Chinese astrology assigns a different animal to each year for 12 years and after the twelfth year, the cycle repeats again.  Similar to the Western zodiac signs, personality traits are attributed to each animal and it is believed that individuals born under each sign exhibit such traits.

My Komodo Dragon Mug from Starbucks

I was born in the Year of the Dragon and an Aries. These two signs are often said to be the cultural parallel of the other since they supposedly share similar traits. Dragons and Aries are often described as leaders, risk takers, and adventurous while also being assertive, judgmental, and quick tempered. I was never one to believe in astrologers nor have I ever had my palm or tarot cards read. Yet somehow, I am strongly drawn to my astrological signs for their seemingly accurate descriptions of my personality.  I like to think that being both signs makes me doubly potent!  I swell with pride at all of my supposed positive traits and feel encouraged to act in these ways in times of uncertainty.  The negative traits serve as excuses to support my bad habits such as my proclivity to start many projects without finishing one.

A new year means a clean slate full of endless possibilities. When I was a child, I always loved the start of the school year in September: the smell of fresh crayons in the box, newly sharpened pencils all the same height, and unwritten composition notebooks waiting to be filled. But by October, I would be bored of them because the luster was gone. As an adult, I still act that way today in many aspects of my life.

Months ago as a bikram yoga teacher trainee, we were required to memorize a dialogue—a script if you will—for each of the 26 postures that we teach in class. A large part of training was spent in posture clinic, where each trainee recites one posture as three fellow trainees demonstrate. This recitation was done in front of 40 fellow trainees and [at least] two teachers who provided feedback at the end of each recited posture. Posture clinic lasted for 6 weeks and it was the part of teacher training I dreaded the most. Every time I went up, my goal was to deliver verbatim dialogue. I needed to be flawless.  I needed to be perfect.  Yet just like everything in life, I never finished reciting the end of each posture:  either I blanked out or never bothered to learn those last few lines.  Teachers often gave me the same feedback:  finish what you started.

I blamed it on my Dragon-Aries personality.  Was it a lack of focus, a lack of desire? Later, a teacher back home suggested that I choose not to finish things because I don’t want my end-product to be judged for fear of not attaining perfection. It was a breakthrough moment for me. This thought never occurred to me but it makes a lot of sense.

Dragon years are considered to be very lucky and are a great time to take huge risks or undergo incredible change.  For people born dragons, 2012 is full of promise and highly fortuitous.  Big changes are coming to ActionJoJo this year that include: a website overhaul; greater and more consistent print and video content creation; and more engagement with both my local and online communities. Heck, world domination is another goal! There, I said it.

I left an office job to create a life of freedom and flexibility to do what I love. However, I need to earn a livelihood to make this new life a sustainable reality. In order for me to achieve these goals, I have to remember to strive for action and not perfection. Heck, my online name should serve as a daily reminder. It will be hard work to overcome my bad habits but I will use my positive Dragon-Aries traits to attempt to trump them.

Welcome, Year of the Dragon! I’ve been waiting for you.

Dragon Meets Dragon in Lima's Chinatown (Peru 2003)

And so it begins again.  A new year.  A new promise.  A new resolution.

Last year, I resolved to write a blog post once a week.  I was doing well for  a few months but eventually that goal became surprisingly unmanageable.  So much of my life changed last year as result of both choice and serendipity.  My husband lost his job about a year ago at this time.  I voluntarily left my comfortable job in September to pursue my dream of becoming self‑employed.  If you described to me my current life at this time last year, I would have labeled you certifiably mad.  Yet life has a beautiful way of unfolding itself at precisely the right time.  What was once a seemingly unimaginable road became the only viable option in the end.

As I started blogging more seriously in early 2011 about my travels, about culture, and about my home – New York City, and more specifically, the borough of Queens – I discovered joy in the act of writing and in the act of sharing what I knew with others.  After a few weeks, I was getting recognition for my work.  In July, I attended my very first conference for travelers and bloggers in Vancouver.  People at the conference encouraged me to do more.  The seed that I once planted years ago about self-employment began to flourish and grow.

When I hopped on that plane to Los Angeles in September, I had no idea what 9 weeks of full-time Bikram yoga teacher certification would be like.  All I knew was the conviction I felt in my heart that I was doing the right thing even if it was unconventional.  Those 9 weeks challenged me physically, mentally, and emotionally.  All of my strengths and weaknesses were made bare for me to face with no place to hide.  As trainees, we were encouraged to “trust the process” even though our hearts screamed out, “F*$K the process!!!”  Breakdowns happened gradually as did the breakthroughs.  By November, I came out a changed person, shedding layers of myself that no longer served me.

In Bikram yoga, the first of the 26 postures is half moon pose where students bend to the right or left creating a crescent shape with their bodies. As a teacher, my job is to remind my students of proper alignment as they hold the posture. In half moon pose, I instruct them to adjust their shoulders so they can “open up their chest like a flower petal blooming.” This tiny adjustment leads to a gradual opening of the upper body where the chest lifts up exposing the heart, the piece of ourselves we shield and protect the most.

Half Moon Pose at LAX: My Love for Yoga & Travel Intersect

Life is like that flower petal blooming. Change happens so incrementally that often we don’t notice it has happened.  Only when we look back and see the distance traversed do we marvel at its occurrence.  So here’s to the accomplishments, the failures, the struggles, and the discoveries of 2011. Together, they form the stepping stones to the unwritten events of 2012. Wherever life leads me this year, I am going to trust the process.

Without judgment and without attachment, I accept that I did not achieve my blogging goal for 2011. Yet once again, I have set a goal that I will write more and blog regularly.

“Never too late, never too old, never too bad, and never too sick, to start from the scratch once again.” ~ Bikram Choudhury

Forgiveness liberates the soul.
It removes fear.
That is why it is such a powerful weapon.

I was drenched in sweat. My face turned to the right, my entire left ear pressed against the soaked towel. I lay on my belly, body and mind still. My Bikram yoga teacher broke the silence in the room and said, “Time waits for no one. What are YOU waiting for?” Her words slapped my face and seeped through my every pore. The clarity I sought for years suddenly came rushing forward out of the fog of uncertainty and fear. That moment propelled me to listen to what my heart had been saying for so long.

Eight years earlier, I felt directionless and burned out. I left my job and took a leap of faith by backpacking for four months through Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Portugal, and England with someone I loved. As I lived through this life-altering experience, I had no idea that the travel bug would bite me so hard. When I came home to NYC rejuvenated, I promised myself that I would see at least one new country every year.

I worked at a private, philanthropic foundation helping give away millions of dollars annually to colleges and universities. I was ambitious, driven, and pushed myself to the limit. I asked for (and got) more responsibilities, pursued a Masters degree part-time, got married, bought a house, and still managed to travel for three weeks to my new country of choice. But soon I would learn that my go-getter attitude was not sustainable. My body eventually rebelled and broke down gradually, cracking under my self-imposed physical, mental, and emotional prisons. Medical doctors only offered me prescription drugs and surgery to help me deal with the severe, chronic pain I felt throughout my body.

Desperate for an alternative, I turned to an Eastern healer and Bikram Yoga. I channeled the same hard work, focus, and determination that put me in this mess to get myself healed. Working to heal myself was hellish and grueling because it was an irritatingly slow process and went against everything that our pill-popping, quick-fix culture teaches us.

In every Bikram studio, students are instructed to look at themselves in the mirror for the entire 90 minute class. As a beginner, I could not look at myself without unceasing criticism. You’re too fat. You’re too injured. You’re not flexible enough. You’re not good enough. Each time I looked in that mirror, I confronted my own worst enemy: me.

The intensity of the heat magnified the challenge of the yoga poses. Many times, all I wanted to do was collapse, give up, or run out of the room screaming. Magically, my teachers knew when to offer me the compassion I needed to back off. Johanna, stay still. All you have to do is breathe. They also knew when I gave up too easily. You fall out, you jump back in! Johanna, what are you waiting for?”

To survive in that hot room required only a calm breath. Surprisingly, even that seemingly simple act was the most challenging. The classes where I struggled to “just” breathe were the ones that dealt heavy blows to my ego. Patience, compassion, and forgiveness were forced to set in because there was little room for self-criticism, judgment, and attachment. The salty tears and gallons of sweat chipped away at the protective walls I built so long ago against hurt and pain. It no longer mattered if I wasn’t good enough, quick enough, pretty enough, or smart enough. All that mattered was that I do my best. And when I fell down or fell out, all I needed to do was jump right back in.

As counter intuitive as it may seem, acknowledging my humanity afforded me the freedom to access my inner strength. Only when I forgave myself could I allow myself the chance to start again.

In the 2½ years of practicing Bikram yoga, I no longer feel the weight of the world.The chronic debilitating pain I once felt, is completely gone. Today, I am the healthiest I have ever been in body, mind, and spirit. I have learned to live my life the same way I practice yoga. I tackle each challenge and uncomfortable situation with a calm breath, a focused mind, and a compassionate heart. I have learned to be okay with uncertainty, fear, and discomfort knowing that these feelings ­shall pass. I am still learning.

Last Thursday, I said goodbye to my colleagues of eight years at my secure job. I venture now into uncharted territory. Yesterday, I arrived in Los Angeles for 9 weeks of full-time certification to become a Bikram yoga teacher. I have always dreamed of becoming self employed, doing things that I love most. Leaving my job and becoming a yoga teacher will make room for my greatest passion: writing travel stories and making travel videos with my husband. I feel that my mission in this post 9/11 world is to promote cultural understanding and healing. As a yoga teacher, I can help others who seek redemption. As a traveler, I can tell you stories about the places I visit and the people who live there. As an anthropologist, I can provide a unique insight to these cultures.

Every morning we awake, we are given another day for the chance to start anew. That journey always starts with the decision to forgive. I’ve learned that forgiveness first begins with ourselves before we can bestow it to others. Only then can we become courageous. Only then can we aspire for greatness. Only then can we inspire others to do the same.

Tile Rendering of Ponza's Main Port

All these ingredients create a perfect recipe for a dramatic plot.  But residents of Ponza, the largest of the Pontine Islands off the Italian coast in the Tyrrehenian Sea, celebrate a man whose life experienced them all.  The Ponzese annually celebrate the feast day of their patron saint on June 20 with a Roman Catholic Mass, a street procession with the statue, and abundant food.  Accused of treason for another’s political gain, Pope Silverius was deposed in the early 6th century.  Despite numerous attempts to prove his innocence, he was exiled to Palmarola, a harsh and rugged island 8 miles from Ponza, where he died.

The Ponzese were among the surge of Italian immigrants arriving in the United States between the 1880s and the 1920s.  Many arrived in New York City and eventually settled in the Bronx.  Like most immigrants, they continued their cultural traditions, one of which was the feast day celebration of their patron saint.  A fraternal society organized the Bronx celebration, which would mimic the one in Ponza.  After Mass at Our Lady of Pity Roman Catholic Church (now a closed parish on 151st Street near Morris Avenue), the faithful would process behind the statue throughout the neighborhood.

Hymn to San Silverio

By the mid 20th century, irreverent onlookers would throw eggs and bottles from building windows onto the processors.  In response, society member Ercito Mazzella offered to donate 81 acres of land in Dover Plains, NY that he recently purchased.  Located approximately 70 miles north of the Bronx, Mazzella originally intended to develop the land but instead, urged the society to raise funds to build a shrine that would serve as a permanent site for future processions to be held in peace.  In 2012, the San Silverio Shrine in Dover Plains will celebrate its 50th anniversary.

A Mass celebration and a small procession continues to be held every June 20 in the Morris Park section of the Bronx.  A week later, on Sunday morning, the shrine in Dover Plains hosts another celebration attracting hundreds of families, all of whom are descended from or somehow connected to the island of Ponza.

Fr. Ciro Iodice, OFM, sailed to the United States from Ponza on the Andrea Dorea in 1956, the ship’s penultimate voyage before it sank.  For the last 30 years, he has celebrated Mass at the shrine, driving several hours from Massachusetts to do so. He explained that many people participate in a procession because the saint is invoked for a specific intention or thanked for an answered prayer.  “A procession is a solemn, spiritual dialogue where a person can be in communion with the saint, with other members processing, and with the earth…the surrounding elements, both visible and invisible.”

The procession snaked along a forested path, led by a marching band and Rev. Iodice followed by men who carried the statues of the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and San Silverio with the rest of the participants behind them.  The procession lasted 30 minutes with a pause in the middle for prayer. Red carnations on San Silverio’s boat were distributed to the crowd and several people pinned money to the ribbons adorning the saint’s statue at the conclusion of the ceremony. These donations were visible signs of requests or thanks.

Guido Rivieccio carried the statue of San Silverio this year as he has done for many previous years.  “As a kid, I was involved with the feast in Morris Park and I’ve been carrying the statue for about 10-15 years,” said Rivieccio.  He does it to honor his parents pointing especially to his father who was standing a few feet away.  The elder Rivieccio carried the statue in New York and in Ponza as a young man.  Rivieccio tries to remain connected to his roots by attending this annual celebration and by traveling back to Ponza.  Four years ago, he tattooed an image of San Silverio on his entire right deltoid and bicep!

Over time, most societies formed by newly arrived immigrants whither away as the connection to the homeland becomes more distant.  Yet for generations, these American descendants of Ponza have gathered with their families to celebrate this annual tradition in Dover Plains for almost 50 years.  Their devotion to San Silverio and their connection to their roots have not died. Let’s hope they never do.

In honor of Independence Day (July 4th) in the United States, I want to celebrate one of the many things that makes this nation great:  its people.  All of us who have ever lived in this country can trace our histories back–even the Native Americans, who crossed on land over what is now the Bering Strait between Alaska and Russia–to that first arrival in America from a different shore.  Some came of their own volition while others by force.

For centuries, New York City has been the destination of choice for explorers, traders, immigrants, and tourists.  But a visit to New York City today is too often limited to the borough of Manhattan.  Even people who live here are hard pressed to explore the vast city they live in!  So hop on the subway, bus, or ferry and cross the East River to visit Queens, the most ethnically diverse county in the United States!  Below I have tailored a special weekend itinerary in Queens that celebrates New York City’s past and present, and honors the people who have settled here in search of the American dream.

Strap on your walking shoes, prepare your senses, and come on an empty stomach!  Queens will enthrall you.

SATURDAY:  WESTERN QUEENS
Ride the N or Q train to the first stop and walk to the remaining destinations.  Travel time is built into the itinerary.

8:00 am – Breakfast at Artopolis Bakery (Greek)
[23-18 31st Street, Astoria]

As a teenager, all my high school Greek friends hailed from Astoria.  Before the Greeks arrived in the mid-20th century, the area had previously been settled by the Dutch, Germans, Irish, and Italians.  Since those high school days nearly 20 years ago, people from the Middle East (particularly Egypt), Brazil, Japan, the newly formed Eastern European countries, plus whites escaping escalating rents in Manhattan and Brooklyn all flocked to Astoria, due to its close proximity & easy access to Manhattan.  Despite this diversification, Astoria is still synonymous with Greek immigrants.  For the 2004 Olympic Summer Games, the Olympic Flame first traveled all over the world before arriving in Athens.  As one of four US cities to host the Olympic Torch, it only made sense to commence the NYC relay in Astoria, in Athens Square Park.

Start your day off at what is arguably the best Greek pastry shop in the neighborhood!  Your eyes will be bigger than your stomach when you see the seemingly endless displays of cookies, pastries, bread, and delicacies.  Remember to order a coffee!  The bakery is located in a mall, just follow your nose.

Coffee at Artopolis - Photo Courtesy of Petit Hiboux (Flickr)

9:00 am – Steinway Piano Factory Tour (German)
[1 Steinway Place, Astoria]

Walk through a residential part of Astoria to get to the industrialized northern tip of the neighborhood.  The famous piano maker still creates and refurbishes Steinways in its original Queens factory.  Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg (later anglicized to “Steinway”), emigrated from Germany with his family in the mid 19th century.  Shortly thereafter, Steinway started manufacturing pianos and by the 1880s, the Steinway family built its new factory and village in Astoria.  The Steinways were influential in the development of the neighborhood, hence a major thoroughfare is named after them.  The three-hour tour highlights the history of the family and the neighborhood, the one-of-a-kind quality of each instrument, and the craftsmanship of the workers past and present reminding you that historically, Western Queens was a major manufacturing area as a result of its close proximity to the East River.

1:00 pm – Lunch at the Bohemian Beer Garden (Czech & Slovak)
[29-19 24th Avenue, Astoria]

Established in 1910, the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden is the oldest beer garden in the City.  Munch on grilled kielbasa or bratwurst and wash it down with one of the Czech or Slovak beers on tap.  My personal favorite?  The Krušovice tmavé (dark) for its roasted, malty flavor.  The scene is always packed on weekends and it is not uncommon to see families enjoying themselves while they let their young children run round.  Many of the outdoor picnic tables are shaded by old trees, allowing for a relaxing and refreshing afternoon break from the summer heat.

Photo Courtesy of WallyG (Flickr)

3:30 pm – The Noguchi Museum (Japanese/American)
[9-01 33rd Road, Long Island City]

If you are not a lover of sculpture, a visit to the Noguchi Museum may just change your mind.  Born to a Japanese father and a white American mother in 1904, Isamu Noguchi lived in Japan as a child and moved to America as a teenager.  By the time the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, he was in his late 30s living in NYC as a sculptor.  He created the Nisei Writers and Artists Mobilization for Democracy in 1942, a group dedicated to raising awareness of Japanese-American patriotism.  He also asked to be interned as an act of solidarity with his brethren Japanese-Americans.  He spent 7 months in an internment camp and his work during this period clearly reflected his personal turmoil and sadness.  The gallery, which includes an outdoor garden, was created by Noguchi.  His primary studio was across the street, which he often biked to from his Manhattan residence; he also maintained a studio in Japan.  His pieces are strategically placed so that you sometimes feel like they belong in the “natural” landscape.  Somehow, serenity manages to envelop you during your visit.

Photo Courtesy of RocketLass (Flickr)

7:00 pm – Gantry State Park at Dusk
[Center Boulevard between 47th Road & 49th Avenue, Long Island City]

View the Manhattan skyline while strolling along the now refurbished waterfront piers of Long Island City, where the landscaped park offers you welcoming chairs to take in the scenery.  Watch as the sun sets behind the skyscrapers, feel the last rays of the day hit your face, and listen to the river lapping on the shore.  If you’re lucky, sometimes hammocks are there.  Snag one, close your eyes, and take in the silence.  Burn this memory into your brain:  you are swinging in a hammock, by the water, in NEW YORK CITY!

Manhattan Skyline from Gantry State Park

8:30 pm Dinner at Manducatis Rustica (Italian)
[13-27 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City]

On the outside, this squat Flatiron-shaped building looks like a residential house with a non-descript white door.  The only possible clue offered is its big bay window with curtains pulled shut and a sign.  Blink and you could miss it.  Once inside, you still feel like you are entering a residence, since in many ways, you are.  Couple Vincenzo and Ida Cerbone, have been feeding artists and working-class folks from the neighborhood for approximately 20 years, well before the arrival of the sleek luxury condos and chic, hip restaurants that now inhabit the area.  Let them and their staff welcome you and help you pair the right kind of wine with your Neapolitan meal.  Try to resist the urge to plant a kiss on each check when you say good-bye, but if you can’t, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.

If you still have some energy left and want an after-dinner drink, there are a bevy of bars within several blocks of each other, including Domaine Wine Bar, Dominie’s Hoek, Dutch Kills, and LIC Bar.  You could even stroll back to Gantry State Park to view the lights of the Manhattan skyline at night.

SUNDAY:  CENTRAL QUEENS
The second day, you’ll ride the 7 train and hop on and off in both directions.  Again, travel time is built into the itinerary.

8 am – Breakfast at Ihawan (Filipino)
[40-06 70th Street, Woodside]

Filipino food reflects the countries that have heavily influenced the culture,  usually China, Malaysia, Spain, and the United States.  It comes together clearly in a typical Filipino breakfast, consisting of a cured meat or fish (tapa), garlic-fried rice (sinangag), and eggs over easy (itlog).  Combine each underlined portion of the Tagalog words and you come up with its name: tapsilog.  Ihawan is run by the Bacani Family, who hail from the province of Pampanga in the Philippines, widely accepted amongst most Filipinos as the home of the best cooks in the country.  Fuel up now, because you’ll need it for your next stop.

Photo Courtesy of Kitakitts (Flickr)

9:30 am – Flushing Meadows Corona Park

Once the site of the “valley of ashes” as described by F. Scott Fitzgerald in his novel The Great Gatsby, a rush of urban beautification measures in the early 20th century created this 1,255-acre park, and site of the 1939 and 1964 World’s Fairs.  Today, the park offers many outdoor activities.  Walk, or even better, rent a bike to cover more ground.  You’ll definitely want to see remnants from the World’s Fair such as the Unisphere and the New York State Pavilion observation towers, more recently made famous in the movie Men in Black as the place the aliens apparently hid their spaceships.  Be sure to stop by the Queens Museum of Art where you’ll see the Panorama of the City of New York, a 3D model of the city’s buildings and structures since 1992.  See also the memorabilia from both World’s Fairs and the exhibit on Tiffany glass, produced in neighboring Corona.  The park is also home to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, host of the US Open and Citi Field, home of Major League Baseball’s New York Mets.

The Unisphere with Observation Towers in the Background

1:30 pm – Flushing (Chinese, Korean, Dutch, English)
[137-16 Northern Boulevard, Flushing]

Wander around the neighborhood that is home to Queens’ Chinatown and Koreatown.  If you are feeling peckish from your time at the park, you could get some cheap street food to tide you over to dinner.  You’ll find the majority of storefront signs here not in English, and perhaps you’ll start to wonder if you’re in another country.  Before your mind starts playing tricks on you, stop by the Flushing Quaker Meeting House, built near the end of the 17th century, and considered to be the oldest house of worship in New York State.  Even back when Flushing (then known by its original name, Vlissengen) was a Dutch colony, residents clamored for religious freedom in response to rampant discrimination by the colonial Dutch government.  This vocal protest resulted in the signing of the Flushing Remonstrance by local residents in the mid-17th century, a document that inspired the right to freedom of worship as enshrined in the Bill of Rights of the US Constitution.

Signs along Union Street between Northern Boulevard & 37th Avenue

4pm – Louis Armstrong House Museum (African-American)
[34-56 107th Street, Corona]

Catch the last tour of the day at the home of jazz legend Louis Armstrong.  He and his wife, Daisy, lived in their modest Corona home for nearly 30 years, from 1943 to his death in 1971.  No one has resided in the house since then and the interior decorations have been preserved to show how the Armstrongs lived.  Listen to audio clips as you walk through the home and wander through their Japanese inspired garden.  See photographs and learn about the man whose career spanned a time in American history when racial discrimination blatantly segregated blacks and whites in society.

5:30 pm – Dinner at Rincon Criollo (Cuban)
[40-09 Junction Boulevard, Corona]

In recent decades, Corona became the home to people from all over Latin America.  And while you may have your pick of cuisines from Guatemalan fast food to Mexican chain restaurants, I recommend Rincon Criollo because it has been around for 30 years and the story of the family who owns and runs it exemplifies the American Dream realized.  The Acosta Brothers opened the original Rincon Criollo in Cuba in the 1950s as a modest room consisting of four wooden planks for its floor and palm branches as its roof.  Years of hard work led to the restaurant’s successful growth and expansion, while becoming a favorite of Cuban celebrities.  However, life changed dramatically in Cuba as the brothers had their restaurants seized following the Cuban revolution of 1962.  Fourteen years later, the brothers re-opened Rincon Criollo in Corona, Queens.  The restaurant walls are lined with photos from the old country, a reminder of their past and their roots.  Regular patrons of Rincon Criollo have been coming with their families for years, savoring the tastes of a home that exists today only in their memories or in the stories of their [grand]parents.

The Acosta Brothers and all the people and families who have been highlighted on this tour of Queens are living testaments to what we celebrate most visibly on July 4th:  the American spirit of innovation, creativity, hard-work, determination and hope.  Regardless of their backgrounds, immigrants have come to America with a dream for a better life for themselves and their families, and millions have started that dream right here in Queens.

Artopolis Bakery
23-18 31st Street
Astoria, NY 11105
(718) 728-8484
www.artopolis.net
N, Q train to Ditmars Boulevard

Steinway & Sons Factory
1 Steinway Place
Astoria, NY  11105
(718) 721-2600
http://steinway.com/
N, Q train to Ditmars Boulevard
Call in advance to schedule a tour.

Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden
29-19 24th Avenue
Astoria, NY  11102
(718) 274-4925
www.bohemianhall.com
N, Q train to Astoria Boulevard

The Noguchi Museum
9-01 33rd Road
Long Island City, NY  11106
(718) 204-7088
www.noguchi.org

Gantry Plaza State Park
Center Boulevard between 47th Road & 49th Avenue
Long Island City, NY  11109
7 Train to Vernon Boulevard-Jackson Avenue or
G Train to 21st Street/Jackson Avenue
http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/149/details.aspx

Manducatis Rustica
13-27 Jackson Avenue
Long Island City, NY  11101
(718) 729-4602
7 train to Hunters Point Avenue or
G train to 21st Street

Domaine Wine Bar
50-04 Vernon Boulevard
Long Island City, NY  11101
(718) 784-2350
www.domainewinebar.com

Dominie’s Hoek
48-17 Vernon Boulevard
Long Island City, NY  11101
(718) 706-6531
www.dominieshoek.com

© Kirsten Alana Photography / Galavanting

As a first time attendee, my goals were simple: network like mad, learn a thing or two, and experience a little bit of the host city. Not only did I accomplish all of those goals but I did so with 5 hours of sleep a night, coming home late from a networking event and getting up early to strategize and prep for my day. Here are my top five highlights from the conference (really wishing I attended that non-narrative writing workshop as I write this):

#5: Face Time with Members of the Travel Community
Despite the power of social media, the best way to connect with a person is, well, in person. It took a 3,000 mile plane ride to meet fellow New Yorkers Leslie Kohen (@leslietravel), Annemarie Dooling (@TravelingAnna), Kelley Ferro (@kelleyferro), Brian Peters (@brianepeters), Aaron Shapiro (@adventurousness), and Rosina Shiliwala (@rosina_s).

I finally put faces to Traveler’s Night-In (#TNI) friends Erin Halvey (@ehalvey), Janice Waugh (@solotraveler), Jade and Bob (@Vagabond3Live), and Catherine Sweeney (@TravelingWithS). We regularly came together on Twitter at 1530 hrs ET on Thursdays to talk travel.

Trailblazer Evelyn Hannon (@Journeywoman), the intrepid Vogel family who biked from Alaska to Argentina (@FamilyOnBikes), and visionary Tracey Friley (@OneBrownGirl) whose Passport Parties provide young American girls with their very first passport, all inspired me.

I shook hands with John DiScala…err…Johnny Jet (@JohnnyJet), Benny Lewis (@irishpolyglot), JD Andrews (@earthXplorer), Mike Barish (@mikebarish), Jodi Ettenburg (@legalnomads), Beth Whitman (@Wanderluster), Sean Keener (@SEKeener) and Jessica Spiegel (@italylogue) of Bootsnall.com,  all bright stars in the travel blogging firmament.

I had meaningful conversations with Melanie Waldman (@travelswithtwo), JoAnna Haugen (@joanna_haugen), Crai Bower (@craisbower), and Elyse Mailhot (@ctccct) who shared their tips on work-family/life balance. I thank them for their generous advice.

(l-r) Me, Leslie (@leslietravel), Tina (@crozul), James (@nomadicnotes)

Oh, and I also discovered that I had fans! James Clark (@nomadicnotes) was the first to spot me at the kick-off event at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Besides travel, we discussed our mutual admiration for Fountains of Wayne. Later, I met Tina Rozul (@crozul) of Go2it.com, Lauren Nicholl (@WanderLoz) and Anis Salvesen (@anis_salvesen) of Tripping.com, and Shana Zheng of Triptrotting.com. Thank you all for your encouragement and making me feel validated!

Before arriving at TBEX, I made a list of the people I wanted to meet. I managed to meet all but two on that list. As I talked to people at the conference, I discovered more people I wanted to meet.  I knew it would be impossible to chat with everyone but I am certain opportunities to cross paths in the future will present themselves.

#4: Narrative Writing Workshop with Pam Mandel (@nerdseyeview), Don George (@don_george), and Andrew Evans (@WheresAndrew)
I had homework. Homework! Yes, I know I was supposed to learn a thing or two but these folks assigned homework and wanted me to turn it around in 24 hours. Where was I, graduate school? Of course, I reverted back to my usual MO when such assignments are due:  CRAM. An hour before the thesis story deadline, I went into seclusion in a conference center corner to write my 200-600 word narrative on how I got to TBEX. Under pressure, I managed to bang out a 215-word piece that I kinda felt good about considering the circumstances. We broke up into groups in the second session and Pam was my leader. I felt my face get hot and winced inside as I waited for the criticism. I got some good feedback from the group, which made me realize the things I needed to do when I got home:  write more regularly, find people to read my work and provide constructive feedback, and develop a thicker skin. Within the short span of an hour, I was astounded that homework assignments were now self-imposed.

Pam leads our group. Photo courtesy of Tina Rozul (@crozul).

#3: Getting shushed because I was a loud New Yorker and member of Robert Reid’s “Live Research Crew”

I was grateful to Robert (@reidontravel) for choosing me as one of a three-member crew to help drive his point home on the importance of research. It gave me the chance to not only work with Robert, Kymri Wilt (@kymri) and Matt Gibson (@xpatmatt) but also to present to the large crowd of attendees. I tried to improve a weakly written blog post on Niagara Falls by finding new angles on the story and attempted to get a quote through phone calls. Clearly people weren’t listening to Robert when he introduced us at the beginning of his presentation. Or maybe you couldn’t hear him because I was apparently speaking very loud on the phone. Attendees shushed me for my perceived rudeness! I was just doing my job as a jourblist, a new term coined by Robert. Um, can someone explain to me exactly what a jourblist is since I was too busy talking during his presentation? Oh wait, I should’ve done my research before asking that question.

(l-r) Robert, Matt, Kymri, and me. © Raul P of hummingbird604.com

What an opportunity! © Kirsten Alana Photography / Galavanting

#2: Favorite mascot and celebrity @Banff_Squirrel got star struck meeting me!

The feeling was totally mutual!  Usually, I can maintain my New York City cool but my excitement at meeting this famous furry little creature got the best of me.  I couldn’t help but let out a shrill scream…like a total fool.

@Banff_Squirrel Tweets Our First-Time Meeting

And my #1 highlight of TBEX?

Gary Arndt (@EverywhereTrip) said he would wear my ActionJoJo t-shirt to TBEX next year! Witnesses included Jodi Ettenberg (@legalnomads), James Clark (@nomadicnotes), and Shannon O’Donnell (@shannonRTW) so that I won’t let him forget it. I was so excited that I almost ran him over with my hug. Thanks for the vote of confidence Gary! I’ll be sure to have a few t-shirts ready for you before we arrive in Keystone, Colorado next year!

I wonder if Gary is thinking, "What did I get myself into?"

I echo Pam Mandel’s recent reflections on TBEX.  My ultimate goal for TBEX was to meet people and get my name out there.  I planted a ton of seeds that I hope will bear fruit in time.  I’ve still got a lot of learning to do as a writer and videographer and yes, a blogger.  I’m determined to work hard and with patience, determination, and focus, I hope to realize my personal and professional goals.

A special shout out and high five to Kim Mance (@KimMance), Joey Hernandez (@joeybear85), and Courtney McGann (@courtneyisneato) for the herculean task of putting together TBEX’11! Thanks also to our host city of Vancouver (@ctccct, @myvancouver and @tourismbc) for showing us a good time!

©KirstenAlanaPhotography/Galavanting

After months of hearing rave reviews, I finally got myself to the Queens Kickshaw, a new establishment in Astoria that serves “fancy” grilled cheese sandwiches, craft beer, and specialty coffee.  Thanks to the power of Twitter, I organized a a casual “tweetup” with fellow Queens resident foodies @Stellaaa, @RoxWriting, and @mojoshowbiz, some of whom I met in person for the very first time.

All of the sandwiches on the menu, as seen on the website (screenshot below), sounded tasty and we arrived with a strategy.

We agreed in advance to order four different sandwiches, and split them all in quarters so we could have a sample taste of each.  It was a brilliant idea and one I suggest you employ if you want to avoid the awful dilemma of have to choose just one sandwich.

After some deliberation, we decided on the Manchego & Ricotta, Gouda, Gruyere, and Fontina (clockwise, at 12 o’clock) .  All the sandwiches were delicious in their own right but it would be unlike me not to compare and contrast them.  So in order of least to most favorite based solely on personal preference, they are….drum roll please…

While I was prepared for the open-faced Fontina Val d’Aosta, my palette craved the crispiness of a two-sided, grilled cheese.  The familiar pairing of basil pesto with the soft focaccia was lovely but by sheer virtue of sandwich construction, I placed it last.

The Gruyere reminded me so much of a pastrami sandwich without the meat.  The pickled and caramelized onion, the mustard, the rye bread are the building blocks of a pastrami sandwich.  This one was a wonderful vegetarian alternative if you are craving those flavors.

In the rare instances that I see guava on a menu, I almost always order it.  The fruit, and its tarty taste, remind me so much of the Philippines.  The sweetness of the jam juxtaposed with the creaminess of the black been hummus and Gouda cheese plus the pickled jalapanos created a complexity of flavors that I really enjoyed.  The grilled brioche melted in my mouth which added a different dimension of texture to your traditional grilled cheese sandwich.

I really loved the Gouda sandwich and the Manchego & Ricotta barely eeked past it as my favorite of the four.  I think what it boiled down to was my preference today for something not sweet.  Essentially, this sandwich reminded me of an eggplant tapenade.  The smooth texture of the cheeses and the pureed eggplant with whole briny capers was a winning combination.

After taking a quarter of each sandwich, we coined our newly formed concoction the “Franken-sandwich” (with a Guatemalan pour over coffee in the background).

The place was packed at 1pm on Sunday.  Long tables in the back and a large table in the front allowed several parties to sit together, promoting a casual intimacy and sense of connection.  The place definitely gave off a Williamsburg vibe where attention to detail, decor, craftmanship, and service were top priorities.  It is quite a change from most of the establishments in the neighborhood.  At our table, we (three of Filipino & one of Italian descent) sat beside four Tibetan women speaking in their native tongue and a solitary man wearing a plaid shirt and headphones, typing away on his Macbook.  I smiled at a sudden realization.

When I think of Queens’ great asset, its ethnic diversity, I must admit that I often think of its new immigrants.  I forget that there are people who have lived in this borough all their lives, whose families have lived here for several generations.  Heck, I forget that even hipsters are a part of this great borough.  In Astoria, once a neighborhood where all my childhood Greek friends lived, all are welcome.  Our table at the Queens Kickshaw reflected just that.

Owners, Ben Sandler and Jennifer Lim, took the time to chat with us despite the restaurant’s constant incoming flow of people.  When it was time to take the obligatory group photo, the only appropriate response at the end of the countdown was of course, “Grilled Cheese!”

The Queens Kickshaw
40-17 Broadway
Astoria, NY 11103
(718) 777-0913
www.thequeenskickshaw.com

Magasin Wells Diner, more colloquially known as “M. Wells”,  opened a few months after I left the area.  Hearing all the great reviews about this place, I knew it would be a matter of time before I visited.  But weeks became months and months became a year.  I was embarrassed that even visitors to NYC (like this awesome foodie couple from California) even got here before I did!  They live 3,000 miles away from the restaurant.  Me?  10 miles away. What was wrong with this picture?  So I corrected the problem TODAY.

The food at M. Wells has been described as “Quebecois-American”.  The owners are a married couple, and the husband was a former chef at Au Pied de Cochon in Montreal.  I hit the jackpot by arriving on this Friday morning before Memorial Day.  I was seated right away and as I looked around, I noticed there were still some empty seats to spare.  My waitress said this occurrence was unusual and we agreed it was probably a function of the long holiday weekend.

While reviews rave of the offal dishes, I was in the mood to trying something else since it was only 10:30 am and my stomach was not ready for foie gras, tongue, or veal brains.  All right, I’ll be honest. I don’t think my stomach will ever be ready for veal brains…  Gasp! Will you still respect me and view me as a “foodie”?

Instead, I opted for the egg and potato hash because the bacon and fiddleheads in the dish appealed to me.  I was disappointed to learn that the hash had been altered to include crab meat, asparagus, and peas. I still chose it anyway since I was in the mood for potato hash and a soft egg.  While the dish was tasty, it would’ve been SURELY out of this world had it been made with the salty, savory bacon paired with the earthy fiddleheads.

My husband opted for the Cubano sandwich, which was pressed flat allowing the meat edges poking outside of the bread to become crisp.

I’ll be sure to come back here again.  I know I was spoiled today since the place was relaxed and calm with no wait.  Perhaps I’ll check out the dinner scene and stop by one of three weeknights they are open in the evening.  I’m sure by that time, I’ll be in the mood for this.

I only drank water at M. Wells because I knew I would head to Sweetleaf next, just two blocks away.  A charming coffee shop with baked goods made on the premises, the place was warm and flooded with natural light thanks to several large windows in the storefront.  As my senses adjusted to the place, it took less than a few minutes to encounter this amusing sign.

Co-owner Rich Nieto was behind the counter.  Without knowing what to order, I asked him to suggest something for me.  Since it was a hot day, he suggested the “Iced Rocket Fuel”, an iced coffee, cold brewed with chicory and maple syrup.  But I also wanted a hot coffee so he suggested a “pour over” coffee made with Stumptown coffee beans of his choice.

We followed him to the back and settled by the pour-over “bar”.  It was hard to stay seated on the bar stools because I curiously wanted to watch each preparation step.   It was mesmerizing.  Rich reminded me of a scientist in the lab sans the white medical coat.  To brew this individual cup, he sought accuracy and precision with various tools: thermometer, measuring cup, and scale.  In this age of mass commercialization and high production, making one 12-ounce cup of coffee took time, patience, and dare I say, love?  It was a nice change of pace from the usual way I ordered coffee.  It gave me the chance to get to know the man behind the counter and find out how this fellow Queens native, who always loved coffee, went from being the owner of a telecommunications company to the owner of a coffee house.  He decided to follow his coffee bliss after his good friend started Sweetleaf.  ”Even though I’ve been to Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, I’ve never been to a coffee farm in any of these countries.  But people always think I have.  I was more likely to connect you if you ever called these places,” he laughed as he recalled his former life.

I was thankful for his leap of faith. For in a few minutes I sipped on a Stumptown Finco El Injerto Bourbon from Guatemala, which was bold but smooth with absolutely zero acerbity. It was one of the best cups of coffee I had because I managed to taste the complexity and combination of flavors free of milk and sugar. I always believed that excellent coffee should be drunk black so as to truly taste it. I couldn’t discern my coffee’s “fragrance of jasmine” but I was able to pick up the super subtle hint of chocolate. The Iced Rocket Fuel, surprisingly didn’t have any acerbity either and it finished with the sweet smoothness of maple syrup.

While I didn’t get a chance to sample the baked goodies, I did manage to sneak behind the counter!  As a totally inexperienced barista, I may have freaked out this disturbingly obsessed coffee geek. I’ll spare him the heart attack so that we can all continue to benefit from his talent and passion.  I shall gladly return to my rightful place on the other side of the bar, sipping a delicious cup o’ joe…or two.

M. Wells Diner
21-17 49th Avenue
Long Island City, NY  11101
(718) 425-6917
7 Train to Hunters Point Avenue
www.mwellsdiner.com

When I think of Corona, Queens, four things come immediately to mind:  1) this Paul Simon song; 2) the home of Louis Armstrong, now a museum; 3) the Lemon Ice King as seen in the opening credits the TV show “King of Queens“; and 4) Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

I grew up in neighboring Elmhurst (formerly named “Newtown” during the British colonial period)  just as Paul Simon grew up in neighboring Forest Hills.  And like Simon, as evidenced by his song, I know Corona today as a neighborhood predominantly comprised of Latin American immigrants.  This week’s challenge instructed me to take a walking tour so I sought out the person I believed could best guide me:  Jack Eichenbaum,  urban geographer.  After hearing him featured in this great NPR story just after he was appointed the Queens Borough Historian, I knew he was the man for the job.

Jack and I met on a cold spring morning at Corona Plaza, near the #7 train entrance at 103rd Street.  Before we began, Jack started by explaining how the arrival of different forms of transportation affected not only the landscape of Corona but also how people came to interact with it.  ”No wonder Corona Avenue winds through the neighborhood like a snake!” I exclaimed after Jack described how this street was once the colonial route from Brooklyn to Flushing, and followed the contours of the land.  Anglos arrived in the 1800s after the building of the railroad (now the present day Port Washington branch of the Long Island Rail Road) and by the 1890s, Jewish, German, and Italian immigrants arrived as trolleys traveled down the streets.

By 1917, the elevated #7 train was built above an available area — now known as Roosevelt Avenue, a highly commercial area — which at the time was the least desirable part of town.  The neighboring business district of Flushing resisted the intrusion of an elevated train but in 10 years the subway line was extended to terminate at Main Street, the current last stop.  Flushing’s resistance resulted in the underground building of the Main Street station, which required more money and engineering finesse.  (Jack claimed the reason for the subway line’s continuing signal problems today relates to the elevation change from about three stories above ground to going underground into Main Street.  Hmmm… I thought this whole time “delays due to signal problems” was a NYC MTA euphemism for “we’re taking a coffee break.”)

Immediately, Jack impressed me with his incredible knowledge.  More importantly, he seamlessly connected economic factors to the emergence of transportation advancements that brought about the neighborhood’s changes. He was also able to contextualize the historical events in Corona to what was happening in neighboring parts of Queens, the city of New York, and even the United States.

Park of the Americas (formerly Linden Park, which once contained a lake) was renamed as a tribute to the countless ethnic communities who lived and still live in Corona.

By the mid- to late 20th century, an influx of Latin Americans arrived in Corona. In the photo above, you can see a storefront sign in the upper left called “Tulcingo Deli”, one of a number of Mexican restaurants in NYC with this name.  In fact, my favorite Mexican restaurant in my former neighborhood of Astoria was Tulcingo on Broadway!  In Mexico, Tulcingo is a city in the state of Puebla from where many of the Mexicans living in NYC hail.

Pollo Campero, a Guatemalan fast food restaurant, has a location in Corona while Rincon Criollo, one of the oldest Cuban restaurants in the city still remains.  Jack tipped me off that any business signs with the words “Quisqueyano” or “Cibao” catered to the Dominican population because the island that is now home to Haiti and the Dominican Republic was once called Quisqueya by its native people, the Taino.  Cibao, also a Taino word, refers to the northern region of the DR.  A geography lesson from a geographer, I expected nothing less.

Reading the signs & utilizing our Spanish skills

English translation: "Want to try our Fanesca? Then come here. We have the best and most delicious." Fanesca is an Ecuadorian stew made only around Easter.

It was clear that Jack and I were kindred spirits thanks to our mutual interest in the inhabitants who create the culture of a place.  I also discovered that Jack likes to travel to the homelands of the immigrants who live in the NYC neighborhoods he explores.  Out of all the countries he visited, he claimed Vietnam to be his favorite because the country was nothing like the negative messages he heard about as a young adult.

The tour included a stop at the former Tiffany glass factory and furnaces, which now houses several business including a halal live poultry corporation.  How perfect to finally visit the building since I learning about its existence just a few weeks ago during a visit to the nearby Queens Museum of Art for the first week’s challenge!

The former glass factory of Louis Comfort Tiffany

Sign in English, Chinese, Spanish and Hindi (?)

Our final stop brought us to Silver Bell, a Lithuanian bakery from the 1920s that “is still family owned and dedicated to keeping alive the wholesome traditions of ‘Old World’ baking” according to its website.  I wonder what it means to bake “old word” style?  Nevertheless, I’m amazed that Silver Bell has managed to remain and succeed in a neighborhood whose demographics have changed so dramatically since it opened.

Standing in front of freshly baked bread. I could not resist a treat!

As an anthropologist, I learned that a place is where politics, economics, and ecology intersect.  Jack taught me that technology can also be included in this mix.  Akin to an anthropologist doing work in the field, Jack sees the street as a “lab” where observations of the residents’ social behaviors can be made and its effects on a place.

His passion of exploring cities on foot started as a child when his father and grandfather took him on long walks.  As a college professor, he took his students to the streets.  He organized his first walking tour in 1982 of Long Island City, which was  sponsored by the Queens Historical Society.  It was in response to the few walking tours offered at the time, which were typically focused on architecture in Manhattan.  He wanted to guide tours that focused on the vitality of a place – its people – in a borough that he loves:  Queens.

I learned so much from the mere hour I spent with Jack, and I am certain it won’t be the last tour I take with him.  Jack sees himself not as a tour guide but as an educator so if you are curious or interested in history, culture, demographics, transportation and New York City in general, go on a walk with Jack!  You won’t be disappointed.

Be sure to check out his upcoming signature tour highlighting “The World of the #7 Train”, held on one day only — April 30, 2011 — as detailed below.  For additional tour schedules, check his website.

Jack Eichenbaum
www.geognyc.com
jaconet@aol.com
718-961-8406

Saturday, April 30, 2011
10:00am to 5:30 pm (with lunch break)

THE WORLD OF THE #7 TRAIN
Long Island City – Sunnyside – Woodside – Elmhurst -
Jackson Heights – Corona – Flushing

Your tour leader, Jack Eichenbaum, maintains a storehouse of researched facts and biased memories of bygone eras.  Eichenbaum holds a Ph.D in urban geography, teaches Geography of NYC at CUNY  and has been riding the #7 for six decades.  His expertise lies in historical geography and ethnic and technological change.  His tour will focus on what the #7 train has done to and for the surrounding neighborhoods since it opened in 1914.  The #7 has been designated a “National Millennium Trail” for its pioneering role in transporting people in what is probably the most demographically diverse cityscape in the world.

Tour fee is $39 and you need to preregister by check to:
Jack Eichenbaum, 36-20 Bowne St. #6C, Flushing, NY 11354
(include name, phone and email address).
The tour is limited to 25 people.
For further information, email jaconet@aol.com.