Gorgeous Runs in the Family

I’m the proud older sister of US Army Captain Christina Marie, who finished four years of active duty service to her country this week.

I’m proud to be related to someone with such character, courage, and kindness as my sister.  

You can see, gorgeous runs in the family:

Christina will work 20 hour shifts for a week if it means others can take leave to see their families.  She’ll take box duty when no one volunteers, because she’s a team player.  My sister will spend her whole weekend making sure new soldiers on base have everything they need to feel welcome and settled.  She’ll drive two hours out of her way to make sure friends get home safely.

She’s a great soldier and an incredible servant.

Well done, Christina.  You have served well, and we are all so proud of you!

ID Cards: A Tale of Triumph

Soooooo, this whole graduate school thing is pretty great, but there was a time not too long ago when I thought I might never make it at all.

In their Ivy League wisdom, my fine friends at Harvard had a few requests for my “TO DO BEFORE LEAVING SANTA CRUZ” list: sending proof of immunizations (apparently they don’t want any polio outbreaks on campus next year…), completing some surveys, and submitting a photo for my ID card.

It sounds easy, right?  Send ‘em a picture—you even get to choose your own, you don’t have to cross your fingers for a good “school picture day” snapshot as they herd hundreds of students through Orientation Week—and they’ll have your ID card waiting for you when you arrive.

Oh, Harvard.  That’s such a lovely idea.  Why, of course I’ll send you a picture.

Except there were rules.  Like, lots of them.  It took the better part of an hour to make myself ID-card presentable, pick out awesome earrings since they’d be the only accessory showing (just keepin’ it real, people), find a white wall for a backdrop, take a few shots, figure out how to crop them by pixel count (gracious!), and then submit the picture to Harvard online.

Two days later, on my birthday, I received this:

“Dear Julia Ando,

You are receiving this e-mail because you have submitted a photo using the Harvard University ID Card Photo Submission Application. The ID Card Services Office has reviewed your photo and unfortunately it cannot be printed on your new Harvard ID card due to the following:

1.    You need a white background. You need to crop on your collarbone and just above your head.

2.    Photo is not cropped properly.

3.    Photo does not have non-textured, smooth white background.

4.    Face does not fill at least 80% of frame.

5.    Photo does not have sufficient lighting.

At this time, we ask you to re-submit another photo of yourself, using the ID Card Photo Submission Application. Please review the photo requirements carefully to ensure a successful submission. […]”

WHAT DO THESE PEOPLE WANT FROM ME?

I felt like a failure five times over, and I hadn’t even stepped into a single classroom yet!  Was this some sort of “weeding out” process?  They were going to identify the weak among us before we even arrived in Cambridge.

After a pep talk from my friend Sally, and the help of this great thing called “the Internet,” I was able to pull it together and make a second attempt.  I ended up doing a “green screen” dealio to an existing picture by following a helpful tutorial.  

For the record, I was NOT the only one to have trouble with this.  Apparently lots of America’s future leaders in education were equally stumped.  My favorite Facebook post on the subject…

“My student ID photo submission was rejected today. Apparently, they do not appreciate airbrushing in grad school.”  Followed by…

“I just went to Walgreen’s last night.  My photo is disgusting and I look like Michael Jackson’s celebrity mugshot.”

In the end, my endeavor was a success.  On the first day of class, I was presented with my ID card.  It looks like this:

No airbrushing required.

The Day Chris and Lindsey Got Married!

Two years ago was a very special day.  My dear friend, Lindsey, married Chris Smallwood and went from being “Miss Hawley” to “Mrs. Smallwood.”  (Though, I do think her elementary school student’s suggestion to change her name to “Mrs. Hawley-wood” was pretty cool.)

I was so honored when Lindsey asked me to be a bridesmaid, and it was such a privilege to be a special part of Chris and Lindsey’s wedding day. 

Turns out, the Smallwoods have some pretty awesome friends, and we definitely rocked the afternoon away to celebrate the newlyweds:

I’m not quite sure what can top an air-guitar dance sequence to Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" in the middle of floating bubbles. 

Lindsey and Chris, thank you for being such good friends to me.  I am so lucky to know you, and I wish you every happiness in the world!

Happy Anniversary, Smallwoods!

My First Week at Harvard

My first week at Hah-vard.  What can I say?

I keep calling this “Academic Disneyland.”  I’m not sure if this sense of magic is ever going to wear off in the next ten months I get to study here.

All the rumors are true.  The facilities are incredible, my classmates are astonishingly talented and interesting, and I am working really, really hard.

Right now, I’m in a two-week intensive academic preparation for the school year.  It’s optional, and about half our cohort of 75 is here for it. 

Here’s my “first day of school” photo:

My classmates are from Kuwait, Japan, Egypt, Malaysia, China, Mexico, India, and Dominican Republic.  They’ve worked in Qatar, Germany, Spain, Nicaragua, Thailand, Kenya, Peru, Indonesia, Chile, and Costa Rica.  I think the 26 of us in “IPSIE” alone speak a combined total of 33 languages.  This is the big leagues, people!

Yiran, Cecilia, Kayla, and Julia...Future World Changers

For Friday’s class, we read a journal article on a set of educational policy interventions in Qatar during 2003 – 2007.  Ordinarily, we’d discuss the rosy picture painted in the paper and the theories on an abstract level.  Turns out, one of classmates was in Qatar during that time.  She spoke up and talked about what it was like for the teachers and administrators who were caught in the middle of this transition, giving us an understanding of how policies affect real people.  What a rich set of experiences we have to draw from!

A toast to our first day of school!

 While the classroom experience is amazing, the city of Boston has so much to offer, too.  I went to an outdoor symphonic concert at “The Shell” on Wednesday evening that was incredible.  Today is the August Moon Festival in Chinatown, and tonight there is free Shakespeare in the Common.

There’s so much to share…stay tuned for more updates from Beantown!

Swimming With Sharks

I’m pretty pumped to tell you that this past weekend, I fulfilled a semi-lifelong goal of swimming around the Santa Cruz Wharf. 

I’ve always wanted to do this, but it turns out, it’s illegal and blah blah blah…except for two annual races, one being a triathlon.

My dear friend from high school, Molly, invited me to do the Roughwater Swim with her, and I was so happy she did.  We coordinated a few workouts in the weeks leading up to the race, and on the actual day, our friend, Kelly, joined us.

Kelly, Julia, and Molly...pre-race with the wharf behind us.

I should mention that Kelly and Molly are REAL swimmers.  They are hard-core, awesome athletes whose abilities I admire so much.  Molly has done the Alcatraz Swim, Kelly shows them who's boss each year at the Golden Gate Bridge Swim, and (spoiler alert!) they both ROCKED this race, coming in at very impressive times and placing third and fourth in our age group.

I’m the fool who left her only bathing suit in the miracle spin-dryer at the community pool last week…never to be found again.  I was the kid who was afraid to do Junior Guards, and the local girl who has only been surfing once.  (It turns out, I am WAY too Type-A to remain chill between sets.) 

So, you know…this race was a “low-expectations, positive attitudes” kind of event for me.

To make things more exciting, there have been several recent shark sightings at local beaches, including the one at which we were swimming.  I’ve never bought into the whole “Jaws” fear.  There’s so many things to be afraid of…plus, it’s way more likely you’ll be pulled out to sea by a rip current or pummeled into the shore by a gnarly wave than attacked by a shark.  But if you are, punch it in the face and then swim like mad.  But...positive attitudes!

GAME FACES at the start line!

But back to race day…based on previous workouts, Molly and I thought it would be a good idea to get in the water before jumping in for the actual race.  The water temperature right now is about 59 degrees, and putting your face in the water is like an intense ice-cream headache.

Me: “Okay, Kelly, we’re going to get in and cool down now.”

Kelly: “Don’t you mean warm up?”

Julia: “Ummmmm, yeaaaaaaaah.”

We cooled down, jogged down the beach to the start line, got a quick race instructions briefing from Kelly, and then it was time to go!

See our cool anklets?  Very legit.

As I began my swim, I experienced an incredibly familiar landscape from a whole new perspective.  There was a Stagnaro Bros sign hanging from one of the pier posts, something you’d never see ordinarily.  There was the echo of the seals under the wharf…mere yards away! 

When I saw the Dream Inn for the first time in my peripheral vision while coming up for a breath, I knew I was getting close. 

As I ran up the beach and under the yellow banner, my parents and friends were cheering.

Julia Ando, number 549, official time: 37:20.

And the best news?  I was not the last one to finish!  I beat a nine-year-old boy.  And seventeen other people.  Also, I came back with all my limbs.

 All in all, I'd call that a success.

$30 – Early Bird Registration Fee

$24 – One Time Fee for not being in Master’s Swim

$25 – Five Lap Swim Workouts at Harvey West Pool

$16.19 – SPEEDO® Swedish Goggle 2-Pack

$12 – Victory lunch at Walnut Avenue Cafe 

TOTAL COST: $107.19 for making one dream a reality.

Rules of the Road

While on the my four day trek to North Dakota and back, my dear friend, Melanie, read us a fun article entitled, “Rules of the Road.”  It was one woman’s insight on the essential ingredients for a good road trip, and while we didn’t agree with the writer totally, we thought it was a fun concept.

On the seven-day, 15-state trip, Alee and Stephanie and I compiled our own guidelines for a road trip win.  (We had a bit of time on our hands, it turns out.)  Here’s a recipe for success, according to us:

RULES OF THE ROAD

BY ALEE, JULIA AND STEPHANIE

1. Choose Your Road Trip Companions Wisely! 
1. They should have interesting stories to tell.  All three of us have lived abroad, one of us recently dated a repo man, and when all else fails, each of us can at least tell not-so-interesting stories in a variety of accents ranging from Minnesota Native to Southern Belle to French Mademoiselle.  Interesting stories (and accents)…check.
2. Sharing food for the entirety of the trip is non-negotiable.  If you are uncomfortable with people reaching onto your plate to try what you’ve ordered, you should probably just get out of the car now.
3. Though not required, it’s helpful if all passengers are within three-quarters of an inch of being 5’8” so there’s no need to adjust the driver’s seat.  Also, should everyone in the car wear a shoe size 10, that’s just bonus! 
4. A love of Broadway musicals and a strong working knowledge of lyrics to Wicked is HIGHLY recommended. 

2. Maintain A Sense of Humor Always

With the right people, even stopping at gas stations can be hilarious.  Stephanie would regale us—in perfect accent—with crazy things she overhead from the locals inside various establishments.  Alee kept us on our toes with an ongoing “gas pumps across America” photo shoot.  I provided the soundtrack of encouraging giggles from the backseat.

And if you can't decide what to order...Rock, Paper, Scissors is a good way to go

3. You Gotta Have Teamwork. 

This will enable you to, hypothetically, show up in Nashville at 9:30 pm on a Thursday and still have a fantastic meal.  Sounds simple, but it was quite a feat to…

1. Find the name of a restaurant that was still open, as it appears restaurants in Tennessee close en masse around 9 pm
2. Locate the afore-mentioned restaurant that was very cleverly hidden in a web of one-way streets on the bottom floor of a hotel in an obscure part of town (we like a challenge)
3. Secure a bottle of wine to drink at the afore-mentioned restaurant (this involves a mad sprint through a Target in flip flops, sassing one of their employees, regrouping in the parking lot, temporarily giving up hope, and then ultimately finding our treasure in a charming wine bar just a block away from our “BYOB” restaurant)
4. Finally catch our breath and settle into our DELISH Indian cuisine…with a few friendly observers.

Perhaps all this could have been avoided—but what would be the fun in that?—if our next RULE were not…

4. No Eating In Chain Restaurants. 

Duh.  The only exception is if it’s a regional chain you cannot find in your home state AND you have exhausted all other options.  This happened twice; the first time was on a Sunday evening in Iowa.  There is NOTHING open, I swear!  The second chain we patronized was during that 3 – 4 pm window on a Monday afternoon in Montgomery after being turned away from three other restaurants.  It ended up ok:

*Exception #2: Coffee can be purchased from chains…especially if free wifi is involved.

5. Yell At All Border Crossings

…or whisper-yell if a fellow passenger is sleeping, as was the case of TN, VA, NC, and SC…

6. Admire the Scenery.

Whether it’s the devastatingly handsome waiter at Layla’s Market, beautiful rivers through Memphis and Louisville, or a brilliant orange sunset in West Virginia, take the time to enjoy whatever view the road brings you. 

Charleston, West Virginia

7. Play to Your Strengths. 

If you are pressed for time, you may want to deputize the self-proclaimed “Aggressive Defensive Driver” to get you to your destination safely and swiftly.  (I’m not naming names.)

8. There Are NO Secrets In the Car. 

The upside of this is that I learned some Spanish while texting to someone’s boyfriend on behalf of that someone who was driving.  Now, my Spanish includes “what I learned on a high school mission trip to Mexico” vocabulary and “Spanish for Lovers.”  Olé!

9. Pay Attention to Road Signs. 

(This might have helped Stephanie and I a few summers back, when we made a two-hour detour driving from Santa Cruz to Fort Worth.  Oops!)  At any rate, we do not stop at establishments that advertise “CLEAN BATHROOMS!” as this is a guarantee they are anything but.

10. Sometimes, Sacrifices Must Be Made. 

You simply can’t do everything you’d like on a road trip, or you’ll never make it back home.  In Kentucky, we had to make the tough choice between visiting the National Corvette Museum or tasting bourbon at Maker’s Mark Distillery.  I think it’s clear what we chose…

That brings me back to Rule #1…

Eating Our Way Through 'Merica!

One of the major highlights from our seven-day road trip was the food.  I decided last summer that “counting” a country or a state—meaning you can legitimately say you’ve been there—requires that you eat a meal (not in an airport or train station) in that place. 

You can see now why it was important that we eat well.  We had a LOT of ground to cover.

Enter YELP.  This website is a foodie travelista’s dream come true.  You can search for restaurants across the US with all kinds of filters or preferences.  We operated on a fool-proof method of operation: search “restaurant” with your proposed city of dining, select one and two dollar sign establishments (we may be hungry, but we’re not rich) then sort by highest rated.  From there, you must use your best judgment based on the information provided by “the public.”

Early on, we discovered that restaurants featuring cuisine from around the world were often among the highest rated in a city.  Layla’s Market in Little Rock offered so many fantastic, mouth-watering selections that we almost abandoned our trip and permanently camped out in this Mediterranean diner in a strip mall on the northwest part of town.  (Layla’s Market, coincidentally, won “Best Other Ethnic Cuisine” in Little Rock, which still perplexes me…what constitutes “other ethnic”??)

However, we continued our journey and made it to Nashville just in time to be the last customers at Woodlands Indian Vegetarian Cuisine.  A combination of road-weariness and the overwhelming number of options on the menu led us to put ourselves in the capable hands of our waiter.  Our gamble paid off when he brought us a bit of heaven, smothered in curry and wrapped in garlic naan.  I’m not sure if it was our beauty (yeah, yeah, that had to be it) or our exuberant eating or our tardy arrival when the staff wanted to go home, but we ate for an audience of the ENTIRE kitchen crew.

Yes, ten men in their kitchen whites lined up against the back wall, with arms folded, clearly making comments about us and pointing, watched us eat.  For an hour.

We tipped well.

After our first two restaurants delivered such good results, we decided to yelp our way across the Midwest and South until we arrived back home in good ol’ Texas.

And so the next seven days unfolded in a haze of culinary bliss and the emergence of elastic waistbands.  (No seriously, my jeans did not fit when I got home…but I consider it a small sacrifice.)

We had discovered early on that restaurants featuring cuisine from around the world were usually among the highest rated in a particular area.  What began as an amusing experiment—“of course we want falafel in Arkansas!”—turned into a challenge: eat food from a different country in each meal.

We ate Ethiopian in Louisville...

About to eat Ethiopian fare with our hands at Queen of Sheba Restaurant!

...Thai in Cincinnati, Italian in Charleston (WV), and Japanese in Charlotte.  There was Middle Eastern cuisine in Greenville SC, Cajun cookin’ in Montgomery...

Shrimp and Grits?  Yes, please!

...and Vietnamese Pho in Pensacola.  We sampled Polish chocolate in Seymour, Indiana.  At every turn, we met wonderful people and tasted phenomenal food.

We were commenting on the irony of our “I Heart America” Reunion Tour featuring so many non-American cuisines, when somebody (either Steph or Alee) said this is what makes our country great.

And it’s true.  That’s the beauty of America.  Though we are far from perfect, this is an amazing, wonderful country.  It’s fantastic to walk down a street in the United States where Chinese, Afghan, French, Mexican, and Egyptian immigrants all own businesses that support their families in their new home while preserving the culinary traditions of their native home.  We can experience the great beauty of each culture through the food they cherish.  We can delight in the richness of flavor, the array of textures, and the satisfaction of a healthy, well-prepared meal.

Through tasting food from countries around the world, we fell in love with our country just a little bit more.  That’s the power of a great meal, friends.