Match it for Pratchett

My favorite author of all time, Terry Pratchett, 59, recently announced that he has been diagnosed with a rare form of early-onset Alzheimer's called posterior cortical atrophy. Having watched my grandfather go through Alzheimer's, I know how awful it can be not only for the person suffering but for those around them as well.

Pratchett donated £500,000 (approx $1M) to the UK's Alzheimer's Research Trust, drawing attention to the cause, and bringing out the fact that although similar numbers of people are affect by both Alzheimer's and cancer, research in the UK spends £11 per patient each year on research, compared with £289 for each cancer patient.

In his typical glib manner, Pratchett declared, "Personally, I'd eat the arse out of a dead mole if it offered a fighting chance." He went on to say, "I am, along with many others, scrabbling to stay ahead long enough to be there when the cure comes along. Say it will be soon - there's nearly as many of us as there are cancer sufferers, and it looks as if the number of people with dementia will double within a generation. In most cases, alongside the sufferer you will find a spouse suffering as much. It is a shock to find out that funding for Alzheimer's research is just 3% of that to find cancer cures."

His fans, of course, promptly rose to the occasion, and created Match It For Pratchett, with the goal of raising enough money to match Pratchett's own donation. So far, the movement has raised more than £40,627 from 1,000 donors worldwide. Fans are raising money a variety of ways, from items they're selling on sites such as eBay, Etsy and others, to cash drives at various conventions.

Give under "Match it for Pratchett" here. Or, donate directly to the Alzheimer's Research Trust, or the Alzheimer's Foundation of America. Tell 'em you're there to "Match it for Pratchett".

Best Things to do in New York

Thanks to The Best Things to Do in New York - 1001 Ideas, I have found many cool things/places to see/do in NYC. These are just a sampling!

C.O. Bigelow - 414 Sixth Ave., between 8th & 9th Streets - Apothecary
Keihl's - 109 Third Ave. at 13th St. - Apothecary

Library Walk - 41st St. between 5th & Madison Aves., by NY Public Library - Art - plaques celebrating literary quotes embedded in the sidewalk
Piece of the Berlin Wall - Plaza of 520 Madison Ave. on 53rd St., between 5th & Madison Ave. - Art

New York Central art supply - 62 Third Ave at 11th St. - Art supplies

StoryCorps - Biltmore Room, Grand Central Terminal, between tracks 41 & 42 - Be a part of American history

Gotham Book Mart - 16 East 46th., between Fifth & Madison - Books
Housing Works Used Book Café - 126 Crosby St., between Houston & Prince St. - Books
Strand Books - 828 Broadway at 12th St. - Books

Conservatory Gardens - Central Park, Fifth Ave. at 105th St. - Botanical gardens
New York Botanical Gardens - 200th St. & Kazimiroff Blvd., Bronx - Botanical gardens

Artisanal - 2 Park Ave. at 32nd St. - Cheese (fromagerie)

Kamwo Herb & Tea Shop - 211 Grand St., between Mott & Elizabeth St. - Chinese herbal medicine

Maison du Chocolat - 1018 Madison Ave., between 78th & 79th St. - Chocolate

Milongas (tango socials) - Various - Dancing

Serendipity - 225 E. 60th St., between 2nd & 3rd Avenues - Desserts

The Algonquin Hotel - 59 W. 44th St, between 5th & 6th Avenues - Famous hotel

Earnest Sewn - 821 Washington St. at Gansevoort St. - Fashionista

Dean & Deluca's - 560 Braodway at Prince St. - Food emporium
Sable's Smoked Fish - 1489 Second Ave., between 78th & 79th St. - Food emporium
Zabar's - 2245 Broadway at 80th St. - Food emporium
Amy's Bread - Various - Food emporium and bakery
Greenmarkets - Various; best at west side of Union Sq. Park, between 14th & 17th St. - Food market

Earth Room - 141 Wooster St., between Houston & Prince St. - Fun activity

Dream Hotel's Ava Lounge - 210 W. 55th St, between Broadway & 7th Ave. - Great views
Hotel Metro Rooftop Bar - 45 W. 35th St, between 5th & 6th Avenues - Great views
Rockefeller Center observation deck - 30 Rockefeller Plaza, 49th St. between 5th & 6th Avenues - Great views

Peter Hermann - 118 Thompson St., between Prince & Spring St. - Handbags & leather goods

The Hat Shop - 120 Thompson St., between Prince & Spring St. - Hats

Liberty Helicopter Tours - Pier 6, East River - Helicopter tours of NYC - this wins my vote as "thing I would most love to experience in NYC"

Brooklyn Bridge - - Historic building
Empire State Building - Fifth Avenue between 33rd & 34th Streets - Historic building
Ziegfeld Theatre - 141 West 54th, between 6th & 7th Avenues - Historic movie house
Trinity Cemetary - 770 Riverside Drive - Historic site
Woodlawn Cemetery - Webster Ave. & East 233rd St., Bronx - Historic site
Grand Central Terminal - 42nd St. between Lexington & Park Ave. - Historical building

The Diamond District - West 47th, between Fifth & Sixth Ave. - Jewelry

New York Public Library - Fifth Avenue at 42nd St. - Library

Critical Mass - Union Square & 17th St. - Monthly events

Jaques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art - 338 Lighthouse Ave., Staten Island - Museum
American Folk Art Museum - 45 W. 53rd St., between 5th & 6th Ave. - Museum - folk art
The Cloisters - Fort Tryon Park - Museum and gardens
American Museum of Natural History & Hayden Planetarium - 79th at Central Park West - Museum and planetarium
Museum of the Fashion Institute of Technology - Seventh Ave at 27th St. - Museum of fashion

Jo Malone - 949 Broadway at 22nd St. - Perfumes

Whiskers Holistic Pet Care - 235 East 9th St. at Second Ave. - Pet food and supplies

Shanghai Pavillion - 1378 Third Ave., between E. 78th & 79th St. - Restaurant - Chinese
Momofuku - 163 First Ave., between 10th & 11th St. - Restaurant - Noodles
Smorgas Chef - 53 Stone St., between Broad St. & Hanover Sq. - Restaurant - Scandinavian
Lucky Cheng's - 24 First Ave., between 1st & 2nd St. - Restaurant and "drag queen capital of the world"

MetroNaps - Empire State Building, 350 Fifth Ave. - Services

Billy's Antiques & Props - 76 E. Houston St., between Elizabeth St. & the Bowery - Shopping emporium - never know what you'll find

Juvenex Spa - 25 West 32rd. between Fifth & Sixth Ave. - Spa (24 hours)
Athena Spa - 37 West 46th St., and 50 West 56th st., both between Fifth & Sixth Ave - Spa (open late)
OZOcar - (866) OZO-5966 - Transportation

Blue Tree - 1283 Madison Ave., between 91st & 92nd St. - Unusual gifts

Acker, Merrill & Condit - 160 W. 72nd St., between Broadway & Columbus Ave. - Wine
One if by Land, Two if by Sea - 17 Barrow St., between Bleecker & West 4th St. - Wine

Handy travel tip of the day

Need to check flight status in a hurry? Go to Google , and on the search window, enter your airline and flight number (ie. "AA 60" or "Southwest 19") and hit search... flight status will be the top entry of any results!

Zoinks! It's a Zorb!

Perhaps you've seen the big plastic bubbles that look like human-sized hamster balls rolling downhill -- it's called "Zorbing". Leave it to those wacky Kiwis...

This bouncy ride has finally come to the U.S.; the first location to offer it is Pigeon Forge, TN, in the Great Smoky Mountains. If that town sounds familiar, it's because it's also home to Dollywood.

You said it...

"So often in Washington, experience means doing what we've been doing over and over and over again. Well, to me that's not experience, if what you're doing isn't working."

- Barack Obama

Quote du jour

"Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love!"

-Sitting Bull, 1831-1890

Tibet : the Bigger Picture

Yak butter lamp, Gyantse. October 2007.

My heart aches when I see the news stories about the Tibetan protests in Lhasa and elsewhere. I guess China, like other nations around the world, still hasn't learned that the tighter you try to squeeze your fingers around people, the more difficult it becomes to hold onto them.

I would be willing to bet that most people on the street don't fully understand why Tibet is a pivotal region and why the whole "free Tibet" movement exists. Out of simple curiosity, I asked an acquaintance what their perceptions of/what they knew about Tibet, and their answer was along the lines of, "Uhh, China invaded Tibet back in the 50s, and the Dalai Lama is in exile, and the Tibetans don't want the Chinese there. And he's like, their religious leader, yeah?"

It's a bit more than that. Tibet was the crossroads for Asia for hundreds of years, which is kind of remarkable when you look at the Himalayas. Even traveling over them today, one has to wonder what made people decide, "I wonder what's on the other side?", because it's not easy, except by plane. But there are passes through the Western Himalaya that remain traversable, even in winter. When you are standing in Tibet, you have to wonder what generates so much political interest, when apparently, the main assets on view are gorgeous skies, wide open countryside, charming people, monks, a lot of yaks, and more rocks than you can shake a stick at. That is, if you can find a stick, seeing as much of the region is at such an elevation as to be above the tree line.

A brief (and simplisitic) history of modern Tibet:

A series of kings ruled Tibet from the 7th through 11th centuries, and their influence may have ranged far beyond today's borders, even as far as Mongolia and the Indian Ocean, and were allied with the Turks and Arabs. A combination of in-fighting and attacks by the Mongols led to fracturing of the territory, but Tibetan lamas found a new sphere of influence within Mongol society. The first Dalai Lama received his title in the 16th century, and he was considered to be the political leader of the region, a tradition which continues to today (or at least until the late 50s).

From the 17th and 18th centuries on, Tibet began clashes with China; the Qing (last) dynasty alternatively seemed to fight with and sign treaties with the Tibetans. In the 19th century, the British tried invading from the south, and the Russians began invasions from the north; Tibet eventually banned foreigners and closed their borders in the 1850s.

After completing secret mapping and scouting missions, the British forces in northern India, led by Younghusband, invaded, slaughtering many Tibetans from Gyantse to Lhasa. The Simla Convention in 1914, which came after the collapse of Chinese rule in 1912, and was signed between the British and the Tibetans but not the Chinese, remains in contention for its validity, and eventually led to the Sino-Indian war, and the ongoing border disputes between China and India.

At the same time, post-Imperial rule, China fractured into areas under the control of various warlords - and although Tibet found itself able to rule itself for most of the first half of the 20th century, neither the Republic of China nor the People's Republic of China ever renounced their sovereignty over the region.

In 1950-51, under the "Seventeen Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet", the Chinese rolled back into Tibet. There was a great deal of rebellion in the 1950s as the Chinese forced the Tibetans to modernize (there was still serfdom in the country well into the 20th century), although the Tibetans say they would've gotten around to modernizing without the Chinese "help", thank you very much. In the half-century or so since, there have been various attempts at rebellion by the Tibetans, and the remaining desire for independence is still there, even as the Chinese force the natives away from a nomadic lifestyle and into cities and communities. (The CIA tried to help fund some of the rebellions, too, but eventually pulled out in the mid-60s).

Most significantly, atheist China has done all it could to attempt to obliterate religion in the area in the wake of the Dalai Lama's exile; Tibetans regard their religious and political leader as one and the same. During the Cultural Revolution, approximately 90-95% of religious-related buildings were destroyed or put to new uses, such as stabling animals in some of the most sacred temples in Tibetan Buddhism. The Tibetans continued their worship in secret during the Cultural Revolution, and now they are finally "free" - sort of - to worship their religion.

Recently, China seems to have realized that 1. squashing religion in the region creates more headaches than they want to deal with; and 2. there is tourism dollars to be had by encouraging the Buddhists. But they don't want to encourage them too much, and they blame the Dalai Lama for the recent issues. The state has put money into restoring temples, but one wonders how much they've done for the sake of PR, versus true regrets over what happened in the Revolution.

China also has been trying to subjugate Tibetan Buddhism by overriding the traditional, historic ways of choosing the new Dalai and Panchen Lamas. The previous Panchen Lama (second in command politically/religiously after the Dalai Lama) died unexpectedly in 1989 and the new reincarnation of the Panchen Lama was declared to be Gedhun Choekyi Nyima. The PRC choose their own reincarnation, Gyaltsen Norbu, with the traditionally-chosen reincarnation being placed in "protective custody" for "safety". (Nyima was considered to be the youngest political prisoner; but the Chinese government claims he is attending school and having a normal life at a secret location in China.)

It is illegal to have images of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan-chosen Panchen Lama, or the Tibetan flag in Tibet. They force the local monks to renounce the Dalai Lama (which of course, in their hearts, they do not do).

If you ask a local what their opinions are - and if they feel they are free enough to talk without retaliation - Tibetans will admit that there are some positives to the Chinese faction in the area, such as better medical care, better education, and more food and other goods available. When you ask them for what is bad, they will not discuss it, for fear of retaliation.

Of course, China isn't about to give up Tibet now. While the region appears to be desolate (although gorgeous) on the surface, it's what it offers beyond that which China wants. For starters, despite the region's low annual rainfall, several major Asian rivers have their headwaters in the region. The high elevation plus the natural barrier of the Himalayas keep pollution - and therefore taint to the watershed - low. While subsistence agriculture dominates most of the region, Tibet's (and Inner Mongolia's) grasslands are also home to the cashmere goats, which are providing a large source of income to the Chinese. Tourism has become important in the region now that it is open to outsiders. To top it all off, mineral deposits such as copper, iron and lead have been found in the region, among other resources; and the vast empty wastes of course also provide good territory for nuclear weapons tests and waste dumping. But that's not exactly the kind of information that wil be front and center in Lonely Planet.

I feel grateful for being able to see Tibet in the past year. If the Chinese continue to crack down on Tibet, the region may end up being closed again - although I would hope not. I do feel my experiences there really changed how I look at some things in life, and it is the kind of place that is magnificent and alluring and charming and eye-opening.

And while its remoteness has kept it unspoiled for a very long time, that is beginning to change.

SockDreams.com

This might be the very coolest, funkiest sock shop I've ever seen, anywhere. :)

Is travel your idea of a good time?

Always looked at travel tour guides with a slight touch of envy, wishing you "could have a job like that"? Well, apply to GAP Adventures - they're currently hiring for tour guides around the world. And make those wild travel ideas come true. :)

My thoughts are in Lhasa

October 2007 - The debate hour at Sera Monastery, Lhasa

You don't need to double-dog-dare him, he'll eat it anyway

IgoUgo.com is featuring a blog entry interviewing Andrew Zimmern, star of Food TV's Bizarre Foods.

When I was in Beijing at the Night Market (above), I couldn't help but wonder how many of the tourists there had been inspired by his show.

Yes, those are scorpions and some kind of beetle on skewers that you're looking at. Mmm-mmm, tastes good!

Travel quote of the week

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page."
- St. Augustine

Help Bridge to Success by shopping!

Bridge to Success is having a Spring clothing sale on Saturday, March 15th, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. - it's an overstock of client clothing and couture sale. Location is 4th floor, 4822 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL (entry to elevator is through 4820 N. Broadway). Sizes/selection may be limited but you might find a really great bargain, and you're helping a great cause, with prices starting as low as $2. BYOB (bring your own bag). All proceeds benefit Bridge to Success, a program of Heartland Alliance.

Information about their program, from their website:

"Bridge to Success, a social enterprise program of Heartland Human Care Services, is dedicated to closing the gap between job-training programs and employment for the most vulnerable men and women of the Chicagoland area. Approximately 40% of all employment rejections are based on personal presentation, which includes dress and grooming.

"Bridge to Success provides its participants business/workplace and interview appropriate clothing, coaching, and related services to build self-confidence through appearance and preparation for interviewing and employment. Bridge to Success doesn’t just a give a man or a woman clothing, it helps them with that essential accessory that goes with every outfit: self-confidence.

"Participants are served on a referral basis from the Chicago area job-training programs and government entities. We are unique! Bridge to Success is the only program of its kind providing both men and woman business/workplace appropriate clothing in the Chicago metropolitan area."

Women on the Road

Those of you women travelers out there may be interested in ExpatWomen.com - while it's primarily designed for women who are living abroad from their home country, it also offers plenty of good travel advice and resources for women on the road.

Shakespeare on the Pier

Currently running at Chicago Shakespeare on Navy Pier is Othello, through April 6th. Lead actor Derrick Lee Weeden may be a familiar face to those who have seen the Oregon Shakespeare Festival; the Chicago Tribune describes his work as a "striking performance".

Saturdays until April 5th, you can also catch the Short Shakespeare! production of Romeo & Juliet. Having seen the Royal Shakespeare Company's full version of the play, I'd say that I'd rather sit through the 75-minute version of the play.

What I'm really looking forward to is their production of The Comedy of Errors, which is showing April 27 – June 29, 2008. This witty comedy is not often staged, so catch it while you can.

3rd annual SHANEanigans!

If you live in or are visiting Chicago, come out this Friday, March 14th to support the 3rd annual SHANEanigans! benefit to "Help save the naughty bits!" (It's a benefit for breast cancer and testicular cancer).



(p.s. for a good chuckle, go to the the carpetestes.org link above and click on "sing-a-long". Also "Check 'em" and "Where it Counts", although the men in the audience are going to wince a bit at the latter one. ;) )

Voice your thoughts on favorite American cities

Travel & Leisure magazine currently has their voting ballots open for their annual Favorite Cities in the U.S. poll. Weigh in your opinions on a variety of subjects - results will appear later this year. You can put in your opinions for multiple cities.

Spring training

"Ooops" - Detroit Tigers, March 1, 2008

I enjoyed a bit of Spring Training over the weekend. Generally, I go to Florida for the Grapefruit League - two of my favorite teams, the Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians play there.

This time, I took in two games - both were Cleveland vs. the Detroit Tigers; one was at "Tiger Town" in Lakeland, the other at Chain O'Lakes in Winter Haven. Next year, the Indians wave goodbye to Florida and make the move to the Cactus League in Arizona. I'd like to see the Chicago Cubs at Spring Training, so that might finally convince me to make the trek out to Phoenix/Tucson next March.

Both games were good - the Tigers beat the Indians on Saturday; the Indians returned the favor on Sunday. Scores were close and they were both tight games, the perfect way to spend a winter afternoon. An indication of an exciting year in baseball to come? I hope so.

Spring Training has evolved a great deal in the past dozen or so years. It used to be that a lot less people went to see it, and before or after the game, you'd be able to get players' autographs, maybe even chat with them a bit. It was the domain of the die-hard baseball fans.

Then came the big-figure contracts; the craze for baseball memorabilia; the marketing; and oh yes, the egos. The 1994 Major League Baseball strike seems to have marked the point where the players quit playing for the love of the game, and instead, it became, in the words of Jerry McGuire, "Show me the money!"

Today at Spring Training, most players will walk off the field at the end of the game, not even looking at the hopeful fans who the fence. They miss the looks of disappointment on little kids' faces who walk away, dejected, ball in hand.

Baseball players, like movie stars, need to remember that the fans make them who they are. Yes, they have talent; that's a given. And most of us would give body parts to be able to play a game for a living, even at salaries far below what sports stars make. But if they're not showing up to see the games, or buy the memorabilia, or - oh yes, buy the products with particular stars' names on them - what good is the fame?

There are so few moments in the year that players can directly connect to the fans that you would think more players would take those few minutes to stop, say hello, pose for a few pictures, sign a few baseballs. Yes, one must have that grain of cynicism about those folks who make a living off signed memorabilia. But the majority of people are there because they love the game. They admire the players. They can quote you stats and recall specific plays that stand out in their mind. You can't buy that loyalty.

Personally, I have a limited number of players that I really like. My favorite of all time is Carl Yastrzemski, #8 of the Boston Red Sox. You see, when I was growing up, my dad would take us up to Boston to see the Red Sox play. We almost always sat on the third base line. I remember one game in particular where we were so close to the Green Monster that we could feel the heat rolling off that beast. Yastrzemski immediately caught my interest because he, like me, had a Polish name. But even as a little kid, I recognized that this guy was a really cool player. He'd do the trot out to left field, and wave at the folks sitting in the stands. "Yaz" spent his entire 23-year career with the Red Sox; they honored him by retiring his number.

My other favorite player of all time is Cal Ripkin, Jr. - who, interestingly enough, also wore #8 on his uniform. He also spent his entire career - 20 years - with a singular team, the Baltimore Orioles. He is best known for being one of the best shortstops of all time, and his MLB record of 2,632 consecutive games played. Mr. Ripkin is the kind of baseball player I deeply admire: he played with a true love of the game, an appreciation of his fans, and an outstanding work ethic. Although I never considered myself a fan of the Orioles, I did - do - greatly admire him.

On the current Red Sox roster, I like Manny Ramírez , who I used to enjoy watching with the Cleveland Indians. I also like Curt Schilling, their pitcher; I used to play in the same guild with him in EverQuest 2, and although I didn't get to see him much online (it was baseball season, after all), he seemed like a real nice guy. Schilling has started his own gaming company, 38 Studios.

Although Chicago's my adopted hometown and the Cubs are my adopted hometown team, there's no Cubs player who particularly stands out for me. I liked Sosa for a while, but his ego got to be bigger than the stadium. On the Indians, Roberto Alomar has been my favorite. Maybe I felt a little extra affinity for him because back in high school, I, too, played second base.

Just a couple of short weeks 'til the 2008 season opens. Should be interesting to see how this year turns out.

This one should be captured as "Pwned!"

The Kraken roller coaster

The KRAKEN! roller coaster, Sea World, Orlando

Happy sea lion, Sea World, Orlando