cutting into thin slices. 

For Chutney:

• 2 cups unsweetened apple juice
• 2 teaspoons black tea leaves (such as Darjeeling or Assam)
• 1 teaspoon butter 
• 1 teaspoon olive oil 
• 1 1/2 cups diced onion 
• 4 cups diced peeled Rome apple (about 3 large)
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar 
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• Dash of ground cloves

 
Bring 2 cups juice to a boil in a large saucepan. Remove from heat. Stir in 2 teaspoons tea leaves, and steep for 2 minutes. Strain juice mixture through a sieve into a bowl; discard leaves. Set juice tea aside. Heat butter and 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-low heat. Add onion; cook for 20 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Stir in apple; cook 5 minutes. Add reserved juice mixture, raisins, and next 8 ingredients (through ground cloves). Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium. Cook 30 minutes or until apple is tender and mixture is thick.   (Note: I doubled the recipe and let it simmer for a few hours until it was thick enough).

To assemble: Place piece of pork on crostini and top with a generous spoonful of warm chutney. 

Yum!!

Still humbled...and still rambling...

It's been 8 months since I've returned from India and I'm still humbled by the experience.  I often find myself pondering what I've learned from my time there and how it's meant to influence change in my life.  It was not an easy trip for me, I felt as if I was on stimulation overload the entire time and my heart was being pulled in a million directions.  I wanted to help everyone, I wanted everyone to help everyone, and most of all I wanted the government to help everyone.  But, the reality of the situation is that India has 1.2 Billion people (4 times the US) and I couldn't help everyone.  I did what I could and I am proud of that.

I've spent the past few months thinking.  Lots and lots and lots of thinking.  Many existential moments and  introspective discussions, but until now, no action.  I've realized that I like to write, I like to get my thoughts out and contrary to what my Mom might think (based on my frustration, crying, and fighting when I had to write papers in school, and even today), I actually like to write.  I've been told I'm a good story teller, that I should figure out how to put all these creative thoughts in my head on paper.  One person in particular has been the recipient of these ramblings and musings and has encouraged me to share with others (thanks J!), and until now I didn't know how.  So I figured, why not, it's time to resurrect this blog and share my ramblings! 

So, for now, it's back to basics.  I realized in India that we live in a country of excess and that I can live happily with less.  Or at least try.  I cancelled my cable back in May and really haven't missed it since.  I checkout videos from the library, have been reading a lot more and if I have a TV craving, I can watch episodes of Chopped or Next Iron Chef online.  Did you know that the library has some really great BBC shows and mini series? 

I've also been cooking and baking like crazy, and have been keeping my freezer and the one at BRMB filled with scones, muffins, biscotti, soups, calzones, and other assorted healthy things.  I enjoy experimenting with new recipes and figuring out how to substitute ingredients to make them healthier.  Instead of oil, I'll try yogurt.  Or instead of sugar, honey.  Or adding ground flax and whole wheat flour.  Or when I tricked the kids next door with Butternut Squash Mac N Cheese, they never knew it had veggies in it and 2/3s less calories!  I try to eat fresh and local if possible.  I eat minimal processed foods and try to avoid ingredients I can't pronounce.  If I think I can make it, I won't buy it.  Of course I have moments of weakness but for the most part it seems to be working.

Mac N Cheese Recipe ----> http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/creamy-light-macaroni-cheese-50400000115195/

I tried to live off a garden this summer, but the heat and lack of sun on my raised beds didn't work out in my favor.  The squirrels undermined my attempt at fresh strawberries and figs (they always got there a day ahead of me!), the chipmunks loved the blueberries low to the ground and the robins living in the crape myrtle near the garden swooped at my head as I attempted to harvest cucumbers.  I did get lots of tomatoes though.  But I had fun trying to make it all work and will figure out a new plan for next year.

My winter project is to build some raised beds on the side of the house where I know I get full sun and to see if I can plant different height native GA plants that flower throughout the year.  A big project, but going to try!

All of these things, plus others are part of the adventures I'd like to share and write about.  If you have any particular topics or ideas for me please let me know and I'll try my best.  If you want to come over and have an existential discussion over tea and scones, just let me know when!  If you want me to bake for your next party or meeting, I'm taking orders. 

Right now simplicity, creativity, and slowing down is my inspiration, stay tuned for the next update! 

Southern Hospitality - India style

I've been writing mostly about places and sightseeing, but I had one of the nicest encounters with a hotel manager in all my worldly travels that I feel it warrants its own entry.

I found Tissa's Inn, where we stayed in Fort Kochi on tripadvisor and all the reviews were excellent and raved about how nice and helpful Francis, the hotel manager was.  So, I called and booked our group 1 night, since we didn't know what we wanted to do and figured we could work out the details once we got there.  Francis emailed me the quote arranged transportation from the airport for us and also asked if there was anything else we needed.  So I asked about things to do, and arranging backwater tours, tea/spice visits, etc.

That was just the beginning.  He put together a sample itinerary and got some price quotes on boat hires.  He sent an email before we left and wished us safe travels.  But once we got there and met him, we realized, he wasn't doing this to earn a tip, he was doing this because he truly loves his job and being good to people.  We sat down with him after breakfast on Sunday after we got there and talked about options.  We decided to go to Munnar on Monday, so he called and arranged a car, he called to several different inn/homestays.  He sat with us for almost an hour, giving us ideas and just chatting.  He sure does like to talk :-)  The inn gave us water in our rooms, to take with us for the day and didn't charge, this was the first time in India we saw this happen.  We went to check out before we headed to Munnar for the night, but since the hotel wasn't busy and we were coming back Tuesday night, Francis said to just pack our things but leave them in our rooms in case they needed to move them.  And not to worry about the bill, we would settle when we left on Thursday/Friday.  How nice!  We didn't even have to pay for the room for the night, or worry about it being in hotel storage.  He called the homestay in Munnar to make sure we arrived okay and checked in with me later in the day to make sure the driver was doing okay.  I called him on the way back to have him arrange a boat tour for me on Wednesday (everyone else was going to beach, they leave Friday, I leave Thursday) and he took care of booking everything.  I didn't have to worry about paying a thing, it was all added to my room charges.  On the way back from Munnar he texted and asked what we wanted for dinner, he would have it waiting when we got there.  And finally on Wednesday morning, he called while I was getting dressed and asked what I wanted for breakfast, so he could have it ready so I wouldn't miss my ride. 

These may all seem like normal things, but it was the way he did them that just blew us away.  He was very soft spoken, always smiling, shaking your hands, patting you on the shoulder and saying that he just wanted you to relax and have the best experience ever.  Francis is probably in his late 50's, worked for the Taj hotel group for 15+ years, which is probably where he learned all of this.  He is a devout Catholic and had to leave Wednesday to meet with his family to work out the details for the mass for his mother, she just passed away about a month ago and they will have a 41st day celebration next week.  (to all my Catholic friends, what is the significance?).    He was apologetic for having to be away, and we reassured him it was fine, that family comes first.  On my way out yesterday morning, he sat down and ate breakfast with me and since he knew I was traveling, had the kitchen make me a lunch to take with me (no charge).  I asked how his day was Wed and he said all the arrangements were set, they were going to have 600 guests and also would serve a few orphanages (about 150 kids).  His mom (she was 93) must have been super special too, and she taught her son well!  He grabbed my shoulders and gave me a kiss on each cheek and wished me safe travels.  I actually had a tear in my eye thinking about how special he made this trip.  And finally, on my way to the airport, he texted and said he was praying for safe travels. :-)  (oh, forgot to mention the hotel gave me an early birthday card, guess they read the passports)

It just makes you realize that it doesn't take much to be good to people.  He knows that we are coming to a place where we don't know the language, the culture, how to get around, typical prices, etc, etc.  He just wants you to have the best time you can and to enjoy his world.  He succeeded in making this one of the most memorable vacations ever.  If you ever are in India, you have to go to Fort Kochi to experience Francis hospitality, southern India style!  (and to pick up my bathing suit which I left hanging on the back of the bathroom door, darn! haha, I'm sure Francis will take care of it)

Tea and Spices Everywhere!

I feel like I am in a totally different country!  The south of India is just so different from Jaipur, it's very refreshing to be able to see more of the country before I head home. 

After spending Sunday exploring Fort Kochi, we decided to head up to Munnar, in the the Western Ghats.  Munnar is a popular vacation and honeymoon location and is only 130 km from here, but took about 4 hours to get there.  Francis, the innkeeper in Fort Kochi arranged for us to hire a minivan for the two days, and Rajesh (our driver) was really good, and most of all, made us all feel safe, he wasn't crazy like most taxi drivers.  The drive is a steady climb up to about 2000 meters above sea level and the roads are so windy.  Poor Edina couldn't handle the twists and turns, on top of the stop and go Indian driving, and we had to stop a few times.  We finally made it to the Rose Garden, our homestay for the night, and dropped her off to take a nap.  What a cute little place!  It's basically someone's house that they opened to guests, including their two kids running around.  It also was an organic farm/nursery, even though it was set only on 2 acres, every inch of the property was covered with fruits/veggies/spices and they grow over 200 different varieties. 

We dropped our stuff off and headed past Munnar towards Top Station, which was supposed to have spectacular views.  We drove through fields and fields (or I should say mountains and mountains) of tea, which mostly are owned and operated by Tata Beverages (they own everything in India).  It was so clean smelling, no noise, just perfect driving and taking in the scenery.  It rained most of the afternoon so we never made it to the viewpoint at Top Station, but it didn't stop us from checking things out, including trying this amazing masala corn from a street food vendor, and fresh passion fruit.  They unhusk the corn and cook it quickly in an open fire, you can hear the kernels crackling.  Then they take a lime and rub in in masala spice and then on the corn.  Awesome! 

We had dinner at the homestay, all veg, but much different than up north in the desert.  A lot of the food was from their garden and most had coconut in it.  Really, really good.  Then we sat on the back porch in the dark and watched the fireflies and listened to the birds and peepers.  It was so nice to be out of the city and just relax.  I think we all fell asleep on the deck at some point, and everyone commented that this was one of the best parts of our stay in India. 

After a hearty breakfast, including fresh organic coffee that they grow, roast and grind (too bad I don't drink coffee, but everyone said it was good) we had a quick tour by Tomy, the owner of his gardens.  I was mostly interested in how the spices grow, I never knew that cloves were a flower.  He had vanilla beans, cardamon, allspice, peppercorns (they just grow like little nodes on the branch), coffee beans, cocoa, and lots of fruit and veggies.  We got to taste fresh stevia leaves too, I'll have to try and grow them in the garden this year.  He sells most of the stuff he picks at the local market, I did get to take some pepper and coffee home.
We then made our way back up to Munnar and were going to try Top Station again.  It was a beautiful day, lots of sun and not too hot.  Edina joined us this time and we only had to stop twice on the way up, poor thing.  But the ride was worth it, we felt like we were on top of the world.  No garbage or noise, just sweet smelling tea plantations and beautiful flowers.  Lots of lantanas everywhere (just like yours Mary Ann!) which gave us a nice scent.  We hiked our way up and down to the viewing point for Top Station and were all speechless with how pretty it was.  Too bad it was hazy and rain was coming, the pictures won't be that good, but in person it was amazing. 

We headed back down to town and toured the Tata tea museum, had a very brief tour/explanation on how tea was harvested/dried/crushed/sorted, etc and then saw a demo of the machines.  Of course we got a free sample and I purchased some black and cardamon tea for my collection.  Then it was back in the car for the 4 hour drive to Fort Kochi.  Less than 48 hours, but one of the best 2 days I've spent in India.  If you ever make it here, I highly recommend it! 

Goodbye desert! Hello humidity!

I actually never thought I would be saying that, but after spending a month in a desert climate, I am so excited to spend the next 5 days in the humidity!

I left Jaipur early this morning and said goodbye to a few fellow IBMers and made my way to the airport with half of them, Edina, Luis, Jaakko, Elin and Martin.  We were all on the same flight and heading to the southern tip of India to Kerala, known as God's Country.  What an odd bunch we are, from the US, Mexico, Hungary, Finland, Sweden and Spain (Charo was meeting us there).

I was very impressed with the flight, who knew that SpiceJet was such a nice airline.  The planes were very clean, they were on time (in fact early), the pilot kept updating everyone on the cricket score and Edina and I had a row to ourselves.  Not too shabby.  We did spend 2.5 hours in the Mumbai airport, which wasn't very exciting, but very clean and had decent food.  Landing and taking off in Mumbai though was very eye opening, you fly right over a very large slum area.  The city is massive compared to Jaipur and the poverty is apparent from the air.

Two hours after leaving Mumbai we emerged from the clouds and it was green and plush for as far as the eye could see.  After being in the desert for a month, this was just amazing.  Tea plantations, palm trees, water, everything was so spread out, it was heaven.  It's kind of like seeing the sun for the first time after days of rain.  As soon as we walked off the plane in Kochin we could feel the humidity, it was so nice!  Very small airport, we grabbed our bags and met our driver who was waiting for us.  We said goodbye to Elin and Martin who were heading another direction and made our way out to Fort Kochi, about an hour drive South West.

We booked a guest house/inn sight unseen, based on tripadvisor ratings and it is perfect.  It's a central location, beautiful building, decent size and very clean rooms and the water pressure in the shower was awesome.  I forgot to mention that my shower in Jaipur was sort of a trickle so I had to use the little cup hanging in the shower to get the shampoo out of my hair.

We got in around 6 pm, had a welcome drink of ginger lime soda on the roof near the tiny pool and decided to grab dinner here.  I had a piece of fish (yay, no more vegetarian!) and some pulao (rice with veg, cashews, raisins and tons of fresh spices), which was pretty good.

Tomorrow we are off to explore the local historic town, see where Vasco de Gama was originally buried and also see Jew Street/Jew town, one of the oldest jewish neighborhoods in India.  We'll be here at "Tissa's Inn" for another night and will figure out the rest of our plans tomorrow.  Probably will spend Monday on a boat in the backwaters and then head up to the hills to a tea/spice plantation.

I'm really liking the feel of this place.  Can't describe it, will post pictures tomorrow after exploring.  Oh, I have my PC, I decided to bring it to "research" the rest of the trip.  Off to bed now, but first I need to kill these two mosquitoes in my room...

Lassiwalla!

I can't believe I waited until the last day in Jaipur to try one of these!  Yes, that's a piece of curd floating on top of my lassi in an earthenware cone from the famous Lassiwalla shop (more like a street stall).  :-)  That's my teammate Marco, from Germany and Jan (the third cone).

Tomorrow - off to Kerala way down south to explore the beaches, tea and spice plantations and the plush backwaters.  Won't have a PC so will update when I'm back in Jaipur next Thursday, then I head back home on Friday! 

Eternal Love...

Did you know that the Taj Mahal was built as a symbol of eternal love?  Before last weekend, I knew nothing about it, just that it is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and that it's the thing to see when you are in India.  But after visiting I've learned that it's more than just a beautiful piece of architecture.

It was built over a 22 year period (11 years is good luck, so was a multiple of 11) from 1631-1653.  It is a mausoleum that houses the remains of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan's wife.  She died giving birth to her 14th child and on her deathbed she asked him to build something to remember her by and to never marry again.  He took this to heart and spent the rest of his life fulfilling her request.  The purpose for which it was built was eternal love, but the way it was built is also very interesting.

It is located on the banks of the Yamuna River in Agra, right after a bend in the river.  There is no coincidence to the location or how it was built.  At the time, this location in Agra was said to be the most geologically sound in India.  The ground was said to be more stable because it on the strongest part (curve) of the river.  The basement contains wells filled with wood and stone, which are to help absorb shock in the event of an earthquake.  Also the outer minarets are at a 91 degree angle outward, in the event of an earthquake they wouldn't fall on the dome.  Quite fascinating if you think about it, because this was all architected and built by hand.  Each piece of marble was carefully carved and inlayed with local stone.  An art form that is still practiced today.

We visited on a Saturday afternoon along with thousands and thousands of other tourists, most of them from India. If you look close you can see them all lined up along the base of the platform.    

This is one of my favorite pics from the side of the building, showing all the colors of India and the people waiting to go inside.

We spent a couple hours just walking around, taking pictures and learning the history from our guide.  The line to go inside was wrapped all the way around the building, so we decided to not go inside and enjoy the sunset instead.  It was quite beautiful, with the marble reflecting the pink and orange colors and the silhouette of the building and minarets against the sky being so distinct.  Definitely a highlight of my trip here, a magical place.

And of course, a weekend wouldn't be complete without people asking to take my picture (or just taking it thinking I didn't know about it).  It is very amusing to me.  A man walked up with his baby daughter and pointed to her and asked if I would take a picture with her.  They must have been from a small village and aren't used to seeing "foreigners".  Of course I said yes, and only one picture, but then he introduced me to his wife and then somehow the whole family was in the picture.  Me towering over them.  Too bad I didn't get their email address (hehe) to see how it turned out.

The rest of the weekend was okay, we visited the Red Fort in Agra and another fort on the way back to Jaipur, but the Taj Mahal visit was the best.

Here are some of the pics from the weekend.

https://picasaweb.google.com/sachagoodson/TajMahalTrip?authkey=Gv1sRgCLTJmsS_opDdnQE#

We stopped at a UNESCO World Heritage bird sanctuary on the drive up for a couple hours.  This was awesome!  Charo, Pawel and I rented bikes and had a guide take us around.  We saw a python in the wild, lots of birds, parakeets, cows, egrets, storks, antelope.  It's on the edge of the desert, but in the rainy season is flooded.  It's a migratory point for a lot of large birds from Russia to escape the cold winters.  It was probably in the upper 90s but felt great to ride a bike and get out of the city and best of all not to hear any cars honking!