tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30617312814690340342024-03-13T14:51:02.903-04:00THE GREAT-FULL SEE-SAWHarnessing knowledge, culture, creativity, wellness, community and sustainability. FOR A GREAT, FULL, BALANCED LIFE. :-)Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061731281469034034.post-14603219404815563692013-05-31T03:36:00.001-04:002013-06-01T00:34:10.554-04:00Social media sites. Facebook newsfeed. Apps. Emails. Texts messages. Smart phones. Laptops. Highways. Public transport during rush hour. Our minds. All come with a constant flow of words, information and clutter. It keeps coming and you can only assimilate so much. Stop trying to take it ALL in. You never will. Trying to will make you crazy. It's just not necessary.<br />
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Today I leave you with one word. One phrase. One lesson. One action. One truth. <br />
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All you'll ever really need:<br />
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LOVE. <br />
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Assimilate that.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061731281469034034.post-32399766735156989022013-05-16T00:18:00.001-04:002013-05-17T14:02:57.738-04:00What big eyes you haveIn the modern world we are both more and less connected than we've ever been. We can connect to virtually anyone, anywhere, anytime and yet there is a severe disconnect between people on a spiritual level. When is the last time you really looked into someone's eyes for more than 2 or 3 seconds? 5? Even when we do glance at people in the street it is often less than a second. <br />
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Today, I dare you to connect with someone in a deeper level - without words.<br />
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The challenge? Look at one another in the eyes for five seconds. It may feel like the longest five seconds you've experienced for a long time. Ask yourselves how you felt. What emotions came up? Laughter? Discomfort? Connection? Fear? Love? Whatever it may be just try it out and be aware of how it felt. Look at how you felt before and after. It is a simple practice that has become almost foreign to many. Go ahead, try something new today. It only takes five seconds!<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061731281469034034.post-52698406168875751172013-05-10T11:38:00.000-04:002013-05-10T11:38:13.542-04:00Spot the Smile<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Twice a week I take a seven year old home from school on the subway. He is always asking for my iphone to play games on and begging for ice cream and candy which I try desperately not to give in to (seeing as I think of skittles and the likes as legalized crack and would feel guilty drugging a kid-sorry ice cream man!). </span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yesterday, in attempt to bring the fun back and distract him from the "misery" he goes through not getting to play on an iphone and eat insane amounts of sugar, I told him about the exciting new game we could play. It's called: "Spot the Smile". One point for every smile you spot. Whoever gets to 10 first "wins". He always beat me. I tried to explain that everyone wins in this game because you end up with a big huge smile on your face! He still likes to go by the "winner/loser" senario. Either way it really brightened both of our days. Also, playing it in New York City makes it all the more challenging . It is New York after all. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Today I challenge all of you to play, even if by yourself. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You'll be amazed how happy it can make you to "spot the smiles" rather than stare at the frowns. Or peoples shoes. Or the pavement. You get the picture.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Happy Days and Smiles to all,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Katie</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061731281469034034.post-75225062856310934832013-02-26T14:09:00.001-05:002013-02-26T14:09:09.275-05:00Olive Ridley Sea Turtles<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The endangered Olive Ridley Sea Turtles are released every year on the north shore of Bahia de Bandera (The Bay of Banderas) in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">AMA Mexico has been dedicated to the conservation of these turtles since 2002. In the year 2012 they successfully relocated over 9,000 endangered nests and moved them to incubation corrals on the beaches of Nuevo Vallarta. </span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061731281469034034.post-78371223996655322622013-02-22T13:49:00.002-05:002013-02-22T13:54:42.783-05:00Dare of the day:<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">"If you're reading this...congratulations, you're alive. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">If that's not something to smile about, then I don't </span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">know what is."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">-Chad Sugg, Monsters Under Your Head</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>DARE OF THE DAY</b>:</span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Try to make <b>eye contact</b> with and <b>smile</b> at <b>EVERY</b> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">person you walk by today...</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 18px;">Just to see what happens. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">You will be amazed how you feel with every step you </span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">take.</span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> It felt like my heart was exploding with </span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">fireworks and sunflowers. </span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Theres no better feeling </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">than watch a </span></span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">strangers face light up. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">This one is especially for you New Yorkers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">love, a gift </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">to that person, a beautiful thing.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">-Mother Teresa</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If your heart feels like this at the end of the day....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well done. You're alive!!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 18px;">Happy Days to ALL :-)</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061731281469034034.post-88357974525306517812013-02-22T13:08:00.002-05:002013-02-22T13:12:39.211-05:00Lincoln center<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Lincoln center dazzling after the rain.</div>
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Piece from "The Ballet Project" by FAILE</div>
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Princess Aurora's dress from the wedding scene in "Sleeping Beauty"<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061731281469034034.post-25974824333755930122013-02-19T13:00:00.001-05:002013-02-19T13:00:21.978-05:00Scatter sunshineLive simply, expect little, give much. Fill your life with love, scatter sunshine. Forget self. Think of others and do as you would be done by.<br />
-unknown <br />
<br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSrVKFrDFpmUEYAXKTMApoQ_zhTa3YraZpbFEkEJEv5Cx1dpSwj_sJjSGMNuKObDg5fOU5AnV63805z6mGWMP0qtxq0e84TpIu_WpDXTHxG5egIGxjsnjOmVWEkNm4Au5RnaVr2r8dMFlD/s640/blogger-image--1412130097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSrVKFrDFpmUEYAXKTMApoQ_zhTa3YraZpbFEkEJEv5Cx1dpSwj_sJjSGMNuKObDg5fOU5AnV63805z6mGWMP0qtxq0e84TpIu_WpDXTHxG5egIGxjsnjOmVWEkNm4Au5RnaVr2r8dMFlD/s640/blogger-image--1412130097.jpg" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061731281469034034.post-10206734392893550382013-02-10T01:25:00.001-05:002013-02-10T01:27:55.010-05:00TemazcalTemazcal are a type of sauna or sweat lodge made from volcanic rock and cement. They've been around since the existence of indigenous cultures in parts of Mexico and Central America and are still used for ceremonies to cleanse the mind, body and spirit. Upon entering each person stopped at the doorway to ask for permission for ourselves and the relationships we carry to enter. The steam is created by pouring water over heater volcanic rocks and herbs are used for medicinal purposes. Each person chose an intention for the ceremony and we chanted and sang (or mumbled and hummed in Spanglish) throughout the ceremony.<br />
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This one is located in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico. <br />
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Buenos Dias!<br />
<br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFBICplNZpRq-N9TRpmc0AnHwqF8Rou8RoMJFizDng9G6QIT8gZb2oz2fwe8fPiNmQSs_jJO7I99f4UefqcV7wkUY84nyjvqzt3lbGEh7O_lqUHkNKCCNYdA8wu2dHlHOAntYfqXArKaU/s640/blogger-image--1690922968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFBICplNZpRq-N9TRpmc0AnHwqF8Rou8RoMJFizDng9G6QIT8gZb2oz2fwe8fPiNmQSs_jJO7I99f4UefqcV7wkUY84nyjvqzt3lbGEh7O_lqUHkNKCCNYdA8wu2dHlHOAntYfqXArKaU/s640/blogger-image--1690922968.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0QMHbm-kJwpyaaq_C1-VNHtqahZa8WJOkk710tughxRJwkbkVsGC6g2K9e4J_nwOUh-YvqNIy_pdY-yRndP0RTAP2NsIM2ovZV9T78k8fX7ajQI8yqNJsUVaVPysAGaEpWwjEfKQyBxE/s640/blogger-image-944585457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0QMHbm-kJwpyaaq_C1-VNHtqahZa8WJOkk710tughxRJwkbkVsGC6g2K9e4J_nwOUh-YvqNIy_pdY-yRndP0RTAP2NsIM2ovZV9T78k8fX7ajQI8yqNJsUVaVPysAGaEpWwjEfKQyBxE/s640/blogger-image-944585457.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqflLm9A3qCGbqwMyImD8x9iZeGAvFVeEojfUO8dgKwxqwehz3d6xBYBovoFaTchtDhS_nLPm5HHkxVSUTzjJHE2uKDHw4YETSURUT6MbcIaLXnNbGVbtC4NlybKB75VIjg3qlLT-5DMyM/s640/blogger-image--999867403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqflLm9A3qCGbqwMyImD8x9iZeGAvFVeEojfUO8dgKwxqwehz3d6xBYBovoFaTchtDhS_nLPm5HHkxVSUTzjJHE2uKDHw4YETSURUT6MbcIaLXnNbGVbtC4NlybKB75VIjg3qlLT-5DMyM/s640/blogger-image--999867403.jpg" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061731281469034034.post-79832019458354502452013-02-08T01:51:00.001-05:002013-02-08T07:13:23.806-05:00AlfajoresCrumbly sandwich cookies filled with dulce de leche (caramel) and covered in coconut. Alfajores are from Latin America and especially popular in Argentina. Delicioso! <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZLfBdozyf_b3sL5kG9TfnTA4p8Qj_gAk-0sgBKXgd_AmPxOAcJlAh0fdUOrYN_TBrW6K7z4OnZfAcO9GpotV6PHyOqmVuuGA9V8qX4uwe6kzCXPMc7qaJwhTR4uUUDxX_tfVYSD1oPod-/s640/blogger-image--2045859840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZLfBdozyf_b3sL5kG9TfnTA4p8Qj_gAk-0sgBKXgd_AmPxOAcJlAh0fdUOrYN_TBrW6K7z4OnZfAcO9GpotV6PHyOqmVuuGA9V8qX4uwe6kzCXPMc7qaJwhTR4uUUDxX_tfVYSD1oPod-/s640/blogger-image--2045859840.jpg" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061731281469034034.post-68757657068446848342013-02-07T20:25:00.001-05:002013-02-07T20:27:11.063-05:00MiamiSouth Beach, Miami <br />
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<br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQownP_KT4tLlv_aLUVSmrw9RX8hyyYkCCbhbaI6Pza5oB3gPswR8YHKqjzlDn1qAWT-QCO-L5-2Tu1wbRp0AosWQDu2yeMrLzJDjT_wrqC3pIm-9R-dGIHd6MHhcsyvBVL27vm8BKtJN/s640/blogger-image--1719269315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQownP_KT4tLlv_aLUVSmrw9RX8hyyYkCCbhbaI6Pza5oB3gPswR8YHKqjzlDn1qAWT-QCO-L5-2Tu1wbRp0AosWQDu2yeMrLzJDjT_wrqC3pIm-9R-dGIHd6MHhcsyvBVL27vm8BKtJN/s640/blogger-image--1719269315.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2yTU4wcHfgfMHElgkUoiOW_2HNn0W8TkysChRRdvVDr_TreGxvW7WLxzwSMD7AAfA0WTpGy0tMKkwv57s4EmirxnKSSqUUrVFGvs7wc4uv2VFb7g5_ib8y8UvTxLozV2wQ9Soeb8TwsXf/s640/blogger-image--228032373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2yTU4wcHfgfMHElgkUoiOW_2HNn0W8TkysChRRdvVDr_TreGxvW7WLxzwSMD7AAfA0WTpGy0tMKkwv57s4EmirxnKSSqUUrVFGvs7wc4uv2VFb7g5_ib8y8UvTxLozV2wQ9Soeb8TwsXf/s640/blogger-image--228032373.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxiyHsRLa5PCRvc4o9NEotoDesMYMA72mq8-3fVoWYW0kRJbC2Ycbi0orHFIGB3rq0fdQb_KCsnfWbwBQGkA6l0_pjMQkHERWDtBOlB3iMuNDYP71AWmP_766RF_J-u4LjbAayk67gEGel/s640/blogger-image-38715507.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxiyHsRLa5PCRvc4o9NEotoDesMYMA72mq8-3fVoWYW0kRJbC2Ycbi0orHFIGB3rq0fdQb_KCsnfWbwBQGkA6l0_pjMQkHERWDtBOlB3iMuNDYP71AWmP_766RF_J-u4LjbAayk67gEGel/s640/blogger-image-38715507.jpg" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061731281469034034.post-12223096669269535182013-02-06T15:40:00.001-05:002013-02-06T15:41:53.924-05:00Mind is like dustFrom Osho's book "Awareness" <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZGKaCx2Qt4WVY0mbVPoxkaCzQyrNeer-TAOgbXOKrxnDXMheKwnlFcapXqdocjCgT8UVV22aeqg1RgtwRjaDeX3s5ZCpkZv39AT_LzFyvagSGVLtbpuaobP8tMJsfbuVNibv3yeYxkAH/s640/blogger-image--754456604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZGKaCx2Qt4WVY0mbVPoxkaCzQyrNeer-TAOgbXOKrxnDXMheKwnlFcapXqdocjCgT8UVV22aeqg1RgtwRjaDeX3s5ZCpkZv39AT_LzFyvagSGVLtbpuaobP8tMJsfbuVNibv3yeYxkAH/s640/blogger-image--754456604.jpg" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061731281469034034.post-6465786876368562282013-02-02T12:53:00.001-05:002013-02-02T12:57:41.980-05:00"Desiderata"Go placidly amidst the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.<br />
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Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.<br />
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Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.<br />
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Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.<br />
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Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.<br />
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Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.<br />
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Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.<br />
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And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its shams, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful.<br />
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Strive to be happy.<br />
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-Max Ehrmann<br />
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"Desiderata" is Latin for "desired things".<br />
This poem was written in 1927 by American writer Max Ehrmann (1872–1945). <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmt7zgP-vwnq5kFRXRc8YZSFxJYr6AMlrTWChgSwFPqTlCBzpWFe9JNIwfRh4lWptoIUPHQjd3FPTVS1cg8dgw_6eAZYT0iR2v3C4MtBJIHW2d-gV8U_pOWv9zr1A3KsMYPy7DAESXE0f-/s640/blogger-image-1124338611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmt7zgP-vwnq5kFRXRc8YZSFxJYr6AMlrTWChgSwFPqTlCBzpWFe9JNIwfRh4lWptoIUPHQjd3FPTVS1cg8dgw_6eAZYT0iR2v3C4MtBJIHW2d-gV8U_pOWv9zr1A3KsMYPy7DAESXE0f-/s640/blogger-image-1124338611.jpg" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061731281469034034.post-90673026587314204492013-01-24T06:21:00.000-05:002013-02-10T01:26:55.044-05:00New Year, New You: What are YOU gonna do?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2r60ISZJVnhaF9THHtbUU6Rj1VJsveJEf2uAvrVVPftF09pGMJ6dVZIwvRXNorG336h5lYNiI44IXN0TGkISWZTzLDC70V8oXW-1dyynkgHi7Y_IxFkCc-juF_TFEg89AgMUn3UrcwXEv/s1600/IMG_0282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2r60ISZJVnhaF9THHtbUU6Rj1VJsveJEf2uAvrVVPftF09pGMJ6dVZIwvRXNorG336h5lYNiI44IXN0TGkISWZTzLDC70V8oXW-1dyynkgHi7Y_IxFkCc-juF_TFEg89AgMUn3UrcwXEv/s320/IMG_0282.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">And so it goes: The new year roles around and in a blink of an eye, January has nearly flown on by. Again!</span><br />
<div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Every year we put off our self betterment with another excuse. "Next year, next month, next week, tomorrow, I'm just not ready, I can't afford it..." and so on and so forth. Well, this year I'm personally done with the excuses. I've heard them all. From everyone, including myself. Most notably myself. I've always been the queen of excuses. There's always something with me. This year I'm going to practice what I preach (or at least try a little harder at it.) That laundry list of things I've always wanted to learn? Classes I wanted to take? It's getting a whole lot of cross outs this time around. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I volunteered with a school program in Queens teaching kids to use creativity to build confidence and teamwork. We danced in a circle, taking turns showing off our groove and following each others moves. It was a blast. Ive sat through shows with acts ranging from poets to songwriters, musos to beat boxers and rappers that can rhyme faster than I talk (if you know me, you are well aware of how impossible this idea sounds). All of this, inspiring yet another new dream, to learn how to beatbox and rap. Really! Singing lessons are booked. Dance classes have been danced. Old school hip hop? Kathy a.k.a. "Go get it gurl!" took us on "tour" with MC Hammer. I've still got my "pumps in a bump". Gleefull class has Cee Lo's "Forget You" stuck in my head, indefinitely. Doonya (a fusion of Indian classical/folk/Bollywood dance) has me ready to sign up for the three month Doonya challenge (and maybe even a training course) and this is just the beginning. Unnata aerial yoga? Ready and waiting for the next teacher training! Hammock fluidity? I hung upside down, attempting to twist and turn my body into the correct position (without falling) long enough to have a bruise to show for it. I have plans to install a silk hammock from my ceiling. It's in the talks, anyway. Oh, the many, if not infinite uses of a large piece of fabric hanging from the ceiling. Its a chair! It's a swing! It's a yoga/fitness prop! No, it's my fantasy bed!! Pilates? No quite my thing but my body still aches, in a good way. An online Ayurveda course has begun and I'm about to sign up for a health coaching course as well. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">All in all, just weeks into this new year and I'm fully inspired, eagerly learning, happy as a clam, shining bright with gratitude and ready for more, more, more, please! My life is transforming into the most intriguing circus act. Heck, by the end of they year, I may even be ready to join the circus, if that is still my wish. My body is regaining strength and tone I haven't had since my high school cheerleading days. Fun and adventure levels are skyrocketing in ways they don't normally, unless while traveling. Okay, so my debt may be rising a little bit but nothing I can't, and haven't payed off before (with a lot of hard work). Charging every possible class onto your credit cards is a wee bit extreme and I don't recommend trying that at home, kids. Though, thanks to websites like www.classtivity.com and Groupon, great deals and new experiences are widely attainable. I do suggest you try something new. Hang upside down, dance like the cast from Glee, flex some muscle, pick up a paint brush, OM your shanti on, whatever floats your boat. Who knows, you're next hobby or dream job may just do a backflip in front of you screaming "Pick me!! pick me!". (Or perhaps it will come to you in the form of a Bollywood dancer). </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">What are you waiting for?? Go do it, to it!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061731281469034034.post-68996147811404163112013-01-16T02:49:00.001-05:002013-01-16T03:24:18.856-05:00Travel Tips 101:<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>BEFORE YOU GO</b><br />
Here are some basic things you REALLY want to cover before you go "Leaving on a Jet Plane" into the great abyss that we call Mother Earth. You may be a seasoned traveler and already know these things but DO go over them every once in a while. Spare yourselves the stress, time and energy that could potentially be wasted by taking care of all these teeny, tiny, yet necessary details during your trip. Even after months and even over a year away from my mother-ship country, I still run into issues and I am still learning.<br />
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<b>1. DOCUMENT COPIES:</b><br />
Make sure you've got paper copies AND files via email of ALL your important documents. (passport/drivers license/ID/credit cards/debit cards/insurance card/student ID/AAA card/prescriptions/membership cards/birth certificate/diplomas etc.) You really never know.<br />
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<b>2. PASSPORT PHOTOS:</b><br />
Always travel with several spare passport photos. If you ever find a super cheap place to get them, go ahead and stock up! I spent about $30-35/4 (or 8?) tiny little passport photos in Sydney. When I made it to India, they cost about $1/4. Needless to say I stocked up in India. I can recall several times while traveling where I had to spend my day looking for a place that does passport photos, waste money that was not in my budget (for mini pictures of myself) and wait for them to be printed. Than again, I cannot recall said moments as I may have blocked them out.<br />
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<b>3. VISA REQUIREMENTS:</b><br />
Don't just double check. Triple check visa requirements for each country you plan to enter. Even after checking a stamp on my Thai landing card, I was mistaken. It showed my landing date and the date three months from then, so I figured I have three months. I'd even showed other tourists. Turns out you only have one month at a time. You can do a visa run (leave and return) within that three month period but not stay more than a month without paying a fine. This I learned at the border crossing to Laos. I panicked, they giggled. I lost my landing card, which held the 3 month stamp (the one I clearly misunderstood). I stayed 17 days over, by mistake. Err, whoops? That's 500 Thai Baht/day or roughly $280. CASH only. Plus motorbike ride back into town to use the ATM. Plus the $5/transaction fees on about 4-5 transactions. You could only withdraw around 2000 Thai Baht or -$70 each time. Luckily my account had enough money left (though it was nearly the end of its ropes to begin with). Lesson learned? Do your homework. Pay attention to those horrid "regulations". Try not to overstay.<br />
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<b>4. CASH:</b><br />
ALWAYS ALWAYS have spare cash on you. I got into the habit of using up my currency in one country so I wouldn't have to spend more money reconverting the leftover notes in the next country. Also, as some exchange desks wont take all currencies from smaller countries such as Laos, Cambodia etc. Lets just say I was stranded at the airport in Germany long enough to learn to arrive with cash. My checking account had been closed by HSBC and transferred to a small bank while I was out of the county for 1 1/2 years. The bus tickets into the city were cash only. I was relying on CC cash advances. No, the currency exchange desk did not perform this service and I didn't know my credit card pin as I never planned on needing to take ATM cash advances. All in all, it was a learning experience of a day.<br />
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<b>5. TRAVELERS CHECKS:</b><br />
Take some emergency AMEX traveler checks too!! I finally just learned this one. And AMEX in general is amazing, they saved me from being completely stranded in the small airport near Frankfurt. I called them, they gave me a temporary PIN to access cash from an ATM. Easy, breezy, lifesavers.<br />
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<b>6. CC PIN NUMBER:</b><br />
Number 4 brings me to this one. Remember your Credit Card PIN number - call and change it so its the same as your debit cards PIN. Just in case you loose your debit card (i.e. forgot to remove it from the ATM in Bangkok), your lovely bank (ehh hem, HSBC) transfers all your accounts to a tiny bank while you are away from the country, or you simply go overboard (you have a terrible illness called the "travel bug" that convinces you to book just one more flight before going home), run out of money and need a cash advance. <br />
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<b>7. CUSTOMS:</b><br />
Always have an address and as much info as possible for where you're staying in a new country. Some countries are real strict about it (Heathrow Airport nearly made me cry). Have the name of a guesthouse/hotel, the address and phone number just in case. Some countries just looked at my passport and in I went where others (eh hem-England) have detained and fingerprinted me for 5 hrs. Have the info written on paper (not just your phone-the battery will likely decide to die just when you need it-or you'll realize you had the info sent to you via Facebook message and you no longer have service as your phone has a sim card from the last country you were in, with no balance. These things happen, at least to me. <br />
Also, have your "occupation" sorted out - I've gotten hell over these questions. I'm a bit of a dabbly drifty hippie it seams and never have one clear answer for these types of questions. I don't fit on paper. I'm a student. Of life. But no, I'm not enrolled anywhere. Not now anyway. But soon. But my travels are my studies. My last job? Well, I lived with a family. Kind of as an "Au Pair". But we didn't refer to me as a "nanny" or "au pair". I was just Katie, the friend/family extension that helped with stuff. So you're a nanny? Well just for those few months. I used to do makeup. I haven't done it in a while. But I'm kind of still a Makeup Artist. Just taking a break while traveling. But I just completed my yoga teacher training in India... "Do you want to do back to Delhi? Because I can send you back to Delhi!" Hmmph. To avoid the previous stress keep it clear and have a simple answer. Even if you're like me and there isn't really one.<br />
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<b>8. PAPER BOARDING PASSES:</b><br />
Some airports/airlines live in the past and require paper printouts of your boarding pass/itinerary just to get inside the airport (this even goes for the "top 2 rated airports in the world" ehh hemm Delhi Airport). If you arrive super early from an all night, twelve hour bus ride followed by a taxi that ripped you off - for about 3x what you payed before - your info may not be in the system yet and can take a good 30 minutes to get your print out (despite the not-so-very-early birds on line after you). Given the circumstances and that fact that you really have to wee, you may be in a foul and impatient mood and act in an unusually out-of-character, rude manner. This is not nice. If you're American, it especially doesn't help to fulfill any of our obnoxious stereotypes. Plus, did I mention it's not nice and you may feel bad about it later. Lesson: its good to have them printed just in case-or double check before each flight if they will need it or not.<br />
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<b>9. BAGGAGE CHECK:</b><br />
If you have to check a bag - do yourself a favor and kindly peek at the bag label to make sure it actually says YOUR name on it. Not someone with the same last name, who's first name is clearly a mans, such as John or Tom, when you are clearly "Katie" or (insert name here). People miss these things, it happens. Lets just say, when it comes to baggage tags, the vast differences between men and women may no longer exist, unless you really pay attention to the details. Pay attention to he details.<br />
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I know this was a lot of info but I've had moments of hell and back while traveling - even broke into tears a few times (I'm NOT one to cry in public or in front of anyone for that matter). Take my advice. Avoid near breakdowns in public places, foreign countries and pretty much anywhere. It's better to be prepared and happy. :-) Omm Shanti Shanti Shanti...</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061731281469034034.post-91350691183298371032012-12-30T15:20:00.002-05:002012-12-30T15:31:25.606-05:0030 Day Challenge Dear friends of the Universe,
I hereby challenge you to be gluten free, vegan, smoke and alcohol free, caffeine and sugar free (All unnaturally occurring sugar, fruits are okay) for 30 days beginning New Years Day 2013.
I know. The thought is maddening but we are in it together and CAN do this. I promise you will feel better if you complete the challenge. :-)
Join my Facebook page "30 Day Challenge"
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/30-Day-Challenge/354029838028233?sk=info">https://www.facebook.com/pages/30-Day-Challenge/354029838028233?sk=info</a>
All welcome to post photos, videos, tips, recipes, stories and articles about your success and struggles.
This is the perfect time to detox from the holidays, strengthen our immune systems so we can avoid getting colds or the flu, show gratitude for this life by respecting our bodies, celebrate the world NOT ending and start off 2013 with health, clarity and revitalization of our minds, body and spirits!
For those of you who think this is crazy, why not try it out? If after 30 days you want to go back to a life of meat, bread, cheese, booze, coffee and/or smokes, do as you please. Whats 30 days of your life? Its only about 8% of the year. That's just a blink of an eye in the span of your life but a chance to change it for the better!
If I can do it, so can YOU! Let's do this together! Share with your family and friends. Vegans, carnivores, chain smokers, the gluten intolerant, alcoholics, wine lovers, coffee snobs and sweet-tooth-having-Christmas-Elves alike!
Follow and like my blog and check back daily for tips, recipes and updates!
Article suggestions and submissions greatly accepted!
Peace, Love and Light,
Katie xx
Amateur: Blogger/Traveler/Yogi/Makeup Artist/Entrepreneur/Fairy Ball of Goodness
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061731281469034034.post-32201731145629704312012-11-28T02:59:00.000-05:002012-11-28T02:59:05.308-05:00Wanderlust<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061731281469034034.post-47688774673419683522012-11-15T18:50:00.000-05:002012-11-15T18:50:53.414-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061731281469034034.post-84380718036825569842012-10-25T14:44:00.005-04:002012-10-25T14:48:15.968-04:00The Gibbon Experience<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Ever dream of trekking through the jungle of a foreign country? Zip lining 60 meters over the canopy? Sleeping in tree houses? Experiencing nature and the wild like never before? Yes, you say? Well, The Gibbon Experience just may be your cup of tea. It's an eco tourism Project as well as one of the greatest travel experiences I've had in my life. The concept emerged in hopes to find an innovative method to help protect part of the glorious forests in Southeast Asia from being destroyed through poaching, logging and slash and burn farming. </div>
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They had an idea: have the locals of the Bokeo Nature Reserve build tree houses. These aren't your classic childhood back yard tree houses either. We're talking luxury tree houses. Better plumbing than your average Southeast Asia guest house, rain shower heads, drinkable water straight from the springs. They also built a network of zip lines through the reserve, which you need to access the tree houses. You go with a small group of travelers, spend two days and nights trekking and zip lining the jungle, sleeping in the coolest tree houses anyone has dreamed of (as a child or adult) and looking out for the majestic Gibbons. Each group is accompanied by friendly local guides and fed delicious fire cooked meals and snacks, made by the locals. If you're really lucky (like my group was) you just may sight a Gibbon or two, or a whole family. They're fairly small, acrobatic apes that have the most unique song. We heard them singing one morning and spotted them from across the canopy the next. </div>
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You pay for the adventure of a lifetime, they reinvest the funds back into protecting the forest, the Gibbons and all the other little (or big) monsters of the jungle. :-)</div>
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One of the tree houses:</div>
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The bathroom is on the bottom floor. Just you, nature, a rain shower (head) and water running off over the jungle canopy.</div>
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Zip lining up above the canopy so high:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZcGzLhB0sMXRTFkLeUTuP6VVHxPj4uupbr-oB0BKz8TNIi9y_FlOn81BTdEI66QH7At5zGjlbcFuG0MBG9XNeziDRKb-j_fU44cP3eO4mGmzCKfcp5MyXCPyhCrJhgYJJCd6T4uV-ShxP/s1600/033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZcGzLhB0sMXRTFkLeUTuP6VVHxPj4uupbr-oB0BKz8TNIi9y_FlOn81BTdEI66QH7At5zGjlbcFuG0MBG9XNeziDRKb-j_fU44cP3eO4mGmzCKfcp5MyXCPyhCrJhgYJJCd6T4uV-ShxP/s640/033.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Stunning fields just outside the forest:</div>
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One of the locals:</div>
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Transport. Before the road turns into dirt and bumps: </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Bokeo, Laos20.2872662 100.709786719.334114200000002 99.446359199999989 21.2404182 101.9732142tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061731281469034034.post-87915170965446085472012-10-19T05:12:00.001-04:002012-10-19T05:12:54.458-04:00Words to live by: Apple quote<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061731281469034034.post-36807973849989249332012-10-18T05:53:00.000-04:002012-10-18T07:02:23.297-04:00Elephant love<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Elephant Love. Elephants can't hold hands but they've still got trunks and tails.</div>
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Chiang Mai, Thailand</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061731281469034034.post-47494170220359624652012-10-18T05:20:00.001-04:002012-10-18T05:20:07.844-04:00Traditional Thai Candle Dance<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Thai woman performing a traditional northern Thai candle dance or "Fawn Tian" in Chiang Mai, Thailand:</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061731281469034034.post-38372312690724441482012-10-18T01:51:00.001-04:002012-10-18T01:56:22.685-04:00Chiang Mai, Thailand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Riding off to the hot springs in Chiang Mai, Thailand</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061731281469034034.post-57999528131869505172012-10-17T03:54:00.001-04:002012-10-17T03:54:12.131-04:00Nha Trang, Vietnam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Nha Trang, Vietnam:</div>
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Restaurant by a small harbor. </div>
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Want a ride? I do!</div>
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On the beach. Nha Trang, Vietnam.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061731281469034034.post-11568346576786854902012-10-16T06:15:00.001-04:002012-10-16T06:21:51.111-04:00Can Tho, Vietnam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Floating Market</div>
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Can Tho, Vietnam </div>
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Fancy waking up before sunrise? Didn't think so. I'm not much of a morning person either. However, one of my favorite wake up at the crack of dawn moments was to do a tour of the floating markets in Vietnam on the Mekong Delta. It was still dark out when I got into a teeny tiny row boat just before dawn, still half asleep of course. Our guide took my friend and I on a private tour. Shortly after he began to paddle away from the shore, the sun began to rise as we made our way into what would become one of the most unique traffic jams I had ever experienced (and I'm from New York). Small row boats came into vision filled with fresh fruits and vegetables and roosters too! As we rowed by the other boats we eventually and inevitably got stuck in the morning rush hour traffic jam...on the water. Nevertheless, it was the most enjoyable traffic jam I've been in (for one thing I wasn't the driver, no foot riding the clutch, no need to pay attention to the constant stop and go, stop and go, beep beep beep). Just sitting in a boat, on the water, surrounded by a whole new world that gave a new meaning to rush hour. Our tour guide gave us samples of fresh mango and other fruits. We got a fresh Vietnamese coffee from another boat as we rowed by. Though it took a while to get out of the traffic jam, it was still one of the best early mornings I've had. Here's one shot of a woman rowing her boat (pre-traffic jam).</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061731281469034034.post-72549073427727986322012-10-13T05:08:00.002-04:002012-10-13T05:12:13.657-04:00Tobago: Underwater<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Underwater:</div>
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2012 Copyright Katie Chua All Rights Reserved </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0