Going Rouge: Sarah Palin An American Nightmare

If I were to buy a book about Sarah Palin it would be Going Rouge: Sarah Palin An American Nightmare, as the title reflects my sentiment toward the vice presidential candidate. A parody of Palin's memoir, the book is comprised of essays from various publications and bloggers that take a harsh look at Palin’s verbal mistakes, her political views and her role as an American celebrity.

Despite my dislike for both her character and policies, I watched her recent appearance on Oprah. As Palin spoke a familiar chill ran down my spine as it did so many times during the 2009 campaign.

I was reminded of a night in Indonesia...I was traveling alone at the time had rented a very cheap room in a shady part of town. The lock on the door left me feeling anything but secure and the noises outside my room were keeping me up all night. I decided to turn on the tv to drown out the sounds. Just as I was finally drifting off to sleep, I was startled back to consciousness by a sound that to me was more frightening than the imminent danger outside my door...the voice of Sarah Palin!

Moral of the story...

A woman traveling solo in a foreign country... not so scary.

Sarah Palin in the White House...TERRIFYING!!!

Buddhist Chants

Last week I decided to drop into the San Francisco Buddhist Center, where I have attended meditation classes in the past. I was excited to learn that a class was just starting as it was Sangha Night (Sangha is the Buddhist word for spiritual community). The class started of a 25 minute group meditation followed by a lecture/discussion on chanting.

The evening brought me back to my time spent in Laos just over a year ago. Young Buddhist monks would gather in the temples each day around 5:00, drawing my attention by their beautiful chants that would stream out of the temples. I remember my first experience of the practice as I sat cross legged in the back of a beautiful Wat in Luang Prabang. Twenty young devoted monks dressed in orange robes sitting in front of me chanting in a language i did not understand but mysteriously captivated me all the same. I loved the rhythm and uplifting vibrations of the chants and as I closed my eyes a calmness came over my body and I felt peaceful.

Below is a video of the monks chanting in Luang Prabang.



At the time I did not understand the purpose of chanting to a Buddhist, but during class I learned that chanting is done to help settle us down and prepare for meditation. Meditation in turn is a healthy practice that can help to interrupt a person's patterns of thought and bring attention to the present day allowing one to enjoy what is happening now instead of worrying about the past or future. Staying present is something I struggle with daily and one of the reasons I choose to meditate. One does not have to be a Buddhist to practice and reap the benefits of meditation or pursue a path to enlightenment.

Chanting requires attention and mindfulness and the act of chanting with others takes us out of our tight focus on ourselves, which can be such an obstacle to meditation. The rhythm of the chant can help to relax us, its liveliness can wake us up, and its beauty can open up meaning of the words we are saying. The chant we learned was "The Tiratana-Verdana (Salutation of the Three Jewels)" which was chanted in Pali. The instructor provided us with a copy of the translation so we would understand the meaning of the words.

Chanting is a crucial component of the Buddhists as singing of hymns is to Christians. Despite the differences of spiritual practices throughout the world, a common similarity is the integrally close relationship of religion and music.

To read more travel stories from Laos CLICK HERE!

Reconnecting in The Hague

The Hague (Den Haag) is the Netherland's seat of government and residence of the royal family though the capital city is Amsterdam. It's the third-largest city in the country and the capital of the province of South Holland. It is also home to Sabrina, a new friend whom I met at Surf Camp in Australia.

While at surf camp Sabrina, another Dutch girl named Yvonne and I became surf buds. And thanks to Facebook we have stayed in touch and were able to coordinate meeting up during my visit to their country.

Aine, Mary, and I met up with the girls at the train station. Sabrina took us on a tour of her beautiful city! We ended up at the beach where a recent sand castle competition had taken place.




















We caught up on what we had each been up to since we last saw each other in Australia and had a few beers at a very cool beach bar.


It was great to spend the day catching up with my Dutch girlfriends and introducing them to my American curly girlfriends! The curly girls had to head back to Amsterdam where we decided to pull an "all nighter" to get the most out of the city we sadly had to leave after too short a visit!

To see more photos of The Hague CLICK HERE!

In Bruges

While in Belgium we took a day trip to Bruges. Similar to Amsterdam, Bruges is canal-based. A very beautiful and picturesque little town..quaint with cobbled streets, canals, a large town square with amazing architecture styles of buildings all steeped in history. Roaming through the streets one feels as if you have stepped back in time.

"Bruges is the best-preserved medieval city in Belgium!" says one of the characters in the movie "In Bruges".


Bruges has always been a popular city for tourists but perhap was made known throughout the world in 2008 when it became the backdrop of the dark comedy film "In Bruges" starring Colin Ferrell. None of us had seen the movie "In Bruges" before we visited the city but decided to rent it once back in San Francisco. We reminisced about our trip as we drank the Belgian beer we had each filled our suitcases with on our return!


We went on a tour of Half Moon Brewery which led us to the rooftop of the building for an amazing view of the city.

Later we stumbled upon a random carnival going on in the city and we decided to go on a thrill ride! Fun times in Bruges!



To see more photos of Bruges CLICK HERE!

Antwerp: Big girl (you are beautiful)

Several people had told us to check out the city of Antwerp while we were in Belgium. We spent a few days in the city one of which was a national holiday and as a result the town was lively with an outdoor concert and cafes full of people having a good time.

Rubens' House is one of the main reasons tourists visit Antwerp. This house is where the famous painter lived and produced 2500 paintings. Peter Paul Rubens was a 17th century Flemish painter best know for the "Rubens-like women": full figured ladies who enjoy life and are not bothered by their weight.

Curly girls in front of Rubens' House



To see photos of Antwerp, Belgium CLICK HERE!

Brussels: The Capital of Europe

A short train ride later, we were in Belgium...one of the many reasons I love Europe! The land of great beer (the best in the world in my opinion) chocolate, fries, and waffles! What else does a curly girl need?

We began our exploration of Belgium in the capital city of Brussels. Brussels has grown from a 10th-century fortress town into a metropolis of more than one million inhabitants making it the largest city in Belgium. The city is also the administrative center for the European Union and NATO earning the city the title of the Capital of Europe. There is a coexistence of French and Flemish culture here. A big city feel with medieval streets, lively squares, impressive monuments dating back to the 10th century.

Grand Place, also known as Grote Market, is the central market square of Brussels. It is surrounded by guild houses, the city's Town Hall, several outdoor cafes, and lots of chocolate shops!













Manneken Pis is a famous Brussels landmark. It is a small bronze fountain sculpture depicting a naked little boy urinating into the fountain's basin. On many occasions the statue is dressed in costume. Apparently his wardrobe now consists of several hundred different costumes. He was sporting Indonesian attire when we saw him. Also on occasion the statue is hooked up to a keg of beer. cups will be filled with the beer flowing from the statue and given out to anyone passing by. Unfortunately for us there was no beer flowing upon our visit!

*There are several legends behind the stature, but the most famous is the one about Duke Godfrey III of Leuven (who was only 2 years old). In 1142 his troops were battling against the troops of Berthouts. The troops put the infant lord in a basket and hung the basket in a tree to encourage them. From there, the boy urinated on the troops of the Berthouts, who eventually lost the battle. *Wikipedia.

The current statue is actually a copy as the original was kidnapped by French soldiers in the 18th Century.




Kapellekerk La Chapelle






















The Palace of Justice functions as the supreme court of law for Belgium.



















The Royal Palace is the official palace of the King of Belgians; however, the King does not actually live here.
















To see more photos of Brussels CLICK HERE!

Map of Belgium

The Art of Amsterdam

Two of the greatest painters in European art history are Dutch. One can see 22 paintings by Rembrandt and 206 by Van Gogh in Amsterdam. I visited the Reijksmuseum which houses a large collection of paintings from many artist of the Dutch Golden Age. I spent a day in the Van Gogh Museum which I preferred as I enjoyed being able to focus on a single artist and developing my knowledge of his life and works.

I have decided my favorite Van Gogh painting is "Almond Blossom". This print is very different than many of Van Gogh's other works in which he strives to paint glimpses of light in the dark. I found this painting very bright and cheerful and I love the shades of blue.

The history of this painting per the Van Gogh Museum website....On January 31, 1890, Vincent's brother Theo wrote to him of the birth of his son, whom he had named Vincent Willem. Van Gogh, who was extremely close to his younger brother, immediately set about making him a painting of his favorite subject: blossoming branches against a blue sky. The gift was meant to hang over the couple’s bed. As a symbol of this new life, Vincent chose an almond tree, which blooms early in southern regions, announcing the coming spring as early as February. (www.vangoghmuseum.com)

Tulips Tulips everywhere!

We were in Holland toward the end of tulip season but we did see quite a few during our visit! We spent a day at the Keukenhof, a beautiful park with millions of blooming flowers and sculpture gardens. Red tulips, yellow tulips, purple, tulips, pink tulips, orange tulips!!!

The Keukenhof was a short bus ride from Amsterdam. We entertained ourselves for hours admiring the pretty gardens and beautiful flowers as well as having alot of fun on the playground and getting lost in a giant maze! The kids on the playground seemed curious and less than thrilled that three adults had taken over their playground!























To see more tulip photos CLICK HERE!

The Dutch Golden Age

When traveling to new parts of the world I naturally find myself learning interesting facts about the place I am visiting. A continuing education of the history of the world is one of my favorite parts of traveling. During my recent visit to The Netherlands I learned about The Golden Age, a period in Dutch history spanning the 17th century, in which Dutch trade, science, and art were among the most acclaimed in the world.

I found myself most intrigued by the fact that such a small country played such a huge role in the exploration of the world during this time. In the early 1600's Dutch ships dominated seaborne trade and led the way in explorations, founding many new trading posts around the world...

The Dutch were in search for an Arctic route to the Pacific they instead rounded the tip of South America naming in Cape Hoorn after the city of Hoorn located north of Amsterdam.

In 1619, Dutch traders expelled the Portuguese from what is now Indonesia and established the town of Batavia (Latin for Holland, now the capital city of Jakarta) as administrative center for what would become the Dutch East Indies. 

In 1624 the Dutch founded a trading post on Manhattan Island and called it New Amsterdam, the future New York City. 

The Dutch competed with the Spaniards for control of present day Taiwan and gained control in 1641. Later Japan expelled all foreigners except the Dutch, who received sole trading rights on the island of Nagasaki because their aims were commercial rather than imperialistic or religious.

In 1652 they captured the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa from the Portuguese making it an important trading post with the East Indies. They also kicked the Portuguese out of Sri Lanka.

They explored the coastlines of New Zealand (named after the province of Zeeland) and New Holland (known as Australia since the 1850s). While visiting the south island of New Zealand, I kayaked through the beautiful Abel Tasman National Park, named after the Dutch explorer.

Around 1650 the Dutch had more seagoing merchant vessels than England and France combined, and half of all ships sailing between Europe and Asia were Dutch. Things changed greatly when England passed Navigation Acts requiring that goods shipped to England and its colonies had to be carried in English ships. This posed a serious threat to Dutch trading and led to the "Wealthy Decline" of the 18th Century.

The Dutch were traders first and foremost and didn't have the population reserves for the settler-type colonization pursued by other European powers. I wonder how the world would be different today if the Dutch population had been larger? Perhaps most of the world would be speaking DUTCH!?

What you may not know about The Netherlands...

Holland is not a country but represent two (North and South) of the "The Netherlands" twelve provinces.

In the Netherlands it is common to greet people with three kisses. Example: Left cheek, right cheek, then left cheek again.

One quarter of the Netherlands is below sea level.

The Dutch are the tallest people in Europe.

Almost every Dutch person has a bicycle and there are twice as many bikes as cars.

The Netherlands is the world's eight largest exporter.

Amsterdam has one hundred and sixty canals and over twelve hundred bridges.

ING is a Dutch founded company and ING's orange lion represents the company's Dutch roots. It is no coincidence that ING's branding is very ORANGE as this is the national color of the Netherlands after the royal family...House of Orange. The lion is the country's national symbol.

Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, but The Hague is the seat of government

Curly Girls Rock Europe!!!

Two of my best girlfriends (and fellow curly heads) decided to join me in the Netherlands for a mini Euro vacation! I have traveled with Mary and Aine in the past but this was the first time the three of us collectively traveled together and we had a blast! Us curly girls have to stick together as curly girls have way more fun! The three of us met up in Amsterdam where we got the party started!

Amsterdam is known for its famed tolerance for alternative lifestyles and ideas that even surpasses our beloved San Francisco! A fun city filled with nightlife, music, art, and a rich history.

What a beautiful city, a work of art in itself - a living monument with some of Europe's finest 17th and 18th-century architecture. We took a canal tour through the city taking in the beautiful Dutch architecture surrounding us! Amsterdam has 160 canals and over 1200 bridges!



Bikes are the most common form of transportation in the city but we chose to walk throughout the city seeing the main sights...Dam Square, the Jordan, the "coffee" shops, outdoor cafes and markets.

We had a relaxing day of shopping in the open air markets and chilling outside at a cafe.

We visited the Anne Frank House which was a very moving experience. The Frank's were a Jewish family that went into hiding from 1942-1944 to escape deportation from the German's. I cannot imagine having to live in the dark, drafty house never being able to go outside or see the light of day. Perhaps the saddest part of the story is that the Frank family was captured only weeks before the liberation. Anne's Father, Otto, was the only member of the family that survived and after the war he published Anne's diary which was found among the rubble in the house.

We visited the Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum.



And thanks to good ole Facebook I was able to reconnect with my English friend Claire!

I met Claire while traveling alone through New Zealand and then we randomly ran into each other on the street in Bangkok last year. Ironically Claire was visiting Amsterdam too and when she saw my Facebook update that I was there too she sent me a message suggesting me meet up again! Claire and I are obviously destined to not only be friends but to travel together in as many countries as possible! We all had a fun night out in Amsterdam! We took a late night stroll through the Red Light District where I realized there literally were red lights a glow.







Amsterdam truly is a picturesque city...to see all of my photos from Amsterdam CLICK HERE!

Eat Dutch

Stamppot or mash is a classic Dutch dish and a popular winter meal. My friend Evelien prepared Andijvie Stamppot for me during my stay with her in the Netherlands. Not only was the food delicious but super easy to make!

ANDIJVIE STAMPPOT

Ingredients:

3 lb potatoes, cut into chunks
14 oz endive, washed and chopped
1 x 12 oz smoked cooked sausage
7 oz bacon, cut into cubes
6 fl oz milk
2 oz butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of nutmeg (optional)

Preparation:

Bring potatoes to a boil in salted water. Turn down heat and cook until soft, about 15-20 minutes.

Cook the bacon. Warm the sausage as per the instructions on the packaging.

Drain the potatoes. Warm the milk and butter in the saucepan, add the potatoes and mash until smooth.

Add the endive and stir into the mash until it is warm and wilted, about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of nutmeg (optional).

Mix the bacon into the mash and divide between plates. Place sausage on top of the mash.

A Dutch Wedding

I went to The Netherlands to attend my Dutch friend wedding. I had not seen my friend since she left San Francisco two years ago and I met her fiance for the first time! What a great catch! It was so special to me to be able to be a part of her big day and to see her the happiest I have ever known her to be!

Despite the fact that I do not speak Dutch and often did not know what was being said, this was perhaps the best wedding I have ever been to (and I have been to quite a few)! A beautiful setting in a charming medieval town of Bergen op Zoom in a very old and romantic city castle. A happy couple so in love surrounded by their closest friends and family.

I was very curious how a "Dutch Wedding" would differ from the many weddings I have been a part of in the states. I have been a bridesmaid ten times and had a go at my own wedding plans that never made it to fruition. I know full well the energy and planning that goes into most American weddings! Bridesmaid dresses, color schemes, party favors, dinner menus, flowers, decorations, Bachelor/Bachelorette parties, showers, rehearsal dinners, gift registry,etc...! Not only are the weddings I have been to intricately planned over the course of a year, but they are also expensive! I had all but decided that I would be eloping if the day ever comes that I am ready to say "I DO".

This wedding was different and inspired me in many ways and I realized there is a way to celebrate such a special day with ones closest friends and family without turning into bridezilla or going bankrupt on the way down the alter!

I was very struck by how calm and collected my friend was about the wedding plans. There were last minute details to be taken care of the days before the wedding, but she was so laid back and calm about everything.

My friend explained to me that women in Holland are not born with the idea that marriage is one of the biggest and most important days in your life and it needs to be perfect. She said that many people never get married but choose to have children together. That's perfectly okay in her society. A wedding is icing on the cake and is not the most important thing to look forward to in ones life.

My friend was the perfect bride. Gracious, glowing, beautiful, relaxed. Attending the ceremony was small number of the couple's closest friends and family to witness the exchanging of vows. The ceremony was in Dutch so I had absolutely no idea what was being said but could tell by the glowing smiles of my friend and her fiance that they were extremely happy and excited to begin their new lives together. There were no bridesmaids or groomsmen but one witness who got to choose whatever she wanted to wear for the wedding. The couple sat in chairs side by side and held hands throughout the ceremony.

After the ceremony everyone gathered for tea, coffee, and cakes congratulating the couple. Next, the majority of those attending the ceremony left to get dinner on their own and to rest but were all invited back to the party that would take place a few hours later. The bride and groom then enjoyed a very intimate dinner with close friends and family. I was lucky to be a part of this dinner. Rehearsal dinners do not occur the day before the wedding in The Netherlands. Speeches were given during the dinner on the day of the wedding.

In The Netherlands couples invite a larger group on people to attend the after ceremony party so everyone can literally celebrate their marriage. A band played and drinks were served until the early morning. The strangest thing happened during the party in which a group of people dress in costumes and wigs got up on stage and performed a skit. It is common for people to perform a skit to make fun of something has has happened to bride and or groom in the past. Apparently the groom's friends from University use to call him "Tom Cruise "and performed a skit incorporated photos and stories throughout the years they. Someone was kind enough to translate parts of the skit for me but I had a hard time understanding exactly what was happening but everyone around me seemed very amused!

At the end of the reception everyone was served sausage rolls and coffee. It was a perfect ending to a perfect day!

I love meant to be.

Starry Night

The sights of the stars always makes me dream, in as simple a way as the black spots on the map, representing towns and villages, makes me dream. Why, I say to myself, should the spots of lights in the fimament be less accessible to us than the black spots on the map in France? Just as we take the train to go to Tarascon, we take death to go to a star.

- Vincent Van Gogh