a little inspiration on a monday morning...

life moves on, whether we act as cowards or heroes. life has no other discipline to impose, if we would but realize it, than to accept life unquestioningly. everything we shut our eyes to, everything we run away from, everything we deny, denigrate or despise, serves to defeat us in the end. what seems nasty, painful, evil, can become a source of beauty, joy and strength, if faced with an open mind. every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such. -henry miller

jordan: the switzerland of the middle east

my term paper for my international marketing class this semester is a "nation branding audit" where we are asked to analyze a country's efforts to market itself to the rest of the world. as i am focusing my research on jordan, i spoke to a member of jordan's national tourism board today to get some thoughts on what jordan has done in the past to promote itself, and how the nation is tailoring its efforts amidst the arab spring, the perception that the middle east is violent, and the resulting decilne in visitors.

jordan has so much history, so many exciting things to see and to do, and so much culture to share. and the violence going on wall street today trumps any protesting going on in jordan. but once people get it in their heads that a place is unsafe, it's difficult for any marketing effort to change their perceptions. well, here are mine from my visit (the one where tim joined me!) in june 2010:

the souk in amman

amman skyline at dusk

the treasury at petra- so many versions of this picture, but still amazing.

snorkeling in the red sea, aqaba

sunset on the dead sea

swimmin' in october

school has been pretty busy this semester. the weekdays are long--and both tim and i are usually working from 8am to late in the evening. saturdays have been the only day in the week for no work at all. a few weekends ago, my parents came to town, and we did a long bike ride from ipswich to crane's beach--i found the route in a nationwide biking magazine, so figured it had to be good. the water was chilly-but the beach was empty, and it was fun to be laughed at by the other people there. we ended our day with a trip to the lobster pool in rockport!

have you ever seen a zhorse?

took some time off from course scheduling and being a research assistant to go for a bike ride in cambridge, ny this weekend--and stopped on the side of the road to say hello to a very unique animal--he even let us pet his nose! didn't find the owner of the farm to hear the story--but i can't even imagine the circumstances that would bring a zebra/horse mix all the way to cambridge.

amazing patterns--i've never gotten this close to a straight up zebra!

harpoon point-to-point

i've been road biking for 5 years at this point, but it's been a way to work out--not something i truly enjoyed. after participating in the annual harpoon brewery point-to-point ride in windsor, vt with my family, i understand why so many are obsessive with biking (a la skiing) these days! a great day, a wonderful (hilly & tiring ride) through vermont, a great cause, and some good beers to to top it all off at the end of the day. nothing i could possibly imagine to complain about! i will definitely be there next year--and might upgrade to a longer ride!

we spent a few hours the next day kayaking down a portion of the connecticut river, with an outfitter attached to the path of life sculpture garden (a very interesting establishment that would survive only in vermont).

hops at harpoon's windsor, vt brewery

http://www.harpoonpointtopoint.com/

what we need now

i never thought i'd read something like this in the harvard business review. i thought this article was pretty well put. it describes well the balancing the human "survival act," as it's called in the article, with our higher values.

"So how do we learn to rise to our best selves more often?
The first answer is to acknowledge how often we fall short of the ideals to which we aspire — and how much help we need in living them more fully. We need humility in place of hubris, and even a sense of shame, where it's warranted, as a spur to behave better."

philosophers would probably get into this being a very "human" conundrum...as most animals wouldn't have to debate about self-interest vs. generosity. but seems like something we all grapple with, all the time. brings to mind that e.b. white quote:

i arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. this makes it hard to plan the day.-e.b. white (we'll let it slide that he's a cornell grad.)

http://blogs.hbr.org/schwartz/2011/08/what-we-need-now.html

focusing on what works--the outliers

we hear a lot about failed development projects, things that implementers can improve on, wasted development aid funds, development projects which do more harm than good...you get the picture. think bill easterly.

i listened to a talk from the positive deviance initiative (based at tufts university, although that's not why i'm writing about them) yesterday. the positive deviance method focuses on what is working, and allowing people to live better, right at this moment. instead of going into a community and telling people what will work, the method listens to members of the community and identifies the outliers. those who are succeeding against the odds. not the sick, but those who are thriving. and again, instead of telling the community what they need to do to improve their predicament, the method encourages the community to realize the solutions--and implement them.

yes it sound a little crunchy, and yes, it's probably really difficult to monitor and display concrete results (good or bad). but, it sounds like a good way to work in this field if you want to be an optimist.

http://www.positivedeviance.org/

weekend in denver

tim and i flew out to denver a few weeks ago to have a mini-reunion with my high school girlfriends- i hadn't been out since i cracked my leg a year and a half ago! i know colorado is beautiful year-round,  but i almost appreciated it more in the summertime. we packed in quite a bit in 3 days! these are shots from our "hike" in breckenridge.

columbine- the state flower! and i learned something today!

snow on breckenridge

weekend in the north country

we just returned from a tiring, but rejuvenating weekend in westport, ny. had the chance to catch up with many good friends, had some laughs, and attended an amazing chapel service on sunday morning. quite a long ride from boston--but certainly worthwhile.

lake champlain experienced record water levels this year --and landslides happened.
so,camp dudley is housing a few campers in yurts!

another incredible sunset at the schoolhouse

crowne point bride--almost completed!

the most powerful photo essay i've seen...

this photo essay, which a friend who is currently working in afghanistan posted, depicts the world's most dangerous countries for women. it is haunting. powerful. emotional. frightening. all of the above. what amazing women, and what incredible circumstances they must face on a daily basis. makes one think about how much we take for granted here, and how much there is to be done to make life better for women everywhere.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/07/worlds_most_dangerous_countrie.html

my new favorite restaurant

friends, i have something very important to report. i have a new favorite restaurant. the food at sushi thai garden (rod dee thai here in boston) is amazing. this is something that is simply not negotiable. but the lobster pool restaurant in rockport, ma is just incredible. great food, a casual atmosphere where you bus your own tables, BYOB, a guitar for guests to borrow and play, a sunset to be compared with the schoolhouse in westport, ny (note: to be compared with--not to beat!) and free seaside smores over a fire when the sun goes down.



so the lobster was tim's...but what could be better than this?



i just can't say enough. tim and i had a wonderful meal at the lobster pool a few weeks ago and i've been lazy to get a post up about it. some people may prefer upscale ambiance for a birthday dinner...for me, this was perfect. we spent less than $30 on our food, brought a great bottle of wine, weren't bugged by a waiter looking to flip our table, and stayed for hours.

can't wait to go back with family and friends in tow!

i've never seen anything like it- people actually picked it up!

http://www.lobsterpoolrestaurant.com/main/index.php

ode to 37 clamshell

over the past 5+ years, i have spent quite a bit of vacation time at tim's grandfather's cottage in chatham, ma, on the beach and on the water with tim's family. although i had spent some time in chatham as a little tyke, i've gotten to know the area a bit more recently...it's impossible not to love it...here are some of my favorite shots from memorial day weekend. maybe another post will include some of my favorite things to do!

what a wonderful place!

walking back from an afternoon and cocktail hour at the beach

...and i've realized that i should probably start including posts about my shoebox-sized apartment in cambridge to counterbalance all of this talk of vacationing!

a few days in the berkshires...

my mom is a college professor, and is always on the academic calendar. as i'm back in school, i'm now able to join her! i had a few days in between the end of finals and being back to work, and took advantage of it by going away in the berkshires with my mom for a few nights.

we stayed at the beautiful inn at rock hall, and as we were there mid-week, we were the only guests there. it was surreal. i like to go out for a meal here and there, but for the most part, i'm pretty self-sufficient. as the only guests, being self-sufficient was a challenge! we enjoyed being there so much that we barely spent any time outside of the inn.

amazing kitchen!

elaine mixes up a blueberry mojito

http://www.19rockhallroad.com/

super money maker

i'll admit that i can become a fan of most african tunes. on my first trip to zambia, i developed a keen appreciation for a radio commercial...."hello africa, tell me how you doin!" i love this video, and the idea behind it. what a guy, this mr. ebbo. this could very well be why i'm so excited about this organization and the super money maker. but there's more to the story which is actually very interesting...

kickstart, an organization that works to fight poverty through technology, developed the super money maker, an irrigation pump sold in kenya (and now tanzania) for less than $150, and produced this video as part of its marketing efforts. uniquely kenyan marketing efforts, that's for sure! donor funds are used for product development and marketing, but once the product reaches the "tipping point" of profitability, kickstart pulls out, and allows the supply chain to operate in the private market. the technologies have one goal in mind in the development stage: helping the poor generate income. an interesting model, and a really great video that i'll probably watch at least five more times.

day trip to marblehead

through this blog, i'm truly realizing how in touch i am with the seasons. last friday, i decided it was time to take the first day trip of the spring season. i've barely done any exploring since moving to boston, and it was time to start to change that...you can't work all the time! marblehead is a 40 minute drive from our place in cambridge-amazing how close boston is to these cute seaside towns! its seems like the town is packed with sailors and vacationers in the summer. i can only imagine what it will look like 3 months from now. boats in the water, shops open past 4:30, wait times at all the local restaurants and bars...

not so in the middle of march! still, a nice day, and a welcome break from the books. we made sure to stop at the landing, right on the harbor, for a beer before heading back to the city. a little "vacation" amidst final papers, exams, and study groups!


empty streets of marblehead



marblehead harbor...2 boats...the harbormaster and the mooring guy!

tim hates being the subject of my photos. oh well.  we now live 45 minutes from the ocean! woo!

international women's day 2011

i'm a day late in getting to this--no matter. yesterday, the world celebrated the 100th anniversary of international women's day. i spent quite a bit of free time clicking through the websites of different organizations to see how they were marking the occasion from a communications standpoint. there were a few websites i paid closer attention to...emma willard, my high school, and usaid, as i've developed quite an affinity with the usaid brand over the past few years! given that i'm studying women's health and women's right to health, i was particularly interested in mary robinson's blog recognizing womens' right to health, and the need for the international community to help realize the right: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/foundationnotes/Pages/mary-robinson-110307-international-womens-day.aspx. my favorite class this semester focuses on the right to health, but the right to health for women is particularly interesting/important in my mind.

i've was lucky enough to be raised by a woman who wanted to show me what it meant to be  'strong' pursue any career that i wanted to. i was lucky enough to attend an incredible high school that introduced me to women in the past who fought for a woman's right to high-quality education, and my classmates, who continue to amaze me all the time. and i am lucky enough to have found a few mentors in my professional life who have guided my career decisions thus far and have helped me learn quite a bit along the way. i have many wonderful women to thank. guess it's time to break out that stationary and get cracking.

winter at the samuel p. avery boathouse

we spent a weekend in the wonderful town of westport, ny a few weeks ago with some very good friends. it was great to be up in the adirondacks in the winter (despite the lack of skiing i did at whiteface). i thought it was pretty incredible that we were able to stand on lake champlain with the ice fishermen--where we would have had to use a boat 6 months ago, we were able to walk on the ice. dudley has become one of my most special places--so many wonderful memories over the last few years-- i feel very fortunate to be part of the gang there (thanks tim).

standing in front of the samuel p. avery boathouse, my former place of business.

yes, that is my friend todd ives swimming in the water.

does it get any better than this?

feels like home in washington dc!

i'm currently in washington for the annual fletcher school career trip--and walked through our old neighborhood in between panel sessions today. what a spot! we were so lucky to live right smack dab in the middle of the city. so many good restaurants, so easy to meet up with friends..tim's walk to work consisted of an entirety of five minutes--we could walk anywhere for that matter, to the white house, museums... it will probably be the only time in my life that i will live NEXT DOOR to an embassy. although this "graduate school" stage in the game is good for many reasons-- i miss it!

the starbucks where our whole adventure started- where we first found our apartment!

2035 p street! (couldn't see if the futon was still on the roof)

snowstorm in cambridge

i was scheduled to begin orientation at the fletcher school today--my first day of school! sadly, the snow got in the way. everything in boston seemed to be closed for the 14+ inches of snow that fell. it was nothing like the "snowpocolypse" in d.c. last year, and i was amazed with how quickly the cambride dpw plowed those roads--but it was fun to walk around town and watch the big dig out!

harvard square

tim broke out the skate skis in the morning!

looks like that tree might need to go--but in cambridge, of course, there is a public hearing scheduled to discuss the matter in depth. UPDATE: Indeed this is the case: http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter87/Section3



bahama mama

i'll be the first to admit that nassau isn't the most cultural of places to travel to. cruise ships, senor frogs, the atlantis, coconut drinks, rum tasting, parasailing...nothing truly "bahamian" about that. our day in nassau in january, however, was wonderful. blue skies, warm weather, clear water, a beautiful beach...and a yard glass at senor frogs to top off the experience. it was my third visit to nassau, and instead of critiquing the tourist destination, we enjoyed it-- it was worth it! 

holidays in vermont

we were lucky enough to spend 4 days in peru,vermont over new year's with tim's family. a welcome change of scenery from busy nairobi. it is amazing that time can fly by so quickly, with so little on the agenda. i had no complaints--and enjoyed every minute of it!

back to skiing--x-country at least!

downtown manchester, vt, near the equinox hotel (the best bloody mary around!)

new years eve drinks at the mill tavern, londonderry,vt

defending foreign assistance

i found myself having to defend the small amount of the u.s. federal budget that goes to foreign aid over the holidays (one half of one percent!). i saw this line from jfk on usaid.gov--and thought i'd print and keep in my wallet for times when i find myself having these "fun" conversations. he says it better than any of my horrible attempts.

"I realize that there are among us those who are weary of sustaining this continual effort to help other nations. But I would ask them to look at a map and recognize that many of those whom we help live on the 'front lines' of the long twilight struggle for freedom—that others are new nations posed between order and chaos—and the rest are older nations now undergoing a turbulent transition of new expectations. Our efforts to help them help themselves, to demonstrate and to strengthen the vitality of free institutions, are small in cost compared to our military outlays for the defense of freedom."

—John F. Kennedy, Special Message to the Congress on Foreign Aid, March 13, 1962