“A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people. ”
― Franklin D. Roosevelt
Monsoon clouds over the Arizona forest, much that has sadly burnt down due to wildfires.
Often when I travel, I am drawn to the unexpected surprises of places hidden beneath the non-attentive eye. From the mysterious hutongs of Beijing to the labyrinthine of a souq in Morocco, there is always a surprising hidden place to explore.
Perhaps these hidden places open a window into the unknown about the foreign culture you are visiting. Yet they always seem to leave me questioning, thinking and guessing about what it is really like behind these hidden windows of life.
The secret paths within a souq. Rabat, Morocco.
The whitewashed and baby blue walls in a Moroccan kasbah.
Inside the deep alleyways of the traditional Chinese hutongs. Beijing, China.
Another look at a Chinese Hutong.
Peering deep inside a hutong and wondering who lives there? How many homes are tucked away inside?
A hutong without a name or address.
Inside an ancient Chinese Water Village with numerous mysterious alleyways.
Many Chinese Water villages are threaded in waterways like this one that wind around the village and flow out to sea.
The open-air entryway of a home or cafe in Uruguay.
An open-air room of women making fresh torillas out of a building in Guatemala.
An alleyway in Guatemala where a Mayan women hones her craft.
Peeking inside the reddish brown wooden doors of a teahouse kitchen in rural Nepal.
Looking outside a “hotel” window in Himalayan Nepal at the donkey train passageway where modern day trucking is at its best.
Back in July I wrote a post titled “The End of AIDS: We can’t stop funding now”. The post was in response to my visit to our nation’s capital on behalf of my advocacy work with Results, a grassroots organization that works to end global poverty. During this visit, I had to opportunity to visit the Global Village at the XIX International AIDS Conference which was being held in the United States for the first time in many years. It was a symbolic event, clearly highlighting America’s leadership as one of the key funders and advocates in fighting AIDS.
This December 1 is World AIDS Day, a day in which the world brings attention to the devastating fact that this global epidemic still infects 2.7 million new people and claims 2 million lives each year. It is also estimated that nearly 30 million people have died from AIDS-related causes since the beginning of the epidemic (UNAID 2010 report).
Although “these are sobering numbers, this year World AIDS Day comes after a string of stunning scientific advances that has fundamentally altered the possibilities in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The end of the AIDS epidemic is within our grasp” (Results.org).
A poor neighbourhood shows the damage after an earthquake measuring 7 plus on the Richter scale rocked Port au Prince Haiti just before 5 pm, January 12, 2010. Photo Source: Wikipedia Commons
Last week I participated in a live Twitter Party on behalf of Mom Bloggers for Social Good for Habitat for Humanity’s work in Haiti. If you have never done a Twitter party or have no idea what I’m even talking about, let me explain. Basically a group of people interested in learning about a topic jump onto Twitter at a designated point in time and use the same hashtag (ours was #HabitatinHaiti). A good Twitter party is well-managed and moderated by asking the attendees a group of questions which creates dialogue. It is a fantastic way to learn more about a given topic, spread the word and be an armchair advocate.
I learned a lot last week during our Habitat for Haiti chat but what stuck with me most was one question in particular: “What is community?”.
Haitians set up impromtu tent cities thorough the capital after the 2010 earthquake. Photo source: Wikipedia Commons.
“We were born before the wind
Also younger than the sun
Ere the bonnie boat was won as we sailed into the mystic
Hark, now hear the sailors cry
Smell the sea and feel the sky
Let your soul and spirit fly into the mystic” –Lyrics to one of my favorite Van Morrison songs, “Into the Mystic”
I just couldn’t resist including it with the post…listen along and view my photos into the mystic….
There is no place more mystical than Iceland. Come take a look for yourself and let me know if you agree that there is no place quite like it. The mystical land of fire and ice.
“Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises.”
-Pedro Calderon de la Barca
It is hard to visit Guatemala and not become completely entranced by her greenery. The color green can be found in every place you look- from the verdant terraced farmlands, to the lush fertile peaks of the volcanoes. After a long, cold colorless winter arriving in Green Guatemala almost hurts your eyes and reminds me of the constant rebirth and cycle of life.
I recently subscribed to the WordPress Daily Prompts to see what kind of inspiration I could find on expanding my writing. I briefly read the prompts but never wrote one until today when I saw one that struck a chord in my heart. I read it and I filled with joy and excitement. I felt like the words were talking exactly to me.
“What change, big or small, would you like your blog to make in the world”.
I read these words and thought, isn’t this why I am writing my blog in the first place? To use my voice to share my experiences of what I’ve seen in the world, what I’ve learned and most importantly of all, how we can all give back?
I have talked about my voice time and time again in my blog. But today I’d like to share with you what I’m hoping to change in the world with my blog.
We arrived on our very last day in Savoie to see the town of Pralognan la Vanoise come to life with a glorious outdoor market. Every kind of fromage and saucisson you can imagine was available to sample and buy. If only I wasn’t flying back to the United States the next day, I would have gone hog wild! I am a cheese-aholic and can’t seem to get enough of the fatty, savory food.
Take a walk with me through the lovely market in Pralognan. If only pictures could be transported directly “chez moi” then I’d be in cheese heaven!
Au revoir La France! Until we meet again (which I’ll let you in on a little secret. It won’t be long! A trip is already planned for my mom, sister and I to meet up for a never-before mother-daughters trip to La Belle France this Spring!).
Reaching a child’s fifth birthday is the focus of several campaigns out there to raise awareness, support and funding for the Child Survival Call to Action. In 2010, 7.6 million children died from preventable causes. Although this figure has improved over the last few decades, it is still a tragedy and unacceptable.
Esther Madudu, a frontline health care worker. Photo Source: Save the Children.
It has taken me awhile to complete my series of posts on hiking in Vanoise National Park, France. Although I’ve been busy writing about other stuff, sometimes it is hard to say goodbye to a lovely travel experience. I only have two posts left on this fantastic trip I took three months ago and only one post in particular in the mountains!
So here are views leaving the magnificent Alps and returning to civilization. When I look back overt all 800+ photos I took during this trip, I realize that my heart still remains in the mountains and I’ll be back….
Au revoir les Alps!
Today is World Pneumonia Day. Did you know that pneumonia is the biggest threat to children worldwide and that we have a vaccine available that can prevent it?
Were you aware that every 20 seconds a child dies from pneumonia, a largely preventable and treatable disease?
Here are some facts on pneumonia and the devastating impact this treatable disease has on child survival. (Source: Action: Global Health Advocacy Partnership):
“Pneumonia is the world’s leading killer of children under the age of 5, causing nearly 1.3 million child deaths each year. Developing countries, and particularly the poorest children within them, are the hardest hit, accounting for 99% of childhood deaths due to pneumonia.
We know how to prevent these deaths. In fact, investments in protecting, preventing, and treating children have led to significant gains in reducing under-five deaths. Although pneumonia kills nearly twice as many children each year than both HIV/AIDS and malaria combined, global funding for pneumonia is significantly lower than funding for HIV/AIDS and malaria control. This silent killer is still responsible for one out of every five child deaths, despite having the tools to prevent and treat it.”
Although much progress has been made towards fighting devastating diseases that has improved child mortality rates across the globe, we aren’t finished yet. The fact that a child is dying every 20 seconds from a vaccine-preventable death such as pneumonia is unexcusable and unacceptable.
We have the technology and the knowledge to save lives.
Now we need to convince the government to follow through on the promises and commitments made to fund and support programs such as GAVI (that provides vaccines to children in the developing world) and to Front Line Health Care Workers, who are often the only medical attention children will receive.
Learn more at www.action.org.
My kids and me advocating for Shot@Life last spring.
This post was written on behalf of my advocacy for RESULTS, Shot@Life and ONE. I am meeting with my Congressman next Monday and will be sure to remind him to support funding for Child Survival. With less than 1% of our budget spent on foreign aid, there is a lot to be done. However, I am confident we will make the right decisions and help save lives. No child shouldn’t be able to celebrate their fifth birthday because they are too poor.
I woke up this morning and something felt different. I felt lighter, airer and when I opened my shades there it was….crisp, light, flaky SNOW!!!!
