thefutureisred

UPDATED: Donate Your Extra Digital Camera To A Project For Kids In NW Argentina!

Have a digital camera you don't need? Please donate it to our new photography project with children from a small village in Northwest Argentina. DONATION DEADLINE EXTENDED!

The Project: WichiWater

We take your old cameras and put them in the hands of Wichi children from villages all around the Salta province of Northwest Argentina. They’ll take photos of their lives, themselves. They’ll have some fun and in the process learn how to use digital cameras as well as how to interact with professional photographers both in person and online. You get to see them smile!

You get to see their photos online and in gallery and museum exhibitions across Argentina and the United States.

See what good your old camera can do!

Our first exhibition was at the Casa de la Cultura in Salta, Argentina. People couldn't believe the photos were taken by children, let alone children who had never held a camera until a couple months earlier.

Who Are We?

The Wichi community of northwest Argentina, Salta and Jujuy provinces.

A group of indigenous people who live all over the region. Often their villages do not have a clean water supply. Many times they do not have enough food or even clothing. They do have a rich culture and language that is an important part of Argentina’s heritage.

Maximiliano Mura: a multi-talented Argentine photographer originally from Buenos Aires province now living in Salta.

Ana Soruco: nutritionist from Argentina’s Jujuy province. She has been working with members of the Wichi community to help bring food, water, clothing and awareness to the people there.

Elio Néstor Fernández: founder of Idioma Wichi, a group dedicated to preserving Wichi language and culture. He is our Salta city connection to the communities around the region.

What We Need?

Your functioning digital cameras. Any kind. Any age. It's ok if they don't have all their parts or are scratched and dented. They don't need all the accessories. If the camera has it's own specific battery, it's best that that be included and working.

How To Send Your Cameras?

For people living in the United States:

You can mail the cameras directly to our Atlanta mailing address. They should arrive on or before September 1, 2011.

Leigh Shulman
c/o Jane Steele
5505 Roswell Road, Ste 300
Atlanta, GA 30342

Any cameras that arrive before that day, I'll bring back with me to Argentina.

For people living in Argentina:

If you live anywhere other than Salta, you can send me a text to my Argentina cell 0387 15 539 4777 or e-mail me at leigh (at) cloudhead.org and we can figure a way to get them.

If you live in Salta, let's go for a coffee. You can bring them then.

For people living anywhere else:

Send your camera to the Atlanta address above. When I have a reliable Argentina address, we'll send them.

Let Us Know About You

We're designing a website, coming soon, soon, soon, that will provide more information about this and other projects we have happening through our new, soon-to-be-announced non-profit. I'd like to include your names on our sponsors page.

So please remember to include any personal and business information you'd like to see on the sponsors page. I'm happy to include links to any website or blog as well. And please send your e-mail address if you'd like to hear updates about this project and be the first to know when we post photos.

I promise never to send any spam. You can opt out at any time.

Any Questions? Feel free to e-mail me with any thoughts, questions or concerns at leigh (at) cloudhead.org.

It's My Birthday! Yay! Now, What Can I Do To Help?

March 20th is many things. First day of spring. Persian new year! Last day of Pisces. And my birthday! This is how I celebrate!

If you're reading this post after March 20th and still want to put in a challenge. It's not too late! Let's extend this sucker. I don't mind another couple weeks to celebrate my birthday!

Last year on my birthday, I posted a birthday challenge for myself. I asked for everyone out there reading to let me know what I can do for them. It made for such a great birthday, I had do it again.

It starts with a Native American tradition I learned while on a road trip in college.  I spent three weeks traveling across the United States. I heard of this tradition over coffee at Melvina and Louis Winter's house on the Pine Ridge reservation.

On your birthday, you give presents, not receive. Initially, that sounds counter-intuitive if you're not used to it, but the more I think about it, the more sense it makes. The more you give, the more you ultimately get. Although, what you get isn't always material.

Last year on my birthday, I spent hours responding to e-mails, comments and tweets asking questions and for suggestions. Help me plan a cheap vacation. Do Jorgito blanco alfajores still exist in Argentina? I want a coconut!

I promise, I had a coconut delivered to someone in NYC. How I did it is another story.

I loved being in touch with everyone, but it seemed that no one wanted to ask for too much.

This year, I ask again what I can do for you! Please ask. There's no challenge if you don't.

One simple rule! It can't cost money. In the spirit of this crazy world economy, let's see how much I can do for you without spending a centavo!

Do you need a blog entry edited? Or help finding a home for a cat you found on the street? Or something else? Let me know, e-mail, comment on the blog using the link below, or  send it to me through Twitter @thefutureisred.

As long as I can write, do, act, ask or tell, send your request my way. If I can't do it myself, I will find someone who can.

And at the end, I'll post a list of all challenges presented! Please, it's my birthday, give me a long list of challenges to post.

This year, I'm upping the ante, literally.

This is where money comes in!

This year, for each challenge I receive, I will lend one dollar to Kiva -- a wonderful organization that provides microfinance loans to small businesses worldwide. The small loans funded through Kiva make an amazing difference to the businesses and communities that receive them. Two hundred dollars can help a woman in Bolivia work with others in her community to develop a pharmacy. Or $1000 allows a man in Yemen sustain his grocery store and remain competitive against big business ventures that come from outside the country.

Want to know more about how Kiva? Check out the Kiva About page or the Kiva Fact Sheet.

How with this work?

As I said, I'll lend one dollar to Kiva for every challenge I receive. When the loan is repaid -- and it's shown that a full 98.47% of Kiva loan recipients repay their loans -- all money we invest as part of this birthday challenge will then be reinvested in other Kiva businesses.

In the off chance the amount of people commenting and sending requests grows to be greater than I can afford, I'll cap the donation amount at $1000 for now. But I will still keep track of all requests and add money as I am able.

How will I choose which Kiva small business?

I'm going to ask you!  As soon as I have a final tally of comments and challenges, I'll post here with some lender possibilities. Of course, if you already have a small business or lending team in mind, please let me know.

So challenge me! I'm ready! Spread the word and let people know!

You have from the time you read this post until the time I finish celebrating my birthday, which will be some time next Friday, give or take a day.

Yes, Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to me!
Thank you for being part of my celebration!

Sharing Thoughts From Women Worldwide for International Women's Day

I originally had another post planned for today. It's already written, just waiting to be published. Then I remembered that March 8th is International Women's Day. So I decided, instead, to share something very special with you.

Uncornered Market, a blog written by Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott. I often mention them in many different contexts. Today, they posted a slide show today of Women of the World -- faces of women from the Andes to Uzbekistan. Mothers, children, grandmothers. Daughters.

That's Audrey in the center. I love how this photo so clearly makes the statement that she, too, is a woman of this world.

Some other links and tidbits I'd like to share for today:

10 Things You Need To Know About International Women's Day shared with my by Candice Walsh

Gendercide: The War On Baby Girls shared by Abbie Kearse

Che Che Cole Makossa by Antibalas feature Mayra Vega shared by Erika Clarke

Morning Walk in Bangkok shared by Aye GotPassport

African Burial Ground in NYC (Yep!) shared by Julie Shwietert

Remembering Colorado...Oh Mi Amor shared by Laura Bernhein

These are just some of the things that show the interest, love, passion and commitment of the many women I know. There are so many more.

Please share your own links here too!

Feliz Dia de la Mujer!

5 Reasons Why To Buy This Book Right Now

This English version of The Book of Shapur has been many years in the making. It started as a personal lament that I couldn't read one of my best friend's writing because most of what he writes is in Farsi. Then we translated it together. 

 

There are many reasons to purchase and read The Book of Shapur. I give you five.

1. Read A Unique and Wonderful Piece of Writing

Alimorad is a well respected Persian writer. He has published many novels, short stories and longer pieces of writing over the past forty years. Very little has been translated into English. Now the English speaking world has the unique opportunity to read what Ali calls a favorite in his massive body of work.

I won’t say it is easy writing, though. Ali can be confusing at times and you have to work a bit to understand. But Ali is absolutely beautiful and perfect in his ability to describe the truth of what it means to be human. It’s worth the extra effort.

I need a flower so I can sit in its shade says The Book of Shapur. Otherwise, any wall will do, but the shade from a flower, something natural and normal, will bring peace.

It sticks with me, and lines from the novella flash in my head as I go through my day. Somehow, Ali manages to make the life of an exile apply to my own daily non-exile life.

It is as if you go a long way to go to the sea and when you get there, they tell you the sea is too rough and you have to swim in a pool.

It’s a simple thought, but we all know the disappointment of real life turned antiseptic.

2. Learn About Iran's Culture, History and Literature.

Who is Mirza Kuchak? How do you make mirza ghasme? Have you ever read any Sa’adi or Hafez?

You don’t have to know these things in order to read and understand the story, but The Book of Shapur gives you the opportunity to learn more.

3. See the World In A New Way

The Book of Shapur is heartbreaking. It will bring you closer to understanding the world of being in exile. You will know just a bit what it is like to be forced to leave your country without hope of returning, experience the pain and loss of watching helplessly as the life you left behind is destroyed piece by piece.

 This is the closest you will come to knowing without actually experiencing it for yourself.

4. Be Part of a Movement

This download page is part of a three website collaboration.

Read an excerpt of The Book of Shapur on Guernica Magazine, award winning and highly acclaimed magazine of literature and politics.

Then check out Dancing With Chains: Notes on Iranian Translation on Matador Network’s The Traveler’s Notebook where I describe the process of working with Ali to translate this piece as well as what makes this piece different from most of what you’ll read about Iran.

Finally, download the entire novella for a 10USD suggested donation. You also have the option to pay what you wish by editing the purchase price. Click on the Add to Cart button and edit the purchase price to whatever amount you want to donate.

5. Do Something To Help Others

Half of your purchase goes to support international development through the International Rescue Committee. If you choose to donate more than the suggested 10USD, the additional amount will go directly to the IRC.

Originally, we were leaning toward an Iranian charity, but it is very difficult to make sure what happens at those charities is 100% legitimate. It is truly unfortunate, but no one wants to see a donation go anywhere other than help people, so we changed our minds.

The International Rescue Committee is a well known, 501-c3 established group. The work it does is also well known and documented. Ultimately, though, we chose the IRC because we have contacts in the organization.

When their name first came up, I immediately contacted my friend Christine – an amazing traveler I met years ago when taking an herbal medicine and homeopathy course through NYC’s Open Center. 

Christine traveled and worked for the IRC in the Middle East.  I have personally heard first-hand the kind of support they provide bringing food and clean water, bolstering personal freedoms and providing medical care and education worldwide, including in Haiti where your support is now desperately needed after the recent 7.0 earthquake caused untold damage.

So if you want to read the whole thing? Just let me know.

All photos courtesy of Hamed Saber

A Holiday Benefit, Vol. 3: Support Literacy in NYC By Listening To Music

If you plan on being in or near NYC this coming Wednesday, December 16, 2009, there's a musical benefit event that should not be missed. 

My friend, musician Benjamin Wagner will be performing along with a long list of some of the best emerging artists in NYC to support literacy.

Who is this guy, and why am I writing about him?

Benjamin and I met in the halls of 1515 Broadway something like a decade ago. We worked together on MTV News and Specials in a fishbowl of a room filled with computer and video equipment. We had an amazing team of people in that room. Paul Kamuf. Jeff Rabb. Erica Maresca. Robert Mancini. All incredibly multi-talented people, and it was truly an honor to work with them.

We've all since gone in different directions. Benjamin went on to become Vice President of MTV News and works with some of the most cutting edge technologies on the market. Yes, I know, you're thinking MTV -- because that's what we so often think about these 800 pound gorilla companies -- but one way or another, MTV Online was among the first to incorporate live news coverage on the internet, daily news updates and video on demand.

Who will be playing at the event?

Today, even with all his success as a music industry executive, Benjamin is still very much the musician, and anyone in NYC has the opportunity to hear him play along with Rogers, Dunn, Shea, Paula  Valstein, Emily Easterly, Chris Cubeta, Martin Rivas, Chris Abad, Misty Boyce, Ruby Rivers and Emily Zuzik. There will also be a silent auction.

Check out the music video for a preview.

Or download a bonus track from iTunes.

Comprising twelve tracks from some of New York City’s finest emerging artists, “A Holiday Benefit, Vol 3″ is a seasonal charity compilation spanning the delicate (Bess Rogers’ “Little Saint Nick”) to the downright bombastic (Bryan Dunn’s “Don’t Believe In Christmas”) with a dash of holiday hilarity (Casey Shea’s “The Chipmunks Song”) in-between.

Who will benefit?

All proceeds go to benefit 826NYC, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting creative and expository writing skills in students 6-18 years old.

For more information, you can read all the details of the event on Benjamin's blog.

“A Holiday Benefit, Vol. 3″ Release Party / Charity Concert
Wednesday, December 16th 8-11pm @ Pianos
158 Ludlow Street New York, New York 10002
(212)-505-3733

And hey, when you go, please tell Benjamin I say hello, then let me know how it was. I would love to be there myself.

Why You Should Support Passports With Purpose #pwp

What happens when travel bloggers get together to do something really worthwhile? Passports With Purpose.

What is Passports with Purpose? A group of travel bloggers -- Pam Mandel, Debbie Dubrow, Michelle Duffy and Beth Whitman -- pull together a raffle to raise money to build a school in Cambodia. Last year, it was to support Heifer International.

Turns out, they've already met their goal for this year, but here are a few reasons you should donate anyway.

ONE:  Additional money will go to providing clean water, a vegetable garden and a school nurse for the school. No further explanation needed, right?

TWO:  Matador Network has donated free tuition to Matador U -- Matador's online travel writing program -- as one of the raffle prizes. I've had the opportunity to meet and work with quite a few graduates and students of the U. It's amazing how well they are prepared for the world of travel writing.It's a prize worth it's weight in cows and gold.

THREE: The way this raffle works shows the very best travel blogging and social media has to offer. You give money to a good cause while simultaneously connecting with a group of the most interesting, pro-social and forward thinking bloggers on the internet.

DONATE NOW!

Each donation of $10 enters you to win!
So do it. Do it now!

Do Viral Campaigns Really Help Fight Cancer or Save the Environment?

"Going viral" has become the holy grail of the internet these days. Everyone wants to find or create the video, photo or contest that will bring millions of hits and downloads, lead to network television interviews and all in all create an overnight star sensation. But beyond attention grubbing, do they do any good?

This question has been on my mind a lot of late. With Matador Life now on my plate of daily delicacies to do, I find myself sorting through endless articles, videos and photos trying to decide what should be posted on the Life blog and what should not. Each individual thread, cause, or idea demands attention and after a while, I find it very difficult to pay attention.

Today, for example, is a day to focus on climate and our environment. The Guardian along with fifty-five other papers in addition to countless blogs, websites and general media, have banded their voices together in a call for action from world leaders for climate change.

Unless we combine to take decisive action, climate change will ravage our planet and with it our prosperity and security," begins the editorial. The dangers have been becoming apparent for a generation.

Julie Shwietert from  Matador Change urges us to take responsibility and clean up after ourselves in her editorial response to a New York Times op-ed article written by Suketa Mehta in relation to the 25th anniversary of the Bhopal gas disaster.

There are plenty other causes as well.

Last week, a fun and heartwarming video called the Pink Gloves Dance for Breast Cancer Awareness emerged from the Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland, Oregon.

Mashable reported that the video had gone viral along with information of an FOX network performance with the dancers.

A sweet video of a soldier greeted by his dog Grace on his return from war caused an uproar a few weeks earlier, so much so that the soldier involved ended up begging for his privacy and to be left alone.

It begins to seem, at times, that going viral becomes the story, but what effect does such virulence have on the actual causes? Does awareness lead to action? Or does the blaring sound of media simply leave us numb?

What do you think?

Photo by HH-Michael

The Power Of Twitter: What Can You Do To Save the Sea (#followmeatsea)

With all the tumult last week over CruiseShipGate, aka #followmeatsea, I'm probably nuts to bring it up again, but it's been on my mind.

At first I found the whole thing childishly amusing then I stopped paying attention. Finally, as the ridiculous thing continued to rage on websites such as Wild Junket or Matador Change and continued appearing through backhanded snipes on Twitter, I started to get aggravated.

Whatever happened to civil debate?

Julie Shwietert questions in her Matador Change article whether or not the environmental impact of cruises would have even been raised had one particular Twitterer by the name of Jeanne Dee not brought it up and brought it up and brought it up.

But the issue had been raised prior to the cruise. Caitlin from Roaming Tales wrote two separate articles questioning cruises and the entire cruise industry. Nancy D Brown, one of the cruise participants, wrote her own article focusing on these very same issues.

It seems, though, whatever noise produced by these thoughtful articles went largely unheard, until the sturm and drang of Jeanne's repeated twittering brought out enough hostility and upset so that everyone's eyes centered on this particular drama.

Perhaps we should be thankful that someone was willing to stand up and generally point fingers and poke until it hurt, but I'd rather live in a world in which people can treat each other decently and still be heard.

“Universal responsibility,” says the Dalai Lama, “is the feeling for other people’s suffering just as we feel our own… We must recognize all beings want the same things we want. This is the way to achieve true understanding, unfettered by artificial consideration.”

The Human Side of the Debate

Kim Mance wrote in a comment to my previous post on the subject that she's been literally sick to her stomach because of the stress from all this. Many others quietly wrote me through Twitter, e-mail, the blog and Facebook to express their own frustration at the tone this environmental discussion has taken.

The bickering leaves a bad taste in many of our mouths, and you need only take a cursory look at comments on any of the posts related to this event to see all the people who have felt hurt, angry and insulted.

Then there are those living on the islands visited by cruise ships, the ones who have to put up with the crowds, the mess, the water awash in fecal coliform. The ones whose livelihood is entirely based on cruise ship traffic.

I saw firsthand the importance of tourism to these tiny islands.

We didn't have many cruises come through Bocas during the months I lived there, but when we did, relief was palpable in the air. Every boat driver in the vicinity zoomed out to the deep water where the ship docked and carried passengers to land. Restaurants, museums, tours, beaches all bloomed with life. Same thing when we had a coast guard ship stationed nearby.

By contrast, I visited Bocas just after a particularly bad storm. There were mudslides, earthquakes, food shortages, all of which meant no tourists. You could see the worry in everyone’s eyes, locals and expats alike. For some it meant tightening the belt. For others, it meant not knowing how food would get to the table and into their children’s mouths.

Then I think of my parents or Noah’s grandparents who are lifelong world travelers. Both couples started taking cruises later in life when their regular forms of travel became too rigorous.

My dad, for example, simply doesn’t have the energy to travel the way he had in the past, and so when he tells me he’s going traveling, even on a cruise, I rejoice, because I remember too many days he was too tired, too stiff and too frustrated with not feeling well to leave the house.

Aunt Jane took Grandma Ruth and Grandpa Charles on a cruise when they were no longer healthy enough to go on their long solo-treks to China, Costa Rica, New Zealand and Israel. It was the last trip of Grandma Ruth’s lifetime.

Let’s Find the Best Path Toward A Common Goal

 “Many are stubborn in pursuit of the path they have chosen. Few in pursuit of the goal.
Friedrich Nietzsche,

Don’t misunderstand. I am in no way saying that the cruise ship industry is all fine-and-dandy. I’m saying the industry exists, selling large numbers of tickets, regardless of what I or anyone else personally believes.

Should I start lecturing Aunt Jane, Grandpa Charles, the people of Bocas or my parents on the evils of cruises? Do you think they’ll listen?

How many people do you think have decided never to go on another cruise because of Jeanne’s tweets? Or did they just listen quietly, think “Damn hippy” and continue on to buy their cheap winter vacation cruise to the Caribbean.

If people are still buying tickets, there's no reason for the cruise ship industry to change what they're doing.

Better To Find An Alternative

 “Wait and see what we have to say,” is the cry from those on board Princess cruise.

“But they’re just mouthpieces for the cruise industry comes the criticism.”

Really?

Does anyone truly believe that everyone on board this ship will just shill for the cruise industry? I mean really? You think every single one of these travel writers is so easily duped, tricked or just starry-eyed over a free trip that he or she will lose all objectivity?

Personally, I think people would be far more interested in their reports were they to find fault with the industry, because, as we already know, people are drawn more to conflict than confluence.

People are also drawn to causes.

It feels good to band together with others to do something worthwhile. Look at charity:water as an example. A Twitter based organization that brings people together worldwide to provide clean water and dig wells for those who do not have.

Wouldn’t it in fact, be better to gather together a group of people on Twitter who are known, followed and read because they have a strong and well developed personality through social media, then allow those people to send out a message?

Wouldn’t that have the greatest effect for the good for the most people and for the environment?

Yes, short term, you will not see the same response, but in the long run, treating people with decency and consideration leads to better, longer lasting results.

Step Up To The Opportunity

Let's all connect and contact. Get in touch with those who took part in the Twitter cruise and ask them what they think, ask them what can be done, and encourage all involved to use their information and influence to improve the situation.

A partial list of those to contact: Kim Mance of Go Galavanting, Nancy D., Brown, Brett Rounsaville from Amtrekker, Gary Arndt of Everywhere Trip and Simone de Santi, A Road Retraveled

As I said, it's only a partial list, so please feel free to add additional people, resources and best of all, your thoughts, ideas and solutions in the comments.

I’ll finish with more from the Dalai Lama, because I think most of us can meet in agreement with his words. “If we have a genuine sense of universal responsibility as our motivation, then our relations with the environment and with all our neighbors will be well balanced.”

Photos courtesy of Alice Popcorn and Ansik's Flickrstreams

Blogging For Publicity: Watch Helplessly as Travel Blogging Jumps the Shark

This weekend I quickly logged onto Twitter to see what’s what and was shocked to see some of the biggest names in travel blogging having a massive pissing match for all the world to see. There was name calling, accusations of abuse, attention whoring and generally showing a complete and utter lack of respect for each other.

This strikes me as the online travel blogging equivalent of two vice presidents screaming obscenities at each other from opposite sides of the building lobby.  It's unprofessional. It's childish. And I'm not entirely sure what it is meant to accomplish.

"It’s a publicity stunt,"said Noah.

Absolutely. But publicity for what? 

This particular shouting match centered on the #followmeatsea hashtag. In short, a small number of top travel and industry Twitterers have been invited onto a Princess Cruise. Great publicity for all involved. People tweet about their experiences on the cruise. Cruise lines advertise the twitterers. Nice exchange, right?

The other side of the debate goes as such.

First, that cruise ships bring too many people, too much waste and suck enormous resources from tiny islands. Idea being, cruises are generally bad for locals and the environment.

Second, there's doubt as to whether those tweeting will be entirely honest, being that they're being sponsored by the very group they're writing about. That would be the Twitter #twethics debate. Will sponsored journalists really report or are they just paid parrots?

There is much of value to discuss here, and in fact, you can find many people discussing these very things all over the internet.

Matador Network recently published an article by award winning travel writer David Page that discussed whether Freebies Undermine Honesty In Travel Writing with a fabulous many sided discussion in the comments that follow.

Another blog favorite of mine, Traveling Greener, offers endless topics on eco-travel along with resources for research to fuel a well informed debate. Traveling Greener's Twitter page provides even more information.

Yet I get this niggling feeling none of this weekend's shouting has to do with a desire for open discussion and debate. It seems to be more of a naked grab for attention.

This is a subject I’ve thought quite a bit about since somehow becoming a travel blogger myself.

Writing about travel wasn’t’ something I set out to do but was really a logical conclusion to my being a writer with an internet and website design work history embarking on a three year journey.

I’ve often thought about what it would take to be a top, money-making travel blogger. Much of which I'm willing to do. I am willing to seek out and write what I believe to be superlative content. I enjoy making contact with other bloggers and do my best to publicize other’s great content through the travel blogging world.

What I have not been willing to do is engage in the endless debates across the internet when it seems that the main purpose of the debate is for self-promotion and does little to further community or real discussion.  Unfortunately, too often, blog comments are just a sneaky way of saying "Hey, look at me! Leave this here blog and come see what amazing, wonderful things I'm doing on MINE!"

I also find myself frustrated when I spend time reading on other travel blogs, only to see the same small group of people commenting and discussing with each other, hawking their personal experiences as the end all and be all and creating controversy where there need be none.

Somewhere in there, the real issues drown and disappear.

I have absolutely no problem with readers sharing their experiences in comments on my blog or elsewhere. I welcome and relish it.  Your comments allow me to stay in touch with what other writers, bloggers and readers are doing and thinking.  I always appreciate a well placed comment that leads me to a valuable, necessary resource.

It’s a balance. We need people viewing our pages in order to have any real attention brought to the topics, causes and ideologies we want to support. But at what point does the balance shift toward selfish navel gazing?

Photo courtesy of rockmixer's Flickrstream

My Most Inspirational Burning Man Moment

One of our camp mates, Gail, came to burn this year with a specific goal in mind. To rest, recharge and let go before returning home to San Francisco to begin chemotherapy.

Wednesday night of the week, we joined her for a survivor walk between the Man and the Temple. On reaching the Temple, she cut one of her braids and left it there to flame up and disappear along with the temple on the final night of the week.

The next morning, Gail shaved Noah's head.

He'd been talking about doing it for a while. Well, full disclosure, I'd been trying to talk him into it for a while, but I suppose he needed a real reason, something that gave him the courage to let go and go bald. And if you ever have the great luck to meet Gail, you'll understand why. She is loving, strong and, well, just wonderful.

Friday, she and Stephanie, a longtime friend of Gail's and also an amazing woman, left Burning Man early so they could spend some time together. Their presence was sorely missed. It felt somewhat like we'd lost our grounding. Not that you need to be grounded for Burning Man, in fact it may well be better to unhinge, but the nature of the experience changed with their departure.

When they arrived back in San Francisco, Gail and Stephanie shaved their heads together. Stephanie posted photos of her newly-shorn, newly dyed pink head on Facebook along with a beautiful, poignant and succinct answer to why she chose this way to show her love and solidarity with Gail.

     Stephanie Says:

 
Thanks so much for your love and support! it's been an interesting change. Can't say I don't miss my hair but this is sorta fun for now. 

Gail lives in Berkeley, I used to nanny her daughter back in 98-99 and 2004.  We had a chat one night about how losing her hair was going to be hard. I got off the phone and knew that this was a way to support her if she chose to shave her hair off before going to chemo.

When she announced that she wanted to do it, I offered to do it with her and do it as a ritual.... On Sunday, we did the hair ritual as the temple was burning. We braided our hair together in two pieces, blonde and black and did the chop together. 

Her daughter who is now 15 cut the other half of our hair off. The other thing I'm doing is helping to manage her support calendar for meals and rides. It's really all I can do from a distance.

It just happens that my writing of this post coincides with Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The following are resources for information on prevention, treatment and support.

• Susan G Komen for the Cure - A global leader in the breast cancer movement since 1982. Includes Passionately Pink, an online resource for joining and building support teams wherever you are.

• Sharsheret - A national non-for-profit organization of cancer survivors dedicated to addressing the unique challenges facing young Jewish women living with breast cancer. Founded by Rochelle Shoretz, an old college friend of mine.

• Movember - A mustache growing charity event that raises funds and awareness of men's health. Another Burning Man camp mate of ours is shaving his beard, leaving the mustache for this. Perhaps he'll let me post his photos.

Also, check out my article on Matador called Share Your Stories and Resources for Breast Cancer Awareness Month written in conjunction with this post.

Please feel free to add your own resources and information. Or share your personal stories of friends, family, and whatever else you may have done to combat cancer.

When Money Divides You: The Difference Between Tourist and Local

Last week, I wrote about scams and how to avoid them while traveling based on an experience I had with a cab driver in Buenos Aires. The comments on that post raised an important point. There is a marked difference between tourists and locals, particularly when traveling through the so-called developing countries. Most times the distance can be measured monetarily.

In Bocas del Toro, a sign at the local boat dock advertises one dollar for the short boat ride across the bay to Isla Carenero, the island where we lived. That price drops to fifty cents if the boat guy knows you. And if you're family or a close friend -- often one and the same in Bocas -- you might just hitch a ride for free if a tourist is already going your way.

Locals often assume that travelers are loaded, and most of the time, it's comparatively true. Backpackers tend to carry a lot of cash. Bloggers stash laptops and cameras in their specialized padded backpacks, also not cheap. Even the most frugal will usually have an ipod. Imagine that your third-hand beaten down ipod costs more than a month's even a year's salary to many people across this planet.

But just because a traveler has more money than a local, does that mean we should necessarily pay a higher price for the exact same service?

On the one hand:  What difference does that fifty cents make to you? How much more would it mean to your boat driver and the family he supports?

Matador Travel talks about 10 Conscious Choices To Make On Your Next Trip in order to be a more responsible traveler which includes supporting local businesses. It also suggests you look at locals and see them not as beggars just looking for handouts, but really seeing the local boat man or the woman selling empanadas out of a bucket as people. 

That's much harder to do when you know your empanada costs more simply because you weren't born locally. How are you supposed to look at the boat guy as just another human being when he looks at you as if you're little more than a human money dispenser? In addition, when all tourists agree to pay a higher level of pricing, the entire economic structure inflates, ultimately impacting locals as well.

Then there's Poverty Tourism, also so viscerally known as "Poorism." The concept, in its idealized state, allows those with travel money to connect with those who not only don't have travel money, often don't have adequate housing, schooling, clean water or shoes. But really, how often is the reality of a concept ideal? Poorism, and I sort of choke a little every time I type the term, by its very nature posits two separate groups of people. The Haves and the Have-Nots. The Us and the Them. What sort of real connection can be made under such circumstances?

Well, those with money are more likely to give if they see who they are helping. Would it mean more to know your ten dollar contribution to Bocas Education Service Organization (BESO) goes directly to buy shoes, uniform and backpack for a little girl named Rita, the adorable six-year-old whose hair is tied back with her favorite ratty pink ribbon? She's lived on the island her whole life, and without your help, she probably won't go to school. With an education, she can read, write and suddenly has the opportunity to be a teacher or work in a local business. Without an education, if she can't find a job cleaning for a dollar an hour or less, she may well end up in Changuinola working as a prostitute by the time she's fourteen.

Sounds harsh, but all too true, and you're not likely to find this reality in your average vacation photos.

So, must we simply accept the reality of separate pricing? The local one for those who live on less and one for those of us who have the money to travel. Or should we rail against this system, thus putting tourists and locals on the same level, eating the same foods, going to the same places and interacting as equals.

What do you think?

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Photos courtesy of Alex Barth and bradipo's Flickrstreams

Enter the Geotourism Challenge 2009 - May 20 Deadline Approaches

Want to get involved and make a difference?

Here's how.

Check out Ashoka's Changemakers and their Geotourism Challege 2009. There are three ways you can help out.

1. Nominate your favorite Geotourism Changemaker.
2. Educate yourself by reading about inspiring organizations worldwide who are making a difference.
3. Apply for the Changemakers Challenge yourself.

There is also 10 million dollars in funding available for sustainable development projects in Latin America and the Caribbean in addition to other prizes and funding as well as the whl.travel/ Intrepid Travel prize designed to support local tourism.

It's Earth Day ! How Many Thneeds Do You Need?

Today, the day of the earth, Earth Day!

So how should we feel on this day? SaD at the state of the planet? Rain forests deforestated. Waters full of mucky muck. Or should we be happy and proud that we are maybe, just maybe improving? Maybe, just maybe, we are learning?

So on this Earthy Day today, I'm asking the question: How do we teach our children to honor and protect this planet. It's the only one we've got.

I've talked to Lila about the importance of recycling. About throwing trash in bins and not on the ground. Ask her what people who litter are called, she'll say "Lazy and irresponsible." We've taught her to say that. It's adorable; it really is, but I'm not entirely sure she knows what it means.

Ok, tongue in cheek aside, I read the Lorax. She loves the story, asks for it almost every night, and she truly understands, feels the pain of the loss of trees, fish, birds and barbaloots in their barbaloot suits.

Today, this very Earth day, you'll find a special limited edition online text of The Lorax full to bursting with ideas, thoughts and more for Earth Day.

Some other things to do:

• Collect Recyclables together and either reuse then in a project or take them to be recycled.
• Plant a garden. I turn to Gardening Advice on Twitter for tips.
• Check out the Children and Nature Network. Lots of great ideas for connecting our children to the environment.
• Read and subscribe to Cheap Like Me where you'll learn endless amounts about how to reuse, recycle and conserve, all written by a mom who knows.

Now I am no expert on this subject by any stretch, so I ask you to add your own ideas here as comments or e-mail me. I want to hear from you, because unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.

So happy Earth Day to all. Today's the day, we're off to great places, we're off and away.

Water, Water Everywhere, What Are We Going To Drink?

I love water. Love to drink it, swim in it, cook with it, occasionally fill a water gun with it to shoot my cat when she tries to steal food.  And while I may not shower everyday, I don't know what I would do without water to bathe in.

Water. Water. Water is one of the main reasons we decided NOT to live in Bocas del Toro, Panama. The water pumped into our taps from the city tank isn't really potable. Sure, many drank it, and no one became terribly ill, but the water from our sink, shower and toilet flowed yellow and smelled awful. Those who drank it, tended to walk around with constant stomach trouble.

Even in a place like Bocas, where rain fell abundantly year round, sometimes incessantly for weeks on end, still, people wouldn't have clean water because rain water catchment isn't cheap. I supposed you could set out jugs and bowls to collect water, but how long can you leave them sitting in a place when dengue fever or other mosquito born illness are real health issue.

The idea, though, of buying every drop of water used for consumption is simply inane. For one, it's expensive. That, and there's nothing like carrying five gallon jugs of water from store to tiny boat then climbing onto rickety dock to keep you entirely aware of how much water you actually drink in a day.  Mostly, though, the idea of having to purchase what should be a free commodity is just wrong.

Unfortunately, that is too much the reality. We are lucky. We had the choice to simply go somewhere else, but this is not the case for most.

Perhaps that is why Charity:Water -- dedicated to making sure people worldwide have clean water to drink -- strikes such a chord with me. 

Scott Harrison and a group of Twitterfolk who are organizing Twestivals all over the world to raise money for this worthy cause. I ask, what can I do to help?

There's a Twestival in Buenos Aires, but I am over a thousand miles from there.

I did what I always do when far away from home, without many contacts and not sure who to call or ask for help or support. I go online. First, I went to couchsurfing.com, to the Couchsurfing Buenos Aires Group. It's a wonderful community. And a large community. And a community that supports charity and community projects just like Charity:Water. Thus, I was surprised to find not a single mention of the Buenos Aires Twestival.

(There is one now!)

Then to Twitter. I wrote to where people connect through 140 characters (or less) of typing, showing once again how such small gestures create huge impact. Contact @twestival for the main Twestival information. Or @twestivalba for the Buenos Aires Twestival information

But it seems there's not as much overlap between my two communities as I thought. So, Buenos Aires Couchsurfing meet Twitter. Twitter meet Couchsurfing. Come out for a good cause.

If you're in Buenos Aires, please join these lovely Twitterers to support this event. If not in Buenos Aires, please spread the world.  You'll find an entire listing of all the Twitter profiles for every Twestival worldwide on the main Twestival website along with options of how you can get involved. Join the event. Donate. Volunteer. Or just spread the word.

Even the smallest gesture means everything.

It's Not That Hard To Save the World

You’re not going to find Panama at the top of any lists of human rights abuses. There are no cyclone or earthquake survivors. You don't hear of people jailed for carrying a picture or gunmen entering villages to clear them out. But Panama is where I find myself now, and since I believe most of us can do best by staying where we are and making conscious, clear choices, I choose to write about Panama from a human rights perspective.

There's a rather stark difference between the locals, many who live on 300 dollars a month, and those, particularly foreigners, gringos, who have tens of thousands of dollars and buy up land, create new businesses and generally have more things. In many ways, these two groups live together well as neighbors. But there is often friction, too, when locals find their businesses, land and lives overshadowed by people who move in and take over.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

Enter Heather Rose. She founded Rainforest Awakenings, “an international organization dedicated to protecting and preserving the tropical forest in Panama, empowering youth and young adults through rites of passage trips and supporting indigenous tribes and Panamanian culture.”

Her foundation forges partnerships people people and groups that benefit all parties involved on cultural, monetary and spiritual levels.

These handbags you see resting peacefully above have been carefully crafted out of 60-80 plastic bags. The plastic bags were found in the coastal waters of Panama where they were busy choking habitats and killing endangered turtles and manatees. Those who collect the bags can be paid for each piece they bring in. Those who weave the bags, a painstaking process taking a month per bag, can receive a salary.

Right now, there’s a hold on training new weavers as well as on making new bags because someone needs to buy the bags that have already been made.

Heather works in conjunction with the Autoridad Nacional del Ambiente (ANAM), Panama’s environmental authority and Asociacion de Amigos y Vecinos de la Costa y la Naturaleza (AAMVECONA) to bring these bags to the buyer’s market.

Below, you see Heather with the board members of AAMVECONA. I bought the orange one Heather is holding.

It’s not charity. It’s conscious buying power. You buy a unique, well-crafted bag. The strap is long enough to wear over your shoulder comfortably.  And with this simple act of buying, you directly support human rights, a clean the environment, keep endangered turtles and manatees safe while helping to provide a salary for people to feed their families and send their children to school.

What next?

Buy one for yourself. Talk to businesses you know and ask they sell them in their stores. Or you can visit Panama and see this amazing country. Trek through the jungles. Kayak in the rivers. Maybe work with the turtles and manatees, too. E-mail me and start a conversation.

It is just that easy to make a difference.

(This post is part of Bloggers Unite for Human Rights, an event sponsored by Amnesty International).