Category Archives: Travel

Aug3

Marcus Samuelsson’s Red Rooster NYC: Ethiopia-Sweden-America

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Marcus Samuelsson’s Red Rooster NYC: Ethiopia-Sweden-America

Marcus Samuelsson’s story is amazing.

He was born in Ethiopia, and when he was only three his mother walked for days with her two children to get medical care to treat their tuberculosis. Sadly, his mother did not make it, but Marcus and his sister received the care they needed to recover. A year later they were adopted into a loving family and brought up in Sweden. It was the love of cooking that his Swedish grandmother instilled in him which he credits for guiding him to where he is today. He has risen to become a world-renowned chef and author of Yes, Chef; A Memoir in which he details his fascinating life.

Me with Chef Marcus Samuelsson at Red Rooster

While in New York City for the Blogher conference I had the pleasure to meet Chef Marcus Samuelsson and check out his acclaimed Red Rooster Restaurant in Harlem. He has created a vibrant atmosphere in which to serve what he describes as American comfort food with hints of his Swedish and African roots. While there, he greeted us with the same easy smile and warm welcoming manner with which he seemed to grace all those he encountered. He graciously took us on a tour downstairs to Ginny’s Supper Club , which is fashioned as a modern speakeasy and opened in 2012 as a tribute to the Harlem Renaissance. The food was amazing and the ambiance electric, so if you are looking for a cool night out, Red Rooster is where you want to go.

A drink called Yes, Chef

Jul12

Bedouin Lessons

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Bedouin Lessons

Photo by Elizabeth Atalay

Razi was a local Bedouin, who led me on a camel trek with my mother through the Negev Desert in Israel over twenty years ago.  I can still picture my mother, perched atop a camel like the Queen of Sheba as she bobbed and wobbled with each of its steps. She let out squeals of delight and fear as we progressed deeper into the Desert. Razi told me that my mother reminded him of his own, with her enthusiasm and adventurous spirit, even in her later years. Until that day my knowledge of the Bedouins and their life was limited to what I had seen from my narrow tourist perspective. What looked to me like meager tent camps dotted the dusty stretches of land along the Israeli roads. When we stopped anywhere near these communities, we were instantly swarmed by smudged Bedouin children with outstretched

Photo by Elizabeth Atalay

hands. I felt terrible for them. From what I could tell, they had no homes, received no education and clearly lived in poverty. As our camels plodded along, Razi spoke about life in the desert and life as a Bedouin. He easily navigated the desolate terrain, and described it as full of life if you knew where to look. He explained that the Bedouin are expert trackers.  He spoke of following the stars and planets like a map in the night sky. He told us about Bedouin poetry and the tradition of oral history.  Much of this knowledge, he said, had been traditionally passed on to him, as it was to all Bedouin children. As Razi spoke, my idea of the Bedouins being uneducated seemed increasingly inane. It dawned on me that being well educated might be subject to individual cultures.  I became highly aware that I would perish quickly if left on my own in this environment, despite my own university edification.

Photo by Elizabeth Atalay

When we stopped for our midday meal, he baked us flatbread with ingredients from his camel pack. He brewed some sweet tea on the fire, and as we drank together, he told us how he pitied us with our burdens and responsibilities. Razi loved his life of freedom, and, to him, possessions only meant entrapment. He had a point.  He said that it would be a nightmare for him to own more than he could fit on the back of his camel, thus inhibiting him from the nomadic life that he loved.   At that time in my life I did not own much to begin with, so it’s not like I   returned home and sold all my worldly goods. It was an impactful experience for me though, and I brought back a new understanding: that the world is seen through a lens unique to each person within his or her own culture.  Through the many countries and cultures that I have visited since then, the lesson I had learned from Razi stayed with me.  It has allowed me to open my mind to try to understand and respect others’ points of reference.   I am still fascinated by varied customs around the globe, while continuing to be amazed, and touched by the ways in which we are all so alike.

 

(A different version of this post was printed in The Baltimore Sun Sunday Travel section and on www.amomknowsbest.com)

Jul6

It’s Good to Be You – Travel in Style

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It’s Good to Be You – Travel in Style

Cute Bathing Suit Bag from GoodtoBeYou.com

When I do get a night out, by the time I feed the kids, I am usually left with little time to get myself ready to go.  Thus it seems like I’m always that girl who’s bra strap keeps peeking out in need of a safety pin, has dog hair on my pants from that nuzzle on my way out the door, or deodorant spots on my shirt from slapping it on in a rush.

My favorite dress, but my cleavage is being held in by a safety pin!!

In my search for travel gear this summer I discovered a fantastic website for girl like me, GoodtoBeYou.com.  I love that they have an entire Problem Solver tab with things like hem tape and lint remover mitts, all compact, easy to pack and seriously covering any fashion or beauty mishap possibilities along the way.  It’s like a website for grown up girl scouts, a prepared girls dream.

Of course the kids have to have one last swim with their cousins right before we pack to go home!

I’m most recently grateful for the bathing suit bag from  GoodtoBeYou.com that saved the rest of our luggage from the  wet bathing suits we had to pack at the end of our vacation.   It has previously spared entire  pool/beach bag contents (especially my reading materials!) on several occasions from getting soggy with the kids wet bathing suits being tossed in!  The site has a ton of other really great items for travel, found under the Travel Goodies tab, including roll up travel ballet flats that seem all the rage this year, travel bags for shoes (also one for wet bathing suits among other things), and the “Plane friendly travel kit”.  The Shemergency survival kit is perfect to keep in your car or to bring on a trip, it contains things like shoe shine wipes, safety pins, hair spray and a whole lot of other tiny problem solvers you may need on the go. Now when I find myself needing that tiny fashion solution, it is usually right there in my kit! Perfect for a busy mom like me who still likes to try to look pulled together every now and then!

 

*  I received a free bathing suit bag & Lint Remover Pads for reviewing purposes.  (The very bag that has saved my luggage and book this summer!) All my opinions are my own and not swayed by outside sources.

May25

Vietnam is More Than a War: Guest Post by Leah DeCesare

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Vietnam is More Than a War: Guest Post by Leah DeCesare

 Leah DeCesare is a Doula, writer and mother of three, to find out more about her check out her Mother’s Circle Blog.

The Author, Leah DeCesare

Photo by Leah DeCesare

When you hear Vietnam, do you immediately think “war”?  It was the first word association I had when I heard my parents were planning to visit Vietnam for a vacation. Months later, through a series of lucky events, I ended up going in place of my Dad.

War has, indeed, been a repeating theme in Vietnamese history and without a doubt, the Vietnam War is more present and visible there than in the US, but traveling there, we also got a glimpse into the complexities and treasures of a culture and a people that run deeper than what they call the American War.

We landed in Hanoi at 10:00 pm on February 1, 2012, haggard and fatigued after the long flights, we met up with our tour group and guide, Quang, a 47 year old for whom, by the end of our time together, we would feel a special affection.

Photo by Leah DeCesare

Since this was a tour group and planned for people more my parents age, it turned out that Quang and I were closer in age than the others. As he shared his life stories, I found myself continually figuring out what I was doing while he was swimming in flooded bomb craters during the rainy season or what it would feel like to have my brother leave home for another country, facing pirates and dangers, never to see him again.

 

Photo by Leah DeCesare

What kind of parallel did his life have to mine growing up only 5 years apart? The comparisons were dramatic, I was safe, doing homework, school activities and swimming at beaches, my family was together, and in the post-war years, I happily studied at college and lived a carefree, peaceful, and fun-filled life. Quang grew up with the war.

Photo by Leah DeCesare

Photo by Leah DeCesare

In moving detail, Quang told us of his decision to try to flee his country, a decision that meant he was leaving his family behind for an unknown future. After extensive planning, while bobbing in the dark in a tiny row boat, he watched as the boat that was supposed to stop for him continued past. Devastated, he retraced his steps stealthily, hiding in shoreline brush, making his way back home without being detected to his relieved parents.

All while I worried about my marketing class project or my statistics exam.

Our group toured many key historical locations associated with the war: the prison known as “Hanoi Hilton,” Reunification Palace where Ho Chi Minh’s tanks crashed through the front gates, the elaborate, narrow Cu Chi Tunnels, a small section of the tunnel system used by the Viet Cong army.  We saw old American ships being used by current day river police and abandoned US airplane hangars in Da Nang, we swam and walked along China Beach, one site where our troops took R&R. Signs of the American War were everywhere.

 

Photo by Leah DeCesare

These and many other places were important and critical to see and experience as Americans in Vietnam, but we also learned about an other Vietnam, one independent of, and pre-dating America.  We got acquainted with the Cham people, visited vibrant (and smelly) local markets and floating river markets, we experienced traditional Vietnamese dance and music and played a unique instrument, the Mono Chord, we watched water puppetry, an art form that dates back to the 11th century. From the foods, the silks, the rice paddies and the people, to the cyclo rides, pagodas, temples and the natural beauty of Ha Long Bay, we experienced a Vietnam that had nothing to do with “the War.”

Group Guide Quang; Photo by Leah DeCesare

Yes, Vietnam is a war-scarred nation, but it’s not defined by the war. The people continue to heal and unite, and those who fought against the communist regime live side by side with former Viet Cong soldiers. Increasingly, a “market economy” (i.e. capitalism) is flourishing and tourism has grown markedly in recent years reaching 6 million visitors in 2011.

Through serendipity or some plan of the universe, I ended up in Vietnam, and because of those 20 days, I now hold this Southeast Asian country in my heart. “War” is no longer my first thought when I hear “Vietnam” and I have a friend in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Author of this post Leah DeCesare is a Doula, writer and mother of three, to find out more about her check out her Mother’s Circle Blog.

 

 

 

 

May19

Arabian Feasts, KSA part 4

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Arabian Feasts, KSA part 4

A huge part of any foreign travel for me is the opportunity to taste different cuisines.  The food we experienced on our trip to Saudi Arabia last month was as consistently abundant as it was delicious.  I would describe the traditional dishes we tasted as Middle Eastern with a touch of Indian flavor. Our first night we went to the Fakher Dein Palace restaurant on the 11th floor of the Faisaliah Tower. I was enchanted by the interior set to feel like a tented desert palace, and from the outdoor balcony we could see beautiful sweeping views of the vast city on three sides of the building.  It was the perfect beginning on our first night in Riyadh. The buffet style allowed us to try an assortment of dishes.  We sat inside the tented decor,  and on the balcony just outside our window sat a group of young twenty something girlfriends.  They ate and laughed, and took tons of photos together and of each other.  Only their eyes were visible through their hijabs, but other than the way they were dressed, they reminded me of myself with a group of friends on a typical girls night out.

 

 

Dragon Fruit

Breakfast in our hotel was also a grand buffet that served both western and Saudi cuisine.  My favorite part of the breakfast assortment was the daily fresh honeycomb that was set out to be sliced into by the guests. My other favorite was the always-present delicious kiwi tasting fruit that I had never heard of before (I love coming across a new fruit!) called a Pitaya or Dragon Fruit, which is imported to the KSA from Asia.

Holding the Oud burner

One night we were taken to a traditional Saudi Arabian meal at Najd Village. Housed in historic mud brick architecture with an open courtyard in the middle, meals are served in the custom of sitting on the floor.  We were the only foreigners in the place, and with women in the party we had been directed to enter through the back “family entrance”.  The meal began with the tradition of  Qahwa (Arabic coffee) and dates being served.  The food was laid out family style over a long runner on the floor. Food served in this manner is customarily eaten with the right hand or with bread.  We passed around dishes of hummus, Baba ghanoush, and Tabbouleh, to be dipped into with flat breads called Fatir and Kimaje.  Entrees of Kapsa, a traditional chicken and rice dish, and mild curried stews of lamb, beef or potato were passed around and accompanied by Saudi style rice as we each tried to taste from the multitude of offerings.  After the meal a chalice of burning incense made of wood chips and called Oud was passed around to each person twice, and we were encouraged to let the smoke permeate our clothes to leave it’s perfumed scent.

On our penultimate evening in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia we were taken to a palace for dinner.   We ate in Al Orjouan restaurant at the the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Riyadh. The Ritz resides in a royal palace built to entertain guests and dignitaries, supposedly for the king, which for some sort of security reason was never utilized by the royal family.  The Ritz-Carlton opened there in 2011.  I have never stepped foot into such an opulent space. This structure and its details make the Newport Mansions look like cabins.  Massive buffet stations sprawled through the restaurant, and because this was a festive occasion we were given glasses of Saudi Arabian “champagne”. Alcohol is forbidden in the Muslim religion, and is illegal in the KSA, so Saudi champagne tasted like the fizzy white grape juice we have at home.   In the courtyard of the hotel lives a beautiful knotted olive tree estimated to be around six hundred years old. In the last hundred years that olive tree has stood witness to the transformation of Saudi Arabia from a nomadic tribal culture to a bursting modern city.  In modern day Riyadh you can find many different types of food, including an array of American chain restaurants.  Through the changed  the traditional cuisine has maintained its long standing regional integrity, and many of the same dishes served in tents a hundred years ago are still commonly eaten here today.  It is all so tasty, I can see why.