Wanderlust

Magnet #1230 - El Salvador native

Another cool magnet from my sister's trip to El Salvador. Pretty cool - can't tell what it's made of, but it took me a sec to see the El Salvador written on at the top.

I've never been south of the American border...generally when I plan trips, it's usually the US or Europe. And, true to form, my next couple of trips are already in planning development.

My next trip to...wait for it...London, sometime at the end of this year, or early next - I'm trying to avoid the Olympics if I'm honest. I mean, I volunteered for the NYC2012 folks, so I was sad when London won it away from us. But, now I'm finding that I really don't want to be anywhere near London in and around the Olympics. Is that wrong? (Yes, I know I just got back from London, but I'm looking forward to a quick solo trip to my second favorite city in the world.)

And, my other next trip I keep thinking about is my trip to Russia. This one's likely going to be 2012 or even 2013 - I keep feeling like at some point in my life I need to see the Hermitage and Alexandra Palace and yes, my Faberge eggs. But, that trip's going to have to be longer than a random few days in London, hence the longer lead time, for both saving up, and for research.

Can't wait! Need to get more magnets of places I've been, rather than from far away places I haven't!

It takes a village...

Magnet #1107 - Salvadoran Village

...or just my sister.

STW Sister brought this magnet back for me from El Salvador, on a work trip. She's moving back down to NC from DC, in favor of working for a non-profit company in Durham, so it looks like the STW title still stands.

It's funny, I consider the non-profit, save-the-world work that she does is basically my carbon offset for the corporate work that I've done for big oil, big pharma, big technology, big energy, big whatever's not saving the world organizations in the past.

Of course, it's not a surprise - after all, she's like eight years younger, which puts her squarely in Gen Y, the folks out there to save the world.

No woman's an island

Magnet #1055 - El Salvador

My sister brought this handpainted magnet back for me from her work trip to El Salvador last year. How cool is this one? It's painted on a tree!

Ok, fine. Painted on wood.

Still! Someone's little fingers painted this one. (Yeah, let's not delve too much into that, otherwise, I'll be forced to recollect all those sad books I had to read in International/Third World Politics at Carolina.)

I love that it's a little village of just two houses...with possibly a parrot over in the corner? (Or is that a shell? I dunno.)

I've been thinking a lot of the notion of home lately. It's funny, because when I'm in New York, I refer to North Carolina as home. And when I'm in North Carolina, I refer to New York as home. Truth is, they both are, really.

Someone FB-statused last week it used to be that once upon a time she couldn't wait to live in the big city, but recently she's realized that she loves living in a small town, because within 20 minutes of something happening, everyone knows, and has called, come over, cried, prayed or laughed with you.

That's kind of like my nightmare. That's the very reason I moved to the anonymous big city, so that I wouldn't have that issue of people knowing my business. (Not that I got called out as the doctor's daughter buying alcohol at Food Lion, or anything. Heh.)

So, for the past 14 years and up to late last year, I've lived in this building, not knowing more than my neighbor's name, the neighbor down the hall's daughter's name, the other neighbor down the hall's name and her dog's name. Annnnd, that's pretty much it.

Part of that was because I was a total workaholic getting home in the wee hours of the night. But the bigger part of that was because I was trying to be the most model tenant, making no waves, flying under the radar, truly embracing the comforting anonymity of a giant 23-story building.

Now that I've joined our tenants alliance (I can hear you laughing from here), in an effort to help us rent stabilized folks keep our homes in light of new owners, it's become the opposite. Last night, we gave candidate statements (shhh, I still hear you laughing), and as I looked around the lobby at our little community, I realized I've been missing out all these years, right in my own home.

Folks who have lived here for 20 and 30 years were friends with each other, were catsitters for each other. Some were joking around, even arguing with each other, but most with shared experiences.

Real neighbors.

People tend to think that in a city of 8 million people, that it's hard to create a circle of friends. I've managed to do it, collecting people from work and other places. I never thought to do it in my building.

It's sad to realize this now, now that we could possibly lose our homes. But it does make me realize that going forward, it probably wouldn't hurt to get to know the neighbors...now, and wherever I might end up next.

eta:
But hopefully it's here, in this building. I always swore I wouldn't leave this apartment (or New York) until they dragged me kicking and screaming. Despite my issues of the last year, I love it too much. It's home. Sigh. Wish us luck.

Holla from San Salvador! - Guest Blogger, Save the World Sister

Magnet #1013 - Las Tortugas Marinas

How exciting! I've got a guest blogger from El Salvador!

Ok, technically she's by way of DC, and by way of my sister being there on a work trip. And technically, the magnet's not quite in my grubby little hands yet, but by way of Christmas, it's coming!

So, yeah, here's STWSis, blogging all the way from El Salvador, where she's off, well, saving the world...

By way of sea turtles!

- joy

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Hola desde San Salvador, El Salvador. El clima es soleado y cálido! Estoy aquí para trabajar, pero tienes que venir para la diversíon. (Hi from San Salvador, El Salvador. The weather is sunny and warm. I’m here for work, but you should come for fun.)

That about sums up my Spanish…or I cheated and used Google translate (is there anything Google can’t do for us!?). For reals, though, I’m here in San Salvador for the week to help start the closedown processes for my project. What does that mean? I’m motivating staff and training them in how to pack boxes and organize files. Yes, folks, this is what my job entails. But the upside - I get to work with a great local staff and see a new country.

I’ve been here a few days and I think I like El Salvador. It is my first time in Latin America and I can only compare it to the other foreign countries I’ve been to. It’s a bit like the Philippines, which if you ask Joy or either of her sisters, will give you probably very different opinions. It’s warm when my DC-based mind tells me it should be freezing - though not as disgustingly hot as the PI. It’s traffic-y, though not as jam-y as Kathmandu, Nepal. And it’s nothing like Uzbekistan, though, no other place seems to be like that.

The people are super nice. I love my project staff. They are really patient with me (if you know me, my mom would say this is key) and helpful considering my Espanol consists of whatever Senora Adams taught me in elementary school and the two semesters of elective Spanish I took at Carolina.

This project has done so many great things and everyone on staff is sad to see it close. One of the project’s main activities has been the conservation of sea turtles (explains the magnet, the translation is “I Protect Sea Turtles”). We (I say we, but really, I just push the papers of the people that actually do the stuff) have been changing the people’s thinking on sea turtles.

Before, people would eat sea turtle eggs – it’s what you do at the bar with friends without even thinking about it. Now, we are raising awareness that sea turtles are an important part of the sea and the aquatic life cycle. We offer money to people who collect sea turtle eggs and give them to us rather than putting them on the market for consumption. We take the eggs and keep them safe in hatcheries so that the little baby sea turtles can make it to the ocean to live.

To raise awareness, our project made a documentary about the important role that sea turtles have and why we should protect them. The film just won best Spanish language film at the Blue Ocean Film Festival in Monterey, CA, out of a field of 349 films!

If you’re a Spanish speaker (and everyone these days seems to be except for me and my knowledge of odd languages), you can watch the documentary here:

Part I:

Part II:

While I only have a few days here in San Salvador (just one week!), I’m really glad that I got to come out and work with such great people. Also, I’m going to a turtle release on Friday! So I’ll get to see the kids and adults enjoying the little baby turtles crawling to the sea.

And that, my friends, is why I chose this career.

No comen huevos de tortuga marina! (Don’t eat sea turtle eggs!)

Adios!

Heroes with hang-ups

Magnet #918a, b, c & d - Fantastic Four

So, when I packed up my office a month ago, I rediscovered a whole boxed Marvel superheroes magnet set, that I bought in the Cincinnati airport a couple of years ago. The box set had the whole stable of Marvel folks, including the Fantastic Four, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby back in 1961.

If you read the wiki I just linked to above, you'll learn more than you ever wanted to know about the Fantastic Four characters, including the special "Marvel method" of creating comics - which I'm sure all the people who were going to the comics panels of SDCC know about, but I didn't. I do love that Stan Lee called them "heroes with hang-ups" because in the end, most superheroes do have their hang-ups, foibles and neuroses.

I won't lie, I've never picked up a single FF comic before, though I did go see the two movies. What? They were somewhat entertaining!

Really, I'm just using these four for today, because it's STWsis' birthday, and I was supposed to be in Washington, DC, today and round out the foursome, but I agreed to stay at home and chauffeur the parents around. It's what I do.

Now. We just have to figure out who of the Fantastic Four my two sisters, BIL and me are.

I call dibs on the Thing.

I’m not a tourist. No, really, I’m not. - Guest blogger, Save the World Sister

Magnet #895 - Patan Durbar Square

Whether it's me missing stuff in Dublin, or my mom not feeling like seeing that David thing, it seems that the "visit somewhere and miss a big thing" thing is hereditary.

In this case, it's STWsister being in Nepal for eight months, and not visiting their big museum. Sigh. It was only a dollar!

- joy

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I lived in Nepal for eight months. Was I trekking the whole time? No (though I’m sure my parents thought I was). I was there to do research for my master’s thesis. But really… I was just living in Nepal. And it was fun.

I lived down the road from Patan Durbar Square. There are three Durbar Squares in the Kathmandu area – Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan. These were the three main cities in the old days. Each of the squares are surrounded by old temples and filled with tons of people – Nepalis and tourists. And because they are big tourist attractions, you have to pay to enter the square… if you’re a tourist.

When I was in Nepal, I tried learning the language if only to talk to taxi drivers and shopkeepers. I found that being Asian (read: brown), I was often confused for being Nepali. It was nice. Throw on a kurta (a longish tunic) over pants and all of a sudden I’m Nepali.

Since I lived close to Patan Durbar Square, I liked to visit it a lot – just to sit and people watch and because my favorite supplier of bangles (I developed an addiction to the shiny bracelets - [note: this is true, we all benefited from this addiction, as she unearthed box upon box of bangles from her suitcases - joy]) had her shop in the square. Getting to the square was always an adventure because I managed to get lost ALL the time no matter how many times I went. The streets are just THAT small and twisty.

Once I got to the square, however, I would just walk past the tourist ticket booths and ignore the ticket takers. Sometimes they would stop me and ask for my ticket and I would look at them, laugh and say “Nepali ho” (I’m Nepali). And they’d believe me! HA! I don’t feel bad about it either because TONS of tourists come through and do pay the entrance fee (at one of the other Durbar Squares, it’s almost $10!).

I really love Patan Durbar Square, though. Like all places in Nepal, this square is constantly crawling with young people all looking for a quiet spot. You’d think they’d find less public places to go hold hands, but they don’t.

Along one side of it is the Patan Museum (which apparently has an intriguing collection). Now, I never really went to look in the museum, but I did go to a benefit concert there in which Kutumba did an awesome show and won me over as a fan.

Patan Durbar Square is where things happen. I’d say it is the best of the three Durbar Squares.

Kathmandu Durbar Square is overcrowded, though the night market is cool. Too many demonstrations happen around there. And sometimes the Kumari Devi (living goddess) shows up there and causes massive crowds and confusion.

The Bhaktapur Durbar Square is more geared for tourists, so it’s in better shape. It’s quieter and cleaner, but doesn’t seem as alive as the other two.

Patan Durbar Square is more real to me, I guess, because that’s where my Nepal was. I miss that Nepal… all the people, all the food...and all the bangles.

Long and winding road

Magnet #681 - Mt. Washington Auto Road

Uh, I haven't.

In fact, I had to look up where Mt. Washington was. At best guess, I think Save the World Sister went to New Hampshire and went up Mt. Washington Auto Road and brought this back for me?

I picked this, because as I stare 2010 right in the face, all I can think of is just making it past the first quarter of the year, and how there's a long and very winding road before the end of March.

It's odd that I haven't magnetblogged about New Hampshire before. I mean, I've done the state for myself, but not for this mountain. Of course, when I went, it was with an old friend of mine, and we were headed up there to hang out with her relatives for the weekend. It was so long ago, I don't even remember why we went up there.

It was the oddest trip, really. The house we stayed in was filled to the brim with collectibles. Everywhere we turned, upstairs, downstairs, in the attic, in the basement, in the bedrooms, in the kitchens, there was something else the owners collected. Any one item that had more than one of itself made, there were literally dozens of them in the house. Yeah, read that sentence again.

But, I'm serious. Ya'll know how I watch Cash in the Attic, like all the time? This house should have been a prime candidate - I've never seen anything before or since like that house. Now? I would love a second chance to do a good old-fashion rummage about the house - turn over every little piece, explore every nook and cranny, in every stuffed to the gills room.

Well, except for the ammunition collection - that I didn't want to explore, no matter how historical the collection was.

Not. Even. Kidding. I guess New Hampshire isn't kidding when they say Live Free or Die.

You got a Pisa my heart - Guest Bloggers, Save the World Couple

Magnet #670 - Pisa

I know! I have not one, but two (!) Pisa magnets! So I figured that I'd give Guest Bloggers newly wedded Save the World Couple a chance to write about their Pisa trip. I mean, hello, they totally got to visit and climb the 294 (or 296) steps of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Also, this magnetpost finally answers the question that ALL inquiring minds kept asking me: why STWcouple decided to marry in Italy. Finally.

- joy

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While Joy was training it down to DC for the holidays, she asked us to guest blog for her about Pisa, Italy. The first time we went to Italy together, we used the train to get from Rome to Florence, Florence to Rome to Naples, and then Naples to Rome. We also did a lot of daytrips, including one to Pisa a quick hour train ride from Florence.

When we went to Pisa, we totally took advantage of the sweet ticket deal they’ve got where you get one ticket and you can see several of the museums and attractions. Now… Pisa is NOT big and all of the attractions and museums that tourists want to see are close by. We went New Year’s Eve day along with several hundred of our not close friends. All of whom wanted to take THAT photo. You know, the photo of a person looking like they are holding the tower.

Being December, we were surprised by how warm the day was (apparently, Gordon says it was “very pleasant day”) and how green the grass was. The area around the tower and baptistery is like big quad – nice, green grass (which we totally saw people making out on). On our trip into the tower, we were accompanied by a big group of Japanese schoolgirls (uniforms and all – very harajuku but with no Gwen). They were all excited about the tower and the huge bells at the top. We were too, but they were SO excited – like little Pokemons.

What we weren’t excited about was the gelato in Pisa. Gordon and I were on our first venture back into the western world (as we were in Uzbekistan for Peace Corps) and we were SO excited to have pizza and gelato every day (not kidding…every. day.). However, we were extremely disappointed in the gelato that we had in Pisa. So much so, that we still talk about it today whenever someone asks us about how we liked Pisa. We CAN, however, tell you of a GREAT gelato place outside of the Vatican (we went back for more after our first round!).

We were just in Pisa a few weeks ago after the wedding (the wedding of the century, in case you missed it). We took the train, again, from Florence to Pisa. And then flew from Pisa to Malta. (PS: There’s a very convenient bus right outside of the train station in Pisa that takes you directly to the airport). We intended to revisit the sites when we got back from Malta, but the weather was crap and we were still on our Mediterranean high.

That first trip to Italy, however, was what made us decide to get married there five years later. It definitely has a Pisa our hearts!

Let's do this!

Magnet #644 - San Gimignano, Italy

Friday was the Save the World Wedding. It was pretty fabulous, even with all the stress that led up to it.

The groom seemed pretty darn relaxed for marrying into my crazy family.

And the bride was all gussied up - seriously, if you've ever seen her climb a wall like a spider monkey, you'd have been surprised to hear the words "bump it" and "where's my tiara" come out of her mouth. But, she turned out beautiful, far surpassing the best wedding quote of the day, "Lookit me! I look like a girl!"

The ceremony was pretty awesome - held at a church with frescoes from the 1200s. Like old ones that were long hidden under layer upon layer of age and updating. Seriously old, folks. Like the center aisle were final resting places of people I had to step over. Twice. Yikes.

But, the best part of the day, I think, was when it was over and they realized they were done, and the bride threw on her chacos and walked her way through the streets of medieval San Gimignano in her wedding dress - groom and photographer in tow. Fantastic memories of them walking hand in hand, surrounded by the old towers of San Gim, with not a care in the world.

Tip to all bridesmaids in destination weddings held in Italy. Buy a dress size larger, and you can eat allllll the Italian courses you want! Hahahaha.

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie

Magnet #640 - Pizza

So, here's the deal. Over the next two weeks, I'll be off and away to Italy for the Save the World sister/fiance's wedding.

Which means I may or may not have time to blog each day. Oiy. It could be good, it could be bad - for me, that is. All I know is that it might be the first time in 640 days I may not be near a computer! How ever will I make it through to December? Why didn't I learn how to post from my BlackBerry? Or start writing all my posts ahead of time and timer set them to autopost? Eh, oh, well.

Anyway, I know it's kinda stereotypical, using pizza to herald the upcoming trip to Italy. But, two things. Pizza's what we had for lunch in Venice, last time I was there. And, Save the World sister's already running around Florence, and her first thing to report back to me was that they saw French Fry pizza. Whoa. See, now, that sounds like an American heart attack waiting to happen. Oiy.

So, yeah, I thought this cute bottlecap magnet from @KristinaMyers' Etsy store, would be fitting.

Openness is the essence*

Magnet #553 - John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

Last night, Save the World Sister asked me why I'm not blogging on Ted Kennedy.

My response is two-fold. First and foremost, because it's a magnetblog, and I always feel weird blogging on someone's death. Second, I'm trying to keep from the trending topics on Twitscoop. It's weird, I know, but that's what I'm trying to do.

In the end, I can't deny a birthday request, especially for one who so very much would like to play football with the boys at A Kennedy Thanksgiving. So happy birthday, STWsis, with a birthday compromise.

This magnet is what it says - the John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, where Senator Edward M. Kennedy is lying in repose through Saturday. I'm sure he's in that grand, nine-story atrium overlooking the water. And with stormy weather on the horizon, I bet it's simply awe-inspiring.

That's actually what I thought of I.M. Pei's building when I saw it. A little imposing, a little boxy, but still a little awesome. Oddly, it feels like it's marooned out in the middle of nowhere - when you drive up, you see the big black glass box popping up. And then when you're inside, it's even cooler.

I should have known Jackie Kennedy was part of the design process - of course, she'd lean toward Pei's sophisticated, somehow modern yet somehow classic work! I love that when they spoke early on in the process, the man tried to manage her expectations, saying that he'd not done a huge monumental work yet. I love even more that she took a chance on him. And what a result!

You really must visit this museum when you're in Boston. With your ticket, you get JFK campaign stickers! I mean, really, if that's not reason enough, I dunno what is.

Your first stop is a small exhibition space for people to get their Kennedy feet wet - really, it's a crowd-holding space before the Kennedy short film that will probably make you teary. Or, sleep, if you're a tired sister. Heh.

After that, the doors open, and you begin the journey through Kennedy history. It's fabulous. I love museums that create mini-experiences for the visitors. And here, it's section after section, with each major era or decision or crisis or aspect of Jack and Jackie, and a lot of the rest of the family on display for the world to learn.

It's weird just how much you're swept away by the terrific story, even when you know there's a tragic ending. By the time you finish at the very somber end, you're a little down and sad, just in time to exit the double-doors into openness and light...

...to walk into a quiet expanse surrounded by glass, allowing an open vista across the water to JFK's Boston. The room is empty, save for a few artifacts here and there. Pei intended the space as an area of hope, a place for quiet reflection - upon the man, his accomplishments, and what we still have left to do.

Quite powerful, really. Befitting of the man. And his brothers.

*- I.M. Pei, dedication program

Happy Birthday, Tai Shan! - Guest blogger, Save the World Sister

Magnet #503 - Beijing Pandas

New (possibly monthly) feature: I was a little wary of inviting guest bloggers, but so many of my magnets have been gifts that it would be a shame not to hear their magnet stories as well.

This one didn't come from my Save the World Sister, but since a ton of people overheard me yell at her "NO, we're NOT buying you a panda for Christmas!" at Concord Mall in NC, I thought she'd be perfect for this magnet. Enjoy!

- joy

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So because I love (no seriously, it could be my obsession) pandas, Joy asked me to guest blog about this magnet. I'm excited to start joy magnetism's guest blog feature.

Four years ago, the National Zoo's pair of pandas finally gave birth to the *cutest* baby panda ever. Tai Shan (the baby panda formerly known as Butterstick) is almost like my pet. I love him and used to watch the webcam in the panda enclosure all the time back when he was only as big as stick of butter.

He's my pet that I don't ever have to take care of - thanks National Zookeepers! I used to visit the zoo ALL the time just to go see Butterstick. I went to his 1st birthday party just to celebrate with all the little kids that love Butterstick too. I've watched him grow up over the past 4 years... he's grown so much I've even had to give up my dreams of breaking him out of the zoo and hiding him in my closet!

I don't know who gave Joy this magnet, but I'm jealous. Did you go to China and see the pandas? My love of pandas gives me a soft spot toward China (and being the Save the World Sister, China's got a lot of things I DO NOT agree with) because I REALLY want to go to the Wolong Giant Panda Breeding Center and Reserve and play with all the baby pandas. Could you imagine??? Playing with over a dozen baby pandas at once? I would seriously go crazy.

I've known a few people that have gotten to visit the breeding center, but I haven't been able to raise enough funds to get me there. It's on the top of my list of places to go especially now that Nepal is checked off. Sometimes the documentary on the breeding center is on PBS or Discovery Channel and when it is I try to watch it... even if I've already seen it. Sadly, though, because of the earthquake in China last year, the reserve and breeding centre was closed to the public and some pandas even escaped and went missing. (Oh, noes! - joy)

But today, let's focus on the happy stuff. I don't want my post to bring you down. Pandas are meant to bring happiness! They give me such a happy that Save the World Boyfriend asked me to marry him in front of the pandas at the Memphis Zoo in Tennessee. He did good, by the way, with the pandas on his side, of course I said yes. :) I'm still holding out hope that someone can genetically create a pygmy panda that I can keep as a pet... like a take it home and actually get to take care of it kind of pet.

So on Tai Shan's b-day today, go out and celebrate! Maybe go eat some Panda Express (I love it even if it is seriously Americanized Chinese food) or buy a panda plush toy (I have MANY and you can get one for free I think if you join WWF or donate over $25) or wear a panda ears headband (thanks to Save the World Fiance for buying me my pair!). Or go get engaged (if you feel like copying Gordon and me).

Pandas in America are located at the National Zoo in DC, the Memphis Zoo in Tennessee, the Atlanta Zoo in Georgia, and the San Diego Zoo in California.