A Goodbye and a Quick Lookback at the Space Shuttle Program

Watching the launch of NASA’s Space Shuttle Atlantis this morning almost brought tears to my eyes. I cheered as the jets fired up and the shuttle, untethered from its moorings was propelled into space. I thought of the ingenuity, courage and vision it took to develop the program and maintain it for thirty years. And I was thankful.

As Atlantis blasted into space at speeds of up to 19,000 miles per hour, I recalled the first walk on the moon that Astronaut Neil Armstrong described as “a small step for man, a giant step for mankind.”

I recalled the time back in June, 1983, when I saw the Enterprise, the first Space Shuttle Orbiter, after it landed at Uplands Airport in Ottawa. It was exciting to see Enterprise up close.

I’ve watched many launches over the years and I remember exactly where I was on that January morning when the Challenger exploded.

Unfortunately, it’s only when accidents happen that we stop to think of the amount of work and skill each launch takes and the inherent danger that exists in space exploration. Even through these tragedies and the unfortunate loss of lives, NASA’s scientists and engineers were gaining the experience necessary to make the program the success that it’s been.

Space Shuttle Enterprise at Uplands Airport, Ottawa, June, 1983

I stopped watching after that. So, today, as I watched, I said a small prayer of thanks when Atlantis took off safely.

Several years ago, I saw the Aurora 7, one of the earlier shuttles, at the Intrepid Air and Space Museum. I was shocked at how small it is inside. So small, I wondered how comfortable the astronauts were when they were riding in it.

When I think if it now, I feel badly for every time I’ve complained about the seat space on airlines.

But even with the size, I would have given a vital body part to be able to see the Earth from so high up. It would have been the ultimate travel experience. I hope that day will come during my lifetime.

It might seem as if the shuttle program has been of little benefits to us. On the contrary, space technology has been used in among other things, medicines and biotechnology to improve our health, and in communications.

I don’t understand why the program as we know it today is being shelved but I look forward to whatever new door opens us and hope that it’ll bring more of us closer to going into space.

So goodbye, Atlantis. I wish you a safe return to home base.

 

Travel Photo Thursday: Lunch at Makalolo Plains

I’m not what you’d call an animal lover so going on safari would not have been on my list of things to do on vacation. But when my friends and I decided to go to South Africa, we also decided we’d do everything on each other’s lists.

Since all three of us wanted to see Victoria Falls, our travel agent suggested we do our game-watching in Zimbabwe at Hwange National Park.

She also recommended a lovely safari camp, Makalolo Plains, which is located about 2 hours’ drive into the park. Even when she told us that Makalolo was not like the kind of camp we would have been exposed to, I still didn’t know what to expect. We were very pleasantly surprised.

They treated us to tasty lunches, sherry when we returned at nights from game drives and sumptuous dinners, including wines.

Since the camp is surrounded by animals – elephants, lions, buffalos, zebras, giraffes, etc., we were surprised to return from our morning game drive on our second day to find lunch would be served al fresco.

Open air lunch
Lasagna for lunch

Looking at these photos brings back warm memories of the wonderful time we had at Makalolo Plains.

Tasty Thursdays: Broccoli Grape Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

I was at the nail salon a few years ago when I discovered this recipe for Broccoli Grape Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette in a magazine. I figured since it had two things I love, broccoli and grapes, it would be worth trying out.

I was also intrigued by the combination or broccoli and grapes and wrote the ingredients in my notebook.  The next time I had family and friends over, I tried it. It was delicious! And the most important thing is, my friends loved it. My cousin always complains that I experiment with new recipes when I have people over but even she raved about it.

The flavor of the broccoli, the crispness of it blended well with the sweetness and soft texture of the grapes. The citrusy flavor of the vinaigrette gave it a kick.

The other thing about the Broccoli Grape Salad is that it is very simple to make. Since it’s so easy and everyone loves it, I usually make a large bowl and keep it in the refrigerator, especially in the summer.

Several months after I discovered the recipe, the citrus vinaigrette I was using disappeared from the supermarket shelves. I was crushed. I visited several supermarkets in different neighborhoods trying to find it. Eventually, I gave up and went online. I’ll share below the one I finally decided on.

Here’s the recipe for Broccoli Grape Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette. Hope you get to try it. When you do, let me know what you think.

Broccoli Grape Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

2 bunches broccoli fleurettes, cut into bite-sized pieces (You can also blanch the broccoli to soften them up)

4 cups of red, seedless grapes, halved (or 2 of red, 2 of green)

1 cup sliced almonds

Directions

Prepare the citrus vinaigrette following the directions below and set aside.

Place broccoli and grapes into a large bowl

Pour citrus vinaigrette over the salad mixture, stirring until combine

Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours or overnight to allow the flavors to blend

Add nuts before serving.

Note: The salad can be doubled very easily if you have a crowd.

 

Citrus Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh orange juice (about 1 orange)

1/3 cup fresh grapefruit juice

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger

Preparation

Combine all ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Pour into a bowl; cover and chill.

Note: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Yield: 1 1/3 cups (serving size: 1 tablespoon)

Citrus Vinaigrette recipe courtesy of myrecipes.com

Enjoy!

Treasure Beach – Where I Go to Escape

Treasure Beach is small community on Jamaica’s south western coast that prides itself with being friendly and very laid back.

A fishing community with six miles of beach, rocky coastline and private coves, Treasure Beach it is the perfect place to get away from it all.

I’ve been going to Treasure Beach for several years now, most times to attend Calabash, the international literary festival, which brings scores of lovers of the written and spoken word to this far off the beaten track place to listen to soak up world class literature.

I’ve also been to Treasure Beach when the festival is not in session. It’s a beautiful place. Here are a few of the reasons I keep going back.

Treasure Beach boats - Maynefoto

Enjoy!

The Places Bond Has Taken Me

One of the things I love about Bond is seeing the locations where the stories are set. So as I watched one film after another in the Bond marathon on Sleuth this weekend, I began compiling a list of places Bond’s taken me over the years. And it’s a pretty impressive list. (I got Wikipedia’s help in confirming some of the places of interest as well.)

Dr. No (1962) I was still in diapers when this Bond, the first in the series was, was filmed in Jamaica. The story was set in Kingston, with the beach scenes filmed at and around the Dunn’s River Falls area in Ocho Rios.

Note: Ian Fleming wrote twelve of his James Bond novels at Goldeneye, his home in St. Mary, Jamaica. There’s a James Bond beach and the newly named Ian Fleming International Airport in St. Mary.

James Bond Beach, Jamaica

From Russia with Love (1963) I knew what I wanted to do in life after I saw this movie in my twenties: I wanted to traipse around the world watching James make his Bond films. From Russia with Love took me to London, Zagreb, Belgrade, Istanbul and Venice.

Goldfinger (1964) James sent me a special invitation to watch filming in England, Geneva, parts of the U.S. and Mexico. The highlight, for me, was going to Fort Knox. I hated when Goldfinger’s henchman painted Goldfinger’s assistant with gold paint.

Sean Connery

Thunderball (1965) I stayed in one of the rooms while James stayed at the spa in England, then went with him to France, Paradise Island (Bahamas) and the U.S.

You Only Live Twice (1967) I watched James disguise himself as a Japanese man and get married in Japan. I also followed him to Hong Kong.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service(1969) The first

Roger Moore

time Sean Connery did not play Bond but nevertheless, I followed him to Portugal and Switzerland. If you look behind Moneypenny, you can just see the hat I was wearing at James’ (real) wedding to the countess. Sadly, she was killed on their way to the honeymoon.

Diamonds are Forever (1971) I was one floor above when James killed Peter Franks in the elevator in Amsterdam. I knew James would win but I was so nervous, I couldn’t watch. I also flew to Tokyo, Cairo, Southern France, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Baja.

Timothy Dalton

Live and Let Die (1973) The first Bond with Roger Moore and the first time Bond went uptown to Harlem. By the time I realized he was there and ran down to where they were filming, they were gone – to Jamaica and New Orleans.

The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) I’d never been to Beirut, so I was excited to have Bond take me along with him. We also dropped in to Bangkok, Macau and China and returned to Hong Kong. That Scaramanga was an evil man!

George Lazenby

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) I’ve never worried about the villains because I know James can hold his own. But I was worried for him when I saw Jaws. Man, he was scary! Apart from the locations, the best part of this film, was the car that could go underwater. I was one of the extras on the beach but when the camera panned in my direction, I was so excited by the car, my eyes almost popped out of my head. They had to cut me out. I still have my memories of being in the Alps, Scotland, Cairo, Luxor, sailing down the Nile, and Costa Smeralda.

Moonraker (1979) I’ll follow Bond anywhere but I didn’t think he’d take me to outer space. Yes, that’s where we went in this film.  We also went to France, Venice, Rio and the Amazon.

For Your Eyes Only (1981) I couldn’t imagine a more beautiful location than Greece. I had a lot of fun with the rest of the crew in Meteora and Corfu, in Madrid, and Cortina d’Ambezzo in Italy.

Octopussy (1983) From Jag Mandir in India, we flew to West Berlin, East Berlin and Feldstadt. India was a blast!

Pierce Brosnan

A View to a Kill (1985) My heart was almost in my throat as I watched the Grace Jones’ character fly off the Eiffel Tower with James in hot pursuit. Zorin’s chateau (Chateau de Chantilly) was like being in the lap of luxury. Great to see Ascot before the races and the crowd, Serbia and San Francisco.

The Living Daylights (1987) Timothy Dalton joins the franchise as the new Bond. I tagged along to Bratislavia (Slovakia), Tangier, Vienna and Baluchistan (Pakistan). The highlight, for me, was watching the filming with the muhajadeen in the desert in Afghanistan.

License to Kill (1989) Key West was the setting for the beautiful wedding that opens this installment of Bond. Again, I was among the guests celebrating then followed James to Bimini.

GoldenEye (1995) Pierce Brosnan takes over as Bond, Judi Dench became M and I continued following Bond. This time, to Monte Carlo, St. Petersburg and Puerto Rico.

Daniel Craig

Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) I went with James to Hamburg (Germany), the South China Seas (China) and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam).

The World is Not Enough (1999) I never tire of following James around. This time, it was to Bilbao, Spain, Istanbul and Baku in Azerbaijan.

Die Another Day (2002) I was in North Korea when James posed as an arms dealer. Sadly, he was captured but as soon as he was released, I was with him in Havana, London and Iceland.

Casino Royale (2006) Connery as Bond set the standard that, to my mind, only Daniel Craig can surpass. That long chase scene sent my blood pressure through the roof. Prague, Lahore (Pakistan) Mbale (Uganda), Nassau, Miami, Montenegro, Venice and Lake Como (Italy).

Quantum of Solace (2008) James is still mourning the death of Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale. I was in Siena when he brought Mr. White in for interrogation. I had just stepped out of the room when all hell broke loose. The chase and my travels continued in London, Haiti, Bregenz (Austria), Talamone (Italy) Bolivia and finally Kazen in Russia.

The next Bond is due to be released in 2012. Watch for me in one of the scenes.

Photo credits: Connery bondambitions, Moore amazon, Lazenby themoviecorner, Dalton cinemaretro; Brosnan howstuffworks; Craig flicksandbits.

 

What, to an Immigrant, is the Fourth of July?

It’s July 4th, and after nearly 30 years of living in this country, I still don’t feel comfortable celebrating. I wasn’t born here. My independence came through another country, so what exactly am I celebrating? Do I have the right to celebrate?

Flag on the Gate House, Central Park

I’m conflicted.

I came to America as an adult, convinced that being here would afford me a better life, and it has.

But like a child caught between two parents – the parent who gave her birth and the one who adopted her – I struggle to detach, to give myself permission to love the new parent as unconditionally as I love the “real” one and not feel like a betrayal. So I sit on the fence unable to fully embrace the new parent, reserving that secret part of my heart for the real one.

Some would argue that my position has probably been detrimental. By not fully committing, I’ve kept myself from engaging.  But being familiar only with the mores and lexicon of the real parent, how does one fully engage?

I’ve involved myself in the things I believe in: volunteering to teach and mentor, campaigning and voting for candidates I support, demonstrating for causes I feel strongly about, and buying and selling property. I’ve done my best to be a good citizen.

So what will it take for me to feel like I’m really part of the family, to feel like I have the right to celebrate? Is it length of time or giving myself permission?

Would coming here at a younger age and going to school have helped me form stronger bonds or teach me to decode the lingo, the secret hand signals? I wonder.

I’ve also wondered if having children to shepherd through the “system,” children who could potentially force me to commit, would have made a difference. Probably.

Add to the complexity of my internal conflict, the fact that the household I chose used to own people like me, and a whole new layer of emotional baggage is added to the mix.

When I lived in Washington, D.C., routinely around the holiday, I’d hear black people refer to July 4th as the 4th of You Lie. It sounded catchy but it was said with such cynicism and disdain, I knew it had to be serious.

July 4th is the day of celebration of the colony gaining its independence from Britain but for nearly 100 years more, blacks remained chattel slaves until December 6, 1865 when the Thirteenth Amendment ending slavery was ratified.

Frederick Douglass summed it up best when, in 1852, he posed the question that still hangs in the air nearly 160 years later, What to the slave is your fourth of July?

Today, I’m asking, What, to a first generation immigrant like me, is the true meaning of the fourth of July?

 

Soulful Sundays: Nina Simone

Even though I’ve never heard her perform, I have a great deal of respect for Nina Simone, a woman who lived her

Nina Simone - photo from the Internet

convictions and didn’t seem to give a hoot what anyone thought. I admired her strength, her courage, her activism. Mostly, though, I loved her music.

Mississippi Goddam, to me, is all Nina. I believe it sums her up as the civil rights activist she was. She was also a singer songwriter, pianist and arranger.

Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon on February 21, 1933 in Tryon, North Carolina, she adopted the name Nina Simone in 1954 so that her mother, a strict Methodist minister, wouldn’t know she was singing “devil music.”

Simone recorded several albums. Her 1972 single, To be Young, Gifted and Black, became my personal anthem. She has influenced musicians from Mos Def to Cat Stevens. Her music has been covered by artists from Aretha Franklin to David Bowie and Janis Joplin.

Simone lived in Barbados, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Liberia before settling in France in 1992, remaining there until her death in 2003.

I never got to see her perform but her voice, her energy, are unmatched. The day of her memorial service, I started to get dressed to go but got sidetracked by something that now is insignificant and unmemorable.

A movie based on Simone’s life, starring Mary J. Blige, is scheduled to be released in 2012.

Here’s her version of Ne Me Quitte Pas (in English, If You Go Away.)

Nina gives a shout-out to Jacques Brel. Here’s his version.

Jacques Brel, Ne Me Quitte Pas

Enjoy!

 

Set in Paris

Since the release of the new Woodie Allen movie, Midnight in Paris, I’ve been thinking of the movies I’ve seen that were set there.

Eiffel Tower

Here’s my list:

  • The Day of the Jackal (Edward Fox) 1973
  • A View to a Kill (Roger Moore, Christopher Walken) 1985
  • Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Michael Caine, Steve Martin) 1988
  • Frantic (Harrison Ford) 1988
  • Dangerous Liaisons (Glenn Close, Michelle Pfeiffer, John Malcovich) 1988
  • Valmont (Colin Firth, Annette Benning) 1989
  • The Bourne Identity (Matt Damon) 2000
  • Chocolat (Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche) 2000
  • Amélie (Audrey Tautou) 2001
  • Le Divorce (Kate Hudson, Naomi Watts) 2003
  • The Truth About Charlie (Mark Wahlberg, Thandie Newton) 2003
  • Something’s Gotta Give (Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, Kneau Reeves) 2003
  • The Devil Wears Prada (Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway) 2006

Watching some of these movies – Valmont, Dangerous Liaisons, Chocolat and Something’s Gotta Give come to mind, really gives you a good feel for Paris. It’s also great to see a scene in a place you been to, like Roger Moore’s James Bond at the Eiffel Tower or at the Pont Alexandre.

I can’t wait to see how Midnight in Paris compares or what places I recognize.

Enjoy!

Travel Photo Thursday: Table Mountain

Table Mountain was not on our itinerary, not for that gorgeous day. After an emotionally charged visit to Robben Island, all we wanted to do was have a meal and take a nap.

But Ian, our guide, insisted. The weather was perfect, he said. There was no guarantee we’d have another one, best to take advantage. If the clouds came in, visibility on Table Mountain would be reduced. I know this mountain, he said. You only have five days, why wait for tomorrow when you could see something else? We’re so close.

We insisted. We huddled among ourselves. We were adamant. We didn’t want a tour guide to commandeer our vacation. After all, for more than a week, we’d had people telling us what to do and when do it. And after Cape Town, we’d have another tour guide shepherding us around. Independent people, we wanted our freedom or a least a little latitude.

I can’t remember now what Ian said that clinched it. But I’m glad he didn’t give up. It was the best decision we made that day. As it turned out, it rained all day the next day and for several days after that, Table mountain looked as if a crisp white tablecloth had been spread over it.

View of Cape Town from Table Mountain

From that moment, we never objected to anything Ian recommended.