I wasn’t sure I had photos for this week’s challenge but I know now not to dismiss the challenge before looking through my collection. Sure enough, I found several photos.
So here are my photos and my thoughts on numbers.
Numbers follow us everywhere we go. When we’re born, our birth announcements include the dates and times of birth and the number of pounds we weighed. Even our names can be reduced to a number. Mine’s 5. Do you know what yours is? If you don’t, you can find it here.
Most of have numbers in our street addresses, social security and telephone numbers. Some people have favorite numbers and numbers that they play. What’s your favorite number?
These are just a few examples of the impact and importance of numbers in our lives. We just can’t escape them!
Here’s my take on this week’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Numbers.
St. Paul's Cathedral - MaynefotoHabana 1791 - MaynefotoCape Numbers - Maynefoto500 steps down, many more to go. Eiffel Tower steps - MaynefotoOne Hundred Trillion Dollars - Maynefoto
How do you numbers affect your life? Please share!
Located across the Hudson River, Newark is the largest city in New Jersey and the third oldest of the major cities in the United States. Not a typical or popular tourist destination, Newark has plenty to offer.
With a population of more than 270,000, it is one of the state’s most ethnically diverse cities with African-Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asians, etc. A significant Brazilian and Portuguese population is concentrated in the Ironbound district, also called “Little Portugal.” Ironbound is known for its European feel, restaurants and the annual Portuguese Festival which is held in June.
Basilica of the Sacred Heart
Five Things to Do in Newark –
New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) – Home of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, NJPAC is the sixth largest performance arts center in the U.S.
Newark Symphony Hall – the oldest and largest showcase for the arts in New Jersey. (I saw a concert there sometime ago. Tickets for the same show at Rockefeller Center in NY was way more expensive!)
Newark Museum – New Jersey’s largest museum of the arts and natural sciences
Institute of Jazz Studies – Located at the Newark campus of Rutgers University, it is the largest and most comprehensive library and archive of jazz and jazz-related materials in the world
Newark is approximately only 8 miles from New York City and easily accessible via New Jersey Transit. By train to Newark’s Penn Station or Newark Liberty International Airport if you fly in.
Memorial Day is the day set aside to remember the those men and women who have died for this country.
Personally, I’m conflicted about war but I’m clear about this: It isn’t the war, it’s the people – fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts and cousins – who matter. They matter because of the sacrifice they make.
I visited to Arlington National Cemetery twice when I lived in Washington, D.C. The first thing that struck me were the rows and rows of pearly headstones — stretching as far as my eye could see — set atop a carpet of lush green grass. As I walked around, I was struck by the eerie silence that hangs like a blanket over the cemetery. I found myself whispering when there was no need to. As if talking would be irreverent.
As far as I know, I don’t know anyone who’s buried at Arlington but I know it’s an honor to be.
And having lost close family members, I can imagine the grief their loved ones feel.
Years ago, when a holiday was declared to honor Martin Luther King, many of my friends said we had to make sure that the day didn’t turn into a day for sales.
I’m not sure when Memorial Day weekend became known as the unofficial start of summer or when Memorial Day evolved into a day for sales but to my mind it cheapens the memory of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Arlington National Cemetery is open 365 days a year. From 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. from April to September and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from October to March.
Memorial Day weekend marks the official/unofficial start of summer and tomorrow, May 28th, kicks off beach season.
And not a moment too soon. It’s been a long and brutal winter in the Northeast and I, for one, am ready for some sea and sun!
The best part about being in this area is that most of the beaches are accessible via public transportation: subways or train, whether the Long Island Railroad or New Jersey Transit. There really is no excuse not to go to the beach.
So grab your bathing suits, sunscreen, beach towels, floppy hats and sun glasses and check out at least one of these beaches.
When the weather’s good, few of us want to stay indoors, especially at lunch time. And in New York City, vendors with food carts make it easy for those of us who wish to, to enjoy the sun and an inexpensive meal at the same time.
Food trucks are not just around construction sites these days, they’re everywhere. And they’re offering more than just coffee and bagels.
Some offer gourmet food, pastries or desserts.
And some of the more savvy owners go online to let their customers know what’s on their menus, where they will be and at what time.
My introduction to street food (or street meat as a co-worker called it) was from a truck near Rockefeller Center. My chicken and rice rivaled any I could have bought in a restaurant and wasn’t very expensive. In the block around my office, I can buy coffee and bagels for breakfast. For lunch, peas soup, fried fish, curried chicken or oxtail from the mobile extension of a Jamaican restaurant that’s located in Brooklyn. Sometimes before I go down, I check how long the line is or arrange to meet a friend and we catch up while we wait.
I love getting my a meal on the go from a truck, especially when the weather’s good.
Here are a few trucks to check out –
World’s Best Sandwich, 20th Street & Broadway
Super Tacos, 96th & Broadway
Steak Truck, 47th & Park
Yvonne’s, 71st & York
Trini Paki Boys, 43rd & 6th Ave
The Mudtruck East, Astor Place
Desi Food Truck, 50th St & 6th Ave
Bon Appetit!
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Even before the thermometer hits and stays constantly at 70 degrees Fahrenheit (or above), New Yorkers begin to take to the outdoors to enjoy weather and the wide variety of free activities that the city offers.
Events are scattered throughout each borough so everyone can take part. From street festivals, to parades to concerts and movies in the park, there’s bound to be something for everyone.
Here’s a partial list of some of the events I’ve attended over the years:
Shakespeare in the Park – This year, two plays Measure for Measure and All’s Well That Ends Well – June 6-July 30. Limit 2 tickets per person on the day of the performance or on scheduled days in the boroughs.
Farmer’s Markets – Farmers and vendors bring fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers, arts, etc., to various venues around the city. One of the biggest, in Union Square, operates year round.
One of the nicest things about living in New York City is Central Park. At more than 800 acres, it is an oasis of green in a sea of concrete and brick.
Running from 59th Street to 110 Street, Central Park receives approximately thirty-five million visitors annually.
It is a popular venue for skating, concerts and theatre, boating, birding, rock climbing, running, walking, bicycling, etc., and is central to the enjoyment of life in the city.
Central Park near 72nd StreetCatch and release at the Turtle Pond
Fishing is not allowed in the park but people still throw out their lines. Whatever they catch has to be returned.
King Jagiello
There are nearly 29 sculptures in Central Park. This one commemorates King Jagiello of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania.
Belvedere Castle
Belvedere Castle offers spectacular views of the park and surroundings from its observation deck. There’s no charge to enter but visitors can leave a donation in boxes on the main level.
Belvedere CastleGreat Lawn from Belvedere Castle
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When I saw the topic for this week’s Photo Challenge, I felt sure I wouldn’t be able to find anything but I decided to look anyway.
While I looked, I thought about the various meanings of tiny, what the word implies. A thing is tiny in relation to something else. This group of kayakers, for example, looks tiny from my vantage point on the bridge and compared to the dinghy and the other boats on the river.
Kayakers on the Thames
Tiny can also be a name. When I was little, I had a friend whose aunt was called Tiny. I was mystified as to why she was so named but was too young to ask — it would have been considered impolite. Based on our relative ages, I should have been the tiny one! But like everyone else, I ended up calling her Miss Tiny.
I’m always amused when I hear of a very large person — I’ve only seen this in the movies — who’s nicknamed Tiny.
Line at the Eiffel Tower
People waiting on line to buy tickets to go up to the top of the Eiffel Tower look like tiny specks of color when viewed from above — from the second level, I think.
So these are my interpretation of tiny.
Enjoy!
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Long before I had a travel blog, I kept journals. I have been doing that since high school. Looking back, I remember the person I was when I worried about passing an exam, gushed about a boy or a grumbled because of some new disagreement with my mother. (Yes, those teenage years, when I was trying to assert my independence, were tumultuous.)
A few of my journals (old and new) - Maynefoto
Sometimes, I was diligent and filled page after page with the most minute details of my life. At other times, days would pass before I felt like reducing my thoughts to words on a page. But I never stopped writing.
When I started traveling, it was natural that I wanted to make notes of my trips. I knew of no better way to do this than a travel journal. Sure, photos are great but they only capture moments in time. Each journal entry covers a day and fills in the moments between the photos.
My travel journals have ticket stubs, receipts, menus, post cards, anything that adds texture to my trip. When I visit a historic place, I take notes in my journal or draw. Now that I’m getting to know my camera better, I also make notes about the photos I take, the settings I use, etc.
Page from my latest travel journal - Maynefoto
The difference between a travel journal and a blog is that the journal is private. I write freely because the information is for my eyes only. While I use my journal as a source for my blog, because my blog is public, I am careful about what I share. I still believe some thoughts are well, private, and should remain that way.
Although I blog about my travel experiences and enjoy sharing them, I can’t abandon my journal. I love the way I have to slow down to translate my ideas to words and how carefully, or not, I choose those words. And when words fail, I supplement them with drawings or pictures.
Because I use a computer all the time, except when I have to sign my name, I love to see my handwriting and see how it changes throughout my journal, depending on my mood.
The journals I use must have pockets so that I can store stuff. I prefer ones that lay flat when I open them, have good quality paper and a sturdy cover. Although I like ruled journals, most times, I go for ones with plain pages as the lines can feel confining. For travel, I also prefer one that’s small enough, say a 6″ x 4″, so that it can fit easily into my purse.
Do you use a journal when you travel? What things do you write about?
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