Spot Che From Home

The newest posting over at Che Spotting proves you don't have to leave home in order to spot Che.

You could just ramble on over to your nearest Redbox movie rental stand.

You might be surprised to find him lurking in there.

Cabo Polonio Revisited

A while back, I got an email from a guy who had read an article of mine on GoNomad.

It was my story about my trip to Cabo Polonio, Uruguay.

The reader was contemplating heading there himself. While I had arrived there by bus, he wanted to know if I thought renting a car and driving there would be a doable option.

I told him yes, and we exchanged a few more notes about traveling in Uruguay, Cabo Polonio itself and beautiful, beautiful Buenos Aires just to the south.

Well, today I got another email from him. He made the trip to Cabo Polonio. He did rent a car and drive. The whole thing went off without a hitch.

And he also sent me a link to some of his photos. This one, in particular, touched me.

I took a picture of that exact same boat -- "La Nena" -- pulled up on the sand in the exact same spot!

Good to know the boat's still there and my work and words were able to direct yet another traveler to a great and totally unique place.

Great Travel Memoir - Haiku Apprentice

I have died and and gone to heaven.

Actually, that was last week. Now, I'm alive again and back on planet Earth.

The reason behind my transformative state was a book called The Haiku Apprentice.

During the time that I was reading it, I was "in heaven." Now, though, I've turned the last page and am wondering how the next book I pick up has any hope in topping it.

The book combined two of my obsessions: Travel and Haiku.

It was written by an American woman who is living in Japan and working as a diplomat. At a work function, an older Japanese gentleman invites her to join his haiku group. She doesn't consider herself a poet in the least, but decides to attend on a lark.

But she gets hooked and the rest of the book is her investigation into what makes haiku "Japanese."

She launches into a cultural study of the art of haiku and in the process reveals so many fascinating tidbits about the mindset and history of the Japanese.

I've never been to Japan, and truth be told, hadn't really had much interest. But now, I'm chomping at the bit to go.

Until reading this book, it had never occurred to me that I could plan a "haiku themed trip" to Japan. Now though, the idea is budding.

Lost Souvenirs

Today, I pulled into a parking spot at the gym, cut my engine, looked up and noticed this charm glittering from a bare, spring tree directly in front of me.

I moved closer to check it out and realized it was a key ring, probably one that had fallen off of someone's key bunch and dropped to the parking lot ground.

That must have happened months ago, though, as the ring is so rusted that it's clearly been hanging here all winter since someone else found it and hung it there.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed it said "Jerusalem" on it. Oh...it was someone's travel souvenir.

And that's when I noticed the billowing Perkin's flag across the street. My camera was in the car, so I grabbed it and snapped this shot:

Azadeh Moaveni On Air On Iran

Last week, in my driving around between here and there, I caught bits and pieces of an interview on MPR with a woman named Azadeh Moaveni.

I was so interested in what she had to say, that this morning I went out to the MPR web site, found the complete interview online and listened to it while doing paperwork in my office.

I would recommend it to anyone!

Moaveni is an American journalist and an author who is ethnically Iranian.

Her most recent book just came out. It's called Honeymoon in Tehran. In 2005, she accepted a reporting job that set her up in Tehran covering current events in Iran.

While there, she fell in love, got married and had a baby, thinking that life in Iran wasn't so bad and that she wanted to stay there.

But then . . . but then things turned sour and she needed to get out. Her experiences and her perceptions about Iran were fascinating.

Plus, she knows Roxanna Saberi, the American journalist who is currently being held on espionage charges in Iran. It was interesting to hear what she had to say about that.

If you want to hear the interview, you can find it here.

Photo - from Azadeh Moaveni's web site.

Smart Talking Phylicia Rashad

Last night I attended part four of the five-part Smart Talk series in Minneapolis.

This time, the speaker was Phylicia Rashad -- otherwise known as Mrs. Huxtible from The Cosby Show.

I have very fond memories of watching The Cosby Show when I was younger. I was in junior high the the show first debuted. I was excited for a behind-the-scenes peak into the show.

Mrs. Rashad, though, didn't spend a whole lot of her time talking about the show. She spent more time talking about her childhood, her break through into acting and the lessons she had learned from life.

And you know what . . . even though she didn't talk about what I had assumed she would, at the end of the night, I found myself impressed and inspired.

And calmed. Mrs. Rashad is actively meditates, and I could tell as she had a very soothing and spiritual presence on stage.

I found it heartening to hear that there had been many times in her life when she had felt like everything was going wrong -- not because I wanted her life to be off-key, but because it made her human.

Here is something valuable she said last night that I am going to take away and try to put into regular practice in my life.

But first, I have to set it up a little: So, you know how everyone is always saying we should learn from our mistakes . . .

Not only is that cliche, but it's so hollow. Okay. I'll learn from my mistakes -- but could somebody please tell me exactly what it is I'm supposed to be learning? It seems like the lesson should be clear, but so many times in life, it's not.

Mrs. Rahad, though, had this to say:

Making mistakes should teach us to be more understanding and less judgmental of others.

Easier said than done, but the next time I'm left wondering what I did wrong, I'm going to try and keep this in mind.

Missing: Minneapolis Cherry

Minneapolis is missing its cherry.

The Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture, which is the most iconic image of Minneapolis, is in a state of repair.

The cherry was taken down a couple weeks ago and is getting spiffed up with a new coat of paint.

The cherry's removal made the news when it was taken down. I'd forgotten, though, that it was gone and was startled to see the naked spoon when I strolled through the Sculpture Garden the other day.

People were still snapping photos of it though. As did I. In all my life, I've never seen this spoon without its cherry.

Here's a shot from a few summers back of what it's supposed to look like.

Check Out Che Spotting

I'm so excited!

My new web site, CheSpotting, is done, online and good to go!

I started the site with my friend Jen. It's something we've been thinking about for several years. Finally, we got around to it!

Here's the deal: The next time you're out and about, traveling through the world, keep your eyes peeled for an image of Che.

When you spot him, take a picture. Then submit your picture to CheSpotting.com and we'll post it for all to see.

Our goal is not political. It's pop.

Once you open your eyes to Che, you'll start to see that he's everywhere. We're fascinated by the many ways and many places that his image shows up.

We're all about appreciating the spread of the image, and not at all about spreading the joys (or lack there of) of Communism.

Come on over and check out CheSpotting!

Photos (c) CheSpotting.com

Questions Answered: Bowling Across America

Yesterday I mused about eating chocolate while getting a massage in all 50 states. I still think that's a good idea.

The idea was brought on by a book I read: Bowling Across America: 50 States in Rented Shoes.

Not only did the book get me thinking about the one thing I'd like to do in all 50 states, it also got me thinking about the idea of a travel quest.

And so I contacted Mike Walsh, bowling author extraordinaire, and asked him what he thought.

A bowling alley is a great equalizer. The setting, rules and equipment are pretty much the same wherever you go. Given that, what factors lent the greatest flavor to all your various bowling experiences?

My book was really predicated on that idea—that the bowling alleys would be the "control" for the experiment, and that the people within them would be the variable. And so it turned out.

There was the bartender who talked nonstop at Ball Park Lanes just outside of Yankee Stadium, the retired Maine lobsterman with tales of life on the sea, the guys at the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks in Jackson, Wyoming whose club contains the town's only bowling alley.

The people are what made the journey worthwhile, and the book worth writing.

You definitely had a goal when you set off on this trip. What did ‘being on a quest’ add to your trip?

Being on a quest with defined parameters helped keep me going. It added a sense of purpose, and focus, to the trip. It made it less of a lark (though quitting your job to go bowling is most certainly a lark) and more of a mission.

Each state I completed was a tangible measure of progress that affected the mood and pace of the project. Knocking out the first half of the states in just a couple of months was a rush that quickly diminished upon realizing the vastness of the 25 states I had yet to complete.

Coming up on the last two states, Alaska and Hawaii, afforded a sense of reflection. And completing the 50th came with a mixture of satisfaction and loss. What an accomplishment! And what am I going to do now?

Oh, and by the way, that's me with my scorecard after bowling in my 50th state - not my score!

Did you ever wish you could have ditched the bowling and just road tripped sans plan?

I never tired of the bowling aspect of the trip. Had time and money not been factors, I'd have done more sightseeing, but frankly I found the best way to really get to know a place was to go where the locals go. And what better place to do that than the bowling alley?

If you had to pick just one bowling alley as the best bowling alley in the whole country, which one would you pick and why?

Milwuakee's Holler House always tops my list, thanks to the owner/barmaid. Marcy Skowronski is now 82 years old, but that doesn't keep her from telling jokes that would make a sailor blush while she serves Polish beers. Worth the trip just to be in her orbit for a little while.

But it's sort of an exceptional place in that it hinges on Marcy's presence. That, and the lanes are manually set and in the basement—making the bowling more of a novelty.

My top favs from the whole trip are listed on my web site.

But, if I had to have only one bowling alley on a desert island it would be Saratoga Lanes in St. Louis. Eight lanes, a bunch of pool tables, and a bar in between connecting the two halves of the room. A mix of serious bowlers, casual drinkers and pool sharks makes for good conversation. And there's no electronic scoring, so you still have to know how to mark a strike.

Any plans to extend this bowling quest to the world stage?

I would like to bowl on every continent, though I doubt I'll derail my career again to do it.

This summer I'm going on a Mediterranean cruise and, while I don't anticipate using the eight hours I'll have during the Rome stop to find the Vatican bowling alley, there happens to be one on the ship. Given my fair skin I suspect I'll be in there more than I'd care to admit.

Bowling Across America

If I could do one thing in all 50 states, I think it would be to get a massage.

Or eat chocolate.

Or eat chocolate while getting a massage.

Mike Walsh, on the other hand, wanted to bowl in all 50 states. And he did it, too. He accomplished his goal.

His bowling adventures are detailed in his recently-published book called -- what else? -- Bowling Across America: 50 States in Rented Shoes.

I read it and it got me thinking about the difference between aimless travel and a travel quest.

I've done both, and each has its rewards.

While I tend to be a proponent of the "aimless" brand of travel, I cannot in good faith say that most of my trips are itinerary-free.

On the other hand, there is something to be said for having a travel plan, for setting yourself on a course and sticking to it. There is a certain amount of satisfaction felt when you reach your final destination.

But I wondered what Mike Walsh thought. His bowling quest lasted 6 months and put 25,000 miles on his car. That's a long way to go to fulfill a dream.

I sent him an email to see if he thought the bowling quest had been worth it. Check back tomorrow to see what he had to say.

The Pakistani Bride

Many months ago I attended an event hosted by Milkweed Editions, an independent publisher headquartered here in Minneapolis.

At the end of the night, those in attendance were told to choose a book from the table at the door on their way out.

The books covering the table had all been published by Milkweed. I grabbed one called The Pakistani Bride. It wasn't until recently, though, that I cracked its cover.

I loved it.

It was written by a woman name Bapsi Sidhwa, who has an impressive personal story herself. She's written several novels and while she grew up in Pakistan, she now lives in the States.

The Pakistani Bride was actually Sidhwa's first book. Milkweed's recent edition will hopefully breathe new life into its circulation. It would be a fantastic book club read. Young women - high school aged - should read it, too, I think. It would get them all riled up about women's rights. There is much to talk about here.

The book is partially set in the city of Lahore, Pakistan. It's a city I've never visited myself, but have a vivid picture of in my head.

Up until about two years ago, I'd never even heard of the place. But then I read a book called The Dancing Girls of Lahore -- which totally captured my imagination.

And then, this past summer, I read another book set in Lahore. This one was called The Reluctant Fundamentalist. It, too, held my rapt attention.

So while I've never been there, now, after reading three books in fairly close succession that were all set in this city, Lahore is prominent in my mind.

How Many Passport Stamps Do You Need?

Do you want the truth?

One hundred passport stamps still

won't satisfy me.

This is a haiku I posted today on my haiku site, Haiku By Two.

We're hosting a haiku contest today in honor of our 100th haiku posting.

Send us your best haiku using the words "one hundred" and the 5 syllable-7 syllable-5 syllable count rule and you could win a prize!

Shelter for Life

One of the things I like most about my work as a freelance writer is that the job itself is constantly expanding my horizons.

Every time I sit down to interview someone for an upcoming article, I learn something new.

The other thing that happens is that I develop a supreme respect for the person with whom I'm speaking.

People are so cool and if you give them the time and space to open up, and you listen -- this being the most important I think -- they will tell you things that are amazing.

I met Rand Olson back in January when I interviewed him about the nonprofit he runs called Shelter for Life, which builds homes, schools, sewage systems, water pumps and more in some of the most impoverished, desolate and destroyed parts of the world.

For days afterward, I was in awe. This man had done so many interesting things, seen such fascinating parts of the world, knew so much about so many wide-ranging subjects that I had a hard time wrapping my arms around his life.

My article about Shelter for Life was just released the other day. You can see it here:

Doing Good Across the Globe

Delta's Sky Magazine Produced in MSP

The Delta-Northwest merger has been a big deal here in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

That's because the Twin Cities was the headquarters of Northwest Airlines.

Anytime Northwest started merger talks with another airline, the local media here would get all antsy, seeking out mayors and the like for their take on what a merger would mean in terms of job losses for the area.

Now that the merger has been approved, changes have started taking place out at the MSP airport.

Northwest signs have been taken down. Delta ones have gone up.

Check-in counters that used to be red have been painted blue. Northwest airplanes are being repainted to match up with the Delta fleet.

Surely Minneapolis will lose some jobs, but one local business managed to score big with the merger.

MSP Communications puts out several high-end glossy magazines, and they are the new publishers of Delta's in-flight magazine, Sky.

The magazine has been revamped, beautified and put online.

It's looking pretty slick and they're hoping others think so, too: Now you can subscribe to the magazine so that even if you're not flying Delta, you can still read the in-flight mag.

April is National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month and I just have to take a moment to mention this.

Travel is one of my loves, but so is writing haiku, and I also publish a haiku blog called Haiku By Two.

Since it's the month to celebrate all things poetic, head on over and check it out.

Today, we've got an open call out to our readers to send us a haiku on the topic of "kitchens."

Acqua Alta on the Page and in Real Life

I've got a bad case of Spring Fever.

I'd love to pack up and hit the road. Or the skies.

Venice is a place I've never been and for some reason, it's been at front and center in my mind over the past few months.

Hubby and I keep talking about going there. But when?

I must have been musing on Venice in a recent conversation with a friend of mine because she recommended a book called Acqua Alta.

It's written by Donna Leon and is book three in a nine-book series about a detective who lives in Venice.

Why, of all the books in the series, she recommended that one, I don't know. I didn't ask. But last week, I picked up the book and gave it a go.

It didn't occur to me until I was already into the book, that "Acqua Alta" means "high water."

The waters are rising in Venice throughout the book, adding an underlying sense of foreboding to the mystery that is going on in the forefront.

However, the rising-water theme was also playing out in reality, adding a strange sort of flood-obsession to my life last week.

The flooding Red River in Fargo-Moorhead has kept me riveted to the evening news for many nights now. I attended college in that town and have friends who live there still.

I had several "flood" dreams last week and I'm sure it's because I spent entirely too much time reading about floods, looking at friends' flood pictures on Facebook, watching news accounts of floods and surfing the Internet for video footage of "acqua alta" in Venice.

Here's a You Tube video I found of rising waters in Venice. Amazing. I just can't fathom that this water comes up like this, and people just go about their lives.

And while I think I'll try to avoid Acqua Alta, I still want to go to Venice.

Bring the 2016 Olympics to Ely, Minnesota!

Ely, Minnesota has applied to host the summer Olympics in 2016.

The town's Olympic committee announced its plans two days ago, on April 1, 2009.

When asked how Ely compares with Madrid, another city that is also in the running for the 2016 summer Olympics, an Ely committee spokesperson said:

"Do you know how much it costs to fly to Madrid? A lot more than it costs to drive to Ely."

Take a gander at their press conference below:



April Fool's Day joke or no -- it's quite a brilliant marketing scheme for the city.

Besides, they're actually gaining support, so who knows?

You can join the Ely 2016 Facebook page.

Or you can visit the Ely 2016 web site.

Meeting Fran Drescher

Last week I went to hear Fran Drescher speak.

Not only that, but I also got to shake her hand and say hello. Oh, and get my picture snapped with her.

She was in Minneapolis as part of the Smart Talk lecture series and her message, basically, was be optimistic and take chances.

I got my picture taken with her exactly because I had taken a chance.

Back in January, when I was at the first of the Smart Talk series events, I saw a call out in the program that said the organization was looking for "artists" who might be interested in working with Smart Talk.

Hey - I thought - isn't a writer an ar-TEEST?

I took a chance and sent an email to the address listed, said I was a writer and a blogger, included some links to my work and ... well, I managed to get myself and a friend backstage to meet The Nanny.

Smart Talk and I haven't quite figured out where exactly our relationship is going, but...

But now they me. I know them. And I got to meet Fran Drescher.

Sports On A Stick Isn't Fooling

It might be April Fools Day, but I've got a web site to share that's seriously funny - no joke!

It's called Sports on a Stick.

It's all sports news and it's all satire.

If you're a fan of The Onion, you're sure to find something that will tickle your funny bone at Sports on a Stick.

I had the privilege of interviewing the guys who started it. Ben Malmo and Sam Testa happened to grow up in my neck of the woods and continue to live in the Twin Cities today.

They were a fun pair to work with -- all jabs and giggles. They certainly enjoy what they're doing, which is reflected in their site.

If you're in need a sports-related smile, check it out.