Wanderful Words No. 17

Published by Ekua on March 14, 2010 posted in wanderful words ★ 1 Comment Tags: , , , , .

I recently had the challenge of finding a decent, affordable new place to live in San Francisco. After weeks of searching, I found a spot and have been settling in. Admittedly, it is a strange space, but what matters to me most is that it feels like home. After assembling Ikea furniture until my hands and fingers were sore and decorating with items picked up on my travels, it’s beginning to become one. One of my favorite Gandhi quotes came to mind for this week’s Wanderful Words:

“I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all the lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any.”

- Mahatma Gandhi

This relates to many aspects of what home means to me. Like I said, I fill my living space home with tidbits of my travels– artwork and knick knacks that remind me of both the ups and downs of the road and the lessons I’ve learned on it. Beyond my blood family, I like to surround myself with others from a variety of cultures and upbringings. In my previous post, I wrote about the ability to feel at home amongst different types of people and in less familiar places. And the post before that was about experiencing other cultures in my home base city.

But while I want to open my mind, my house, and my life to the ideas and influences of other cultures, I want the core of who I am to remain intact. And who I am is by nature the product of many cultures.

On Having Many Homes

Published by Ekua on March 11, 2010 posted in local discoveries and why i travel ★ 2 Comments Tags: , .

Spending five hours in a car with people I spend five days a week with, I begin to really get to know them for the first time. Stories of lives unfold and interests and opinions are revealed. “What a strange bunch,” I think. I feel at home.

We stop for dinner. Our waiter comes by and as if we are his family members, he tells us the trifling details of his day of chopping wood. He has no idea what the day’s special is. He returns every so often with drinks, food, bits of information about his day and his life. This peculiar woodsmen environment is not one I’ve ever experienced before, but it is cozy and I feel at home.

Cell phone bars decrease as the altitude increases. Headlights illuminate a growing number of tree trunks and a road lined with snow. We are surrounded by mountains that we cannot see, but we know we are somewhere special. We look up at the twinkling lights our city building lights cancel out. In the rawness of the earth, I feel at home.

We settle into our cabin. The power goes out. Distractions unavailable, the entire group comes together. In the dark, we share. Quirks and idiosyncrasies are acknowledged and accepted. Unique beings bonded by individuality and common goals. I feel at home.

The light and daylight have returned. I quietly leave the cabin. I slip further into my skin and deeper into my blood. I exhale everyday minutiae and inhale fresh air and fresh perspective. I become aware of the difference between walking amongst the trees rather than past them, and strive for the former. I stop to look up at tree tops and swirling clouds and feel grounded in my position on this planet. In the wonder of the Earth, I feel at home.

It’s been hours since we left the trees and mountains behind. Across the bridge, I see a twinkling skyline. We approach chaos and frustration with undertones of possibility. I feel at home.

Where to go in San Francisco to Feel Like You’re in Another Country

Published by Ekua on March 9, 2010 posted in California, eats and drinks and local discoveries ★ 4 Comments Tags: , , , .

It’s been awhile since I’ve done some serious traveling. When I am not distracted by things I have to do, stir craziness begins to creep up on me. I am hoping to find an affordable last minute Spring Break getaway, but in lieu of any concrete travel plans, I’ve been thinking a lot about where I can go in San Francisco and feel like I am in another place, even if it’s only for a few hours…

» Bissap Baobab & Little Baobab

The first time I walked into the Senagalese restaurant, Bissap Baobab, I knew immediately that I’d left San Francisco and entered West Africa. And true to West Africa, it’s full of friendliness, randomness, and hearty flavorful food. Little Baobab is Bissap’s sibling and is located just around the corner. They offer the same menu as Bissap Baobab up to a certain point and then push aside the tables and dim lights so you can dance the night away to the beats of West Africa and the African diaspora.

» Nonstop Bhangra

Bhangra is a type folk music and dance that comes from the Punjabi region of India. San Francisco’s monthly event, Nonstop Bhangra, fuses this style of music with hip hop, reggae and other genres. The event is fittingly held at a venue called the Rickshaw Stop, and at the party you can enjoy a dance lesson, music and dance performances, and plenty of time to shake and groove on your own. When it gets packed, it tends to get pretty hot and sweaty, but to me, that just adds another element of India to the event.

» 24th Street and the Mission

As the hipsters extend their adhesive jeans with saggy butt legs from the 16th Street part of the Mission to the 24th Street side, gentrification is on everyone’s mind. But there are still times walking down 24th Street when you can feel like you are in Central America as people live their lives on the sidewalks, Spanish is the dominant language, and the smells of pupusas, tacos, and baked goods waft out of the restaurants and bakeries. And of course, the Mission hosts some of San Francisco’s most interesting annual festivals like Carnaval and Day of the Dead.

» Clement Street

I was first introduce to Clement Street in the Richmond by a friend of mine who is a chef. It was pretty easy to see why she liked it– it feels like a culinary tour of Asia. Some of the restaurants on the street are delicious and well known, but I think the most interesting cultural experience is at the Richmond New May Wah Supermarket. It is stocked with Asian produce and products that are hard to find in the US. Chicken feet and other such things not commonly eaten in the US are vividly displayed with no hesitation about what would make the average American squeamish.

» BR55

My obsession with Brazil runs deep. After returning from volunteering there, I needed a regular fix of the genres of Brazilian music I find to be corny but incredibly endearing. I found what I was looking for at the monthly event, BR55, held at Shattuck Down Low in Berkeley. There are a few other Brazilian events in the San Francisco Bay Area that I really enjoy, but they tend to strive for a more cosmopolitan Rio vibe. BR55 serves straight up forró to two-step to and axé in all of it’s cheesy glory.

The Art of Squatting

Published by Ekua on February 23, 2010 posted in backpacking, female travel and general travel ★ 19 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

I remember the beginning of my first squat toilet experience vividly. I was 17 and visiting Ghana for the first time in 15 years. Ghanaians love formalities, and because we’d been away for so long as a family, there were many welcome home rituals to take care of. A trip to my mom’s home village was in order. So one day, after hours of driving down pothole laden roads in heavy tropical rain, we reached the village. The constant bouncing and sounds of water combined with lack of facilities along the way meant I really had to go when we arrived. I asked to use the toilet, totally naive about what I would find. I opened the door and inside what appeared to be the bathroom was a hole in the ground. “Where’s the toilet?” I thought as I carefully examined the entire bathroom and the surrounding areas. My teenage heart sank as I realized the hole was my only option. Whatever happened after that has been erased from my memory.

I’ve now squatted many times and in many places, even unexpected locations like France. Asia was the number one squatting skills development location. My month in South East Asia was like a senior year course in sucking it up when it comes to toilets. It’s inevitable that every adventurous female traveler accustomed to sit down toilets will face these dreaded holes at some point. Once you accept them, they become a lot easier to deal with. Especially when you consider that if you avoid them, the health risks (dehydration, etc.) can be much worse than the few minutes you’ll spend strengthening your thighs as you relieve yourself. For women who are afraid of squat toilets, and I know many are, I thought I’d share some of what I’ve learned about how to deal with them during my travels:

Leave Your Stuff in the Vehicle

Don’t expect to have a place to hang your belongings. And because squat toileting requires balance and concentration, you want to make sure your hands are free. If you’re in a situation where you can’t leave your stuff unattended, make sure you’re carrying a backpack or messenger bag that doesn’t need to be held on to.

Wear a Skirt or a Dress

For once, fashion equals function. Weather permitting, it’s a great idea to wear a skirt for long road trips where you’ll likely have to use a bathroom in the middle of nowhere. It’s much easier to lift a skirt and get it out of the way than it is to get pants or shorts out of the way. Enough said.

Bring Your Own Toilet Paper or Tissues

Where there’s a squat toilet, there’s likely to be a lack of toilet paper. Or sometimes you may find yourself scrambling for change to buy some unearthly colored or scented toilet paper. So make sure to have your own stash.

Wash the Toilet When You’re Done

If there’s a bucket of water and a container to scoop it out with next to the toilet, it probably means you’ll need to wash the toilet down after your done. Do this to be courteous to the next squatter and know that if  you walk into a wet toilet, it’s likely that it’s just water (if the water looks relatively clear) and not whatever you were imagining it to be.

Have Hand Sanitizer Ready

I like the spray kind. If the toilet stall seems to be particularly gross, I will spray it on my feet as well.

Discovering Ikebana: The Beautiful Simplicity of Japanese Flower Arranging

Published by Ekua on February 17, 2010 posted in general travel ★ 7 Comments Tags: , , .

About a year ago, a friend asked me if I wanted to go to an ikebana show in Golden Gate Park with her. I had no idea what she was talking about. She wasn’t quite sure of the details either, but she told me that it was Japanese flower arranging. I was intrigued.

More and more I see that a gaudy and jam packed flower arrangement style is gaining popularity for weddings and other events. It often makes me cringe. I feel that in this modern world, so many things that are naturally aesthetically pleasing are warped to the point where it takes away from their original beauty. Being a flower lover, I was interested in seeing a different approach and I agreed to go.

I was thrilled the day of the show when we entered the Hall of Flowers building and were surrounded by creative embodiments of beautiful simplicity. Some of the characteristics I saw and appreciated about the ikebana arrangements that day were:

  • thoughtfulness and a personal perspective
  • inspiration drawn from the natural shapes and lines of plants or flowers
  • attention to space and not using more than needed to express a point of view
  • making use of what’s around by incorporating found objects
  • an apparent appreciation for the natural world

There were different schools of ikebana showing their designs at the event. After awhile, we were able to study each arrangement and guess which one the designer belonged to. Though every school has a distinct style, the outcome of each design is purely the expression of the arranger’s creativity or emotions. In some, you can get a sense of the arranger’s inspiration.  Looking at the overall shape of the design, you might notice that elements of one flower or plant are mimicked in the placement of others.

Some of the designers explained that a portion or all of what they used for their arrangements was from what they found in their own garden or in a park. By the time we left the show, my friend and I were already planning to take up ikebana (someday) and were keeping our eyes open for ikebana worthy materials in Golden Gate Park as we walked back to the car.

Wanderful Words No. 16

Published by Ekua on February 11, 2010 posted in wanderful words ★ 10 Comments

“Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.”

- Anais Nin

As you may have guessed from my recent lack of presence in the travel blogosphere, I have been pretty busy lately. An unexpected shake up in my life has been occupying a lot of my time for the past week and a half. And of course being as full as wanderlust as I am, I’ve found that it relates to travel.

One reason why I travel is because it forces me to revolutionize myself. Even if the situations that arise in travel are only temporary, the results of whatever transpires return home with me. Lately, I’ve been reflecting on how I’ve learned to handle adjustments when I travel abroad, but at home I am not always as adaptable. Especially when the changes are more tangible and permanent. So while it’s upsetting that I haven’t had as much time to write, I’m looking at my current state of unsettlement as a lesson in flexibility and an opportunity to reject complacency in favor of invigoration.

Wanderful Words No. 15

Published by Ekua on February 5, 2010 posted in wanderful words ★ 8 Comments Tags: , , .

“Dear friends, you are nothing less than a miracle. There may be times when you feel that you are worthless. But you are nothing less than a miracle. The fact that you are here — alive and capable of breathing in and out — is ample proof that you are a miracle. One string bean contains the whole cosmos in it: sunshine, rain, the whole Earth, time, space and consciousness. You also contain the whole cosmos.”

- Thich Nhat Hanh

I know it’s not necessarily travel or adventure related, but this excerpt from Be Free Where You Are made me smile. Aside from the feel-good aspect of it, I appreciate this quote because I find that seeing the miracle in seemingly common things is valuable for an artistic perspective. Much of the writing I enjoy the most does not focus on the spectacular; the author finds a unique angle or the beauty or humor in an everyday event and is able to convey it in an intriguing way. In my constant efforts to improve my writing and photography skills, I think it’s important to be aware of and open to seeing anything around me as a miracle worth capturing.

© 2009-2010 Girl, Unstoppable All Rights Reserved