tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90443168741576456222024-03-13T20:12:01.358-07:00Sincerely, Svet.Svetlanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12976727758461602146noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044316874157645622.post-59976854926807465962013-05-21T09:35:00.003-07:002013-05-21T09:38:20.958-07:00Last Week in Pictures<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xAKnhZ1S5Wk/UZufA6icBOI/AAAAAAAAIKg/lnyepFL9uus/s1600/IMAG3370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xAKnhZ1S5Wk/UZufA6icBOI/AAAAAAAAIKg/lnyepFL9uus/s400/IMAG3370.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">@ a park in lower Manhattan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y7PEjblJWVI/UZufAz-uH1I/AAAAAAAAIKg/hhrHMfvHn2Y/s1600/IMAG3363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y7PEjblJWVI/UZufAz-uH1I/AAAAAAAAIKg/hhrHMfvHn2Y/s400/IMAG3363.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Longtime Ukranian friend Irina came to visit and indulged me<br />
with Mexican coffee :) And tic tac toe!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RtdouzWI0aw/UZufA2sdrSI/AAAAAAAAIKg/4LGFsCE0Y88/s1600/IMAG3358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RtdouzWI0aw/UZufA2sdrSI/AAAAAAAAIKg/4LGFsCE0Y88/s400/IMAG3358.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Subway Art. One of my favorite favorite aspects of NYC.<br />
See the dancing mosiac at W 66th/Linconln Center!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qoOEq5B79bk/UZufA8jUjlI/AAAAAAAAIKg/-lA6o-piMXU/s1600/IMAG3361.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qoOEq5B79bk/UZufA8jUjlI/AAAAAAAAIKg/-lA6o-piMXU/s400/IMAG3361.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at the gradiations of color from tree to tree.<br />
Amazing! Beautiful! Vital!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5dzjmyUbkn0/UZufA2FM01I/AAAAAAAAIKg/RMY86Zs-O-M/s1600/IMAG3356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5dzjmyUbkn0/UZufA2FM01I/AAAAAAAAIKg/RMY86Zs-O-M/s400/IMAG3356.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Conduct your bloomingin the noise and thie whip of the whirlwind."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g4bJgRNk74A/UZugyylJH9I/AAAAAAAAIK0/BIIzTXjKPd0/s1600/IMAG3357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g4bJgRNk74A/UZugyylJH9I/AAAAAAAAIK0/BIIzTXjKPd0/s400/IMAG3357.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Subway Wisdom. Mosaic at Lex/59th, lower level between the<br />
4 & 5 express trains and the N/Q/R. <br />
So much more stunning in person because envelops the WHOLE<br />
space.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ACf_29Awa_c/UZufA1rmZvI/AAAAAAAAIKg/OQDTC9krA7A/s1600/IMAG3355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ACf_29Awa_c/UZufA1rmZvI/AAAAAAAAIKg/OQDTC9krA7A/s400/IMAG3355.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some little Sunbeams I found. They make me happy happy<br />
happy. Petals look like strokes from a paintbrush. Ooooh this makes me <br />
want to play with paints...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_covVK13Nk8/UZufA7t4S6I/AAAAAAAAIKg/IP4vr78JxA8/s1600/IMAG3353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_covVK13Nk8/UZufA7t4S6I/AAAAAAAAIKg/IP4vr78JxA8/s400/IMAG3353.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">OMG. They all had red flowers balancing above the stems unil <br />
it rained :( Look at a few blog entries before this & you'll see the red lovely<br />
carpet. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rS61ZNTLK-4/UZufA5GXzrI/AAAAAAAAIKg/8WSbwXpezus/s1600/IMAG3352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rS61ZNTLK-4/UZufA5GXzrI/AAAAAAAAIKg/8WSbwXpezus/s400/IMAG3352.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> i love. this quote.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uJvA938iY-w/UZufYh8GiGI/AAAAAAAAIKo/aEKVjeylCvg/s1600/IMAG3349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uJvA938iY-w/UZufYh8GiGI/AAAAAAAAIKo/aEKVjeylCvg/s400/IMAG3349.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More subway art. Forget where...there's an app for this!<br />
I am going to get it!! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yZIEhN4s_fU/UZufA6qRTPI/AAAAAAAAIKg/VgR8TH5Uefg/s1600/IMAG3348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yZIEhN4s_fU/UZufA6qRTPI/AAAAAAAAIKg/VgR8TH5Uefg/s400/IMAG3348.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh somewhere. Would adding locations help/be nice?<br />
Or is the aesthetic experience enuf????</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Svetlanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12976727758461602146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044316874157645622.post-33587051193229820122013-05-17T20:03:00.005-07:002013-05-17T20:03:58.771-07:00 Peace (starts with me)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p3tio37Yc_U/UZbuYZ_4pgI/AAAAAAAAIEw/uLXyGGxLFkI/s1600/IMAG2824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p3tio37Yc_U/UZbuYZ_4pgI/AAAAAAAAIEw/uLXyGGxLFkI/s400/IMAG2824.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the center of the labrynth @ kripalu<br />
love this image and this place<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9DwFkM5CuFA/UZbuhEqOHOI/AAAAAAAAIE4/VknhnQAF3zo/s1600/IMAG2826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9DwFkM5CuFA/UZbuhEqOHOI/AAAAAAAAIE4/VknhnQAF3zo/s400/IMAG2826.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and while we're workin on that...<br />
i hope we do some dancing<br />
!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Svetlanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12976727758461602146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044316874157645622.post-39197498635191022592013-05-06T19:37:00.005-07:002013-05-21T09:18:23.928-07:00Greek Orthodox Easter, Cinco De Mayo, Rumi, Jung ...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Living in Astoria, there are many many Greek people here. You'll be able to tell from this architecture we've got going. Curvy wrought iron designs, thick silver gates--fancy stuff. I feel like I'm in Greece sometimes--the style isdistinct and I've come to like many of the variations--although sometimes I still feel it can be too ostentatious.<br />
<br />
Anyhow, yesterday I was sitting on our makeshift porch having lunch (an amazing awesome salad I created with shrimp and calamari leftovers--yeaHs!), feeling a bit crestfallen that I don't like tequila or margaritas and so couldn't think of a way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo...then I look to my left and the Greek neighbors next door were having a get together--tons of family, food, and a lamb cooking over an open flame. Woah! (I have to admit this also made me really want to rewatch My Big Fat Greek Wedding.) <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SaL6vJQfM_o/UZuc-l_814I/AAAAAAAAIKU/Be4ZpY7_KMg/s1600/IMAG3388.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SaL6vJQfM_o/UZuc-l_814I/AAAAAAAAIKU/Be4ZpY7_KMg/s320/IMAG3388.jpg" width="177" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The journal entry that started this post</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NrhiIZthmTE/UYhi6Lyu__I/AAAAAAAAHvE/gHKORHLyLHE/s1600/IMAG3248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NrhiIZthmTE/UYhi6Lyu__I/AAAAAAAAHvE/gHKORHLyLHE/s320/IMAG3248.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are many lions gaurding entry ways--<br />
one on either side like at NYPL. I like them.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JAFdXpNMGhA/UYhi6IwJf2I/AAAAAAAAHvE/V6p_A5z_yqE/s1600/IMAG3250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JAFdXpNMGhA/UYhi6IwJf2I/AAAAAAAAHvE/V6p_A5z_yqE/s320/IMAG3250.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes the metal is painted bright colors like green or red.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qAsdEZN3BmU/UYhi6E-GjkI/AAAAAAAAHvE/EdnEpepCaXQ/s1600/IMAG3252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qAsdEZN3BmU/UYhi6E-GjkI/AAAAAAAAHvE/EdnEpepCaXQ/s320/IMAG3252.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty much tricked out. <br />
[Click for zoomed in view--you'll see the beautiful detailing]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I found out it was Greek Orthodox Easter the previous day while eating at<a href="http://www.tavernakyclades.com/"> Kyclades</a> on Saturday--friends have said that it's Greek dining at it's best and so renown that Manhattanites come to Astoria for it. It completely deserves the praise--I highly recommend. I had the grilled shrimp and we had a mouthwatering Greek salad. Wow. But they had their windows painted with "Happy Easter" and I'm thinking "Wow, the decor is a bit behind herrrre..." Thankfully my experience the next day righted my understanding and totally redeemed Kyclades' aesthetic choices. I feel Greeks, Italians and Russians have much in common with regards to emphasis on family and FOOD. They always want to feed you and take insult if you are full, or don't want what they're loving on you. Food is love in many ways...<br />
<br />
Anywho, I had a great weeked with friends. Monisha was visiting from Vancouver--a distant, beautiful land!! We had some great talks and she has an amazing love and appreciation for Astoria that's rubbed off a bit on me--never a bad thing! Local pride! Boom.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GfaDg_7sFJg/UYhi6ECXXmI/AAAAAAAAHvE/kjQEkeOewoM/s1600/IMAG3332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GfaDg_7sFJg/UYhi6ECXXmI/AAAAAAAAHvE/kjQEkeOewoM/s400/IMAG3332.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous friendship flowers Mo <br />
got for the apartment--thanks Mo :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I want to add about thirty more photos and write a few more paragraphs but I am so sensitive about sleep I must turn in soon--ahhhh so hard to be disciplined even with something so vitally important! Why why whyyy.<br />
<br />
I went to a Rumi poetry recitation/music concert on Sunday night that I will write about next, it was amazing--I got some on video and so want to share that mystical magic. And I went to my first Transpersonal Psych group event at the Jung Center downtown that was a fabulous and thought provoking discussion about archetypes and personal mythology...will write about too.<br />
<br />
All the best. And then some. <br />
<br />
P.S. All this amazing stuff going on friends, so come visit! <br />
Don't make me come after you...<br />
<br />
Svet<br />
</div>
Svetlanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12976727758461602146noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044316874157645622.post-31582241540744864582013-05-04T20:16:00.001-07:002013-05-04T20:19:58.223-07:00Everything is BLOOMING and I am ecstatic and just gotta show you:<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>I smile like a flower not only with my lips<br />but with my whole being</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong> - rumi</strong></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7viSJB8plRw/UYXLNERe5SI/AAAAAAAAHs8/NwY1abs_Wew/s1600/IMAG3243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7viSJB8plRw/UYXLNERe5SI/AAAAAAAAHs8/NwY1abs_Wew/s320/IMAG3243.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ahhhhhhh.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oc9-NnsQ6Dg/UYXLNCy11vI/AAAAAAAAHs8/GWFEWpQeOSw/s1600/IMAG3253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oc9-NnsQ6Dg/UYXLNCy11vI/AAAAAAAAHs8/GWFEWpQeOSw/s320/IMAG3253.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exploding! In the neighborhood.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QyKSPn6aWM0/UYXLNIdhN-I/AAAAAAAAHs8/bAu3xku4JHQ/s1600/IMAG3266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QyKSPn6aWM0/UYXLNIdhN-I/AAAAAAAAHs8/bAu3xku4JHQ/s320/IMAG3266.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So sweet. Found walking through neighborhood.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vNwTHZSiJwQ/UYXLNBHci0I/AAAAAAAAHs8/o6E1H4K0MnQ/s1600/IMAG3274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vNwTHZSiJwQ/UYXLNBHci0I/AAAAAAAAHs8/o6E1H4K0MnQ/s320/IMAG3274.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fire.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cY02xNqn-ZU/UYXLNIQ_n5I/AAAAAAAAHs8/nOWYTIFekQA/s1600/IMAG3293.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cY02xNqn-ZU/UYXLNIQ_n5I/AAAAAAAAHs8/nOWYTIFekQA/s320/IMAG3293.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greek architecture & trees in bloom yes yes yes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sdz0j8J6RSY/UYXLNDXFfsI/AAAAAAAAHs8/genuFPaxOmk/s1600/IMAG3302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sdz0j8J6RSY/UYXLNDXFfsI/AAAAAAAAHs8/genuFPaxOmk/s320/IMAG3302.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">West Village. Like the multicolor, so vibrant.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xhmu5MVNA7c/UYXLNH8Wd3I/AAAAAAAAHs8/VZi9MgDle4g/s1600/IMAG3301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xhmu5MVNA7c/UYXLNH8Wd3I/AAAAAAAAHs8/VZi9MgDle4g/s320/IMAG3301.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">W Village with my beautiful friend Nilly--soakin it all up :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AYmy3NccGD4/UYXLNNmhpVI/AAAAAAAAHs8/HKDbXCARdlo/s1600/IMAG3309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AYmy3NccGD4/UYXLNNmhpVI/AAAAAAAAHs8/HKDbXCARdlo/s320/IMAG3309.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Couldn't get close enough to those green green greeeeen treeees. Love that hue.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5abDLHR_Pj4/UYXLNBBtBxI/AAAAAAAAHs8/-7wmHONiDgk/s1600/IMAG3316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5abDLHR_Pj4/UYXLNBBtBxI/AAAAAAAAHs8/-7wmHONiDgk/s320/IMAG3316.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TREASURE found in front of NY Public Library</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mQtoWviq_FQ/UYXLNJB_sII/AAAAAAAAHs8/2W48UKmN_ys/s1600/IMAG3317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mQtoWviq_FQ/UYXLNJB_sII/AAAAAAAAHs8/2W48UKmN_ys/s320/IMAG3317.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Satin Ribbon. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BDTUfhkXixM/UYXLNOdaCdI/AAAAAAAAHs8/g7jyyorkBt0/s1600/IMAG3318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BDTUfhkXixM/UYXLNOdaCdI/AAAAAAAAHs8/g7jyyorkBt0/s320/IMAG3318.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the tulips are Park Ave. Beautiful color arrangement and flower combos.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kEK4BuukSds/UYXLNGcuZUI/AAAAAAAAHs8/E_cFfmq7voU/s1600/IMAG3321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kEK4BuukSds/UYXLNGcuZUI/AAAAAAAAHs8/E_cFfmq7voU/s320/IMAG3321.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soft, simple, elegant, classic.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-huZaDngnjZQ/UYXLNDGhcTI/AAAAAAAAHs8/xqvcEaPdibE/s1600/IMAG3322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-huZaDngnjZQ/UYXLNDGhcTI/AAAAAAAAHs8/xqvcEaPdibE/s320/IMAG3322.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A PINK moped! How appropriate for Spring. Check out those blooming wonders in the background. I don't think I can ever tire of them...EVER.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nwVDNRptfXc/UYXLNFO8AKI/AAAAAAAAHs8/sc1ll0vtzl0/s1600/IMAG3324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nwVDNRptfXc/UYXLNFO8AKI/AAAAAAAAHs8/sc1ll0vtzl0/s320/IMAG3324.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And how about that stunning carpet of RED and GREEN??!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hB3hscvHpFo/UYXLNB-tyGI/AAAAAAAAHs8/DeHqTMFB5ZM/s1600/IMAG3327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hB3hscvHpFo/UYXLNB-tyGI/AAAAAAAAHs8/DeHqTMFB5ZM/s320/IMAG3327.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The curvature of these trees is so pleasant. Sway sway sway n bend.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sMAUmV4J4pw/UYXLNAx7LMI/AAAAAAAAHs8/c_0gNZlrlKo/s1600/IMAG3328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sMAUmV4J4pw/UYXLNAx7LMI/AAAAAAAAHs8/c_0gNZlrlKo/s320/IMAG3328.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can't get over this green. This hue is one of my favorite colors. So relaxing and revitalizing at once.<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Hope you enjoyed viewing my spring love affair with Astoria and the city. New LIFE everywhere!!!! ~~ come back n virtually vizit me.<br />
<br />
Happy Spring--(almost summer, woah.) to everyone!<br />
<br />
<br />
</div>
Svetlanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12976727758461602146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044316874157645622.post-55805892434599633232013-04-17T21:40:00.001-07:002013-04-24T17:32:52.917-07:00Trenza: Reviewing NYC Dance<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This past Tuesday I witnessed beautiful performances at Dixon Place in NYC--Bella Dona Dansa, a showcase of dance choreographed by Latin American woman. I am detailing Trenza, the peice choreographed by Rebeca Medina and performed by the choreographer, Maggie Bennet and Carly Czach.<br />
<br />
---<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-trqjj3rQxZ8/UXf5PpkzKVI/AAAAAAAAHQw/kq0hcMJHeU8/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-trqjj3rQxZ8/UXf5PpkzKVI/AAAAAAAAHQw/kq0hcMJHeU8/s320/photo.JPG" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>Trenza </em></strong>means <em><strong>braid</strong></em> in Spanish</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I sit in enfolded darkness and view a female figure dressed in a long, airy skirt carefully laying out large sheets of white paper. She begins at the right side of the stage floor and continues across to the left. The sense of mystery is palpable and echoes in the silence of the room. (There was no music.) It's amazing how a lack of music changes the feeling of the dance.<br />
Minutes pass as the paper setting continues. Another dancer steps into the scene and begins dropping cassette looking film onto the paper. This tape is coming from a small wooden box she holds. She continues slowly, until she gets to the end of the paper trail. There stands a small chair with a flower upon it, and she places the box beside the plant. <br />
<br />
Music comes from the box! The scene is set, the music is on. The two dancers are lying on the floor together in the upper right hand segment of the stage. They begin to tumble and flip; it's a beautiful interplay of bodies--there is a child-like playfulness to it, but a grace and sensualness as well. This is the dance of life; slipping, sliding together, stepping and stumbling. The fumbles occur when the music hits sad, low notes--a beautiful and appropriate pairing of music and movement.<br />
<br />
The two dancers continue this way while the music plays on and the film is wound tighter and tighter. My guess is that the dance will stop when the film ends...the flower on the chair falls off and both women go and restore it to its rightful place. I find it poignant that this is done organically--(I found out beforehand that although the structure and concept of the dance were planned and rehearsed, much of it was contact improvisation during the performance). <br />
<br />
A third dancer steps in and weaves herself into this kinetic interplay. The first two dancers are on the floor and the third is stepping only on the hands of the other two to move across the floor. They continue to move like this, almost gliding, and it is so fun and interesting to watch. Then, all rise together and and fold into each other like a braid--this was such a beautiful part--they stood side by side and one dancer would fold, abdomen over legs, and another dancer would gently pick her up and move her to another spot in the line. This repeated until each had changed spots--it was beautiful and a weaving, tapestry like motion. <br />
<br />
<br />
The pace changes, the speed picks up (as does the music). The dancers begin moving at a faster pace. They're smiling at each other and perhaps at what is happing. (That charming, child-like amusement again.) They are running and tugging and pulling at each other, they go up, they go down, they link together, and so a movement from one affects everything else. Then, as the film is wound tighter, the first two dancers take their places in line, stepping upon the white paper, slowly following this string of film while the last dancer is frantically rushing about--until she too comes and joins the rank before the music stops.<br />
This dance was delightful and innovative; the use of color, movement, props--all done with creativity, playfulness, but also a subtle and evocative knowing about the dance of life...the tugs, the dips, that rhythm we all know that includes peaks and valleys. I am excited to see what else the talented Rebeca Medina choreographs and this group creates. Bravo!</div>
Svetlanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12976727758461602146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044316874157645622.post-10869739101721864832013-03-20T14:25:00.000-07:002013-03-21T10:54:59.641-07:00Walk Update<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hey everyone,<br />
<br />
PSA: I'm okay--alive and well although no longer with Annie Keithline--we've gone our seperate ways--me, north bound, Annie south bound. :( It was a gift to spend so much good time with one of my best friends. And apologies for not blogging with the frequency I'd wished. Part of the difficulty as well as charm of the trip was continually meeting people and thus not getting to the library, internet access being what it is on the road. <br />
<br />
With that said, let's get to the interesting stuff--the rest of what I saw and learned while walking Georgia and Alabama. I'm gonna give a day by day review--I think it will be fun for me to review too.<br />
<br />
The Walk:<br />
<br />
Annie and I began walking on March 3rd--and I think I got up to day two with you on the blog, when we met Terry in Eufaula, AL. On Wednesday, we walked 14 miles and ended up staying at a church in between Eufaula and Union Springs. We slept outside and it was pretty cold out. I'm not going to describe this in gut wrenching detail but it was a bit of a cruel awakening to the<strong> roughing it</strong> side of this trip--but hey, at least we had a safe place to sleep and had eachother for commiseration. And the brains to adjust to the weather--we got more blankets that day.<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fi1qmk8awHI/UUDxcyZgTKI/AAAAAAAAGDo/MP1GQCXuo3k/s1600/IMAG3042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" psa="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fi1qmk8awHI/UUDxcyZgTKI/AAAAAAAAGDo/MP1GQCXuo3k/s320/IMAG3042.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farm Country</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bnEAUxNyNOk/UUDxl4vnEkI/AAAAAAAAGDw/0ELgk5vlrJ0/s1600/IMAG3044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" psa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bnEAUxNyNOk/UUDxl4vnEkI/AAAAAAAAGDw/0ELgk5vlrJ0/s320/IMAG3044.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only time we walked a bit into the evening--gorgeous sunset<br />
and wearing a reflector vest being safe!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
During Thursday's walking we stopped at a church to get some water and a man living on the same street named George greeted us and asked us what we were doing. After hearing the story he invited us to have lunch at his house which was a God send. George is a U.S. Postal worker who lives in Alabama with his family. They have lived in Alabama for generations. George has an impressive Creek Indian arrowhead collection and gave Annie and I one each--so cool. Thank you George! Their cat also had a litter of adorable kittens. They were soo comforting and reminded me of my cat as a cute little thing.<br />
<br />
We later met George's son Brad, who crazily knows my friend Tim from college. [Insert cheesy joke about what a small world it is...but it is.] Annie says stuff like this happens fairly often on the walk, which is really quite neat. Cross-polination!! Turns out Brad is into walking and running himself, as well as talking about geopolitics which Annie also enjoys, especially with her direct experience walking the United States. Brad walked with us that day and then we stayed at their house for the evening, which was also scheduled to be chilly. The next morning, George drove us back to where we left off to continue the walk and Brad joined us for Friday, too.That day we stayed at a motel and Brad offered to show us Montgomery that evening with his friend Scott. That was cool--we saw MLK's church and had a few drinks. Good day.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sqQpYJekpXE/UUD4-S0qk3I/AAAAAAAAGEk/PrY1PYJpQKI/s1600/IMAG3049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" psa="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sqQpYJekpXE/UUD4-S0qk3I/AAAAAAAAGEk/PrY1PYJpQKI/s320/IMAG3049.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little stream we saw coming into Union Springs </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8wnR8G11PS4/UUD4-XkKIFI/AAAAAAAAGEk/k9cDAK6wgs8/s1600/IMAG3048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" psa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8wnR8G11PS4/UUD4-XkKIFI/AAAAAAAAGEk/k9cDAK6wgs8/s320/IMAG3048.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z4A28lxpmls/UUD4-YJR5lI/AAAAAAAAGEk/bWs766rqm9E/s1600/IMAG3047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" psa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z4A28lxpmls/UUD4-YJR5lI/AAAAAAAAGEk/bWs766rqm9E/s320/IMAG3047.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Linearrrr</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
On Saturday we decided to take it slower and did a 10 mile day to go easier on my knee and legs. It worked out really well and we also made it to Tuskegee that day!! It was perfect out--sunny, warm, and the view so pleasant. Before leaving Union Springs we walked through the town square and a few nicer neighborhoods. They reminded me of East Greenwich, RI :) It really feels like spring in the south. We saw this crazy looking building--something right out of Dr. Seuss, Annie commented. Spot on, no?!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EgwoHl6CjFY/UUD4TTbZ2MI/AAAAAAAAGEE/_w6x3dSfCeY/s1600/IMAG3056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" psa="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EgwoHl6CjFY/UUD4TTbZ2MI/AAAAAAAAGEE/_w6x3dSfCeY/s320/IMAG3056.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SO</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lcPb5rpXOVM/UUD4en9mX-I/AAAAAAAAGEM/drdD6xNwI3Q/s1600/IMAG3055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" psa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lcPb5rpXOVM/UUD4en9mX-I/AAAAAAAAGEM/drdD6xNwI3Q/s320/IMAG3055.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LOUD!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And then this:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4WO2lp0DNs8/UUD5pCRYsdI/AAAAAAAAGE0/vB_4BKeh4Xw/s1600/IMAG3060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" psa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4WO2lp0DNs8/UUD5pCRYsdI/AAAAAAAAGE0/vB_4BKeh4Xw/s320/IMAG3060.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lYKFKB9lG0k/UUD52KceIOI/AAAAAAAAGFE/cRlCa_QIpIA/s1600/IMAG3062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" psa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lYKFKB9lG0k/UUD52KceIOI/AAAAAAAAGFE/cRlCa_QIpIA/s320/IMAG3062.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tuskegee's main town square. Aren't these colors great??</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YtTWU-hQT_4/UUocPchRPXI/AAAAAAAAGJQ/7vVpYuxh58U/s1600/IMAG3066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" psa="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YtTWU-hQT_4/UUocPchRPXI/AAAAAAAAGJQ/7vVpYuxh58U/s320/IMAG3066.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They were just sitting in a dirt lot. Photo cred: Annie K.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CyF6Vm0DnnM/UUocmcR56gI/AAAAAAAAGJY/djYIT7c3P1w/s1600/IMAG3086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" psa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CyF6Vm0DnnM/UUocmcR56gI/AAAAAAAAGJY/djYIT7c3P1w/s320/IMAG3086.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cows @ Shanti Villa in Tuskegee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Reaching Tuskegee marked our hundred mile mark. We walked 100 miles, woahhhaaaooo! We got a motel and stayed two nights--we extended our stay to learn more about the town--history and all. We visited Tuskegee University, the educational institution founded by Booker T. Washington in 1881, as well as Washington's house. Washington had a practical and holistic vision for black educaiton, and saw educaiton with an emphasis on practical skills as an essential path towards empowerment. The Oaks, his home, was built by students of the university to pracitce practical trades like brick making. The house and university are both historic landmarks, so we were able to get a tour of the house by a park ranger which was very cool. We walked through the university, talked to students, and sat in on a social work methods class. The class was interesting since I'm interested in social work. It inspired me to sit in on more classes in my area amd seek out more social workers to hear about their experiences. I know it's a really diverse field, kinda like nursing, so I'm looking forward to learning more about that.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ncXpwT9iyuc/UUD9UIcuy2I/AAAAAAAAGFM/oKw0UeitlaA/s1600/IMAG3071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" psa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ncXpwT9iyuc/UUD9UIcuy2I/AAAAAAAAGFM/oKw0UeitlaA/s320/IMAG3071.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the entrances to Tuskegee U</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When we chatted to some students about their experience at the school, they had mixed feelings and experiences but all seemed to share an appreciation for the rich heritage and vision that Booker T. Washington instilled at the onset. I think some of the ambivalence about their experience is that the city is economically depressed and the school is an oasis of resources and activity--it creates a sort of bubble where it isn't as easy to get to know the neighborhood, especially since people talk about how dangerous it is...this isn't exactly incentive for students to go out and explore (but is kinda unfortunate--Annie and I had a very different experience--if you use caution and common sense it's good to get to know the area and the people; you find a lot in common.) I had a similar college experience; Providence College was often endearingly (or sarcastically...) called "The PC Bubble," in that it was in a rough area of Providence while the campus created a nucleus of activity, resources, and affluence. Students didn't really venture into the neighborhoods unless they were going to an off campus party or to the mall. I always thought this was lame because Providence has so much awesome stuff to offer; College Hill is gorgeous and there's a lot of history there to be enjoyed. I am a native Rhode Islander though, so I guess I had the benefit of being more aware of this stuff than other students may have. Nonetheless, there's like, three or four other colleges in Providence and it would have been illuminating for me and I'm sure for other student too, to mingle more at other schools and with other students. (This is the cross-pollination thing!!) But I won't write the entirety of PC's student population off--PC does do a lot of community service and engages with needy neighboring communities in that way. I've been a part of that and it was a great experience. <br />
<br />
Anywho-----that was sort of tangental. But cool for me to make that PC/Tuskegee U connection. Back to the cold hard walk details.......<br />
<br />
The day after Tuskegee we took a bus to Montgomery, Alabama, where we were couch surfing with a graduate student. (Annie loves couch surfing and recommends it. She's only had good experience and this was certainly one.) Originally we were going to walk to Montgomery but decided we wanted to stay in Tuskegee for longer than a day to experience the city and learn more about it. This was also awesome on my knee. Our host was great--she took us to the Fitzgerald Museum, the only museum in the world dedicated to F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. They lived in the house that the museum's in for a short time and its walls are adorned by Zelda's paintings. They have artifacts that belonged to the family too, which were interesting to see. (Their love letters were fabulous. We don't write with that much endearment anymore :(<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H5JAWypGTGU/UUoia_tfxkI/AAAAAAAAGJg/tukYoQZCemk/s1600/IMAG3092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" psa="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H5JAWypGTGU/UUoia_tfxkI/AAAAAAAAGJg/tukYoQZCemk/s320/IMAG3092.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who knows what kind of tree<br />
this is? Please tell me!!! I love them.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZdSYtDQ2Ik4/UUoigoy3_-I/AAAAAAAAGJo/N-lwee-b_Kw/s1600/IMAG3094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" psa="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZdSYtDQ2Ik4/UUoigoy3_-I/AAAAAAAAGJo/N-lwee-b_Kw/s320/IMAG3094.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Montgomery</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The next day we took a bus back to Albany, GA (where the adventure first began) to attend the Georgia Hardshell Baptists' Annual Sacred Harp Sing. Annie met some people involved with this beautiful singing when she first walked through Georgia months ago. I remember her describing how amazing this event would be waay before I joined her for the walk, so it was special to be able to attend with her. Watch this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaLnG7vfVOc">video</a> with background info-sacred harp is a very old practice but youtube says it's growing in popularity with young people living in cities and college towns--it is also practiced as a form of worship by the Hardshell Baptists. (I'd say it's a spiritual experience whether Hardshell or not--it's gorgeous and otherworldly. The man hosting called this singing the language of angels, and if they have one, I'd agree that this would be it.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kfk4lkNrdAo/UUolJ8HKAZI/AAAAAAAAGJw/fPym68DGpwc/s1600/IMAG3096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" psa="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kfk4lkNrdAo/UUolJ8HKAZI/AAAAAAAAGJw/fPym68DGpwc/s320/IMAG3096.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We stayed with Annie's friend Kim <br />
and her family in Waycross.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And now I'm visiting this little munchkin!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uZhnzWBdN9o/UUolgAqJ-SI/AAAAAAAAGJ4/AMPJ7hTJ4ZE/s1600/IMAG3100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" psa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uZhnzWBdN9o/UUolgAqJ-SI/AAAAAAAAGJ4/AMPJ7hTJ4ZE/s320/IMAG3100.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sweet and energetic (!!!!!) little<br />
cousin (once removed) Adriana</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y7KQuMVsSEc/UUoneANfW9I/AAAAAAAAGKA/44I7nXpKB-4/s1600/IMAG3103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" psa="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y7KQuMVsSEc/UUoneANfW9I/AAAAAAAAGKA/44I7nXpKB-4/s320/IMAG3103.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are exploding in my <br />
cousin's neighborhood!<br />
Visual feast :) They are<br />
Bradford Pear trees.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'll be going back to the northeast in the next few days and will be looking for gainful employment and all that fun grown up stuff. Right now still really enjoying my travels.<br />
<br />
Happy Spring you guys!!<br />
<br />
Svet</div>
Svetlanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12976727758461602146noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044316874157645622.post-80020585252969283002013-03-08T22:43:00.000-08:002013-03-13T14:20:52.094-07:00Back to the Blog: Farm Wrap Up & Walking the World<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hey guys,<br />
<br />
The last week has been a whirlwind. Annie and I left the farm and our lovely Bluffton friends last Sunday to begin the walk. I didn't post for the last few days on the farm because I was just so tired! Annie and I have been discussing the importance of hard work on this trip, and farmers embody that in a very physical way. It's draining! You come home, shower, and want <strong>dreamland</strong>. Of course you eventually adjust but I don't think I got to that threshold in the two weeks at White Oak Pastures...<br />
<br />
PART I:<br />
<br />
The last days of farm work contained my favorite tasks--harvesting collard greens, kale, and <strong>CARROTS</strong>. Besides feeling like Bugs Bunny, pulling up carrots is about the most satisfying thing in the world!!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zEvmnna-GYw/UTd0Y4skuLI/AAAAAAAAF1M/X6JkEVmkC3I/s1600/IMAG3013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zEvmnna-GYw/UTd0Y4skuLI/AAAAAAAAF1M/X6JkEVmkC3I/s320/IMAG3013.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mBLPu1FzPDs/UTd0QoTaDVI/AAAAAAAAF08/386ZZhSksYM/s1600/IMAG3014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mBLPu1FzPDs/UTd0QoTaDVI/AAAAAAAAF08/386ZZhSksYM/s320/IMAG3014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fYXUPZRcXYU/UTd0Tu8i9tI/AAAAAAAAF1E/3C_EXQMaxkk/s1600/IMAG3015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fYXUPZRcXYU/UTd0Tu8i9tI/AAAAAAAAF1E/3C_EXQMaxkk/s320/IMAG3015.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anomalies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The farm is a visual feast. The colours. The textures. Seeing plants and animals grow. Here's some more of that:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XkX6aVQBA-M/UTd1eY2-cgI/AAAAAAAAF1U/fH0X1kYM9CQ/s1600/IMAG3007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XkX6aVQBA-M/UTd1eY2-cgI/AAAAAAAAF1U/fH0X1kYM9CQ/s320/IMAG3007.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uprooted cabbage. Clearing beds for <br />
new crops.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-igJLe1GgPY8/UTd12DrbXUI/AAAAAAAAF10/F39Z0aQeZzw/s1600/IMAG3004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-igJLe1GgPY8/UTd12DrbXUI/AAAAAAAAF10/F39Z0aQeZzw/s320/IMAG3004.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cabbage ROSE</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zlYEq-O7NgE/UTd15wpxzCI/AAAAAAAAF18/sG5Z3lDM5Z0/s1600/IMAG3005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zlYEq-O7NgE/UTd15wpxzCI/AAAAAAAAF18/sG5Z3lDM5Z0/s320/IMAG3005.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cabbage, kale, dinosaur kale!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F0a8vG7hOCc/UTd1uAyk3SI/AAAAAAAAF1s/eCuhewMSf_Y/s1600/IMAG3003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F0a8vG7hOCc/UTd1uAyk3SI/AAAAAAAAF1s/eCuhewMSf_Y/s320/IMAG3003.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thinning sprouts in the greenhouse.*<br />
<br />
<div align="left">
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
*After plants have sprouted in the greenhouse, trays need to be thinned to one plant in each square; usually when planting seeds two or three are planted in case there's trouble with growth. If more than one sprouts, the others are plucked out to create room for the one guy that's gonna grow BIG.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Other farm tasks in those last few days included cutting wire ("hoops") for the beds of plants--the wire is cut a certain length and then a handful of hoops are stuck at either side of the beds to create a half circle shape that the row cover is then placed on and secured to the ground. The hoops are beneficial because they give the plants room to grow while still allowing for the benefits of row cover, which protects from the elements. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aagPRuC2SBY/UTd3yKaHNfI/AAAAAAAAF2M/baWEECgwQe8/s1600/IMAG3001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aagPRuC2SBY/UTd3yKaHNfI/AAAAAAAAF2M/baWEECgwQe8/s320/IMAG3001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cindy and I cut hoops for a few hours. Big job! Finsihed <br />
products hang nice and shiny, ready to use.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A2mJ9Lk3Yok/UTd3_N9MRvI/AAAAAAAAF2U/DQLhlxc1Do0/s1600/IMAG3010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A2mJ9Lk3Yok/UTd3_N9MRvI/AAAAAAAAF2U/DQLhlxc1Do0/s320/IMAG3010.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gil washing the baby greens<br />
<br />
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="left">
<span style="font-size: small;">Cindy and Jay, our colleagues at the farm hosted a bonfire on the Saturday before we left White Oak. We spent Saturday baking up a storm to bring to Cindy's and Lori made an AMAZING gluten free carrot cake. Thanks for hosting a great evening Cindy and Jay!! And thanks for the live entertainment :) (Jay is a gifted guitar player and jammed with Annie around the bonfire.)</span></div>
<div align="left">
<span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div align="left">
<span style="font-size: small;">And that, my friends, ended our time at White Oak. The next morning we got the gear we packed up and started the next leg of our journey. We stayed with our friend Lea from the farm on day 1--thanks so much for sharing your home with us, Lea!</span></div>
<br />
<br />
PART II: The Walk<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eGA_uhXBtw8/UTd8nk95JZI/AAAAAAAAF20/EsEiBv9pmPg/s1600/walk1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eGA_uhXBtw8/UTd8nk95JZI/AAAAAAAAF20/EsEiBv9pmPg/s320/walk1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">March 3--Day 1 of walk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o1ha0IuI5jo/UTd9BdRunTI/AAAAAAAAF28/QwcsWRzFhyQ/s1600/IMAG3021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o1ha0IuI5jo/UTd9BdRunTI/AAAAAAAAF28/QwcsWRzFhyQ/s320/IMAG3021.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hRCAfEOHPnw/UTd9ioVg9dI/AAAAAAAAF3M/XVyiF7mmv8A/s1600/IMAG3023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hRCAfEOHPnw/UTd9ioVg9dI/AAAAAAAAF3M/XVyiF7mmv8A/s320/IMAG3023.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chattahoochee River--about to cross over into Alabama!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BNzom8uLOvs/UTd-PUNUOOI/AAAAAAAAF3U/Qm2PGldYAUs/s1600/alabama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BNzom8uLOvs/UTd-PUNUOOI/AAAAAAAAF3U/Qm2PGldYAUs/s320/alabama.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yM6SePPn5nA/UTd-cuJl82I/AAAAAAAAF3c/HIxplI2-hB0/s1600/IMAG3029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yM6SePPn5nA/UTd-cuJl82I/AAAAAAAAF3c/HIxplI2-hB0/s320/IMAG3029.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kgsjF_exxgk/UTd-eH9-4eI/AAAAAAAAF3k/mHh8bxxz1ME/s1600/IMAG3030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kgsjF_exxgk/UTd-eH9-4eI/AAAAAAAAF3k/mHh8bxxz1ME/s320/IMAG3030.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LEiJYoWPg3U/UTd-fVfFXDI/AAAAAAAAF3s/p7kSt8BIUiI/s1600/IMAG3034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LEiJYoWPg3U/UTd-fVfFXDI/AAAAAAAAF3s/p7kSt8BIUiI/s320/IMAG3034.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In two days I think we talked to three sherriffs/police men. Hilarious. Annie talked about what we were doing. I may have the honors in the near future. We set up camp at a church, met the praise team, and got to listen to them practice, which was an incredible expereince. They have such talent and enthusiasm. They also prayed for my knee, which was flaring up from an old high school injury. Thank you Mount Olive!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lPzOc50Yz7k/UTd_kQvZHlI/AAAAAAAAF30/j6ziP1BCA8s/s1600/church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lPzOc50Yz7k/UTd_kQvZHlI/AAAAAAAAF30/j6ziP1BCA8s/s320/church.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Mount Olive Praise Team</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
The next day we crossed over into Eufaula, got some groceries and new shoes for me, had AMAZING donuts from The Doughnut King. It doesn't look like these guys have a website, as it's a hole in the wall, but their donuts are tremendous. <br />
<br />
We stopped by a coffee shop called The Blue Moon and met the owner, Terry. We told her what we were up to with the walk and she invited us to an art benefit happening that night in a historic mansion called Fendall Hall. (Sort of similar to the Varnum House in East Greenwich for all you Rhode Island readers, but waay bigger.) The community art club sets up an annual benefit in which local artists auction off their work amidst a fun wine and cheese night. Terry was a great host and introduced us to many community members. We met the president of the Friends of Fendall Hall organization, Carol, who lived in Rhode Island for a few years with her husband! She gave us an intimate tour of the house which really rocked. We met local artists, poets, and the mayor of Eufaula--it was a fabulous evening of art and antebellum architecture.<br />
<br />
We were going to stay a Presbyterian church in town but Terry put us up in an awesome little motel free of charge through a friend connection and was even further ridiculously generous with us--she introduced us to the staff of the coffee shop, her husband, and told us about her amazing son Bobby. Thank you so much for your generosity Terry!<br />
<br />
More soon--<br />
<br />
Svet<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Svetlanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12976727758461602146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044316874157645622.post-25638842817214503642013-02-26T19:23:00.001-08:002013-02-26T19:57:08.995-08:00Week Two<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Monday the rains were a fallin like <b>CRAZY</b>
in Bluffton, GA so we got the day off from farm work. Although I enjoy working
on the farm, the 7 AM text message bearing this news made me as gleeful as a
schoolgirl on a snow day. (And speaking of school cancellations, because there
are so many dirt roads in rural Georgia, kids got Monday AND Tuesday off from
school because of the poor driving conditions. Glad the childhood joy continues
on from geographic area to geographic area!! No child should be deprived of
these happy, happy days.)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I slept in, listened to the rain
fall on the tin roof, (its actually not a tin roof, but it sounded nice, right?
Many of the roofs here are in fact metal and Annie speculates it's because it's
not as cold here and thus roofting doesn't need as much insulation. Anyone
know?) we went grocery shopping, read and read and read lots and we made <b><a href="http://natashaskitchen.com/2012/03/16/borscht-recipe-ii/">BORSCHT</a></b>.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Borscht is a Russian beet and
cabbage soup--a staple of Russian cuisine that I grew up on. To the chagrin of
my parents I didn't take the initiative to learn how to make it until
uh...yesterday, because grandma is a gourmet cook specializing in Russian and Ukrainian
cuisine--why must I spoil a good thing? But I called grandma for the recipe
because I wanted Annie and my new friends to experience some Slavic cuisine.
(Grandmas love when you ask them about recipes.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k15OCkmH-1U/US1pS5GiyFI/AAAAAAAAFm0/93AaP2Ni0rQ/s1600/IMAG2991.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k15OCkmH-1U/US1pS5GiyFI/AAAAAAAAFm0/93AaP2Ni0rQ/s320/IMAG2991.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Evidence. With a dollop of yogurt. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was really proud of myself after
successfully making the soup with Annie K's assistance! I sent my whole family
a picture text as proof, and I think I may finally be considered a respectable
part of the family :)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Anyhow, today was a full day at the farm. The morning
started cloudy and humid, and warm. Annie and I pruned <b>Muscatine grape
branches</b> in the orchard, planted <b>blueberries</b>, weeded, fixed row
cover on beds of vegetables that had blown off in the windy rain, and potted
some soil in the greenhouse before lunch. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
Anyhow, today was a full day at the farm. The morning started cloudy and humid, and warm. Annie and I pruned <strong>muscadine grape branches</strong> in the orchard, planted <strong>blueberries</strong>, weeded, fixed row cover on beds of vegetables that had blown off in the windy rain, and potted some soil in the greenhouse before lunch.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qc1WRrhN9xI/US14mkx4M2I/AAAAAAAAFpU/kxONM0Y5hiI/s1600/IMAG2996.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qc1WRrhN9xI/US14mkx4M2I/AAAAAAAAFpU/kxONM0Y5hiI/s320/IMAG2996.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Annie planting blueberries today. What a babe.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K9NG-nCB4Uc/US1qfikS3ZI/AAAAAAAAFnA/0Z8VptWh7Fg/s1600/IMAG2993.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K9NG-nCB4Uc/US1qfikS3ZI/AAAAAAAAFnA/0Z8VptWh7Fg/s320/IMAG2993.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jesus rinsing with warm<br />
water before they go into the machine <br />
(He got the<br />
day off from school!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I also helped with weekly egg duty--and got a picture of all the eggs before they go through the egg washer machine contraption thingy...that might not be the proper term :D Aren't they beautiful? <strong>650 hens, 4 - 5,000 eggs per week.</strong> <br />
After lunch I noticed a gorgeous <a href="http://www.augustaga.gov/index.aspx?NID=1632">Southern Magnolia</a> tree in the forest behind all the vegetables. It looks distinct among all of the other trees because of it's waxy leaves that look like they belong in a warmer climate. Annie knew the name of it. I am constantly amazed at how many plants she can identify--I didn't know she was a junior <strong>botanist</strong> :)<br />
<br />
The rest of the day continued with mostly greenhouse tasks. I made my first potting soil mix using the recipe that is generally used. I wouldn't have thought of handling that last week. Everything was so foreign and strange then!<br />
<br />
I came home and ate more borscht. Annie had this great idea of poaching an egg in the borscht while reheating on the stove. This is a very cool innovation--I'm talking it to the family table.<br />
<br />
More soon.<br />
<br />
I love eggs and borscht and rain,<br />
<br />
Svet<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mj9AXdxeo3s/US1w-ZLq8uI/AAAAAAAAFns/y7RWs3X5RzU/s1600/IMAG2987.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mj9AXdxeo3s/US1w-ZLq8uI/AAAAAAAAFns/y7RWs3X5RzU/s400/IMAG2987.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While the borscht is cooking we're drinking pickled <br />
beet juice cocktails, inspired by farm produce baby.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XFWWPYzoqbI/US1y66V58kI/AAAAAAAAFoc/_YlUFUj5sls/s1600/IMAG2988.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XFWWPYzoqbI/US1y66V58kI/AAAAAAAAFoc/_YlUFUj5sls/s320/IMAG2988.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Annie keeps her hair short for practical pursposes <br />
while she's walking. She's also a free bird. <br />
Tatoo is temporarry, don't worry mom :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
PS: I went for a run on Sunday. Everything outside <strong>beamed</strong>. I was <strong>dumbfounded</strong>. Did I just walk into one of those <strong>picturesque Windows backgrounds? </strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Nope. Just <strong>Georgia</strong> for ya. Here's some shots from roads and areas close to the house. Which one's your favorite?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PGxxBPXo4GA/US1xKp3KPHI/AAAAAAAAFn0/IQzAPs51Aq0/s1600/IMAG2979.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PGxxBPXo4GA/US1xKp3KPHI/AAAAAAAAFn0/IQzAPs51Aq0/s400/IMAG2979.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pecan Trees</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m6pOFLtH1uM/US1yGjpKpsI/AAAAAAAAFoU/whoEXStg_lg/s1600/IMAG2982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m6pOFLtH1uM/US1yGjpKpsI/AAAAAAAAFoU/whoEXStg_lg/s400/IMAG2982.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shadows</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-stXEXCIks28/US1xWni4RLI/AAAAAAAAFn8/_GyM8Krfqqw/s1600/IMAG2981.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-stXEXCIks28/US1xWni4RLI/AAAAAAAAFn8/_GyM8Krfqqw/s400/IMAG2981.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pines and Clay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lxWHCjvjKCY/US1xbFz7gbI/AAAAAAAAFoE/7w5-Nsb56-0/s1600/IMAG2985.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lxWHCjvjKCY/US1xbFz7gbI/AAAAAAAAFoE/7w5-Nsb56-0/s400/IMAG2985.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Layer CAKE</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RZdcqLIPy0U/US1x-hR79gI/AAAAAAAAFoM/ed_ArX7jWak/s1600/IMAG2980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RZdcqLIPy0U/US1x-hR79gI/AAAAAAAAFoM/ed_ArX7jWak/s400/IMAG2980.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pines<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">PPS: What my shoes look like after rain + farm:</span> <br />
<br />
<div align="left">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TVyGRablDCk/US13zzvOfsI/AAAAAAAAFpA/CDwgZJsYGco/s1600/IMAG2955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TVyGRablDCk/US13zzvOfsI/AAAAAAAAFpA/CDwgZJsYGco/s400/IMAG2955.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
</div>
Svetlanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12976727758461602146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044316874157645622.post-17377374191396467032013-02-24T10:24:00.004-08:002013-02-24T10:24:45.860-08:00Ohh Goody! The Fave Pictures Post<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GwWKymeFeA8/USpW-0s8o6I/AAAAAAAAFcU/vqTUT0fcExo/s1600/IMAG2977.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GwWKymeFeA8/USpW-0s8o6I/AAAAAAAAFcU/vqTUT0fcExo/s320/IMAG2977.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So homey</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o5NZjNpi-eE/USpVEvzYJhI/AAAAAAAAFcE/HUtz3q7aWiE/s1600/IMAG2941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o5NZjNpi-eE/USpVEvzYJhI/AAAAAAAAFcE/HUtz3q7aWiE/s320/IMAG2941.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farm at sunset</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G3T16a1-w6w/USpVIc4llDI/AAAAAAAAFcM/sr26Uoyr9e0/s1600/IMAG2946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G3T16a1-w6w/USpVIc4llDI/AAAAAAAAFcM/sr26Uoyr9e0/s320/IMAG2946.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front yard at sunset--oaks and pecan trees </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rDqTip_UDgs/USpXLGi8WfI/AAAAAAAAFcc/wSWV_0kunYU/s1600/IMAG2972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rDqTip_UDgs/USpXLGi8WfI/AAAAAAAAFcc/wSWV_0kunYU/s320/IMAG2972.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magnolias -- Susan B :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-va6gAYrfM04/USpUuC-h8pI/AAAAAAAAFbs/YtgUoZDmEIw/s1600/morning+light+dirt+road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-va6gAYrfM04/USpUuC-h8pI/AAAAAAAAFbs/YtgUoZDmEIw/s320/morning+light+dirt+road.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dirt Road at Dusk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vi-1QtLOGew/USpXR7Ty7YI/AAAAAAAAFck/XufSRvbCP_c/s1600/IMAG2957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vi-1QtLOGew/USpXR7Ty7YI/AAAAAAAAFck/XufSRvbCP_c/s320/IMAG2957.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farming Profile: Photo cred Annie K</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h-yCTXRTSYY/USpXW24fXYI/AAAAAAAAFcs/JuzPPbInvuQ/s1600/IMAG2956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h-yCTXRTSYY/USpXW24fXYI/AAAAAAAAFcs/JuzPPbInvuQ/s320/IMAG2956.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Annie K -- Cheer on a rainy day!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oqG_A7qrHa8/USpUzh2IPYI/AAAAAAAAFb8/SMIPylzzWy0/s1600/orange+jacket+green+grass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oqG_A7qrHa8/USpUzh2IPYI/AAAAAAAAFb8/SMIPylzzWy0/s320/orange+jacket+green+grass.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Is It.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nk8ddcH_5LE/USpUwDD3VqI/AAAAAAAAFb0/TAe7M98gGks/s1600/zen+in+the+pines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nk8ddcH_5LE/USpUwDD3VqI/AAAAAAAAFb0/TAe7M98gGks/s320/zen+in+the+pines.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Be Quiet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G3T16a1-w6w/USpVIc4llDI/AAAAAAAAFcM/sr26Uoyr9e0/s1600/IMAG2946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<br /></div>
Svetlanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12976727758461602146noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044316874157645622.post-22160718947689160092013-02-24T09:13:00.000-08:002013-02-24T13:40:52.263-08:00Farming, Days 5 & 6: RAINNNNN<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The past two days have been <strong>WET</strong> in Bluffton, Georgia. Evidently this is the<strong> </strong>rainy season. It rained earlier this week when Annie and I worked in the green house, but on Friday we connected <strong>drip tape</strong> (irrigation system) to 21 rows of potatoes, and then we put some <strong>row cover</strong> over beets and carrots--me sporting a garbage bag rain coat. (High farm fashion :) <strong>Improvisation</strong> is a huge part of farm work and we're better for it! I only regret not bringing rain boots or a rain coat...but so it is!<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-19SudouVkLE/USlXfYbbepI/AAAAAAAAFU8/3185G8HLUNQ/s1600/IMAG2960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-19SudouVkLE/USlXfYbbepI/AAAAAAAAFU8/3185G8HLUNQ/s320/IMAG2960.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me setting up irrigation for potato rows with drip tape</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
After doing that and feeling like <strong>champs</strong>, we had lunch and then got a tour of the <strong>brooder house</strong>, which is where the baby chicks and bunnies are raised. Travis, the young man who manages the brooder house facilitated the tour. They have two thousand chicks in there at once! I held a day old bunny and a chick--they were both reallly adorable.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LI7-pup7iXE/USlYiIe6HtI/AAAAAAAAFVc/9iG1oyVJeHU/s1600/IMAG2964.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LI7-pup7iXE/USlYiIe6HtI/AAAAAAAAFVc/9iG1oyVJeHU/s320/IMAG2964.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy becomes...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v3rbZv81n-8/USlYoU5I3oI/AAAAAAAAFVk/7689wYW9zc0/s1600/IMAG2966.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v3rbZv81n-8/USlYoU5I3oI/AAAAAAAAFVk/7689wYW9zc0/s320/IMAG2966.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SplLz6bfh_o/USlZHV1TEvI/AAAAAAAAFVs/HNUYn2kKXkg/s1600/IMAG2967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SplLz6bfh_o/USlZHV1TEvI/AAAAAAAAFVs/HNUYn2kKXkg/s320/IMAG2967.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RA2Gj7Pcfno/USlZMaq02ZI/AAAAAAAAFV0/YRU4mvzizQo/s1600/IMAG2970.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RA2Gj7Pcfno/USlZMaq02ZI/AAAAAAAAFV0/YRU4mvzizQo/s320/IMAG2970.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dawwwww!!!! (click to enlarge)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We then went home early because we'd finished all of our tasks and spent the afternoon<strong> reading and drinking cocoa</strong> and eating stove popped popcorn (Awesome!) Then Tim and Casey, the guests we were expecting arrived--they drove all the way from Connecticut to meet the farm crew and see White Oak Pastures because they'll be joining as <strong>farm apprenctices</strong> in the next few weeks. We had an amazing meal with them and some great conversation before heading to bed. It began to pour again in the evening and we saw some amazing lighting with the lights off and<strong> </strong>candles on.<br />
<br />
We had to rise fairly early on Saturday because we were going to do a few things on the farm with Tim and Casey. Annie and I potted kale in the green house while the guests did a special project in between getting a <strong>tour of the farm</strong>, the chicken plant and the beef plant. Annie and I accompanied them as well and it was interesting to see inside the abattoir aka slaughterhouse--especially one that raises<strong> all natural chickens</strong> and isn't HUGE and completely mechanized. I learned that an animal goes through as many as fifteen hands and is USDA inspected before being packaged and shipped out at White Oaks.<br />
<br />
Remember how on the weekends, Pasture to Plate becomes fine dining for dinner and lunch? It's called<strong> </strong><a href="http://seasonsatwhiteoakpastures.com/images"><strong>Seasons</strong></a>, and the chef, Jim Snyder and his wife Cindy kindly treated us to an amazing meal--made of fresh farm ingredients. We had delicious chicken sachelle (similar to sausage) made with pistachios and herbs, <strong>pickled green tomato</strong>, peanut hummus, onion galette (pastry dough with fried, sweet tasting onions)--it was such a beautifully presented and delicious meal. And to top that off, a peice of <strong>Hummingbird Heart cake</strong>--three teirs of pinapple, banana, and pecans with cream cheese frosting. So sweet and wonderful. Thanks so much Jim and Cindy!!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bOXQJzmUsQM/USpCdI1a87I/AAAAAAAAFaE/vrhoVNVm0Yw/s1600/seasons+meal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bOXQJzmUsQM/USpCdI1a87I/AAAAAAAAFaE/vrhoVNVm0Yw/s320/seasons+meal.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">-- Five Stars --</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9zojyEApkFQ/USpCiTmNSvI/AAAAAAAAFaM/G-llIuwkIUc/s1600/seasons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9zojyEApkFQ/USpCiTmNSvI/AAAAAAAAFaM/G-llIuwkIUc/s320/seasons.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim, Casey & I (Annie behind camera)<br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After <strong>The Amazing Lunch,</strong> we took our guests to the pastures accross the street to see the chicks growing to be laying hens and the grazing cows and sheep--and we got extremely close!<br />
<br />
We then took a special trip to the <a href="http://www.gastateparks.org/KolomokiMounds"><strong>Kolomoki Mounds</strong></a>, a national park in neighboring Blakely, GA that is "the oldest and largest Woodland Indian site in the southeastern United States, occupied by American Indians from 350 to 750 a.d."--the largest mound is 57 feet tall and was the temple mound. There are a handful of other mounds throughout the park thought to be for ceremonial and burial purposes. There's much archeological speculation as to how the mounds were built. We climbed up a huge concrete staircase built into the outside of the largest mound and got to enjoy the view.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RG8HM60kU30/USpFYmek44I/AAAAAAAAFaY/2UIN5vn5QGE/s1600/mounds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RG8HM60kU30/USpFYmek44I/AAAAAAAAFaY/2UIN5vn5QGE/s320/mounds.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Temple mound at Kolomoki</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EWP8K3puhFs/USpF7Dp5JYI/AAAAAAAAFag/LBPIe1ERUps/s1600/svet+&+carrot+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
I also discovered <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXEfjVnYkqM"><strong>Laughing Yoga</strong></a> from Casey and it is so so so cool. Next place I live I'm looking for a club--the health benefits are almost magical. <br />
<br />
So, week one has <strong>wrapped</strong>. It's been faster than I thought. One more week on the farm and then the walking begins. It's been a gift to spend quality time with Annie and see her working. It's neat to see friends in their different environments and Annie is an enthusiastic and passionate part of the farm. I am surprised she's been here for about three weeks--the rapport she has with the staff, and the knowledge of the farm is remarkable. I have a tourguide at my side! The people here are also great. The work is meaningful. I think that's why Annie enjoys it so much. It's a great lifestyle and I'm enjoying being able to experience it firsthand. <br />
<br />
With farming affection,<br />
<br />
Svet<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lpDBP3buTKI/USpGRmrffiI/AAAAAAAAFao/JJmkEPFYa5A/s1600/svet+%2526+carrot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lpDBP3buTKI/USpGRmrffiI/AAAAAAAAFao/JJmkEPFYa5A/s320/svet+%2526+carrot.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</div>
Svetlanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12976727758461602146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044316874157645622.post-64809534558309944392013-02-21T18:32:00.001-08:002013-02-21T18:35:25.440-08:00Farmin On: Day Four<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today was rodent-trap-weeding-row-cover day. Gil, Lori, Annie and I also dug a ditch near the hoop house, which is one of the green houses containing lettuce. The ditch was a semi-circle and dug for irrigation purposes when the rains come! (Farmers gotta be prepared.) Inside the semi-circle Gil and Lori planted herbs, one being sorrel, my new favorite herb. (Though it does look like it belongs in the lettuce family). Sorrel tastes tangy and awesome. I don't think I've ever had it before but I'm looking forward to incorporating it into future dishes. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VtZQkHBB7Ww/USbVDQuBZnI/AAAAAAAAFM8/OPuaZWBJBvk/s1600/IMAG2948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VtZQkHBB7Ww/USbVDQuBZnI/AAAAAAAAFM8/OPuaZWBJBvk/s320/IMAG2948.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diggin and planting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It was ridiculously nice out today too--it reached seventy degrees (THIS is what I came here for!!)<br />
<br />
I am tired today. Farm + blogging keeps me up late because I want to capture every detail to share with YOU. If that ain't love...<br />
<br />
Anyways, a bunch of house mates have gone to an agricultural conference in Albany (They say it Al-bany here, not smooth like in New England. I like the the Southern flavor.) and we're expecting visitors this weekend that may work on the farm. The people I work and live with are great hosts.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F27TnFZ60Hk/USbV3c6TMaI/AAAAAAAAFNE/MYluqhoqBBw/s1600/IMAG2950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F27TnFZ60Hk/USbV3c6TMaI/AAAAAAAAFNE/MYluqhoqBBw/s320/IMAG2950.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where's the chard??????</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'm dropping a few pics and hitting the hay today, g'night and enjoy, y'all!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sxKhO092B6U/USbUlg7E_sI/AAAAAAAAFMo/L-6nc1SMlkY/s1600/IMAG2949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sxKhO092B6U/USbUlg7E_sI/AAAAAAAAFMo/L-6nc1SMlkY/s320/IMAG2949.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Size comparison. Organic carrots taste sooo.good.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3fnDhTz5JWg/USbUlnc8wyI/AAAAAAAAFMo/vCNjy3k3yXE/s1600/IMAG2951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3fnDhTz5JWg/USbUlnc8wyI/AAAAAAAAFMo/vCNjy3k3yXE/s400/IMAG2951.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swiss Charrrrd!!!!!!!!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s4EN6Aqdn0U/USbWOPqnjEI/AAAAAAAAFNU/Ozpi0iebuns/s1600/IMAG2954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s4EN6Aqdn0U/USbWOPqnjEI/AAAAAAAAFNU/Ozpi0iebuns/s320/IMAG2954.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">ginger snaps/almond butter/marshmallow/</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">chocolate/coconut/WOW-->try it!!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Svetlanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12976727758461602146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044316874157645622.post-31177515571684320242013-02-20T18:31:00.002-08:002013-02-20T18:31:46.403-08:00Day Three: Wait, this is only Day Three??<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Annie said the days all start melding together and I think that's true. I feel like I've been here for...longer than last Saturday, Feb 16!<br />
<br />
This morning was freezing. I worked in the greenhouse transplanting trays and trays of bokchoi with Annie until lunch. We transplanted because they needed more room to grow, so we used bigger pots.<br />
<br />
Each day we eat lunch at White Oaks' restaurant called Pasture to Plate, and volunteers eat in exchange for labor which is a cool perk. The restaurant is a fairly new establishment that comes in pretty handy for employees, since the nearest restauarant is fifteen miles away. The meals consist of the farm's vegetables and livestock which is beautiful. Structurally, it's a large, open air pavilion with picnic tables underneath. On weekends it becomes a fancy restaurant. I've heard fabulous things about it.<br />
<br />
Today was also an important day because Annie and I got an enthusiastically narrated and thorough tour of all of White Oak Pastures by Tripp, the organic farm manager. This farm is so much larger than I thought--the fields (of gold) go on forever. We saw the cows and sheep grazing as well as a few chickens. And as I promised the sweet girls I babysit, the pictures of the animals are here, enjoy!!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-53RbIHo9E_M/USWEJJmniKI/AAAAAAAAFJw/l4nmlw2srnA/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-53RbIHo9E_M/USWEJJmniKI/AAAAAAAAFJw/l4nmlw2srnA/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How surreal is this?? Amazing picture. Photo cred: Tripp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bb2FO5pV1RQ/USWEcY_W44I/AAAAAAAAFKA/gB2ltt2h3Os/s1600/image+(1).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bb2FO5pV1RQ/USWEcY_W44I/AAAAAAAAFKA/gB2ltt2h3Os/s320/image+(1).jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blehhhh!! Moooooooo! <br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Annie and I also varnished a wooden display rack that's going to show off the farm's organic produce in the White Oaks store. We also did a lil weeding and the day was dunn. Farmers need shut eye, so I am going to get some of that. And maybe count sheep hahahhahaha. Had to. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
With warmth, affection, and grazing animals,</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Svet</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Svetlanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12976727758461602146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044316874157645622.post-4152711874691233102013-02-19T17:15:00.002-08:002013-02-24T09:47:51.612-08:00Day Two on Da Farm (Alive and Well)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'd reckon I'm even thriving on the farm. (A little sore, but good-to-exert-and-move-body-sore) Because where good people are, even hard work isn't bad and you have a good time in the open air. PLUS being everywhere with<strong> ANNIE KEITHLINE</strong> is really really really great. I've been deprived and now I'm overdosing, (No bad symptoms though, just happier Svet.) I even get to sleep with her and we talk like little girls at a sleepover!<br />
<br />
This morning the sky wept <strong>drizzly tears</strong>. With no rain boots I was a bit worried, but the weather was so nice and balmy (mid fifties in the morning, but the humidity made it feel warmer) that I abandoned myself to <strong>wet feet</strong> in exchange for overall warmth. Good deal. <br />
<br />
Because of the rain our work consisted mainly of greenhouse tasks and stuff under the other roofs--there's a work station type area with tables and a vegetable wash across from all the rows and Annie and I created <strong>Harris</strong> (family that owns and operates White Oak Pastures)<strong> logo</strong> stencils to spray paint on all the <strong>CSA</strong> (community supported agriculture) boxes that would go out to memebers of the CSA hopefully beginning March 14. Our projecto was called off because the logo on the plastic crates was too scratchable, so to the greenhouse I went.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FtIbt-mySqc/USQhTT5VFaI/AAAAAAAAFHo/pIrEw9WpGzI/s1600/IMAG2938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FtIbt-mySqc/USQhTT5VFaI/AAAAAAAAFHo/pIrEw9WpGzI/s320/IMAG2938.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green house with the babyy plants</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
But not before learning about <strong>the eggs</strong>. "Doing eggs" as they say on the farm, is a weekly affair. White Oaks has over 600 laying hens, (!!!) Egg duty consists in collecting all of the eggs, washing them a few times, sorting them, and packaging them to go to Whole Foods, a restaurant in town called The Greasy Spoon (hehehehhe I like this name), and to be sold to employess and at the White Oaks grocery store (which is new--name to come). This was an amazing experience. I felt like I was participating in a PBS documentary on egg production. Frankie told me all about the porous egg shell and looking for cracks and seeing the bubble on the bototn of the egg which is one of the indicators of it being good.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oNqsWA0tHUU/USpMkaa87wI/AAAAAAAAFa4/Fi909R3wZ1c/s1600/frankie+%2526+eggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oNqsWA0tHUU/USpMkaa87wI/AAAAAAAAFa4/Fi909R3wZ1c/s200/frankie+%2526+eggs.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frankie at the beginning of the egg assembly <br />
line, inspecting for cracks and putting them <br />
through the wash.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bvmYRpZHe0c/USpNDkd3ebI/AAAAAAAAFbA/NFH9YvWNaNA/s1600/cindy+%2526+eggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bvmYRpZHe0c/USpNDkd3ebI/AAAAAAAAFbA/NFH9YvWNaNA/s200/cindy+%2526+eggs.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cindy sorting eggs by weight <br />
and packaging</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GxEyK31irJU/USpN19JJsJI/AAAAAAAAFbY/u-mRxeumClw/s1600/lori+%2526+eggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GxEyK31irJU/USpN19JJsJI/AAAAAAAAFbY/u-mRxeumClw/s200/lori+%2526+eggs.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lori packaging like a boss</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
After lunch, which came quick today, (Annie says this is because we were working on less tasks today, and theorized that task variance causes time to pass slower. I think it depends on the task. Whether you are in the<strong> FLOW</strong>. I think we were flowin with those stencils though.) we ate at the farm restaurant/cafeteria called <strong>Pasture to Plate</strong> (clever name, right?! More on this restaurant soon, cool story behind it.) Then I planted Shanghai Green Baby bokchoi and Nancy lettuce seeds in the greenhouse with Lori, Annie, and Gil. I love the greenhouse it's ridiculously warm in there. Tempting nap spot. Working on getting a hammock. </div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jxavv6m8vy4/USQhLQVnNKI/AAAAAAAAFHg/hNywzVNi6B4/s1600/IMAG2940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jxavv6m8vy4/USQhLQVnNKI/AAAAAAAAFHg/hNywzVNi6B4/s320/IMAG2940.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Annie and Frankie yesterday, next to the potato rows</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We were let out one hour early today because we stayed after yesterday for potato planting. So Annie and I sampled wine, drank tea, and read at the table with beautiful <strong>afternoon sun</strong> illuminating the kitchen table and the<strong> azalias</strong> set upon it. Gah beautiful. I'm a corn ball, but it was a perfect moment setting there reading with Annie K. Feeding the intellect and the social self in <strong>silence</strong>. Woahhh.<br />
<br />
We went for a walk down the (dirt) road before dinner (barefoot!) with Onyx the dog who I keep calling a he though she's a she. She has so much ENERGY. The Georgia landscape here is startlingly <strong>gorgeous.</strong> Love to ya from the land of pecans and peaches.<br />
<br />
--Svet--<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ScQH2TjRnB8/USQhcN06KTI/AAAAAAAAFHw/mXMgq-BA67I/s1600/IMAG2943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ScQH2TjRnB8/USQhcN06KTI/AAAAAAAAFHw/mXMgq-BA67I/s320/IMAG2943.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at the color</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Svetlanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12976727758461602146noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044316874157645622.post-11426116095201322442013-02-19T04:31:00.002-08:002013-02-26T19:25:22.584-08:00Day One on the Farm<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today was the long awaited day on which I became a more intimate aquaintance of Mother Earth. (She's amazing!) The farm work began. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ObcBsQENSzs/USNwE8o9axI/AAAAAAAAFGA/1GM0EdkGsuU/s1600/IMAG2937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ObcBsQENSzs/USNwE8o9axI/AAAAAAAAFGA/1GM0EdkGsuU/s320/IMAG2937.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the green houses</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Days for the farm crew begin at 8 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. although sometimes they run a little longer, like today--because we were planting potatoes. I learned that there are tons of varieties! Fingerlings (Banana Fingerlings and French Fingerlings), Red Pontiac, All Blue, Mountain Rose...aren't these names fabulous? They remind me of my distant dream of creating the names of crayon colors, or maybe wall paint--I'd be thrilled with anything of that sort--creativity begs to be expressed! And the Pontiacs reminded me of the black Pontiac my parents had when I was a wee little babe and made me smile. <br />
<br />
I also heard cows today in the distance--they graze a ways away from the rows we were working on today but they reminded me of how my dad used to tell me scary stories about THE COWS in Russia in order to get me to quiet down in rowdy states. A more personal form of the boogie man, Russian village style I guess...<br />
<br />
Anyhow, the work was good, it was lovely to be out in the fresh air all day. Delicious vitamin D everywhere! I had to cut my nails today after farming because you hands get <strong>dirty </strong>and the shorter ya nails, the betta. Annie is extrordinarily hardcore and wears no work gloves but I can't handle that! Gloves and lotion for these cracked hands! And chapstick is a must. P.S. I got a small sunburn today, I love it! She says I will defintely have a different skin tone by month's end. Maybe I should do a <strong>before and after shot</strong>--that would be funny.<br />
<br />
With regards to the farm labor specifically, today we prepped rows for planting broccoli and cauliflower wich entailed clearing out the beds of old produce that had <strong>bolted</strong>, argicultural term--or slang? for the plant going to seed, which makes it bitter and unsellable at market. So they all had to be uprooted, and then the soil had to be raked. After finishing that it was only 9:30 AM, what!?!?!?!? Time passes differently on the farm. <br />
<br />
I then helped Lori clean up the <strong>swiss chard</strong> remains after a batch of it was picked and bundled in the greenhouse...and I was absolutely taken by how amazingly beautiful it looks in its stalks, all green and red!! The color is alarmingly vivid. Also, I had a dear English professor who goes by Chard for short and is a poet and that connection made me smile big.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jABSy7GQXvI/USLs4GDa5yI/AAAAAAAAFGM/tadxdfeWCIY/s1600/IMAG2936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jABSy7GQXvI/USLs4GDa5yI/AAAAAAAAFGM/tadxdfeWCIY/s320/IMAG2936.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leafy romaine <3</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We also put an irrigation system together for all the rows after all the plant refuse was cleared, and that was cool to watch. The system consists of three hollow, strawlike hoses being laid out on the soil beds, which were connected to three faucet-like fixtures at the start of the row. Looks like a T with three offshoots rather than one. We then planted the broccoli and cauliflower and then put rowcover on all of the transplants. <strong>Rowcover </strong>is a microfiber sheet (I think) that is put over the plans as protection from bugs and harsh sun. It was billowing in the wind today and looked like <strong>God's comforter</strong>. I'm sure he also has a pretty awesome bed. (of brocolli!) I love watching the wind go through things. The natural contours are so <strong>affecting</strong>. <br />
<br />
We then planted potatoes all together after Tripp, the farm manager plowed the rows with the tractor. I liked the sense of comraderie, weeee. <br />
<br />
We ate dinner. We drove back home. Day One Done. Now I finish this post and go to bed.<br />
<br />
XOXOXOOXOXOXOXO<br />
Svet<br />
<br />
</div>
Svetlanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12976727758461602146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044316874157645622.post-74465099614569173212013-02-18T04:45:00.000-08:002013-02-18T04:45:25.596-08:00First Day in Georgia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Dear friends,<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PnE9WS7A2Ys/USIhT3kiimI/AAAAAAAAFDs/uIhzF7LZsXE/s1600/IMAG2918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PnE9WS7A2Ys/USIhT3kiimI/AAAAAAAAFDs/uIhzF7LZsXE/s200/IMAG2918.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I'm finally in the land of peaches and pecans! With the lovely and amazing Annie Keithline. I arrived in Albany, Georgia yesterday afternoon and Annie picked me up. I was so happy to finally get off the bus. My legs were screaming in delight. Annie and I walked around the metropolis of Albany for a while and listened to some jazzy jazz at Ray Charles plaza. It was architecturally very cool, part of it was these life size piano keys right on the ground.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bPGUHZEHIcs/USIhc01um2I/AAAAAAAAFD0/2hiuAJsGqzs/s1600/IMAG2917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bPGUHZEHIcs/USIhc01um2I/AAAAAAAAFD0/2hiuAJsGqzs/s200/IMAG2917.jpg" width="200" /></a>Annie then took me to Riverside BBQ, finest BBQ joint in town. We feasted on Southern fare like fried okra (!!!!!) which I've wanted to try for a looong time and Brunswick stew, a chili like concoction named after the city in Georgia. Lots of people here love it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
We then found ourselves at the Flint RiverQuarium, a beautiful aquarium that features local marine life and educates about local water supply and water water everywhere. We saw amazing species of fish and got to play with sand and water and recreate erosion...it brought me back to school science classes. Ohh yeah.<br />
<br />
We did a bit of grocery shopping since nearest food store is about 15 miles from the farm and then took a BEAUTIFUL scenic drive to Bluffton, where Annie lives with her housemates that also work on the farm. I was struck dumb by how gorgeously GREEN the grass was-- and also saw a lot of Spanish Moss on the trees, which Annie says is a parasitic organism that gets everywhere.<br />
<br />
Annie had a gig at a restaurant and bar called Kuntry Rooster's yesterday and we saw her name advertised in the limelight while driving back! She was absolutely shocked but I thought it was fantastically appropriate.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3Leyg_85jaU/USIgUKhNT3I/AAAAAAAAFDY/XYmIJqij7zA/s1600/IMAG2926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3Leyg_85jaU/USIgUKhNT3I/AAAAAAAAFDY/XYmIJqij7zA/s320/IMAG2926.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Annie's billboard!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We made a quick stop at the farm where I met one of Anne's farm co-workers, Jesus, and got a quick tour of the facilities. White Oak Pastures is an organic farm that grows vegetables and livestock, and they have a slaughter house right on the facility. We got some lettuce and eggs for the house and some rosemary too. I loooove herbs and spices, and picked right off the bush--herbaliciousness.<br />
We got to the house and settled in. She gave me ze tour and I met the other housemates, Gil (named after Gilbert Blythe of Anne of Green Gables!!), Frankie, Lori, and Trip--farm workers one and all. I had some coffee Gil made for me (sleeping on a Greyhound demands early evening coffee) and Annie practiced for her Rooster's gig. There's all these good books for me to read here too, Wendell Berry, Joseph Campbell, Harville Hendrix. Yay.<br />
<br />
Plus Annie's cooking totally rocks. I am always amazingly and deliciously well fed whilst in Annie Keithline's vicinity. Actually, I'm always fed well when I'm in the company of others because meals become an event of mutual caring and sharing! It's harder to do by yourself, although still mighty rewarding.<br />
<br />
Annie and I created a groovy ambiance at Rooster's with dry ice dissolving in bowls and creating a foggy white haze. And candles. Lots and lots of candles. Hearing her perform live with an adorable guitalelee in a smashing dress was very special. And we had a great crowd there too :)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0floqxtQMhA/USIghr8FtoI/AAAAAAAAFDg/rCIwH-Uq_2E/s1600/IMAG2932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0floqxtQMhA/USIghr8FtoI/AAAAAAAAFDg/rCIwH-Uq_2E/s320/IMAG2932.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Annie K doin her thang</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Tomorrow farm work begins. I think we're going to take a bike ride around the area to get more aquainted!<br />
<br />
Oh there is also a playful dog here named Onyx and cats! Bacon, Stripey, and Sigmund. </div>
Svetlanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12976727758461602146noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044316874157645622.post-66182903569145853662013-02-16T03:06:00.001-08:002013-02-17T09:53:51.426-08:00On the Road<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been on a Greyhound bus (regrettably not a Peter Pan, my magical favorite) since 8 a.m. yesterday morning. I am at my last transfer spot in Florida. Yes, FLORIDA. Jacksonville, so northern Florida, but nonetheless quite weird and excellent to see palm trees in the middle of winter. I wish my good friend Viviana could come up from Miami--it would be so lovely to see her. Oh, my long distance friendships! <br />
<br />
Anyhow, after this connection we go back up to Georgia, which I should reach before noon.
I've gotten some sleep on the bus and noticed travel companions, a few people who have been on all of the same buses as me from the morning. A silent sense of camaraderie exists between us.
Yesterday in Fayetteville, NC a man named Bruce sat next to me and we talked some about our families and work. <br />
<br />
Bruce has had a lot of jobs in his lifetime and quite a few medical procedures too. We talked about the body's amazing ability to heal itself under the right conditions and about learning biofeedback to lower heart rate. He likened biofeedback to a sort of meditation and I would like to learn more about that with my mind-body connection fascination. Bruce is going to care for his dad out in Georgia before and after an eye surgery. Both Bruce and his father served in the military, and they both went to Vietnam. Thank you for your service, Bruce.
I loved one thing especially that he said with regards to work--if work is your whole life its easy to become discontented and bored, but with other hobbies, interests, and involvements, jobs are put in perspective. Seek balance. What you do is not necessarily what you are. Hmmmm.
<br />
<br />
Talking about our families made me miss mine and spurred phone calls to my parents. I got to talk to Andrey Jr.!!
<br />
<br />
With that, I can't wait to see Annie in under six hours! The Greyhound bus has no WiFi. Whenever I bring a laptop I generally don't use it--I am typing this up on my phone. Oi. <br />
<br />
By the way, I do feel like y'all are in my pocket. This is wonderful.
Off to do some stretches before boarding again. Gotta be good to the body that's so good to me!
</div>
Svetlanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12976727758461602146noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044316874157645622.post-37256612105913686552013-02-13T10:51:00.001-08:002013-02-13T10:51:31.915-08:00Georgia, Baby<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Dear friends and family,<br />
<br />
I am embarking on an exciting adventure. In the next few days I will be travelling to Albany, Georgia to visit one of my best friends, Annie Keithline. Annie is walking accross (actually more like around) the country for peace. You can read more about her amazing journey<a href="http://anniesoutpost.blogspot.com/p/the-basics.html"> here</a>. She has been working at <a href="http://whiteoakpastures.com/index.html">White Oak Pastures</a>, a farm in Bluffton, Georgia, for the past few weeks. I'm going to be dancing into some farmwork with her, and then we're going to walk Georgia and I will experience the peace walk.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DhTEktSCmbY/URvfJGPMHKI/AAAAAAAADfY/Wt9I0aXJwSY/s1600/Georgia.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DhTEktSCmbY/URvfJGPMHKI/AAAAAAAADfY/Wt9I0aXJwSY/s320/Georgia.png" width="320" /></a></div>
I am deeply excited and certainly jittery about this trip. I've dreamed of joining Annie soon after she began this soulful journey last March and I have finally created room to actually do it both in my heart and in my life. (Thank you to the people that have given me support--it means so so much.)<br />
<br />
I will be farming for two weeks and walking for two weeks. One month. From this trip I am going to choose what my next step is going to be with regards to beginning a new job. I left an office job last December after a year. Being in a confined space was hard for me. My body was crying out! I've worked a few part time gigs since then and the next adventure is wanting to be born. I know I'm going to get much more out of it than an answer to a profession, though. A few things I want to learn/work on:<br />
<br />
- Learning about growing food. Witnessing and being a part of this natural and essential process.<br />
- Deciding and following through on personal projects/dreams/aspirations<br />
- Learning to better deal with fear, doubt, anxiety and frustration <br />
- Directing my ecstatic energy in meaningful, cogent ways (last two are Annie's goals as well).<br />
<br />
I'm going to be updating this blog lots while journeying, so my family knows where I am and so I can update all my new friends from NYC as well as my older buds. Also, it'll give me a good opportunity to work on my writing. Please leave me comments if you feel at all compelled. Correspondence and meeting people are two of my greatest joys.<br />
<br />
Thanks for your interest! LOVE to you all!<br />
<br />
Svetlana</div>
Svetlanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12976727758461602146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044316874157645622.post-71838360271118304602013-02-10T21:24:00.000-08:002013-02-10T21:24:27.056-08:00Leapfrogs, Renting Rooms & Running Around Manhattan. Amazing.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
I just had the craziest, most amazing day. Whirlwind of activity, whirlwind
of emotions!!!<br />
<br />
I got to see special friends today and drink cappuccino with them and talk
about the joy of movement and dance and art and tree houses.<br />
<br />
I felt the impulse to go home to RI for my brother's birthday. I bought a
bus ticket on a whim and didn't get a seat on the bus due to a reduced bus
schedule because of Nemo the snowstorm monster. (Oiii, Svet!) <br />
<br />
I had my first taste of Turkish food with my beautiful Turkish
friends and finally meet my good friend's special someone :) ...with more great conversation.<br />
<br />
And I come home feeling very full and inspired. Wanting to write lots and
collage lots.<br />
<br />
Oh and also an important need, friends:<br />
<br />
If anyone knows anyone who needs a room in Astoria from mid February to mid March, please contact me! I'll give a reasonable rate and my room totally
rocks. Here's the <a href="http://newyork.craigslist.org/que/sub/3608709545.html">Craigslist ad</a>. I have an airbnb add up too with a more
comprehensive description. Email me through that if you want more information.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
</div>
Svetlanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12976727758461602146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044316874157645622.post-30380801358554955332013-02-10T20:31:00.000-08:002017-03-13T14:54:56.531-07:00Talking Improv with Yoanna Wei<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I met my friend Yoanna Wei while taking a Level 0 (yes, they exist) improv class at the People's Improv Theater in NYC. She's been going strong and hard since the class and really quite involved at the PIT and the improv scene. She sat down over tacos to talk to me about it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Svetlana: Yoanna, how long have you been doing improv?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Yoanna: Since September 2011. A year and a half.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">S: We met through that PIT (People’s Improv Theater) class,
Level 0, but you were doing improv before that, right?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Y: Before Level 0 I was doing jams at the PIT, not much
formal instruction. Then I was at a jam and they were giving away a free Level
0 so I put my name in the pot and won it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">S: Awesome. And then your improv career just took off,
right!?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Y: Sure. I just finished Level 3 at the PIT so I’m not there
yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are 5 levels at the PIT and I
just started taking level 1 at UCB (Upright Citizen’s Brigade).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">S: What’s the difference bw UCB and the PIT? I’ve heard that
UCB is more hardcore.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Y: Well, UCB classes are accredited, and it’s more like a
school type environment—they are more stringent about their requirements. To
move from 201 to 301 you have to get approval from a teacher. At PIT there
aren’t those kinds of requirements. And yes, UCB is competitive, but it’s also
like family—when I go to jams there I don’t feel like people are stepping on each
other—they’re nice about it. UCB produces a lot of up and coming comedians like
Kate McKinnon who is on Saturday Night Live and she’s from UCB so, if you wanna
go big, you definitely want to start at UCB. But at the same time, PIT also
produced good comedic actors like Kristin Shaw, she’s on Bob’s Burger, and she
was on a house team at the PIT.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">S: So, what made you want to try improv?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Y: I started doing improv with a student group on campus,
and we were doing short form improv and I was intrigued to see what long form
improve was like. I really liked improv and have always wanted to be in
theater, and so improv is a form of theater in my mind. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">S: Did you do drama in high school? Where did you get the
acting bug?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Y: My sister is a math major in college. She enjoys it. Both
my parents were originally in medical school. They don’t have any artistic
things going on. I guess they watch TV…I don’t want to say they don’t have
artistic pursuits…I mean a lot of it was when I was little I always preferred
to read novels, and sort of gravitated towards that. When I was in high school
I did theater tech and got a chance to see student actors practicing, and that
is when I knew I wanted to do theater. In my last semester of undergrad, I was
in a play and I just knew it was something I wanted to do. It was a student
written play called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Finding the Light</i>.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">S: It is so interesting to me when people say “I just knew,”
when you feel so drawn to something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Another thing—when we were talking about creativity and your parents,
and you know, when someone says that they write, or they sculpt, or whatever,
if one does not do that, it doesn’t mean they’re not creative. There is
something special about practicing creativity with other people.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Y: Mhhm. In creativity, you are literally creating something
with somebody else with no preplanning. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">S: Which can be pretty scary if you think about it! And it’s
fun.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Y: Yes. I love the spontaneity of improv. Part of the reason
for that is I am lazy and don’t like memorizing lines and also, if a director
does not give you a part you have nothing to say, but in improv, you are your
own director.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">S: You can always have something to say. I feel like there
is something vitally important about creating something of your own.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Y: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Yeah, I get it. A
lot about creating something is expressing your emotions and yourself and
finding out about yourself.</b> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">S: Yes, like “I didn’t even know this was in me!” When I did
my first play in college, I wasn’t every really drawn to it, but when I was
finally on stage acting it out, I was like “I LOVE THIS.” We all have this
creative impulse. Such self growth happens through creativity. Yes and it!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Y: Yes Tina Fey said that—you can apply a lot of improv rules
to life. It helps in saying yes to more.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">S: How did the improv team you’re with now form?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Y: That is sort of an odd situation. All three of us knew
that we were the only three Asian people who hang out at the PIT so one night
all three of us were sitting at the bar and Sean was like, “You guys want to
start a team?” And yeah, that’s how it happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we aren’t racially exclusive. We want to
include other people and are looking for new members.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">S: How long has XOXO been a team and how did you guys get
your name? </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Y: Since July/August, so half a year now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got our name while standing outside the
PIT one night before a show and Sean (again) saw XOXO on a poster and said, “That
should be our team name.” And that’s how it happened.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">S: Ahhh. So what are the other rules of improv? </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Y: “Yes and” is the huge one—then, you know, take your
partner’s offers, support your partner’s moves…all other rules stem from “Yes,
and.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just go with what’s happening and
add your own information…because literally you are creating something out of
thin air. Also, a lot of acting rules apply to improv: be vulnerable, show your
emotions, let your partner affect you,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be
real, be honest. All those really help what happens on stage.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">S: Another thing I like about improv is that when watching
it, a lot of it is fantastical and exaggerated, but a lot also humorously
reflects the awkward interactions in day to day life, and that makes me feel
less alone!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People are laughing at it,
and so am I! I’m not the only one that that’s happened to! It’s a great
reminder to do that in real life. To embrace our weirdness, our quirks…</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Y: Yeah, definitely.
The audience usually laughs when some form of truth is arrived at in the scene.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">S: Ohhh I like that!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Y: </span><a href="http://thepit-nyc.com/teacher/nate-starkey/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">Nate
Starkey</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> taught me that. He teaches level 4 and 5 at the PIT and he’s on the
Big Black Car house team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve observed
many shows and I’ve found that to be very true. They recognize the realness.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">S: The audience recognizes themselves in that truth and so
laughs—an instant community of knowing is created. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Y: Yes. Art imitates life. So if you’re being real on stage,
it is organically funny. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">S: Not trying too hard.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Y: Yeah, trying to be
funny is another improv no no. You don’t want to be jokey. You want to really
be honest. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">S: Good distinction. When I was taking my class I would try
to do that sometimes, and it would feel off, inauthentic. Just doing the improv
is enough. Being there and responding.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">S: So, have you met any famous people at the PIT?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Y: A few, yes. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2212031/"><span style="color: blue;">Aubrey Plaza</span></a>. One time <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2212031/"><span style="color: blue;">Abby Elliot</span></a></b> was doing a show
at the PIT as well. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">S: That’s neat. I don’t even know who they are. Hyper links
above to their bios! Yoanna, did you do any acting in college besides improve?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Y: Yes, I was in a few plays with a group of Columbia med
school students called the Bard Hall Players—I was in the chorus of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the
Forum</i>, in the winter production of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A
Midsummer Night’s Dream</i>, I played Robin Starling and I was an extra in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rumors</i>. It was fun. Theater is
definitely one of the best experiences I’ve had. I wish I did more plays in
college. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">S: Me too.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">S: One thing with theater is you can become close to the
people you are doing it with. It’s like you are bringing something into the
world with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Almost like childbirth—the
play is practiced, gestates, grows—until it’s ready to come out. Is that one of
the things you really enjoy about it? Why do you think you enjoy acting and improve
so much?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Y: A lot of it is gut feeling. When you’re doing improv on
stage you just feel so liberated—like “Oh man, I am creating something right
here.” And also, acting is like being as human as possible. You are living life
in a way that no other profession can give you. You are creating characters.
You are experiencing these emotions. It’s like you’re living simultaneously in
many parallel universes. And you get to experience more of life that way. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">S: I think that’s right. You’re experiencing more. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel like it’s similar with reading, but in
acting, you are actually embodying who these characters are, so it’s different—it
comes alive. It is so exciting. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
expands your awareness and experience so much.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">S: Who are your favorite improvisers/comedians?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Y: Ashley Ward is very funny. She taught level 1 and 3 at
the PIT and she’s in Big Black Car (a PIT house team). Brigid Boyle—she is on The
Baldwins (another PIT improv team) and she is very funny. I really like the
house team Birds too. Very good improvisers. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">S: Thanks so much for your time and willingness to share
your passion Yoanna!</span></div>
</div>
Svetlanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12976727758461602146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044316874157645622.post-64300625424192338722012-12-09T19:30:00.000-08:002012-12-16T19:49:47.177-08:00Introduction to Chipmusic with Invisible Robot Hands (James Winters)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">James Winters isn’t your average college dude. I met him on
the streets of Providence, Rhode Island where I was mesmerized while watching him
play music from his 1989 original Game Boy plugged into an amp. Something else,
right? That’s exactly what I thought. So after jumping up and down for a moment
(you can get that footage at the bottom of this article) I, at the peak of
intrigue, had to ask what was happening. I recognized bits of sound from my brothers' video games...crossed with the electronic music genre. Sweet party/rave music is born! Not that I go to
raves! But maybe I should…</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/QJjppioQLMs?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Invisible Robot Hands going at it.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After James (stage name Invisible Robot Hands)
stopped the Game Boy alchemy I asked how it all worked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>James introduced himself and his art as chipmusic, where <span style="color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">“people use outdated gaming/computer hardware with (often newly
written) audio software in order to synthesize sounds from the hardware’s
soundchip and sequence those sounds into entire songs.”</span> Did you get all that? Me
either. And James was kind enough to go into more detail via email. I learned that what appeared to be "video game music" or fun party music to my untrained eye is so much more...Chipmusic does incorporate old video games' "bleepy tones," but in many ways it has evolved from the simplistic tunes from Mario to a craft with more room for artistic license and creativity.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'80s Europe popularized chipmusic via the Demoscene, where the public started trying their hands at it. Chipmusic itself was actually born by select individuals who would hack into established video games and rip the music from them, and then insert their own music and graphics as--ready? Digital graffiti. (Kinda like a techy <a href="http://banksy.co.uk/outdoors/index1.html">Banksy</a>...) But generally, the Demoscene used old computers like the Atari ST and
the Commodore 64 (Aren’t those cooler names than Apple and Windows??) rather than old Game Boys; this came later.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">James' chipmusic interest really took off in the eighth grade. He had
to sit out of gym class for a few months due to a broken arm and leg, couldn’t
play his guitar, and so started playing around in computer lab, specifically
learning about vintage computers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
then switched gears and got into music sequencing programs through Famitracker,
a music sequencing program referred to as a tracker. Trackers require the musician to build all of the
sounds themselves before sequencing the notes. With trackers, <span style="color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">"everything is 'tracked' one second at a time. Every step or 'tick' in a patterm is shown in a tracker, a little bit like a bar of sheet music."</span> This is very cool because the musician has to economize when creating, because they're restricted to the capabilities of the sound chip. However, not all music sequencing programs are
built this way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">A different family of music sequencing progarms called </span>Digital Audio Worksations (DAWs) baby the musician
in James’ opinion:<span style="color: black;"> "</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">DAWs
are pretty much an infinite plane of potential layers of sounds and samples,
whereas chipmusic trackers demand imagination and economic thinking of the
musician, because the user is often given no more than about 4 or 5
one-note-at-a-time 'channels' of sound. What's more, in
some trackers, each channel is restricted to certain types of potential tones. <span style="color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Half
the fun in the chipmusic community is seeing how much you can do with very,
very little."</span> S</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">o James is about the raw craftsmanship of the beat.
And I like that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I liken this to </span>purchasing an object that is made well and possibly more expensive, rather than going for the 99-cent-made-in-China-cheap-fast-easy
version...or even more accurately,taking the time to make the object yourself. Not for the faint of heart! There's more craftsmanship (blood/sweat/tears/skill) in it, and it adds more soul to the finished product.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">James spent 2-3 years immersed in tracking programs
creating music (and saving to floppy disks to feel ‘80s chic. (I loved that tidbit!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The</span> hobby went to the next level when
James gratefully received a classic Game Boy from a classmate. He then attained the additional necessary hardware to create chip music through the Game Boy. </span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">“From there I spent ages in my room creating covers of stuff
from the ‘80s and eventually started writing my own stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got tired of showing my songs to nobody, so
I bought a crappy boom box from Salvation Army as a makeshift amp to plug my Game Boy into and started playing on the
street.”</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The boom box amplifier also has a certain 80s charm to it (Say Anything, anyone?), but James now has a battery powered guitar amp for his performances. Ah, the evolution of the artist...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Performing and writing his own material then led James to create 8Bit Northeast, “a collective
of people from the nooks and crannies of New England who make chipmusic as
well.” Right now there are about 40 members in this collective, although James
tells me that membership has fluctuated quite a bit. 8Bit Northeast has even
done shows locally, collaborated with Boston 8Bit, and has even recently
participated in Rhode Island’s Maker’s Faire. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyA3I-rSTPby8hxgI8-C7-2H7Sc95PPnDFidKHNwv3xy21-oV4TYH1DWwzHW75jg7jhAyeUrFRwJgX19j89Nw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">James covers "I Quit" by chipmusician </span><a href="http://www.chipocrite.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Chipocrite"</span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What do I like about this? That for Invisible Robot Hands,
this is an original and extremely creative outlet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Also, it’s sustainable to repurpose old computers and gaming hardware
to produce music— that strangely has some Woodstock ethos. Finally, it’s damn well
entertaining, which is the broad goal, right? Very animated and energetic. Listen to some. Go
ahead, jump around in yer room. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even deeper still, James remarks that chipmusic is not caged in by a genre, like the aformentioned rave or dance music.</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">"It's a medium, not a genre. This means that it has the potential to be whatever the artist wants it to be."</span></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">James likened it to a guitar:</span> "<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Not every song with a guitar in it
is automatically rock and roll; or rather, a guitar isn't just a tool for
making rock music. It's a tool for making music, in general. It's how the individual
uses it that determines it. <span style="background-color: white;">Chipmusic can be rock, techno, hip hop, classical,
new wave, ambient, jazz, polka, folk, etc. I think a good example of this is the fact that there are so many bands nowadays that fuse chipmusic with traditional instrumentation. Examples would be "Anamanaguchi", "Graffiti Monsters", or "Awkward, Terrible", bands that use 8-bit hardware in conjunction with guitar/bass/drums/vocals to create new layers of sound."</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please check out </span><a href="http://invisiblerobothands.bandcamp.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">James’ site</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://chipmusic.org/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chipmusic.org</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to find out more. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I didn't even get all of the technicalities of trackers and DAWs down because it's quite hard to explain and would make this post double in length. Seeing the complexity and talent that goes into creating chipmusic is fascinating and really ushers in more respect for the chipmusician. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you James, for your time and willingness to share your
cool, creative, and challenging craft with me.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Now go and listen to chipmusic.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Hugs,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Svetlana</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Stay tuned: Next interview features one of my very best friends, Annie Keithline on why she's walking accross the country!</span><br />
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mcv3z4h52Q1r2v2xso1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mcv3z4h52Q1r2v2xso1_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
</div>
Svetlanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12976727758461602146noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044316874157645622.post-69961414233271464492012-09-19T06:30:00.003-07:002012-12-09T17:32:48.209-08:00My Time with Alpha Woman Alanis Morissette<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hellllo anyone that reads this blog. A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to go see Alanis Morissette at the </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">92nd Street Y in NYC</span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It wasn't a performance, but a conversation with </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_DeCurtis"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Anthony DeCurtis</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> of Rolling Stone. (Still Alanis in real life...I'll take it.) My friend Mike from college was in the city too, so he joined me, yeah!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="245" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OXNd6dhfjsA/UFgYU6jccRI/AAAAAAAAADg/BTHOtbuCb8o/s320/Alanis.jpg" width="320" /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Photo cred: Mike Acciardo</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A little background for you on me and Alanis. First contact was in mmm...fifth grade when my super talented classmates Lauren and Kim were doing recess performances of <em>Ironic</em> (whilst standing on the picnic tables all of us kiddos ate outside lunch at--priceless memories... :) From then on I was enchanted by Alanis's confessional, angsty (and darn catchy) ballads, so she became my go to girl for those especially moody, temperamental times. She's grown tons as an artist since the 1995 release of <em>Jagged Little Pill </em>(the first ridiculously successful album) and now, at thirty eight, is a married </span><a href="http://celebritybabies.people.com/2011/02/09/meet-alanis-morissettes-son-ever-imre/"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">mamma</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">! It was so cool to see her telling her story. Topics discussed included her musical philosophy, personal life, growth as an artist, getting married and becoming a mother, political involvement--the biggies. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alanis looked killer in a bright green blouse, leatherish, rock star appropriate leggings, highhh stiletto boots, and of course, her gorgeous long black locks. And she was glowing (methinks from being a new mama, but it could just be that Alanis charm I'm in love with). It was about an hour long chat; I thought DeCurtis was dull, but his questions were good, so maybe he wasn't acting like an excited idiot a) because he gets to interview artists a lot and wants to keep things professional 2) because he's not me.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyhow, Alanis talked at length about the false veneer of the success + money + sex = happiness formula, which she experienced after the megasuccess of <em>Jagged Little Pill. </em>Maybe fifteen minutes into the interview I started getting really really excited because she was talking about everything I've been reading up on and interested in for the past year. (And goodness, she's quirky-funny in real life. I loved!) She also has an impeccable vocabulary while in actual conversation (as an artist/poet should...) but that made me so happy (Nerdy observation number fifteen).</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> She's thought a lot about the hollowness of "making it" (a la materialism, the perfectionism/beauty epidemic, huge egos, aggression/violence, lack of true connection with others/oneself/the divine), and mentioned a lot of psychological and spiritual ideas to back her stances. Psychology redux: she's a big proponent of therapy and geeky-PhD-toting-therapy-loving types (me too!). Spirituality redux: she was brought up Catholic and now has a Buddhist bent but says she appreciates all religious traditions. I felt this in the generous way she spoke about these topics; with a strong sense of gratefulness, wonder, and respect.)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One thing that struck me more than the others: she stated we are a profoundly undertouched society. I would tend to agree with that--I'm talking like, real and meaningful touch, like good hugs, holding hands, etc., MAYBE even if you're not in a relationship! Maybe with someone of the same sex! This enriches our connections with others. Yep, not everyone's touchy feely, but it's beyond that--more like, it's good to establish human connections that shows a facet of care through a tactile gesture. My friend Rosy once told me her mom always said we need eight hugs a day for proper growth. This initially completely freaked me out and I thought it was just one of those cheesy quotes...(the Russians aren't the huggiest culture either, and gotta say the hugs can be overdone--but there's </span><a href="http://cmcforum.com/life/11162011-8-hugs-a-day-to-a-better-world"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">studies</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">!) After hugging it out with Rosy for a year I am converted to the hugfest, and agree with Alanis Morissette that we should share the love. (But be concientious about not being creepy...a verbal warning of an incoming hug might be a good idea :)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alanis commented that the psychological and spiritual communities fight. She herself is an interesting combination of spiritual and psychological insight and exprience. In the U.S., from what I read and have heard from others, I often feel therapy is divorced from holistic care of the person and medication is overused and spirituality just isn't discussed unless the person wants to talk about it. Holistic care and spirituality are almost synonymous on a certain level; holistic care: taking care of the whole person when treating a medical condition, getting their lifestyle and past (psychological, relational, nutritional, environmental) in order to effectively treat physiological symptoms. And spirituality doesn't just cater to the soul/spirit, but absolutely to the body and mind as well. It's all connected. (This is a seperate blog post in itself, though.) I'm also not saying that medication is bad, but what might help more or in combo with medication to start lasting healing versus symptom management is for the person to feel like someone else is really walking with him or her through their hardship (and sometimes walking through it takes a long time.) ...Stepping off soap box now and getting back to more stuff I loved about this night:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alanis said that although she sees herself as an activist for various causes, her most important activism is <strong>parenting</strong> (and she says she's loving it.) That really makes me smile.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, hope I haven't sounded too much like a crazy sycophant; bottom line, it was special to see Alanis in the real! Struck so many chords. (No musical ones tonight though...I did ask for her to grace us with a song on my question card but that didn't pass the DeCurtis test...darn.) So</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOgpT5rEKIU"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #b45f06;">thanks</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Alanis! Best to you and your gorgeous family and your art. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyone want to give me $50 to go to her NYC </span><a href="http://www.terminal5nyc.com/event/153479/"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">show</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> this October?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">P.S. She's a gemini like me! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">P.P.S. Here middle name is Nadine. So pretty.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bonus: An </span><a href="http://www.ivillage.com/alanis-morissette-getting-married/1-a-402057"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">article</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> she wrote about her thoughts on marriage. Interesting read. The woman has a lot of heart; the authentic kind. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Hugs until next time!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Svetlana</span></div>
<br />
</div>
Svetlanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12976727758461602146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044316874157645622.post-10893223206777459292012-04-29T12:05:00.000-07:002016-04-18T18:58:50.145-07:00Greece + Russia Meet in NYC<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8962305436610507" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Christofis Mavromoustakos was my waiter at La Parisienne Diner on 57th and 7th</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> in Manhattan. I found myself there after work a few weeks ago, bemoaning a bad day. A thin man with distinctly Greek features and intense eyes took my order from the other side of the counter. The friend I’m talking to on the phone suggests that I start interviewing people and writing about them. This excites me, since I am constantly meeting and talking to new people in the city. And this would give me the unique opportunity to go deeper than small talk. I tell Christofis I’m a writer and ask if I can interview him. He is eager to help. This romantic English major is excited. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8962305436610507" style="vertical-align: baseline;">We agree on a time to meet the next day. Chris hands me a pen that says “</span><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline;">Thank You--Your Server, Christofis New York, USA</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">”. I like this gesture. The man has gusto.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PDP2sHhexjE/T4OdndFXt8I/AAAAAAAAAC0/Nef-feq5aDw/s1600/LaParisienne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PDP2sHhexjE/T4OdndFXt8I/AAAAAAAAAC0/Nef-feq5aDw/s320/LaParisienne.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">La Parisienne, where Chris works</span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span id="internal-source-marker_0.8962305436610507" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The next day, I approach his restaurant and ask where he wants to conduct the interview. We decide on a pizza place a few streets away, and after settling in with some pizza slices, we just get right into it.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Egypt, 1950—Chris is born. He and his family move to Kasos Island, a part of Greece, in 1960. As a boy he enjoys fishing, swimming, and soccer. Six years later his father unexpectedly dies at </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline;">fifty-seven years old</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline;">. </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline;"> Christofis is sixteen and left to be more or less the man of the house. He has four older siblings, one sister and three brothers who all moved to the United States by this time.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Two years later Chris enters college in Athens and studies mathematics and civil engineering. He felt like a rookie at first—not knowing anything, and being away from his home—but he points to his head and says that he is </span><span style="font-style: italic; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline;">tough</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline;"> there, and this propelled him forward. After finishing his studies, he worked for the Greek army, doing drafting (drawing engineering plans). Shaking his head, he recalls that during his stint working for the army, there was a conflict between Cyprus and Turkey unfolding and that war was absolutely no good. Chris then decides to join his siblings in the United States, a place of more opportunity. He is 24 years old.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="text-indent: 36pt;"><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: 36pt;">“I had no money, no English...” Chris says in describing his young, ambitious self. He joined his future brother-in-law’s restaurant as a dishwasher, eventually working up to a waiter. He proved to himself he could achieve this. He laughs while telling me how much he made in those days, working twelve hour days, seven days a week; one hundred dollars. His monthly monetary breakdown went like this: $100 for the room he was renting out in the Bronx, $50 to his mother in Greece, and $250 to live on and save.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="text-indent: 36pt;"><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: 36pt;">After saving money and gaining work experience in the U.S., Chris goes into business with his future brother-in-law. They owned and managed a few coffee shops together. Soon after, he felt financially stable enough to get engaged to his sweetheart, Marina, a native New Yorker with Greek heritage whom he met while she was visiting Greece. The pair married on June 19, 1977, and spent a lavish week honeymooning in Hawaii. After Chris tells me this, he gets serious and says he made a mistake. My smile drops in anticipation of bad news--I am thinking he’s going to confide that he married the wrong woman—but he replies, “We should have stayed for two weeks!” (Did I mention Chris has a sense of humor?) He says that he and Marina enjoyed their time in Hawaii so much that when their son got married, they made sure that his honeymoon was longer than theirs.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="text-indent: 36pt;"><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">Marina
and Chris have </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">two children, Nikolas,
30, and Anna, 27.</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">He says he has good kids
and loves them a great deal. In describing his wife, Chris remarks that she is
not a “</span><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-indent: 36pt;">fantasy person</i><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">,” in that she doesn't have unreasonable expectations within their marriage or outside of it—she’s
not full of vanity or hot air.</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">He
illustrates this point by telling me about shopping for a dining room set.</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">Marina wanted a set that was beyond their
price range at the time, and Chris is big on living within one’s means..</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">He wanted to buy her this set, but didn’t
have the money then.</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;"> He wanted to buy it for her, but couldn't immediately. </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">Marina said she could wait, and Chris </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">saw her patience as a gesture of love.</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">Seven months later
they had saved enough to buy the set.</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">There
seems to be graciousness,mutual respect, and understanding within their marriage—Chris says he doesn't force or demand her to do
anything, but asks.</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">He called her a “</span><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-indent: 36pt;">power woman</i><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">”--someone who gets things done. (And me too, which was so touching.)</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="text-indent: 36pt;"><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">With
regards to lifestyle, I asked Chris more about his feelings on
money, since it was clear that he took money management seriously.</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">He said he doesn't need expensive clothing or
a BMW—that “a Toyota or Honda will do just fine, and his two-dollar thrift
store shirt is just as good as anything, since he’s not </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-indent: 36pt;">naked</i><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">, he says with a grin. </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">Chris is more about doing his job and doing
it right than looking flashy while doing it—his reputation and character are of
more value.</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">And his financial behavior doesn't translate into being a Scrooge either—he remarks “I enjoy my
life.”</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;"> He then leans into the table and says,</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">“If
you want something, and you have the money for it, </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-indent: 36pt;">do it</i><span style="text-indent: 36pt;"> for yourself.”</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="text-indent: 36pt;"><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: 36pt;">Christofis is also a bit of a philosopher.
He loves reading and reads history and some obscure texts like
Rasputin’s life. He’s read the Bible
through twice but doesn’t consider himself too religious, though this does not hinder his belief in God. Not a big gambler or drinker, he’s been to
Atlantic City twice. He says he always has
a good time, but keeps from the extremes. He admits he’s not perfect and has made his share of mistakes—but he doesn’t
make the same one twice. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">Chris
is a straight talker. I got all of the above and more in
an hour interview, in a noisy room. I am
so grateful that he shared his life with me. Christofis and his family
travel back to Greece every few years to visit family and keep the heritage alive. If I'm ever in Greece I know who I'm asking to show me around.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A2PxkBH1qK0/UBLUUOA7LII/AAAAAAAAADI/N22mArOhalA/s1600/Kasos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A2PxkBH1qK0/UBLUUOA7LII/AAAAAAAAADI/N22mArOhalA/s1600/Kasos.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Somewhere in beautiful Kasos</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Svetlanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12976727758461602146noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044316874157645622.post-20564182708362622602011-10-25T20:02:00.001-07:002012-11-26T21:01:03.213-08:00Life is Wonderful…In My Very Own Apartment!!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So much so that it took me a full month to blog another entryyy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gahh! I’ve missed y’all* too. And now fall is upon us--I have experienced so many more New York sites and souds (most of which are documented in pictures on my phone—and will be uploaded) but most of all, yes, I have an apartment! (Does a dance and twirls around) It is located in charming Astoria, Queens, and is an enormous weight lifted off of my shoulders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(But now neck is tense…need a massage…oh, thank you Living Social for giving me a $120 massage for $30!) </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I am going to break down the important points into a list so y’all won’t get bogged down with my verbosity, and then I might be verbose again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Forgive the outline/note looking form...</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Found an apartment in Queens and have three great house mates</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Dad is amazing and came to help move me in and repainted and fixed a bunch of things in need of repair. Very grateful. (It’s my Daddy’s birthday today! Happy birthday Andrey G!)</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Work is going well, though the adjustment to a full time job is challenging. (Took my first business trip to Philly a few weeks ago and it was great!)</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Have met some very cool people</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Have seen more parts of the city</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Columbia U (First Things Erasmus Lecture)</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Chelsea area (Love & Responsibility NYC)</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>5<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> Ave</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">d.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Upper East side (church & wanderings & potential apt)</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Very excited to have friends come and visit </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Very excited to further explore more of Manhattan</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Very excited to step into a more normal routine (except that whole lack of sleep thing…)</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Very excited to find a church & volunteer somewhere—maybe doing something Pro-Life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is bare bones…I have sooo many more things I want to write!!! But a start nonetheless...Rome wasn't built in a day! I am exhausted and going sleep on my own comfy bed!! (That's right, my own bed!) :D<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll see you before November 25<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> (har har…) Until then, take care, and be well.*</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A463yrAzkxo/TqdyB4HAomI/AAAAAAAAACU/GrvkkrMkOzY/s1600/donut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A463yrAzkxo/TqdyB4HAomI/AAAAAAAAACU/GrvkkrMkOzY/s200/donut.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with my first street <br />
vendor donut! <br />
Way better than Dunkin.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aE4DY-36_1c/TqdyEuQF6wI/AAAAAAAAACc/Gy92FJ7ZvJc/s1600/StVincentFerr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aE4DY-36_1c/TqdyEuQF6wI/AAAAAAAAACc/Gy92FJ7ZvJc/s200/StVincentFerr.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Vincent Ferrer Church</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*Shout out to Sarah Ryan and Michelle Reeves with the y’all, I love my southern sisters <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*Charles Hartman says this, and I love it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t just do well, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">be</i> well. Hmmm….</span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MUsfn3TQpfU/TqdyWnkgK7I/AAAAAAAAACk/ACVEZ80QL94/s1600/UpEastSide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MUsfn3TQpfU/TqdyWnkgK7I/AAAAAAAAACk/ACVEZ80QL94/s320/UpEastSide.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful Upper East Side</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Svetlanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12976727758461602146noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044316874157645622.post-57228060907845170062011-09-25T22:00:00.000-07:002011-09-25T22:00:56.159-07:00Svet's Taking a Bite Outta the Big Apple (And the Neighboring Burroughs)Hello friends, neighbors, acquaintances, guy I met on the street? Welcome all who do me the honor of reading my ruminations/insights/life lessons and other brouhaha, especially during this exciting new time in my life!<br />
<br />
So I did it! I'm graduated. Phew. I had a superbusycrazy summer; I did a six week program in DC with National Right to Life (during which this blog was birthed ::pun::), then I travelled to Madrid for World Youth Day with two lovley friends (my first trip to Europe!!) and got to see the Pope. And then I came home and ran to New York to find a dwelling place (proved to be a little more difficult than I had hoped...) and now I'm here. I haven't yet had time to really process the summer because I've been getting adjusted to city life and a full time job, but I'm doing it just as soon as I find a place...and that's part of the reason why...<br />
<br />
I'm restarting the blogging efforts; (for some curious reason blogging does require a lot of effort...I'm quite awful about getting into routines--evidently the reward of having a rhythm to life isn't enough :/...sigh...) But I do feel blogging to be a necessity in my new life stage of "twentysomething" trying to make it in the reeeeal world. And oh the agony and the ecstasy of it! Not knowing if I'll survive the next day in the concrete jungle...attempting to accumulate the wherewithal to be a savvy apartment hunter and wear the right shoes to work so as to not murder my feet...these tasks require serious effort and some serious smarts, I'm learning. (So maybe there's some <em>slight</em> dramatization here, but I like being dramatic. I think it makes life a wee bit more exciting. Also, maybe I have excess energy? That I could expend working out...maybe.) Anywho, I'm looking forward to getting this thing off the ground again. I'm still working on winning an apartment (it does seem like a sort of gamble here in NYC ::rolls eyes in exhaustion::) But as a friend said, she feels in her bones that I'm going to find one soon. I like that imagery! That's powerful stuff. I'm going to have a talk with my bones and tell them to start feeling that too. Okay bones?!?<br />
<br />
But besides the slightly annoying apartment situation, (which I'm deep breathing over and praying about, and so is just about every other person I know) I am absolutely loving the big 'ol apple. Yes that's right, I'm in New York City, the epicenter of...fashion/art/theater/banking/Idon'tknowotherbusinessstuff--one of the greatest cities, period. I can't wait to explore and discover it; to see and smell it! (Actually the odor of NYC is something you become acquainted with rather quickly, unfortunately. But the upside: it's not like that everywhere. ThankyouGod.) Alrighty. I'm trying to keep it short and to the point for now--I explained my mission and where I'm at at the present moment. More to follow. Cheers. :)<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gttYlFpHlrw/ToABdwO0CbI/AAAAAAAAACE/-wJ937gjl40/s1600/nyc_skyscraper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gttYlFpHlrw/ToABdwO0CbI/AAAAAAAAACE/-wJ937gjl40/s320/nyc_skyscraper.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Maybe this is my future apartment? Top floor? Or maybe the brownstone below it...(brickstone, #lolvivianaaa) Wait, I don't even Tweet...</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PcNKFCHWjQs/ToABgFP4QUI/AAAAAAAAACI/xNW7NrEZVEA/s1600/nyc_skyline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PcNKFCHWjQs/ToABgFP4QUI/AAAAAAAAACI/xNW7NrEZVEA/s320/nyc_skyline.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I've been taking pics on my phone, lucky for me the camera quality is excellent. And I'm seeing all of these sites that are just making me gasp. And wish I had a friend next to me to share them with ("All By Myself" plays in background.) But worry not—that’s why I’m sharing heerrre.Svetlanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12976727758461602146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044316874157645622.post-18939187453655891242011-07-13T19:05:00.000-07:002011-07-13T19:05:40.543-07:00What I'm Up to in D.C.Greetings all,<br />
<br />
As many of you may know, I've begun National Right to Life Committee's summer academy in Washington, D.C. This is a six-week program on all things life issues; abortion, euthanasia, and stem cell research. The intent of the program is to equip young people with in depth knowledge of pro-life issues to become more effective in discussing the issues and changing culture! <br />
<br />
As of now, I am in my third week and am on an information overload! Class consists of lectures and practicum sessions five days a week, 10am - 6pm...so it's a boot camp of sorts! In week one, we covered euthanasia and physician assisted suicide, in week two we studied the dangers of healthcare rationing, examined healthcare systems around the world, and learned why America can afford higher healthcare costs. This week we are examining the intricacies of Obamacare and today our group (ten ladies) went to the Leadership Institute to hear a few lectures on effective campus and grassroots organizing. The practicums we have every day are either mock lobbying sessions or a speech on the day's topic. The program directors act as legislators that need to be informed on the issue, while in speeches they critique our content and form. Good stuff.<br />
<br />
Class takes up a ton of time and energy, but I've still had a blast exploring D.C. with the ladies in the program. Thus far, highlights include celebrating the Fourth in D.C and watching the fireworks above the Washington Monument, (I felt pretty darn American!) touring the monuments (my favorites were the Korean War Memorial & WWII Memorial) and exploring the area around my George Washington dorm. I've also had a bunch of visitors--my good friend Viviana came to visit over the Fourth and my uncle was here last week so I got to meet up with him and his two kids for an evening and take pictures in front of all of the beautiful buildings...including that big white one ;)<br />
<br />
That's all for now folks, but I'm going to post more detailed info on what I'm learning in class. <br />
Take care until then!<br />
xoxo<br />
<br />
PS-- When I'm at NRLC's office, my cell phone doesn't get reception, so I apologize if I don't answer calls or texts promptly. The best time to reach me is before 10 a.m. or after 7 p.m.Svetlanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12976727758461602146noreply@blogger.com0