Travel

Step Back in Time

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Village Life. Hongcun, China. July 2007. 

Village Life. Hongcun, China. July 2007. 

I first caught of glimpse of Hongcun (Anhui province) in the film "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon". Visiting this UNESCO World Heritage site is like walking back in time hundreds of years. It is a well preserved village with homes dating back to the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Painters make the pilgrimage to Hongcun specifically to paint the architecture. If given the chance, I would go back and visit because it was a very welcome break from the urban crowds in nearby cities. 

Balance and Focus

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I'm Not Aimless. London, England. July 2010. 

I'm Not Aimless. London, England. July 2010. 

Directly beneath Queen Elizabeth Hall on the south side of the Thames is this gem. Skaters started to use this space in the 1970s. In 2008, South Bank Skate Park was threatened with closure for retail development, however it was saved with the help and encouragement of local governement. I love the color explosion on the walls of the park and am very happy it is not going anywhere anytime soon. 

Glass Ceiling

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The Glass Ceiling. Paris, France. August 2012.

I thought this was a timely photo to post as it coincides with The Clinton Foundation & The Gates Foundation's 'No Ceilings: The Full Participation Project" report. The retrospective report compiles 20 years of data on the status of women, girls, and gender equality. Two decades since former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed the United Nations Conference in Beijing, delcaring that "women's rights are human rights," progress has been made, however there are still significant barriers to closing the gender gap around the world. To draw attention to this disparity, Secretary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton launched the 'Not There' global campaign yesterday on International Women's Day to draw much needed attention to gender equality. I hope that we can finally break through the glass ceiling before another 20 years goes by. 

The Whirling Dervishes

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Spin, spin, spin. Istanbul, Turkey. November 2012. 

One of the highlights of Istanbul was watching dervishes whirl during the Mevlevi Sema at Galata Mevlevihanesi, the city's oldest "tekke". The men spun for about an hour+ to musicians playing from an elevated terrace. It was what I expected, graceful, spiritual, and mesmerizing. I did not understand the ceremony (and still don't!), however I could appreciate the difficulty in endlessly spinning. As a skater, I know what it feels like to spin, but could not imagine doing it for hours on end. 

St. Nicholas & St. Alexander

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St. Nicholas & St. Alexander. Tallinn, Estonia. July 2013. 

 

What I love about this view from St. Olav's Church terrace are the two distinct architectural styles in the skyline - St. Nicholas' Church gothic spire and St. Alexander Nevsky's onion domes. These two structures are stand outs in Tallinn's old city center. 

 

Big Big Buddha

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Great Buddha. Kamakura, Japan. December 2014. 

"...A tourist-show, a legend told,
A rusting bulk of bronze and gold,
So much, and scarce so much, ye hold
 The meaning of Kamakura?

But when the morning prayer is prayed,
Think, ere ye pass to strife and trade,
Is God in human image made
 No nearer than Kamakura?"
- The Five Nations/Buddha at Kamakura by Rudyard Kipling

Waiting for Bondinho

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Tram Teardrop. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. September 2014. 

When you visit Rio's neighborhood Santa Teresa, you will notice one thing missing - the famous yellow street car. The tram system in Santa Teresa, also known as "bondinho", was taken out of commission following a fatal derailment accident. Since then, the "tram teardrop" symbol was adopted by local residents to show their sadness for the accident and for the loss of the "bondinho" which was closely identified with their neighborhood."

Wall of Broken Tiles

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Broken Tiles. Istanbul, Turkey. November 2012.

My friend Roz and I came across this wall while strolling through Sultanahmet. What I love about these particular fragments is that many of them feature the tulip. The tulip is the national flower of Turkey, a fact that I was completely unaware of prior to my trip. Tulip, is actually derived from "tulbend," the Turkish word for the turban due to the flower's shape and likeness to one.