RULE #4 FOR TRAVELERS (DO YOU REMEMBER 1,2, and 3?)

You don’t have to be a professional writer to pack journals or loose leaf notebooks and pens. And you notice that I use the plural, for if you’re going anywhere for any length of time you’ll use more than one. And you might find it difficult to buy what you want in a foreign country for a reasonable price (twenty years ago ballpoint pens were $20 in Zimbabwe, but I know that’s changed…they might not even have them now!).  On my first round-the-world trip I filled fourteen large spiral notebooks, staying up every evening to record the amazing adventures that took place during each day: conversations, impressions, misadventures, and minute descriptions of people and places. And it was from these detailed accounts that I wrote the book, Madam, Have You Ever Really Been Happy?

 Hey, you say, today I can simply record my trip on e-mails sent from cyber cafes. But that’s not the same as sitting quietly with a notebook on your lap and mulling over the day’s highlights. And you can’t paste mementos and post cards into a computer, or keep a record of places you stay and people you meet along the way. You think you won’t forget anybody’s name, address, or e-mail. Trust me, you will…but not if it’s in your handy journal!

 I know I sound like a nut, but one other thing that is very important when keeping a journal is the quality of paper and the type of pen. I’m sure Staples wanted to kill me as I scribbled on numerous back pages to see which one could take which pen without bleeding through. Get good quality or you won’t be able to use both sides of the paper. And while you’re at it, take a couple of Glue Stics for any photos or cards you don’t want to lose. They also give your journal extra pizzazz. And try to write at least a couple of sentences a day before you crash.

 Theater update for Broadway addicts: Thoroughly enjoyed the humor and singing in the musical, Shrek, which I saw with Judy Wyman-Kelly and Leah Kelly, who will soon celebrate her 11^th birthday. We were lucky to see the fabulous Sutton Foster of the original cast. Also saw a short play by Alan Ayckbourn, My Wonderful Day. He’s the prolific author of the screamingly funny Norman Conquests of last season. This play was not as good, in my opinion, but the acting was superb. It was part of the Brits Off Broadway celebration during November and December. Finally, there was the spectacularly staged Turandot at the Metropolitan Opera. One of Puccini’s greatest! Among the famous arias is my favorite, the moving Nessun Dorma.

 

 

 

ALL THE LEAVES ARE BROWN, AND THE SKY IS GRAY…I’D BE SAFE AND WARM, IF I WAS IN L.A….YEAH, CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’

…is what I’m doing today, after returning from an energetic week in Southern California, visiting my sons Robert and Tom. Right off the bat I was treated to a gala 21^st anniversary concert by the Agape International Choir, which, you may remember, sang at the Democratic National Convention in August, 2008, and in which my son, Tom, participates. It’s an integral part of the Agape International Spiritual Center in Culver City (www.agapelive.com)  Talk about energy! It was a combination gospel, spiritual, and rock concert of original music that literally blew me away!

After that it was a whirlwind of visits starting with old friend Karen dePlanque, who met me in Del Mar for lunch, a walk on the beach, and a glorious sunset over the Pacific Ocean. I was so excited to see so many seals, except that they turned out to be hardy surfers in wet suits. What does a city girl from NJ know?

Next, I connected with Ruth Abel, and had a three- hour lunch at the famous Warehouse Restaurant. Ruth is a dynamo, who participates in many philanthropic projects, my favorite being APECA (Association Promoting Education and Conservation in Amazonia) in Iquitos, Peru. I urge you to visit www.apecaperu.org and read about some of their projects, such as training health providers, and initiating water and reforestation projects so needed by people in remote areas.

The main reason to visit L.A., of course, was to reconnect with my western sons and daughter-in-law, Gwen Abel. We had a blast and these pictures capture some of our peregrinations, from work to play. It’s nice to be sitting in a Jacuzzi in November after walking on the levees and bridges that separate Marina Del Rey from Playa Del Rey. And to see the hundreds of sailboats and fishing birds that inhabit this second largest man-made bay in the world (I think Dubai is now the first).

Robert and Tom. It's sunny in California!

The bay at Marina Del Playa                                                                                       

A variety of fisher birds live in these trees

Standing on the edge of the bay...

 

 

Mexican food at the end of the day

As I’ve reported in the past. Robert has invented an exciting new game using his “almost golf” ball, and travels to college campuses, parks, neighborhoods, and corporate headquarters across the country to set up interesting courses for tournaments, some as fund raisers and others just as fun-raisers. His most recent one was for the L.A. County Park Foundation. Catch it on his website  along with some neat videos of the tour. http://www.offcoursegolf.net

Tom is also full speed ahead on his new business, White Roof Systems, LLC. Some of you may have read about this amazing new paint that, when applied, lowers heating and air-conditioning costs by over 30%. It’s catching on like wildfire in southern California and Tom has just completed a massive job at the Anaheim Hilton. Here is a shot of him putting the finishing touches on this famous hotel.

Anaheim Hilton

 My final Sunday in L.A. was spent at the Agape International Spiritual Center, where 5,000 young people (young compared to me, at least!) attend three services and listen to the inspirational message of the Rev. Michael Bernard Beckwith. What a great way to end a trip!

Tune in next time for a review of plays and Rule #4 for travelers.

TRAVELERS EVERYWHERE…SCHEDULE A BACKSTAGE TOUR OF THE METROPOLITAN OPERA WHEN YOU VISIT NY CITY, AND BE BLOWN AWAY!

I’ve lived in the New York metropolitan area for fifty years and finally, thanks to my opera buddy, Phyllis Bitow, was persuaded to take the grand tour backstage at the Met. Hey, folks, there’s a whole city back there. Yes, fourteen floors reaching as high as the eye can see, and another three going down to where costumes are made, and rehearsal and dressing rooms abound. I stuck close to the group, fearing that I would wander for eternity like the Flying Dutchman if I strayed too far. It’s a labyrinth that even Hansel and Gretel could not maneuver. There’s a control panel like the space center in Houston, and unseen elevators that come up out of the floor. Massive sets for the current production of Turandot hide in the wings, and pulleys lay waiting to raise and lower giant sets. 

Along with the sheer size of what lies behind the purview of the opera patrons, is the fascinating history of the building and the care with which the acoustic architects designed every curve and level, selecting numerous types of wood and finish to optimize the sound. Come and see! It’s one of the wonders of New York City. And, during the present Indian Summer, you can enjoy the new fountain in Lincoln Center Plaza. I felt like splashing in it, yesterday, but I forgot my towel. 

After a lunch in the excellent Renaissance Restaurant on 9^th Avenue between 51^st and 52^nd Street, I met Paul Sharar and enjoyed a most unusual play, Love Child, starring Daniel Jenkins and Robert Stanton. This was a delicious romp of their own making, full of eccentric characters, and complete with their own sound effects, nervous tics, and accents. The whole menagerie was played by these two men on a bare stage with a few chairs. It was a modern skewering of Euripides’ “Ion.” A crazy yarn like this does one thing for sure—it keeps the audience awake! 

I came across a wonderful new adventure blog written by Bob Babinski from Montreal, Canada. http://good4sports.wordpress.com/ He regularly highlights people undertaking unusual adventures like the upcoming 1800 mile walk to the South Pole by Alistair Humphreys. It’s the longest “human-powered” polar journey in history. Go to the blog and scroll down to the story and interview with Alistair. 

As promised, here is my Rule #3 to be followed when planning a journey to foreign lands, especially Asia and Africa. Don’t wait until the last minute to get the immunizations necessary for the area you’re visiting. But don’t panic, either. The U.S. government website gives reasonable, un-dramatic information on line to guide travelers, and most internal medicine doctors have access to the latest updates. Here is just one of many websites to guide you.   http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/content/vaccinations.aspx

Always be sure your tetanus and polio shots are up-to-date for starters. Then space your necessary shots so your arms don’t feel like inflamed pin cushions. It’s good to get these details over, judiciously so you are in peak condition for the trip. 

Check back to previous blogs for Rule #1 and 2.

I’m off to California Nov. 12th. Catch you with some photos when I return.

 

 

IF YOU WANT TO SEE A BUSTLING, MODERN ASIAN CITY, WALK IN THE PARK WITH GIGANTIC SPIDERS, AND EAT LIVE BABY OCTOPI, HEAD FOR SOUTH KOREA

Nothing brings a country to life more than a daily report of its customs and idiosyncrasies as seen through the eyes of a live-in visitor. This you can find when you click on my granddaughter, Cally’s, blog, written as a daily Lesson from South Korea, where she is a first year-right-out-of-college teacher in a private primary school in Suwon, not far from Seoul. Not only are her teaching experiences eye-opening and often riotous, but her descriptions of the similarities and differences between young people in that country and her own are thought-provoking. She is an astute observer! Check it out. http://alessonadayinsk.blogspot.com/

You must not miss Lesson #52, where she describes the custom of eating squirming, sticky, slimy live baby octopi and actually refers you to a National Geographic film showing the whole process. Honestly, it almost made me sick and seemed so cruel, but then I was reminded of the times when I used to wolf down dozens of raw clams right out of the shell. But they didn’t have tentacles, and they didn’t squirm! Cally is thinking of trying it. I shudder.

Fall is winding down. I’ve had a couple of lazy walks through the leaf-covered paths of South Mountain Reservation here in Maplewood, where you’d better watch your step or you’ll land butt-first on the rocks under those colorful leaves. And I’ve enjoyed watching the woods become progressively transparent as the trees take on the barren look of winter. It’s a beautiful sight, quiet and peaceful in its austerity. Then there are the maple trees I see on my morning walk up and down the hills of Maplewood, still hanging on to their brilliant red leaves long after the yellow elm and purple dogwood have gone bare. Take a look at the maple tree I see from my bedroom window, in its various incarnations.

Two weeks ago my niece, Margaret Magill, who is a violinist with the Met orchestra, treated me to the spectacular new production of Berlioz’s opera, The Damnation of Faust. Getting there in the rain, with a two-hour wait at the Lincoln Tunnel was almost as dramatic as the opera. Thank God my friend, Marion Syracuse, was driving. I think it will be my last car ride into Manhattan on a Friday night. I’ve become a real New Jersey Transit convert.

I also enjoyed a delightful evening last weekend with Yana Viniko, and her friend, David Sherrard, visiting the Big Apple from Seattle. We ate at one of my favorite restaurants, Saigon 48, just off 8th Avenue on 48th Street, then went to the boisterous new musical Memphis, starring the phenomenal Chad Kimball and Montego Glover. I highly recommend this powerful new show.

Watch for Rule #3 in my ten rules for preparing for a travel adventure…in my next blog.