Bocce ball: the new bar sport

by Grant Martin on

In case you’re out of the hipster-know, billiards, darts and foosball are over. The new bar game of choice is bocce ball.

Isn’t that an outdoor sport, you say? That’s what I thought too. But those crafty rascals out in Brooklyn have figured out how to replicate a bocce ball court indoors. It comes in the form of a long, clay pathway surrounded by a wooden border surrounded by hundreds of cheering, intoxicated bar patrons. What better venue?

If you’d like to take a gander, there are a few good places to get started. One of the best (and most trafficked) is Union Hall, a long, darkly lit bar lined with books and couches with a fireplace in the center. Another option is Floyd.

Mike Barish and I limped our way through a few games at Union Hall last week and met modest success. We were then housed by a man in an argyle sweater and his friend. Turns out people get pretty into the competition.

If you really get involved though, subscribe to the Brooklyn Bocce Ball Bulletin where you can get the lowdown and happenings-on in the local sporting community. Practice hard — I’ll be perfecting my backspin in preparation for the match.

Calling all cartophiles!

by Aaron Hotfelder on

Cartophilia is an illness common to many travelers– indeed, I suffer from it myself. The disease is carried by, among other things, the travel bug, and it is highly contagious. Okay, contrived metaphor over.

Cartophilia, of course, refers to a love of maps. I love maps for lots of reasons: as works of art, for remembering old trips, for planning new ones, and most importantly, for whittling the too-huge world down to a manageable size. To indulge this passion, I’ve recently stumbled across a couple of bookmark-worthy map-related blogs. The first, started just a few months ago, is called Cartophilia and is produced by a self-described amateur map-lover. It’s great for keeping up with all the map-related news I require, and it’s always chock-full of interesting photos and maps.

The second cartoblog (trademark!) is the creatively-titled Strange Maps, which dispenses Asian cooking recipes. Only kidding– it’s got a bunch of weird maps. Whether it’s the Blonde Map of Europe, a Transit Map of the World’s Transit Systems, or whatever the hell this is, Strange Maps consistently offers content that is both edifying and entertaining. Check ’em out because, hey, learning is fun.

Cathedral of St. John the Divine, one of the world’s biggest churches

by Jamie Rhein on

It’s a lovely thing when a Gadling reader posts a comment that leads us to another post. Such is the case with Moody 75’s comment “Dude, Manhattan has what is claimed to be the largest cathedral and Anglican church and third largest Christian church in the world” on my post “Temples and churches to visit in New York City.”

Sure enough, Cathedral Church of St. John, The Divine is definitely one that I would like to see myself. From the picture, it looks familiar and perhaps I’ve passed by it on my way to somewhere else, but next time I’m in New York, I’m heading here.

First of all, its history is one that reflects the times and economic struggles. This is not a church that found easy funding at all junctures or has had enough people to build it over the years ever since the cornerstone was put in place in 1892. The Great Depression and World Wars 1 and 2 are only part of what has thwarted progress, although since it is the largest Anglican church in the world–and one of the world’s largest churches, one can make the point that there is tenacity and dedication at work here. Plus, the history reads like a Who’s Who. I’m impressed.

This is a church that seems to reflect aspects of American culture and because of its stature has attracted important people to speak here and perform such as Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu, and Leonard Bernstein. Madeline L’Engle who died this past year, even set a novel in this cathedral.

Along with giving tours, the church offers concerts and performances to the community. The next one, January 13, is called “Let My People Go: A Service of Liberation.” There will be various performances and singing along with a talk in commemoration of the end of the transatlantic slave trade.

Times of India and circle of peace: An expat story

by Jamie Rhein on

Even though this was Martha’s week to cover The Amazing Race, I was once again drawn into the foray of the global dash. When the teams were told to pick up The Times of India when they got to Mumbai, I flashed on my own The Times of India connection. It links to the theme of Aaron’s recent expat post and the question of expats and lifestyle.

The expat question is a complicated issue that I have thought about with every place I’ve lived overseas. One notion, I think, has something to do with intention and motivation for living in a country. We didn’t move to New Delhi, India, for example, with the intention of making India a permanent home. I also think it has to do with economics. Expats, in my mind, have more money and perks, in general, than they do when they live in their own country.

Our expat life in India was due to the teaching jobs that took us there. As expats, we were more immersed in India than if we were just traveling there, but we always knew we would eventually move on, so the experience was not the same as if we thought we’d live there for years and years. What people do with their expat experience, however, has to do with how they view living in another culture. Some people live totally surrounded by other expats, often people from their own country. Others, like us, do what they can to make the country that is not theirs feel like home and to take part in the culture as much as possible. Also, when we lived in India, our jobs offered another unique perspective.

When you work with young people like we did as teachers, one goal is to help them see themselves as part of the world community. Kelly wrote about this somewhat when she visited her friends in China and wrote about it in her series, Chinese Buffet. Often, the view happens to be of a place of privilege, but in international and American schools where kids of many nationalities come together in classrooms there is an opportunity to envision a world where everyone might get along.

There are several times when I taught overseas when this vision was evident, but the most powerful was September 11, 2002. Considering the news from Pakistan this past week, I’m reminded about that day, the hope that was generated by a bunch of middle-schoolers, and an essay I wrote about it.

The essay was published in The Times of India and since I found the link, here it is. I have no idea what happened to the paragraphing when the paper put it on-line, but you’ll get the idea. Consider this a story to carry over to the new year. It’s an expat story that offers up the potential for peace. At least if the kids who made the wooden doves that day remember what it felt like.

Ellis Island has a birthday on January 1

by Jamie Rhein on

While I was getting the links for my post on things to do in New York City on New Year’s Day, I saw that Ellis Island is also open, plus that it’s having a birthday tomorrow. It first opened on January 1, 1892.

Friends of ours went to New York City earlier in December and did take the ferry to Liberty Island where the Statue of Liberty lifts her torch and then on to Ellis Island, but they didn’t get off the boat in either place. They missed out on what I think is one of the more interesting museums I’ve been to–and I’ve been to A LOT of museums. Sure, it’s neat to see the Statue of Liberty from up close, but if you only have time for one place, get off at Ellis Island for at least an hour or so. Plus, the museum is free. You’ve already paid for the boat ride, so why not get your money’s worth?

Ellis Island does not have the flashiest of museums, but it is steeped in American and world history and, I think, is important to the multicultural fabric of the United States–one that is good to pay tribute to. If you have kids, it’s an excellent way to teach them about who has immigrated to the U.S., when the various ethnic groups came and the various things that were happening in the world that prompted them to relocate.

My two favorite displays are the 3-D graphs that show who came and when and the section that highlights various families and the belongings they bought with them. If you do go here, take time out for the movies and the talk by the National Park ranger.

The last time we were there, my son caused a double-take. When the ranger asked, “Who here was born in another country?” and my son, then age 4 raised his hand and shouted out, “I was. I was born in India,” the ranger looked at my son’s blond hair and fair skin in confusion. “For real?” he asked.

For real. My son’s immigration story is not quite as exciting as an ocean journey from Europe, but it will provide some party talk when he gets older.