Vertical Ethiopia

Yesterday in Raleigh, Great Outdoor Provision Company sponsored an event at the Lincoln Theatre. Majka Burhardt spoke and showed slides to introduce her book, Vertical Ethiopia, which is about a climbing expedition 4 women took in Ethiopia.

Not being a climber myself, I went mainly because I wanted to hear about Ethiopia, and see pictures of the landscapes. I was not disappointed. The photography by well known adventure photographer, Gabe Rogel, was absolutely stunning, so stunning in fact, that I now own the book. Beyond the pictures though, the overall story Majka told was entertaining and thought provoking. She was able to weave the thrill and danger of various climbs together with her introduction to Ethiopian culture.

First, a primer: SPARKcon is a festival celebrating and nurturing the local creativity of Raleigh and the Triangle region of NC. It’s 100% volunteer… everyone involved runs entirely on enthusiasm, passion and talent, with a bit of support from some wonderful sponsors! This past weekend was the third year for SPARKcon, and it showcased all sorts of talent communities, including breakdancers, yogis, craftspeople, spoken word artists, hoola hoopers, music of all kinds, art, film, fashion and more.

FashionSPARK is an outdoor runway show which featured 13 local fashion designers’ work, as well as fabulous hair and makeup by local stylists. The show was beautifully directed by Allison Beale.

fabulous hair by Jesse and Carla of Marigold Parlour, makeup also by Marigold, fashion by Domino

woodland nymph fashion by Domino

doggy designs by Montage

fashion by Lllavender, hair by Salon Blu

fashion by Metallic Spiral, styled by Marigold Parlour

fashion by Marie Cordella, styled by Atomic Salon

The SPARKcon website is in a constant state of being updated. Check it for more pictures, designer info and links.

Almost 3 years after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans is still a major renovation zone, and many places have barely been able to begin, even though the trailers are supposedly no longer a living option.

Many areas of New Orleans sustained minor damage due to being on higher ground (like the French Quarter), and some neighborhoods which had only 2-3 feet of standing water (only??) have finally come into the completion phases of their reconstruction. And according to the numbers we heard from locals, close to 70% of the total population is back in one way or another.

The lower ground areas, however, are still struggling for their very survival, especially the neighborhoods of the Lower Ninth Ward. What was once a large and dense series of neighborhoods is now desolate fields.

This is a street in the Upper Ninth Ward, still under major reconstruction efforts. This picture is also an example of what the streets of the Lower Ninth used to look like.

This is what the Lower Ninth Ward looks like as of July 26, 2008.

There is hope! We DID see some new construction.

According to all the locals we talked to, churches, neighborhood groups and other non-profits soliciting volunteer help have been the key to any successful reconstruction efforts. People have come from all over the country to help, and volunteers from within New Orleans have organized, housed, fed and worked alongside these volunteers.

If you wish to help, there are many worthy efforts to donate time or money to. From our research (a few days in New Orleans and talking to lots of locals), we will name 2 we feel confident in recommending:

• Common Ground Relief - They’re not just taking money to help, they are literally stationed right there in the Lower Ninth. They are organizing rebuilding efforts, as well as providing short term relief for victims. Of course, I don’t know this, but my guess is that the moneys donated are actually used immediately to fund reconstruction, rather than sitting in a fund somewhere all wrapped up in red tape.
• Church of the Annunciation Mission – I’m sure there are many churches and missions to work with. We heard about this church in particular as being well organized, providing accommodations, food and volunteer team organizers for those who wish to join the rebuilding effort of New Orleans.

10. WASHINGTON PARK, the Japanese Garden and the Portland Rose Garden
All three of these beautiful areas are basically in the same spot. Washington Park is a huge 400 acre park with many walking trails and beautiful views of Mt Hood and Portland as well as quiet area beneath the huge trees. The Japanese Garden is absolutely beautiful, with different areas of the gardens coming to life in different seasons. And the Rose Garden has over 6800 rose bushes representing 557 varieties – major wow!

9. SOUTH WATERFRONT PARK
Portland reclaimed it’s Willamette waterfront for the people with this waterfront park. Get great views of all of the bridges, plus a really nice walk or bike or skate along the river. On the southernmost end of the walk, there is a small marina and nice outdoor cafes to enjoy some perfect July weather.

8. PEARL DISTRICT – downtown
ok, this is cheating in my top ten, cause there’s lotsa stuff in the Pearl that you have to see. They are all in walking distance to each other, so you can make a day of it, and then be there in time for Happy Hour!
• POWELL’S BOOKS – the largest independent bookstore in the world. It’s awesome, with collections of basically everything with used and out of print mixed in with the new. You simply cannot go to Portland without visiting Powell’s.
• Museum of Contemporary Craft – they had a great show while we were there. The gift store is impressive too, lots beautiful of glass, pottery and jewelry.
• Tanner Springs Park and Jamison Square – I mentioned these parks in an earlier post. Tanner Springs is a beautiful small natural area, very well done, and Jamison Park is a fun urban kids play fountain

7. a tie for VENDETTA and Rontom’s-
Vendetta = hip yet casual drinks and snacks hangout – great patio!
Rontom’s = mid-century mecca yet casual drinks and snacks hangout – get the Mojito with Cilantro in it – yum!

6. MISSISSIPPI AVE ARTS DISTRICT – see a buncha cool art on “Last Thursdays,” go to the BLACK WAGON for some hipper than thou baby stuff (and cool art), step across the street and have a martini to some cool grooves at Moloko Plus (used to be Mississippi Avenue Social Club), or grab a beer in a much more casual spot, complete with a veggie brat at Amnesia Brewing. And if you are there in July, you can’t miss the Mississippi Ave Street Fair! It puts those cute little town arts fairs to shame.

5. HAWTHORNE DISTRICT - go ahead and get your Stumptown Coffee on Belmont or Fresh Pot coffee on Hawthorne, then peruse the street for all of it’s awesome vintage shops, especially, House of Vintage, check out the Bagdad Theater and Pub, and enjoy all kinds of delicious small restaurants and pubs.

4. Broder – gotta go for brunch – Swedish food, whatever that means. All I know is that for brunch I got this awesome baked scramble in its own teeny tiny iron skillet – so cute – and great! It’s a tiny cute little spot…don’t forget to order the adorable Danish pancakes.

3. Alibi Restaurant and Lounge – totally authentic Tiki – LOVE IT – the cocktails are great and decorated with paper umbrellas, and there is Karaoke every night. One of my most memorable places to visit in Portland.

2. SATURDAY FARMER’S MARKET – If you’re in Portland on a Saturday, you just gotta go. Local. Delicious. Fun. Music. etc. See an earlier post for a larger description.

1. NAVARRE – Portland’s full of great eats and drinks. Navarre is at the top of the list. Navarre is a small place which truly changes it’s menu based on what they received from a local farmer. Everything feels as if it was cooked for you, served casually, family style, and desserts and wines are chosen specifically to pair with the food. this is a great date night, gathering of friends or casual night out for treats. Deelish. (we did a full write-up on Navarre last year. see it here.)

Other fun places:
mod shopping: Hive Modern, Relish, Canoe
chains but worth seeing Portland Style: Whole Foods Portland, DWR Showroom, West Elm, Horny Toad’s Lizard Lounge
other awesome eats: Bay 13 (seafood), Silk (vietnamese), Pok Pok (thai), Beast (euro-portland),
Voodoo Doughnuts, Hotlips Pizza (and homemade fruit soda!), Burgerville

Check Portland Octopus out for a lot of great Portland info.

cool.

Just spent a few days in Portland, Oregon, and had a great time, but “coveting” is not a pleasant experience, I have to say. Anyway, Portland in July is so beautiful it’s kinda sick. The sun is bright, the air is clean, the breeze is perfect and everything is in full bloom. It’s like walking through a very convincing sales brochure designed to keep you there forever (with no hint of the less than perfect weather of fall/winter/spring).

CITY OF NEIGHBORHOODS: Portland is fairly condensed with it’s famous and smart urban planning. Outside of the downtown area is a whole host of connected neighborhoods, and each of these has a specific feeling and it’s own little commercial district. It’s actually easier to walk or bike than to drive, which makes the streets very active on a human level.

Portlander’s love their gardens in the summer!

LOCAL FRESH FOOD (and coffee!!) CULTURE: You wanna see some people freak out over food? Talk to a Portlander about coffee, or watch them all glaze over when talking about berries in the summer. Chef-owned unique restaurants are everywhere throughout downtown and mixed through the neighborhoods. Almost all of them pride themselves on using local fresh ingredients and tailoring the menu to what’s in season. And the Saturday Farmer’s Market is packed with people! You can even get authentic southern Chicken and Biscuits from fellow Raleighite, Walter Alexander at his Pine State Biscuits stand.

Saturday Farmer’s Market in Portland

TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS: Wow. I’m not a big city girl and figuring out a bus system or mass transit can be a little intimidating to me. Not so in Portland. The city grid itself is very easy to understand and on top of that, there is a great (and free) streetcar system downtown, a light rail system, and a bus system which are all used by the whole population. Cycling is hugely encouraged and supported through bike lanes and paths. There is even a skateboarding/skate route noted throughout downtown. AND they have Zipcar, cars that sit around in convenient places for you to reserve for an hour or longer and then just walk the block or two to where it is, hop in, and get where you wanna go.

Portland Skate Route

Portland Bike Crew watching an anti-Foie Gras protest

PARKS and RECREATION: There are big and small parks all over the city, some celebrate nature and big scenic views, some are restful, or for dogs, or fun for children, or for roses. Whether in the heart of downtown or in larger natural areas within cycling distance of the core, they are all well used. There are also street festivals and markets everywhere all summer long.

Enjoying the rock fountain at Jameson Park

Tanner Springs: quiet urban park with natural grasses and sustainable water features

EMPHASIS ON QUALITY OF LIFE: It’s a different vibe that as an east-coaster, I just find shocking. At least through my rose-colored glasses of a visitor, it seems like in Portland, yer not about “what you do” as much as yer about “what you did last weekend.” The emphasis is different. The competitive feeling is more about what kind of outdoor “gear” you own than your work status.

Green roof in Alberta Arts district

I’ll have a “things to do on your visit” post tomorrow, and then I’ll leave it alone

Public Art that’s gorgeous, AND with a purpose! “Green Energy Design” is an event hosted by Interni Magazine during Milan Design Week. “It focuses on the creative processes of a series of Italian and international design talents, through projects characterized by a highly experimental, multimedia approach, capable of transmitting design culture and expression to the city as a whole.”

The Solar Tree shown above is by Ross Lovegrove, with Artemide. “Solar Tree, doesn’t use energy but takes it from the sun, and is a sinuous tree made of steel tubes that support bubbles, each of them accommodating 38 sophisticated solar cells linked to a system of batteries and electronic devices hidden in the base. LED lighting. The bubbles light up at night thanks to the light accumulated by the solar panels by day.” Look at it! A beautiful and whimsical sculpture in an urban setting. YEA!

Ofigea, by Jacob Foggini, with Nice, is a giant centipede-like series of lit up discs. “It has a linear development of 55 m x 1.2 m dia (disc), 4 m high, and consists of hundreds of LED-lit discs in iridescent colours, made in methacrylate M-Cryl, a regenerated product, saving 70% of energy compared to a first-rate equivalent.” It symbolizes metamorphosis and regeneration…and it’s super cool.

See Interni Magazine for full details
Storry originally seen on MocoLoco.com

The City of Raleigh currently is updating its Comprehensive Plan for the first time since 1989. Over the next 20 years, the city is expected to grow by 70 percent and reach a population of 700,000. Kids City is one element of the City’s strategy to educate people on the issues and engage them in envisioning Raleigh’s future.

Emma Farquhar sees the future clearly, complete with flying cars, the river all Raleighites long for, and her house in the trees.

Kids have eco-visions too! Check out “The Solar Hotel!”

The Mudcats stadium moves downtown, and all the important people of Raleigh are there enjoying the game.

Industry moves downtown too. Shown here is a Gatorade factory…and right beside it, there’s a chocolate factory. Chocolate and Gatorade…new energy for the downtown core!

You can always count on kids for the big ideas, the creative avenues we all wish for but are afraid to develop. Kids Day 2030 brought a little fun into the idea of planning – and maybe to the future reality of Raleigh.

After the class, as we were walking back, we saw a sad little site:

You see those people all standing at the flagpole in the middle of the quad? They’re smokers. And it turns out that this is one of the few areas on campus where smoking is allowed (see map below). I mean, look at them. How much more stigmatized can you be? Are they gonna have to wear a big red “S” on their shirt soon? Apparently though, smoking is still a patriotic, U>S>A activity, as the spot has been designated with the flag.

I guess they better smoke up now, because once the spring and summer “Please do not walk on the grass” signs come out, they’re screwed.

Here’s a map that shows where smoking is not allowed:

I’m wondering if anyone has decided to designate that tiny little smoker triangle with a little flag or spray paint or something. Maybe someone could organize some kind of time table since I’m sure only one person can fit in that spot at a time.

Mr. Simpson’s shop is on the corner of the site. We stopped in and were lucky enough to find him there working. You can only see his smaller pieces,the ones available for sale to the public, if he’s there at the shop to show them to you. There are not standard visiting hours or anything like that, so we felt lucky indeed. A neighbor and friend of Mr. Simpson’s came by while we were there because heneeded a piece of farm machinery welded for strength. So, we also got the pleasure of hearing all sorts of stories concerning the goings-on of the surrounding community.

Mr. Simpson is close to 90 years old, and continues to be incredibly prolific in both his art and his stories. He started working with metal and wind about 50 years ago, after returning from WWII. About 30 years ago, he started adding artistry and fantasy into his already functional wind devices.

Vollis Simpson’s whirligigs are now in museums and galleries around the country, and his Windmill Farm is listed as one of NC’s stops in Roadside America. He has been on 60 Minutes, PBS and lots of art or outsider art publications.

To find out more go to:
Science Museum of Minnesota (great overview of site and interview with Vollis)
Roadside America
Folk Art Magazine
Off the Map Travelogue, PBS