I am sitting in a hostel cum internet cafe, on the terrace over-looking Istanbul’s Bosphorus. I am drinking a small hourglass-shaped glass of Turkish tea, no sugar, as the air turns fuzzy with dusk. I am over-hearing snippets of hip, young, international travelers with tattoos and square thick-rimmed glasses and white cardigans, and beer. They are speaking of their tactics for world travel. How to navigate the bazaar. How to avoid the tourist-traps. I am glad I am not them.
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Suddenly, in Turkey–merhaba!

(That happens sometimes; I wake up, and — I’m in Istanbul! Holy kefta!) As I travel around the country getting my Turkish on, expect posts and stories soon… Inshallah.

(Or in three weeks. As internet is available.)

~Shannon

“Suddenly, the World’s All a-Twitter” (Newsweek)

I’m not sure how I feel about this, but I’ve set up a Twitter account. (Feed can also be viewed in right sidebar). There is… just… so much to say… In fact — I need a moment. Watch this while I collect myself:
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I don’t even have to know you. Or know your email address. Or whether you are a .mac Maniac, an @Yahoo yahoo, or a hotmail Has-Been — I can already read your eFuture:
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As I (slowly but surely) update NKS, I am dazzled by the easy easy easy new widget-infused Wordpress that makes my blog-writing job, well, easy ( <–see the italics, right there? I didn’t even bother with the html. Just clicked a button. Thssss):
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As a follow-up to my last post about Mother’s Day, I am posting this link to an article, The Dark Side of Mother’s Day, written by a woman I know, Cynthia Tuttelman.

I am not a mother, but I have one; and seeing what she’s had to go through after the death of her child, I know Hallmark couldn’t dream of writing a card that comes close to expressing to her my love and sorrows.

Mother’s Day was emotional but uplifting; energy around the household has been a little tense as Mom, Pop and I realize that grief comes in colors outside a hue of blue. There is also anger, fear, loneliness, and some other disorienting shade of grey that sort of lingers around your eyes when you first wake up.

But as we run the gamut of chaotic and disorienting emotions, we always seem to find a way to the other side.

Sunday was not only a painful reminder to my mother that she is mother to only one child now, but it also called forth the losses of her own mother, and her father, who died on Mother’s Day. I’ve been discussing with her the inevitable reality that I cannot — despite current contrary appearances — live at home for the rest of my life.

This fact is a little upsetting to all of us — the intimate little triangle of my mother, father and self has provided crucial infrastructure for all of us since the loss of my brother. But the possibility of her only remaining child moving to another country wouldn’t ease the anxiety in any mother’s heart.

It’s hard telling my mom I might move to Vietnam.

And so, with all of this as a background, my extended family came over. The absence of my brother was “palpable,” as my cousin put it. No one ignored the fact that this was a particularly hard day; however, no one let it cripple us, either.

There was enough good food and laughter to fill 15 wedding, 7 mardi gras, and 3 bar mitzvahs. It was encouraging to see my entire family relax and smile, certainly — but for me, the only thing of any importance was the smile on my mother’s face, radiant with joy.

This post is so you can experience the piano player in the lobby of the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas, New Mexico… it also gives me a chance to check out Google Video (Beta) for my next series of posts: More Web 2.0h My Goodness

The Land of Enchantment: Part 3
Most of what I like about New Mexico is it’s yawning expanses, and it’s “Old West” feel. It is just such another world from Northern California.

Especially in Las Vegas, where clearly not much has changed in many years — I like it that way.

There is some progressive spirit here, though. Apparently there is a least one Obama supporter in this town:

I was looking at real estate in NM — well, I was interested in a house that my cousin helped build and was recently put on the market. I had dreams of moving to the New Mexican desert, and just… writing. No neighbors but horses. No surroundings but dirt, a cliff-face, a river. Too bad the carpentry wasn’t plumb and the roof lacked sufficient insulation. That kind of stuff can be a real bummer in the winter.

You can view all NM pictures here. (Mainly of the house I did not buy)

Last year’s visit to NM pics here.

The Land of Enchantment: Part 2
If you’re visiting New Mexico, you won’t be able to avoid green chili. Go on, try some. (This, coming from someone who thinks Pace Picante Mild is too spicy.) By day three I’m eating jalapeños whole. Hey — it’s better than menudo.

ABRAHAM’S TIENDITA (map)
This is Abraham, and that’s his tiny shop:

He is located on the main drag a few feet from the central plaza. He’s got prepared burritos, and an enchilada bowl (tortilla pieces, beans, cheese, smothered in chili). His green chili is just green chilis — not even any broth. It is slow stewed and hot. Get a bowl of it to go and eat it right out of the styrofoam with plastic spork at a plaza bench. You won’t be disappointed.

 
DICK’S (map)
A deli, bar and restaurant, this is the place for big plates of food, fresh deli sandwiches, or tall glasses of brew. Service and food are pretty dependable; the bar is a center point for the [ahem] “nightlife” of Las Vegas. Go with someone who’s in with local sports, you’ll get better reception. Keep an eye on your wallet, though — and not because the drinks are pricey.

 
PLAZA HOTEL (map)
Landmark Grill Restaurant: They have a killer garden burger, but you will be charged 75c for anything “extra” besides lettuce… okay – fine – they charge you only for grilled onions, mushrooms, avocado, and green chili — but shouldn’t a garden burger come with those things? I’m not a meat eater, but the one I was with wasn’t happy with the lack of pink in his “medium rare” steak. The stout, tattooed and mustached piano player in the lobby is what it’s all about.

 
SEMILLA NATURAL FOODS STORE (map)

Grass fed beef? Fresh organic produce? Homeopathic & herb remedies… in Las Vegas, New Mexico?! If you thought this was a middle-of-no-where town with only lard enchiladas for dinner, you’re only half right — what a life-saver for a yippie like myself to find a cold kombucha in the refrigerator section of this small but stocked grocery store.

 
MARIPOSA HERBS (map)
…no, they don’t sell “oregano.” But they do have a fantastic selection of bulk dried herbs, teas, salves, and anything else your new-age heart desires. Dale, the owner, is helpful and friendly, touts being the first licensed masseuse in northern New Mexico, and also gives a wicked chair or table massage — if you like it so deep you want your scapula’s readjusted, this is the place. Good prices, too: at the time of this post, 1 hr. = $45 

Advice: don’t get a massage alone after dark. The massage is harmless enough, but getting back to your car in this “kind of Wild Wild West town” can undo everything the massage sought to accomplish, especially if your cousin decides to hide behind a dumpster and scare the bajeezus out of you as you cross the street.

To be continued…