Show & Tell 5: My Desktop Toucan

This is my desktop toucan. In my head, I call him Toucan Sam. Original, right?

He sits just under my computer monitor. I get a strange delight looking at him every day. If he went missing from my desk, I'd be pissed, and then very, very sad. I love this little guy. I don't keep a whole lot of chotchkes on my desk: a couple of mugs for the school where I work, a bottle of hand santizer, a full sized bottle of Optimism lotion from Bath & Body Works. I have a pic of the hubby of course, but it's on my side desk area, and not in my field of vision all the time. This lil dude is.

He's from Venezuela, as you can see. My dad bought this for me a few years ago. He's a photojournalist, and was on assignment in South America. He saw this, thought of me, and brought it back. My dad used to travel a lot, all over the world in fact, and I always loved the cool lil souvenirs he brought back. That's why I was especially touched when I got this when I was in college- my dad still thought of his "little girl" when he went abroad on assignment for the first time in several years.

Toucans have always had a special place in my heart. I get the whole big schnozz thing, as I have quite the well-endowed nose myself. But when I was a kid, I had a really neat experience that has stayed with me to this day.

I was maybe 4 or 5 at most. Our den has a large window overlooking the backyard. In the far corner of the yard is our "garden" (aka, giant lawn clipping dumping ground that grows tiger lilies every summer). I happened to be looking outside at the garden and saw a HUGE black bird with a long banana yellow beak and subtle tints of blue plumage along the shiny black profile. Sweet jiminy, it was the bird on the Froot Loops box. (I knew this b/c I ate more artificial coloring and flavoring for breakfast than one child ever should.) And toucans weren't exactly part of the normal flora and fauna of New Jersey in the mid-80's.

I ran upstairs to tell my mom. By the time we got back downstairs, it had flown away. My mom of course entertained her youngest daughter's notion that "Sure honey, of course a big black toucan was in our backyard!" I saw right through this and begged my mom to believe me. Cue the waterworks, the pleading, and the fruitless wishes for the bird to return.

I know I saw a toucan, damnit. And now, I have my own Toucan Sam looking semi-quizzically at me five days out of the week.

Head on over to Mel's to see what the other kids are showing this week for Show & Tell!

Show & Tell 4: Japan

It's time for another Show and Tell post! Show and Tell is brought to you by Mel over at Stirrup Queens. Make sure to go and check out what the other kids are showing this week!

I promised to show off some pictures from our trip to Japan last month, so here they are! We spent two  weeks in Japan from October 10-24, staying with my uncle for most of the time. He, my Aunt, and my Obachan (grandmother) were incredibly gracious hosts. We managed to visit eight cities (Nara, Osaka, Tokyo, Kobe, Arima, Iga-Ueno, Hiroshima, Kyoto) in just thirteen days!  It was quite simply the most amazing trip of my life: beautiful, spiritual, renewing. relaxing. We took over 1300 pictures and nearly two  hours of video. Here are some of my favorite shots from the trip:

This is Dōtonbori in Osaka. It's crazy busy, loud, and boisterous. We liked Osaka. as it reminded us of Boston in terms of lots of the bars and restaurant scene, with lots of intriguing people. Also, the guy in the suit? That's my uncle! This is one of my favorite pics from the whole trip.

This is Tosen Shrine in Arima, in the mountains north of Kobe. Arima was probably our favorite city; it's a resort town with hot springs all over the mountain that are pumped to the various resorts. The shrine was an accidental find while wandering the city; I found out later that the Shinto gods believed to be housed here not only protect the city, but are fertility gods as well. This shrine is often venerated by childless couples hoping to conceive. Go fig, huh?

This is the A-Bomb Dome in Hiroshima. What a profound, beautiful, haunting day. The Hiroshima Peace Park and Museum were probably one of the most humbling experiences of my life. This A-Bomb Dome, originally a government building, has been perpetually maintained in its original ruined state since the day of the bombing in 1944. One of the few structures to survive the bombing, it is officially the last structure still standing from that day.

These are two incredible photos are from the Kurama no Hi-Matsuri in Kurama, just north of Kyoto. It's a fire festival where men, wearing nothing more than loin cloths and sashes (pictured top), carry giant torches - anywhere from 15-18ft in length weighing more than 150 lbs each - up and down the mountain in an attempt to call the Shinto god down from the mountain. These giant torches are then made into a huge bonfire (pictured bottom). This festival has been done every year for the last 1300 years. It was the most primal thing I've ever experienced and we feel really lucky to be witnessed it first-hand.

You might recognize these torii (gates) from Memoirs of a Geisha. These are from Fuishimi Inari Taisha, just south of Kyoto where more than 10,000 vermillion torii snake their way around the mountain to a summit shrine honoring the Shinto god of rice, wine, business and prosperity, Inari. While we didn't make it to the summit, it was fun making our ascent through the dizzying orange labyrinth of gates. And the lady on the left? That would be me :)

What's the coolest vacation or most relaxing trip you've ever been on?

Remembering 8 Years Ago Today

(This blog is dangerously beginning to teeter on normal, non-themed journaling, but indulge me as I diverge from the IF realm for a bit...)

Over the course of the morning I've been engaging with colleagues and students about their memories of Sept. 11th, 2001. The most shocking revelation was when speaking with one of my student staff, she said she was in 6th grade 8 years ago! I was a college sophomore at the time... boy, do I feel old now!

Anyway, in doing so, I've found it therapeutic, and from a history buff standpoint, quite fascinating hearing stories of a shared, collective experience such as this.

I remember the day vividly, and I'd like to share my experience as I remember it:

I was a college sophomore, at a school in central NJ. I woke up early, put on this hippie-style top I had at the time, did my hair and makeup (a rarity before a 9am class in college). It was the ONE morning I deliberately chose not to turn on the TV to CNN that morning, as I did every other morning. I had a small breakfast and headed to class. I took a midterm at 9am; our prof was a few minutes late, and a couple of students mentioned about a plane crash in NYC. He thought it was a small aircraft, and said the midterm was continuing as planned. At 10:50am, I left my class and passed a friend of mine in the hall, hysterically sobbing. She had interned at Morgan Stanley that summer. She was the first one who told me the Towers had fallen. I still hadn't seen a TV yet, and headed to my 11am midterm.

My professor was sitting at his desk, sobbing. He waited to make sure all the students had shown up, and then canceled class. I was still pretty clueless as to what was going on. I didn't have a cell phone at that point, so I had to find a payphone to call my parents in southern NJ; I used my emergency calling card I kept on me. My mom explained everything, and was hysterical b/c my dad, a photojournalist for a major newspaper, pretty much left for NYC to cover it as soon as he saw it happen live on the morning news. I walked back to my dorm, sobbing to myself.

I congregated in the lounge, with its giant big-screen TV, watching replays of the footage that morning over and over and over, most of the res life staff sitting there, shell-shocked. I remember feeling weird about going up to my room on the 9th floor of my dorm, as I lived in buildings dubbed as the Twin Towers of our college - two adjacent 10 story high-rise freshmen buildings.

I remember TVs being on everywhere, and if there wasn't a TV somewhere, projectors and screens had CNN going on in the dining halls. I called Ari at some point, and we talked about all sorts of stuff, including what would happen if there was a draft. I remember feeling like a zombie for days.

I remember the ban on air travel, and how quiet it was outside, esp. since there was a small airport with regular traffic that practically buzzed our res halls on a daily basis. It was strange to walk outside and not hear air traffic. I still remember the first plane I heard outside after the ban was lifted, and the sinking feeling in my gut.

I still remember all of this with crystal clarity, and yet it was 8 years ago, today.

I think keeping the dialogue about what we remember is important, and quite honestly, fascinating. What do you remember about 8 years today? Feel free to leave comments about your memories.

Show & Tell 3: No Reservations about Anthony Bourdain

Sushi, anyone?

This is Anthony Bourdain. I have a little bit of a celebrity crush on him.

That purple door really brings out your cigarette.

He's written a totally awesome book, Kitchen Confidential, which I finished listening to on audiobook a couple of weeks ago. In fact, it was the audiobook I listened to for the several long drives back and forth from NJ to MA the week Ari's Nan passed away. I've been a skeptic about audiobooks, but having watched No Reservations regularly, I knew Tony (yeah, we're cool like that) had a great speaking voice, and it would be an easy listen. It's a fantastic no-holds-barred look at the dirty underbelly of the restaurant biz. You will think twice about ordering fish on Mondays or brunch on, well, ever, and you'll have a new found appreciation for butter, Ecuadorian kitchen staff, women chefs and line cooks, and patient spouses. It is a highly enjoyable "read" (can I say that since I didn't actually pick up a book?) and a must for foodies.

Ari and I tune in every Monday for No Reservations (or at least we Tivo it and catch up during the week). We're getting ridiculously excited about our forthcoming two-week trip to Japan in mid-October. And yes, we've rewatched all the No Reservations Japan/Tokyo eps already :) There's a razor sharp wit and practicality, as well as a genuine sense of humbleness to Tony Bourdain that we both really love and appreciate, and it makes us think twice, or rather think intentionally, about the food we eat and the places we visit. We've decided that we both want Tony Bourdain's job - traveling the world, eating, and writing. Next on my reading list is his book about the No Reservation experience, similarly titled.

For the record, I find it kind of hysterical that I've grown up to become a foodie, when I was pickiest eater as a child ever. I will try just about anything that's not moving. I am sucking up the courage to eat kobe beef tartar when we make a day trip to Kobe. We are PUMPED about arranging a traditional kaiseki dinner in Kyoto or Tokyo. But what it comes down to it is that I love good food, good flavors, new experiences. I relate closely to that opening scene in Ratatouille, where Remy goes on about how food is just awesome, how flavors combine and collide and the resulting sensation in your mouth and there's all the corresponding fireworks and swirls... o la la!

Rats can be foodies, too.

But back to the task at hand: Tony Bourdain. The point of my Show and Tell this time around is that, well, I've got it bad for the man. And Ari is totally aware, b/c I make some inappropriate comment every time the show is on. He's suave, quite good looking for an older dude, he's well-traveled, cooks a good meal.. what more could a girl ask for?

How can you resist that boyish charm?

. . .

Make sure you visit Mel's place and see what the other kids are showing off this week!

Show & Tell 2: Fish!

It's that time again. Be sure to see what the other kids are showing off this week!

Once again, I have a camping related S&T post. Ari and I went camping on Burton Island, off the VT coast of Lake Champlain this past weekend. We had an amazing time with lots of firsts: first time camping w/o a tent (we slept under a lean-to with just a mosquito net to cover us), first time camping on an island, first time catching fish- then cleaning and eating them! On to the pics.


This is looking out on Lake Champlain. The weather held up for the most part- rain at night, but hot and sunny during the day.

A nice view of the docks at Burton Island.

Our very sacrilicious marshmallow roasting. It rained the first night, and we REALLY wanted campfire marshmallows, so we roasted them over the tea lights we brought as Shabbos candles... and it totally worked.


We caught three fish! From the top: Sunfish (I cast, but Ari reeled in), Smallmouth Bass (I caught), Yellow Perch (Ari caught). We cleaned and ate them and they were delicious. It was important we catch dinner b/c I forgot to pack Saturday night's dinner in the cooler!


A perfect end to our weekend: driving home, we saw a kickass thunderhead form a beautiful rainbow :)

Professional development vs. The Diet

The score? Diet's winning.

Tons of walking + tote full of swag + laptop computer in a bag + 3 full 20oz bottles of water a day = making up for any poor food choices I'm about to make tonight.

In Baltimore for a conference for work, and I'm having a wonderful time. My first out-of-town professional conference - it's been recharging and energizing all at once. I worried about not being able to keep up with Weight Watchers, but yesterday I was only over by 4 points, and I've still got 10 left for today. I'm making lots of smart choices - nixing the bun, loading up on salads and veggies before attacking the proteins, and only eating proteins in moderation. It's all about portion control, tons of H2O, schlepping up and down downtown Baltimore, and the most valuable thing I've been aware of most the last 2 days: knowing my hunger cues and cycles.

Re: my above equation... I love hitting up local NFT/Yelp finds. Yesterday I sought out the Lexington Market for lunch, and what a treat. Tons of food stalls: any cuisine you could think of, seafood, produce, fresh baked goods... the works! And there was even live jazz - these are the kind of traveling experiences I crave, I seek out- I love :)

Tonight, I'm trekking out via cab to Tapas Teatro, a hip little tapas bar with a killer wine list MELI, a hip lil bistro with live jazz tonight. I've got 10 daily points, 16 weekly points, and 14 activity points to cash in on plate after plate of tapas tonight (yes, I realized that's redudant as tapas means "plate") a lot of tasty French food and desserts. I think I deserve a little splurge, especially since it's on the company dollar! :)

Show and Tell: Fort Z.

It's time for...

My virgin S&T post! I don't know how frequently I'll be doing this, but this week, I feature Fort Z., the affectionate name of our ridiculously large tent for 2 people. Since we're going camping this weekend, I thought it would be appropriate.

Let's take a look at this wondrous specimen of outdoor adventure, shall we? I nabbed these pics from the Kelty website.

The Kelty website describes our tent as a "reasonably priced... roomy tent that comes outfitted with a bonus screened-in vestibule with pull down shades. If you want protection from insects and critters, this tent is an obvious choice." An obvious choice indeed, b/c, as much as I love camping, bugs and critters scare the bejesus out of me. This tent was actually on our wedding registry (we registered with BB&B and REI), and someone actually got it for us. Word.

But Miriam, you say, that tent's not so big! Allow me to put on the rainfly. *fusses with rainfly* Ta-da!

That's right, there's a vestibule. Ari and I have joked on many an occasion that one time when we're camping we'll have margaritas under the vestibule. (What actually happens when we camp is that we just leave our shoes in there. Not as exciting as cocktails with umbrellas.)

But Miriam, you say, that still doesn't look that big. Oh really? Well, our tent can hold four, yes four coffins with decapitated heads inside!

(For the record, I find this floor plan horrifying.) What actually happens is that it's just Ari and me, in a corner, on top of an air mattress in our sleeping bags. I can't fathom camping without the air mattress.

So where exactly has Fort Z been? Let's take a look at its travels:

• Shawme-Crowell State Forest in Sandwich, MA (June 2008): The inaugural raising of Fort Z. This was only the 2nd time I'd been camping in the woods... in my life. Also, this was the emergence year for Brood XIV- the 17-year cycle of cicadas appearing en masse to the New England region, particularly the Cape. There were literally millions of cicadas at the campground. Thankfully, not in the area we were staying, but we had to walk through hundreds of cicadas divebombing our heads at one point to get to the camp store. I shit you not, I almost had a mental break. Also, it rained.
  
• So-Hi Campground in Accord, NY (July 2008): We went with 2 other couples, one of whom was 7-months pregnant at the time with their first child! It was an amazing time... but solidified our need to camp at State Parks only. We had some very lovely Eastern European neighbors (read: ~50 Ukrainians from NYC spread over 2 campsites with nearly a dozen tents pitched- TOTALLY not allowed at the campground) sharing their native folk tunes with us (read: cars parked with stereos blaring non-stop techno until 3am each night). Also, it rained.
  
• Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor (Bah Hahbah), ME (September 2008): This time we went with about a dozen people, all connected in interesting ways to one another. We just so happened to camp the weekend that the remnants of Hurricane Ike made landfall in Bar Harbor. In addition to hiking a 1270 ft. mountain that weekend, we also camped through a hurricane. We were lucky our tent didn't float away in the deluge.
  

I feel it important to note here, that these 3 trips, including the first time I went camping in October 2007, it has rained every single trip.

This weekend we're headed to Wells State Park in central MA. And what is the weather forecast? Well, have a look for yourself:

Well, if Fort Z. made it through a hurricane, than it can sure as hell make it through a couple of thunderstorms. Make sure to swing by Mel's to see what the rest of the class is showing!