Shelley's World

Travel Changes Everything: Giving Girls the Gift of Seeing the...

Sun, 19 May 2013 15:15:01 -0500

Travel Changes Everything: Giving Girls the Gift of Seeing the World

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that
goes on, deep and permanent, in the…

View Post

Friday Travel Dreaming - 5/17/13

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:16:34 -0500

Friday Travel Dreaming - 5/17/13

Diva

Wed, 15 May 2013 10:55:52 -0500

Diva

Hoppity hop hop

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:42:03 -0500

Hoppity hop hop

(via On Mothers, and Being a Mom for Kids Who Don’t Have...

Mon, 13 May 2013 09:53:51 -0500

(via On Mothers, and Being a Mom for Kids Who Don’t Have One)

Celebrating cinco de mayo with drinks and delicious bites from...

Sun, 05 May 2013 19:05:34 -0500

Celebrating cinco de mayo with drinks and delicious bites from Trace at the W Hotel.

Real Tsansa Shrunken Heads

Sun, 05 May 2013 14:14:09 -0500

Real Tsansa Shrunken Heads

Waiting for Rodriguez to take the stage in Austin! #atxrodriguez...

Sat, 04 May 2013 20:43:14 -0500

Waiting for Rodriguez to take the stage in Austin! #atxrodriguez (at Frank Erwin Center (ERC))

Getting a taste of Brazil at Central Market!

Fri, 03 May 2013 18:50:18 -0500

Getting a taste of Brazil at Central Market!

Help Create a Safer India for Women & Children

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:55:52 -0500

Help Create a Safer India for Women & Children:

On April 19, 2013, A five year old girl was abducted and brutally raped in Delhi, by her neighbor for 48 hours. She had gone out to play with her friends when the man who lived in the same building k

A Close to Free Family Vacation in Southern California

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:42:11 -0500

A Close to Free Family Vacation in Southern California

"After learning my flight was detained 4 hours, I heard the announcement: If anyone in the vicinity..."

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:48:32 -0500

“

After learning my flight was detained 4 hours,
I heard the announcement:
If anyone in the vicinity of gate 4-A understands any Arabic,
Please come to the gate immediately.

Well—one pauses these days. Gate 4-A was my own gate. I went there.
An older woman in full traditional Palestinian dress,
Just like my grandma wore, was crumpled to the floor, wailing loudly.
Help, said the flight service person. Talk to her. What is her
Problem? we told her the flight was going to be four hours late and she
Did this.

I put my arm around her and spoke to her haltingly.
Shu dow-a, shu- biduck habibti, stani stani schway, min fadlick,
Sho bit se-wee?

The minute she heard any words she knew—however poorly used—
She stopped crying.

She thought our flight had been canceled entirely.
She needed to be in El Paso for some major medical treatment the
Following day. I said no, no, we’re fine, you’ll get there, just late,

Who is picking you up? Let’s call him and tell him.
We called her son and I spoke with him in English.
I told him I would stay with his mother till we got on the plane and
Would ride next to her—Southwest.

She talked to him. Then we called her other sons just for the fun of it.

Then we called my dad and he and she spoke for a while in Arabic and
Found out of course they had ten shared friends.

Then I thought just for the heck of it why not call some Palestinian
Poets I know and let them chat with her. This all took up about 2 hours.

She was laughing a lot by then. Telling about her life. Answering
Questions.

She had pulled a sack of homemade mamool cookies—little powdered
Sugar crumbly mounds stuffed with dates and nuts—out of her bag—
And was offering them to all the women at the gate.

To my amazement, not a single woman declined one. It was like a
Sacrament. The traveler from Argentina, the traveler from California,
The lovely woman from Laredo—we were all covered with the same
Powdered sugar. And smiling. There are no better cookies.

And then the airline broke out the free beverages from huge coolers—
Non-alcoholic—and the two little girls for our flight, one African
American, one Mexican American—ran around serving us all apple juice
And lemonade and they were covered with powdered sugar too.

And I noticed my new best friend—by now we were holding hands—
Had a potted plant poking out of her bag, some medicinal thing,

With green furry leaves. Such an old country traveling tradition. Always
Carry a plant. Always stay rooted to somewhere.

And I looked around that gate of late and weary ones and thought,
This is the world I want to live in. The shared world.

Not a single person in this gate—once the crying of confusion stopped
—has seemed apprehensive about any other person.

They took the cookies. I wanted to hug all those other women too.
This can still happen anywhere.

Not everything is lost.

”

- Naomi Shihab Nye (b. 1952), “Wandering Around an Albuquerque Airport Terminal.” I think this poem may be making the rounds, this week, but that’s as it should be. (via oliviacirce)

I love a bar that has an altar to bless my drink. (at Whistlers)

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 16:26:25 -0500

I love a bar that has an altar to bless my drink. (at Whistlers)

Fresh out of the oven! Apparently Marcus Samuelsson was talking...

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 12:25:23 -0500

Fresh out of the oven! Apparently Marcus Samuelsson was talking with my editor about me at the Austin Food & Wine festival last night. Thanks for this delicious and easy recipe Marcus!

Only in Utah (at Wasatch Brew Pub)

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 18:41:32 -0500

Only in Utah (at Wasatch Brew Pub)

We had to do it! (at In-N-Out Burger)

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:39:11 -0500

We had to do it! (at In-N-Out Burger)

Fun in the California sun… (at Aliso Beach)

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 19:08:31 -0500

Fun in the California sun… (at Aliso Beach)

Forgot to upload this pic of the adorable panda we saw at the...

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:52:52 -0500

Forgot to upload this pic of the adorable panda we saw at the zoo…they have a great breeding program here for these endangered animals. She was munching away on bamboo, while her baby chilled in a hammock above her. (at San Diego Zoo)

The very peaceful Mission San Luis Rey (at Mission San Luis Rey...

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:43:40 -0500

The very peaceful Mission San Luis Rey (at Mission San Luis Rey de Francia)

It’s zoo time! (at Children’s Zoo)

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:10:29 -0500

It’s zoo time! (at Children’s Zoo)