Part II All I need to know in life I learned from ....

Lord of the Rings.....
These books are a mine of wisdom...there will be more posts!!

"Advice is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise, and all courses may run ill. "

"One who cannot cast away a treasure at need is in fetters. "

"Sleep in peace! Do not trouble your hearts overmuch with thought of the road tonight. Maybe the paths that you each shall tread are already laid before your feet, though you do not see them. "

Part 1: Everything I need to know in life I learned from...

Lord of the Rings...

Maybe I talk too much about these books, but can you blame me? Look at all the good counsel they offer!!






"Do not go alone. Take such friends as are trusty and willing. "

"The wide world is all about you: you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot forever fence it out."

"There are some things it is better to begin than to refuse, even though the end may be dark."

"It is useless to meet revenge with revenge, it will heal nothing. "

"...in this hour, I do not believe any darkness will endure!"

"The future, good or ill, was not forgotten, but ceased to have any power over the present. Health and hope grew strong in them, and they were content with each good day as it came, taking pleasure in every meal, and in every word and song. "

Further musings from the taste buds

Although the taste buds didn't much care for the view of Central Park--such a huge park, with ponds, pathways, 4 through streets, and high rises poking above the trees on all sides--the taste buds did enjoy, very much, the breakfast we ate here at the Central Park Boathouse. Again way more food than we could possibly eat, and all of it completely delicious. Stuffed with sausage, bacon, eggs, pastries, fruits, yogurt, juices and more that I can't even remember, the stomach protested yet again, but was ignored. This was an unhurried meal with lots of time for discussion among ourselves as we compared notes on what we were doing with our exchange students, and what they were doing to us!! On the whole, it became more and more clear how much everybody loves these kids, and how strongly we believe that we can, through this program make a positive difference in the world. Afterwards, the 120 or so of us got on three coaches with a tour guide, and toured the city. Each coach went it's own way, but probably covered essentially the same ground. The taste buds were gratified to be provided with some canole at an Italian bakery in Chinatown. We took a quick walk through Chinatown, but had no time to really browse among the interesting fragrances, brilliant colors, and other unusual wares peeking through the windows and spilling onto the street.
The tour guide delighted in showing us special spots that were not necessarily on the beaten track but still typical of the New York that he loved. To the left is a photo through the canyon of the church that stands between us and ground zero. One tree on the church grounds was damaged, but otherwise it was unharmed. On the far size of ground zero is the Winter Garden from inside of which you can get a better view of ground zero than from the ground.
We stopped by the Brooklyn Bridge next, which is on the other side of the wharf building shown to the left in this picture.
Obviously it was an older structure than most of the bridges, and again I marveled at what people were able to accomplish even without modern machinery--it is not only a historical structure, but it is tall and loooong! The sailing ships were museums which we didn't have time to see, but the juxtaposition of the old schooners with the high rises in the background made an interesting picture. We saw other famous places, but this blog is already too long, so I will only mention that we spent an hour in a traffic jam--how could a trip to New York be complete without this experience--and ended up being the last bus to reach our dinner location--the Cotton Club, with enough, though very squeezy seating, where they served us wonderful wonderful soul food, with more deep-south type flavor--again forcing me to eat too much--I had no choice. The music was also "soul" music--kinda modern, jazzed up negro spirituals--the best I can do for a description because it is not music that appeals to me, but they were talented artists and it was fun to feel the energy in the room as they got the group to participate with clapping.
The next morning we were again treated to an extraordinary breakfast at the Athletic Club just across the street from Central Park. I got a ride in the van, but actually, traffic being what it was, walking would have been faster. This day we learned a lot about the scholarship programs that the students I work with receive. We learned more about what the hope of the State Department is in spending thousands of dollars per student to give them a year here, and what will continue to happen when they return to their countries in terms of volunteer work, continuing workshops and leadership opportunities. Four alumni of these programs came and told us how the exchange program had affected their lives--they were all more involved with volunteer work and international relations than they would have been without the program, though perhaps not all alumni make the same kind of decisions. Still, it was very good to know that good and long lasting things came from their experiences in America. Having a bit of time, and wanting to see a bit more of New York and do a tad of shopping, I and two other ladies who didn't think I should be wandering around New York by myself (they were very kind and fun) walked to Carmine's on Times Square, WITHOUT GETTING LOST and on time. I don't think I have any unused descriptive words left for this plentiful and delicious and very Italian meal. The waiter was a blast, and I finally got some hot chocolate (nice in the cold weather when you don't drink tea or coffee), and a full 7 course meal with an enormous variety of flavors and tastes offered at each course. I think I'm going to have to buy looser clothes once again. And thus ended this day, except for the late evening walk to the hotel, making some purchases from street vendors who kept constantly on the move so as to avoid the police that periodically tried to remove them since they were illegal competition for the legitimate shops.

These final two pictures are from my last morning in New York. I ate a solitary breakfast at the Nations Cafe (so named I realized, because it is just down the street from the United Nations buildings which are clearly visible from the corner). Again the food was awesome, I ate some blintzes, and regretfully, had to leave some food on the plate. Then back to the hotel, taking some final pictures of the park outside the United Nations, and some of the row houses along the way. Quite comfortable with the subway system by now, I reached the airport without further incident, and home in the late afternoon (evening in New York). I saw a lot, and realized there is a whole lot more I didn't see. I will never be a city person, but this is an extraordinary place to visit, and there really ARE a lot of parks when you feel enclosed in all the traffic and concrete. Congratulations to all of you that managed to read all of this and thank you that you wanted to! I didn't know I had so much writing in me!! Should you wish to see more photos, check out facebook.

New York as "seen" by my stomach

Of all the things I expected or hoped to do in my life, there are two that stand out as never even having been on the list. One was to visit the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which I did last August when I was in Washington DC. The second was to visit the United Nations. Mitsuko, our first exchange student (from Japan) was much on my mind as our group toured this building, since it was her ambition to work there one day as her contribution to world peace. It is an amazing place. Although I have heard rumors of corruption and such, it is marvelous that we should have such a building in the world, a place where all 195 (presently recognized) nations can sit and at least attempt to build something lasting and good in the world through diplomacy and cooperation. Actually, the Vatican and two small island nations that are content to be represented by New Zealand, were the only 3 countries without seats in the General Assembly room. The Security Council room (pictured) is where the "big 5" (China, Russian federation, USA, UK, and France) permanent members sit, plus the 10 other nations that are elected for two year terms. The General Assembly room is where all the nations sit together. Besides military and political issues, humanitarian and health and environmental issues are considered and decisions made. It is a noble idea and I hope we can find a way to make it work despite the many many problems, viewpoints, priorities, and human weaknesses that get in the way. There was an art display from all over the world promoting world peace, two samples of which I have included. This first picture shows all the violence and hate bombarding a family from the TV, which I chose because of the powerful influence media has in world peace (and just about any other issue!) The second is a rather stark representaion of world history, but realistic at the same time. Most of the pictures were rather grim, but I think there are positive things going on in the world as well (and on this trip with 120 other people involved in the exchange student program, this particular effort was much on my mind), which we should also remember both as example and inspiration. Back in Rochester, in the Eastman mansion and museum, Albert and I had seen a display of pictures from conflicts from several hot spots in the world, predominantly the middle east, which highlighted the horror, the torment and the destruction of people, place, and soul that goes on in so many places, and I was glad that there was the idea of a United Nations, and the hope that this organization could make a difference.

What, you might wonder, has my stomach got to do with any of this?? Well, a not unreasonable, but nevertheless surprising (to me) secret in these buildings is that they have conference rooms, and even, a rather good cafeteria (or did we enjoy a catered meal?) And we ate there. The spaghetti and salad bar was very good, and I ate my fill. They were a little short on seating, so I either had to stand, or sit on the icy cold but wide window ledges--I did both depending on whether my feet were more tired, or my rump more cold. So it was that I didn't notice the waiters circulating with some more exotic delicacies for a while. But spinach puffs, tender lamb chops, and other mouth-watering treats passed by every 3-4 minutes, and once aware of them, I could not resist. It turns out that I had not actually eaten my fill after all. Both the memory of how good it tasted, and the increased need for looser clothes will be with me for quite a while. Just because we walked the 5-6 blocks there and back doesn't mean we walked it off!

The next wonderful meal was the next morning at the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx. I have learned to appreciate adequate seating, which we had here, and also to appreciate what a huge amount of work it must have been for the slaves that so wonderfully arranged all this for us. With so many people to feed, all our meals were served buffet style. Croissants, fruit, a variety of irresistable pastries, juices, the inevitable coffee and tea (alas, no hot chocolate!) everything was wonderful and again my stomach had reason to complain of overwork, but my tastebuds were delighted. The apples on the table were a perfect touch, however, as they were made of marble, and given as a momento of our trip, they did not get eaten. But what a food fight we could have had!!! After a number of workshops about the nuts and bolts of exchange student coordinating, and meeting representatives from several countries telling us what the kids from their countries are like and what adjustments they need to make, we had another scrumptious meal, various wraps, sandwiches, soup, salads, and then more workshops. The longer I work with exchange students, the more aware I become of how truly different other cultures are, even if these kids are first and foremost teenagers, and I become more and more amazed at how hard they work to accomodate our lifestyle while they live here. Culture, religion, family heritage, school structure, language, food, the nature of friendship, and more, all of it must be adjusted to and we aren't even aware of most of it. Not that we are complete aliens or anything, but still, it is amazing.
After the workshops, we visited the Orchid House, actually a series of some 8 greenhouses linked together, with innumerable orchids and other tropical plants, fountains, ponds, pathways, and seating for us to wander through and enjoy. Since the weather was still filling my (not watertight) shoes with a generous supply of water, the opportunity to enjoy tropical air, fragrance and beauty was very very much appreciated. Pictures can't (of course) do it any justice, but it refreshed both body and soul to see all the abundant, rich green and the splashes of living color everywhere we turned. But out we went, and waited for the subway, and prepared for dinner--at the Channel 4 Restaurant, somewhere on the other side of Times Square from our hotel. The restaurant seems to have underestimated their seating capacity since I found myself once again standing, but there is no denying the food was delicious, and standing or sitting, it was well worth the trouble. I'm surprised my stomach is still on speaking terms with me. We topped the evening off with the Broadway performance of Phantom of the opera which I mentioned in my earlier post, and deliciously tired, well fed, and full of beautiful music, we walked 20 minutes back to our hotel and crashed in our soft dry beds.

General impressions of the Big Apple

Continuing my travels in New York, the first thing we did is walk through the city. Taxis cost an arm and a leg, so walking is an attractive alternative. And really, walking 5-12 blocks is not such a big deal (what's 20 minutes?). Unless it's pouring rain!!! I was prepared for snow, but not the rain that was a continuous presence for the first two days. If it wasn't raining, there were still lots of puddles. I had raisin toes pretty much continually, and once I got back to my room, I washed my feet and kept my shoes in a plastic bag so as not to offend my hapless roommate. In any case, I began to understand what they meant by the "canyons" of the city. Block after block after block of skyscrapers. After a while of looking at them, I began to wonder why they don't topple. They are so thin and so vertical, and what holds them together? I can't build anything even close to that height with jenga blocks! And if I made it solid enough, what holds them upright? The foundations must go very deep.

Despite the March weather, and the leafless trees, I was surprised that there were ANY trees at all. Not much light gets down into the canyons (our tour giude informed us that New York is one of the greenest cities in America because of all it's parks, but it WAS late winter after all, and I didn't see much green). The Rockerfeller Center had a few. Being wired for lights is stressful so these are tough trees to hold so many--the tree in the picture is a living growing tree, not like the giant, decorated, for-the-season-only tree that we see here at the Rockerfeller Center in movies set in New York at Christmas. This famous place was only maybe 4 blocks from our hotel, although it took me two days to get oriented enough to figure that out.
This is as close as we got to the Statue of Liberty, and without the zoom function of the camera, it would be barely visible. It's 1-2 hours by subway and ferry to get to the statue, since it is on another island, and we didn't have that much time since we also had quite a few Workshops to attend. The place I took this picture is on the shore of the Hudson river, one block from ground zero. Ground zero just looks like a construction site. The mess is cleaned up, and all the buildings on the periphery are repaired, except the "Deutsche Bank" building, which is being torn down, floor by floor so as not to cause damage, and in which they are still finding body parts among the debris. It has taken them a long time to decide what to put in that space, but apparently most New Yorkers prefer life and shopping to return to that block of the city, rather than a huge memorial (there is a memorial already in a nearby park). But, since the land of that area of the city was built on landfill that extends into the Hudson River (as also the place I'm taking the picture from), they have to do a lot of work to secure the foundations and redo all the subway lines that were underneath.
Having seen a few (very) cathedrals in Europe, I wanted especially to see the famous St. Patrick's cathedral in New York--about 3 blocks from our hotel. It is dwarfed by the skyscrapers all around, but still a beautiful building. I think 2 or 3 of them might fit into one of the european cathedrals, but nevertheless it is a magnificent building and very, very beautiful.
It was Monday morning when I visited this building, and there were a few worshippers sitting or praying, so I was advised to restrict my photo taking to where I wouldn't disturb people, but that still gave me lots of places to choose from. Doesn't it look huge?? It is mind boggling to think that these cathedrals (including in Europe) were built without the use of much modern technology--they may have had a bit of it when building St. Patrick's, but what a labor it was.
There is a continual tug-of-war in New York between what should stay and which buildings could be replaced with a modern, many square footed, revenue generating skyscraper. We look at the magnificent old buildings and appreciate their architecture and history, but there must be enormous tension between the history and the money when one considers that a 2-3 bedroom apartment in this part of Manhattan could be valued at close to a million dollars--I wonder what a small office rents for?
Just in case anyone is wondering if I'm just doing a travelogue without actually having been in New York, here is an official picture of me on Times Square. It is actually much nicer traveling with family or friends, and doing silly group pictures. Not that I wasn't with nice people--how can 120 exchange student coordinators and support staff be anything but nice, but we were not (yet) good friends, although I had a lot of congenial conversation about some of my favorite subjects--exchange students, foreign cultures, what makes people tick. For the record, I walked across Times Square at least 2-3 times before I figured out that's where I was. Talk about country bumpkin! Broadway is around here somewhere too, and I had the opportunity to see Phantom of the Opera. What an interesting experience. I have very much enjoyed the music for a long time, but had never seen the story. Even though I was way up high and didn't have a good view, and wasn't supposed to take pictures, seeing the whole thing live kinda spoiled me for watching it on TV. One would think that the TV was better--you can see closeups, different angles, lots of details, but there is no substitute for the real thing. I hope our kids don't get too caught up in the virtual world of the internet and media to appreciate real, in-your-face, life.

Grand Central Station. For years now I have envied the public transportation systems that I hear of in so many of the home countries of our exchange students--they can come and go as they wish, when they wish, without worrying about car insurance, parking spaces, or access. In New York I realized the problem isn't America, it's Kennewick!!! In New York I walked, took taxis, buses, subways, and trains, all convenient and inexpensive (well, not the taxis!). It's a nice way to live. There are at least 117 trains, subways (if I can believe the sign that said "tracks 100-117"), and other forms of transportation that feed into and out of Grand Central Station. Some of the New Yorkers complained about how chaotic the system is, but for me it was amazing. I suppose ignorance is bliss. Well, there's more, but not on this post. Until next time...

The land of Far Far Away--in this case--New York

A trip to New York seems as good a place to start a blog as any.

Two weeks ago, as a result of my involvement with exchange students, I had the opportunity to go to the Big Apple for a workshop cum vacation. 9 years ago, when we first started hosting, I had no idea where this could lead--we were just hoping for an enjoyable experience that would enrich our lives and do some good for the (un)lucky student who landed in our home. And we did have enriching experiences. But by getting more involved, I've also gained opportunities to travel--to Washington DC (as a volunteer), to China (to visit one student's parents), and then this workshop. In addition, I was able to visit one of our former students who is attending university in New York state, which was perhaps even more rewarding than the Big City. After all, people are the most important.

On arrival at JFK Airport, my first job was to rent a car. To my chagrin, cars rent for upwards of $100/day. I COULD have gotten a better deal ahead of time over the internet, but put it off too long. For one third of the price, I was able to get a train ticket to Rochester where Albert goes to school. It also meant spending the night in Penn Station, deep under the ground in the middle of Manhattan Island, with subways and trains whooshing through the night, even deeper underground, in this city that truly doesn't ever sleep--although it does calm down at times. Sleeping on uncomfortable waiting area chairs is possible, especially if one can avoid the eagle eye of the attendant, who's job it is to make sure nobody puts their feet up on another seat!!

The next afternoon, after some more comfortable sleep on the half empty train, I arrived refreshed in Rochester. Rochester turns out to be a not shabby sized town on the shores of Lake Ontario. The Rochester Institute of Technology is a ways away from the Lake, and, for that matter, the train station. The taxi took me there for only $25.

Albert was a gracious host, as I knew he would be, and we spent the next couple of days (his spring break) doing a bit of sight-seeing. Renting a car, while still not easy, was certainly less expensive, and we travelled first to Niagara Falls, only two hours away. Having lived in Canada, I had seen them several times, but this was the first time in the winter, AND on the American side. They were less impressive than I had hoped, because the mist hid them from view, and the snow prevented us from reaching points with better views. It was also quite cold. Weather in the Tri-Cities became nostalgically warm and inviting. On the up side, we avoided the massive waves of tourists and the sticky summer weather. We drove back to Rochester along the shores of Lake Ontario, which brought back more memories than I knew I had of when I was younger and lived on the other side of it. It is huge and the other side was not visible.

The next day we decided to stick closer to Rochester and visited, of all places, Palmyra. I hadn't realized we would be so close. A 20 minute drive got us there, and two very nice sister missionaries took us on a tour of Joseph Smith's homes (the first small one and the later larger, more comfortable house), and let us loose in the Sacred Grove. As expected, the two Smith homes and everything else were in the excellent condition and quality that is a hallmark of the Church. Those little tiny houses were a lot roomier than they look to be from the outside. Even in winter, the Sacred Grove was beautiful, and the landscape was very comfortable and familiar to me, from when I was a kid. We passed the Palmyra Temple on the way as well. I'm not sure that going there did anything for Albert besides giving an education on early American life, but I was grateful for the opportunity.

We returned to Rochester and checked out the George Eastman (of the Eastman Kodak company) mansion and museum, and Albert had a chance to see more of Rochester than studying and buses made possible. Even after almost two years, I still miss Albert almost every day, so I was sad to leave him Friday morning and head for New York City, but going to New York to see the sights can't be all bad!! And, I knew that there would be soft beds in the luxury hotel and lots of good food on the pampered tours and activities that were coming up. And, from my adventures at the airport and Penn station, I expected there would be no snow. Turns out I was right. BUT it was raining buckets when I got off the subway and tried to find the hotel on Lexington Avenue, where the building numbers do NOT match the street numbers. Soggy and limp, I eventually found it and things started looking up right away....