Back from the Land o' Vegemite and More

3 flights, 2 taxis, one airport bus and one water taxi, I arrived back stateside last night after a 32 hour odyssey. Still fresh from the land of vegemite, I'm still smiling over Australian lingo. How ya going...she'll be fine...nackard...skinny flat white (for a low-fat latte)....kip...and many more. What a lovely place...such friendly outgoing people...and an incredible trip all around.

The higlights of the trip are still to follow once I download photos....

The Haka...the scrum...Australia rugby!

It was quite a night. Scoring tickets to the Australia-New Zealand rugby match, mind you. My Australian colleagues invited me to the big match played at the Olympic stadium last night. Just me and 78,944 cheering fans. Adorned in my Wallabies shirt (kindly loaned to me by a fanatic Coffey fan), I settled in for an amazing night. First, the Haka. Performed by the New Zealand team, it is a mixture of cheer, dance and intimidation tactic. Then onto the game....two, 40-minute halves of all out, absolute, unprotected running, kicking and tackling. In the end, the Australians proved victorious and I gained an absolute appreciation for the game and those hulky men of steel.

Photos courteous of foxnewsports.com.au

Ah...Australia!

More than 24 hours, 8,000 plus miles and numerous time zones later, I've arrived in beautiful Sydney. A bit jet lagged, yes, but ready to take on the city and prepare for meetings which start tomorrow. The incoming flight provided breathtaking views of the early morning city, coastline and recognizable Opera House.

Yummy Summer Fruit...Fire Island

Berries are popping up everywhere here and my thoughts turn to sweet, tart, refreshing, fruity summer desserts. Here are a few culinary ideas from Food and Wine and Coastal Living.

Beach House Comforts

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No problems sleeping here on Fire Island...no ac...no stress. Just a cool ocean breeze and the hum of the insects outside. Here are some wonderful looks for a beach house bedroom from Pine Cone Hill.

One Child at a Time

If you didn't read Nicholas Kristof in the New York Times a few days ago, here's your chance. In his column, the Luckiest Girl, he writes about a poor African girl given a chance in life due to -- a goat. On a continent where education is difficult to obtain, particularly for girls from poor families, her family was able to send her to school due to money it earned from the sale of milk. The cow was supplied by Heifer International. This is the kind of story we can all connect to, even those who still don't understand why we send millions of dollars overseas each year to help build schools, vaccinate children and help to secure free and fair elections. It's the sort of "aid works" story that reassures me that my choice of career in international development is exactly the right one. It's the sort of story that I hope will inspire you the next time you are thinking about making a charitable donation or wondering if you can make a difference.

Photo courtesy of Heifer International website.

Panzanella and Peace of Mind

Back on Fire Island....ah. I can let out a long sigh and settle into a new routine. Today, preparing couscous salad...tomorrow panzanella, a traditional Tuscan tomato salad which uses stale, yes I said, stale bread. It will remind me of that delicious sald we had at our villa in Tuscany the night before our wedding.

Take me Away

I'm still lusting after this hotel in Mexico...it's a bit of a secret where it is and the name but if you ask, I might tell.

Tretorn is Back!

Looks like Tretorn is back! Those were coveted shoes in college...

With this advertising campaign, I'm craving a new pair!

A Hot Day in Paris is Bettter Than....

Don't you wish you were a Parisienne after seeing photos like these celebrating the quiet corners of Paris.

Fire Island Countdown

My countdown is on...in just a few short days, we'll be heading up to Fire Island to unwind and let summer truly begin. I'm already dreaming of the sand under my toes, 4 p.m. afternoons on the beach, the outdoor shower, my window bench and the lazy, sleepy feeling we all get after a day of doing nothing....

Missing Tim Russert

Since we departed for Amman, Jordan the day that Tim Russert died tragically, I had not had the opportunity to read the obituaries or see the tributes. Yesterday, I had a chance to see a memorial in which both Tom Brokaw and Maria Shriver spoke eloquently about his love of life, love of family and love of country. It actually moved me to tears. I think everyone felt like they knew Tim Russert and he was certainly the person that I let into my living room on Sunday morning to talk politics civilly and thoughtfully. Back when I was working for Governor Tom Ridge and his name was being tossed around as a running mate for Senator Bob Dole (remember that?), Tim Russert called me to see if he could arrange a time to speak with the Governor. He couldn't have been more friendly or down-to-earth. In all of my years working as Communications Director and press secretary to the Governor and Congressman, this is one of only two calls that I actually remember vividly, perhaps given the larger-than-life status he occupied in my mind. He will certainly be missed.

From Jordan to Nigeria...

Last night I was transported to Nigeria, attending a Society for International Development dinner in Washington, D.C. It honored World Bank Managing Director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the former Foreign Minister of Nigeria. What I didn't realize is that she is the mother of Uzodinma Iweala, author of Beasts of No Nation. If you haven't read this book yet, put it on your summer reading list. It will move and disgust you and awe you given this young man's ability to speak in this tragic voice about the life of a boy soldier in an unnamed African nation.

Jordan warmth and hospitality

Despite our hilarious Bedouin "experience" which I wrote about yesterday, we had a wonderful week in Jordan. The warmth and hospitality of the Jordanian people is truly wonderful. My daughter, Abigail, was truly the biggest beneficiary....everywhere we went she attracted attention, small gifts and inquiries about her name. By the end of the week, she told me that she wished "they would quit patting her on the head."

One evening we returned to the Hyatt to find a large wedding underway -- we were told it was two famous Jordanian families being joined. Abigail was intrigued by undertaking and so we ventured to the door of the monstrous ballroom, only to be waved in by several of the guests with warm smiles who inquired about where we were from. The bridge and groom came by a few minutes later and were thrilled to see our little blonde girl looking on in awe.

Wadi Rum Disco Tent Camp

Imagine the mystery. A night under the stars in southern Jordan spent with Bedouins who have roved these sands for centuries. A simple tent and a good nights sleep after a delicious locally prepared meal....

Well, that's what we envisioned. But, alas, as I found out last week the tourism industry in Jordan still has some, uh, development to experience....

After a roving ride through the desert which was magnificent when the guides drove away from the other 6 or 7 trucks, we arrived back to our tent camp (think refugee camp without the refugees) to find 4 large tour buses, pulsing Jordanian music and a rambunctious crowd of revelers who were prepared to dance the night away. Now, mind you, that would have been fine some 20 years ago but with a four year old, loud pounding music until midnight was just not my cup of tea...nor was the mass of humanity.

Alas, we settled down in our tent and hunkered down until I could stand it no more. With visions of a lynch mob returning to our tent after my tirade, I nevertheless put aside worries of an international incident and found an English speaking guide who assured me that the music would go off...which it did.

Fresh after five hours of sleep, we snuck out of the camp at 6:00 a.m. enroute to more adventures at Petra. As for my visions of a romantic Bedouin tent camp under a full moon eating lamb and sipping tea, perhaps it's out there somewhere waiting for my visit.

In Jordan

Sorry, dear readers...I know it's been a long hiatus. But I'm in Amman, Jordan now and reinvigorated about travel and feeding my wanderlusting spirit. I'll write and post more in the next few days. Tomorrow, off to Petra and the Dead Sea.

Dominican Art

Just back from a week in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic -- my first voyage there. You can't help but be struck by the variety of art as you walk down the "tourist street" -- some of it junk reproduced in masses by Haitian artist now settled there but here and there a treasure, such as those we stumbled upon at a gallery/cafe which are rich with texture and scenes of Dominican life. Here are a few highlights.

Bags, Bags...

I'm just diggin' both of these bags-- have mentioned before the Feed Project bag which you can order on-line from Tom's, a cool store to boot (no pun intended). Buying one on-line this weekend. The other, hand-embroidered bag comes from Mexico and you can find it at good ol' Viva Terra.

Bali - John Hardy Does it Again

Ah, to live in Bali. Rice paddies. Mystical offerings. Fresh food. Teak wood. Breathtaking views of greenery. Okay, that's enough. But here I go again dreaming about being in Ubud, thanks to John Hardy. The jewelry designer extraordinaire has now turned his eye to eco-living, or rather eco-tourism by constructing a compound or rather hotel, Bambu Indah, comprised of houses made out of old teak homes. According to Travel and Leisure, "Guests can swim in the natural pool, walk in the surrounding rice paddies, and dine by candlelight at the Ayung River’s edge. Need I say more????

And he's also designed a fabu looking silver bamboo bracelet. He uses the proceeds to plant bamboo somewhere on the island, contributing even further to long-term sustainability. Think I may need to put my name on an order list.

One More Thing...About Bangkok

It's been a whirlwind since I arrived back from Bangkok just 10 days ago. I suddenly realized that 3 days after arriving home, we flew up to Vermont, had a late dinner, house hunted for a winter place (more about that adventure later) and did a million other things. Is it any wonder my body collapsed on Saturday?

But I digress...and just had to share some of these photos of Thai transportation. One can't help but notice the cornucopia of transporation choices on the streets and above the streets of Bangkok, not to mention the river and waterways. Tuk tuks. Green taxis. Pink taxis. Racing motorcycles. Long boats. Water taxis. And yes, I once saw an elephant on the streets of downtown Bangkok. Probably not being used for transportation but then again, who knows? My favorite remains the water taxi which costs about 50 cents to take you up and down the river to the wats and various tourist locations.