Having lived in New York City for over six years now, I
can say that in religious terms, the city is a rich mish mash of religious cultures and beliefs. From the stone
synagogues in Brooklyn and Manhattan to the city’s midtown cathedrals and uptown mosques, whatever your belief, you can
find a place to worship and meet like-minded folks. But aside from churches, I have never given much thought to what
kind of religious experiences also exist in the city. Turns out there are lots. From the MOBiA, or the Museum of Bible Art on second floor of the American Bible Society to the
Cloisters and afore-mentioned cathedrals, it turns out that the city is actually quite a, if you’ll pardon the mixed
religious metaphor, Mecca for the Christian devout. So if you are of Christian religious bent, you might
find this piece on the Sun Sentinel both informative and inspirational. The writer visits many of the Christian
spots in the city and finds in them a city with a vibrant Christian mood.
Africa Travel: Sierra Leone
Thanks to
rap-mogul Kanye West, young hip-hopsters with an ear for urban sounds and
without a clue of the civil strife that has long plagued the diamond producing country of Sierra Leone, music lovers
discovered more about the struggle for/behind the bling. For the most part Sierra Leone is still emerging from its
violent past and travel to this African country should be carefully considered by checking update after update. In the
meantime we can turn up the volume and bob our heads to West’s words and food for thought. And if your preference for
learning about Sierra Leone is without the extravagant rap production visit this Sierra-Leone.org page on culture. Poetry, proverbs, lorry slogans,
and meanings behind the village names. If Bo,
Boma, Baaka, Kangbe or Mayata are places you plan on swinging through when you do go spend the time studying the
village background. Sometimes it is all in a name.
(Photo from culture.gov.sk)
One for the Road: Dances With Marmots
There aren’t many great expeditions left. Maybe the Amazon still needs exploring. Or the undersea world.
But what’s a regular guy to do who has burning ambition, strong walking legs, and a lot of time on his hands?
Well, what about walking across America? Well, that is exactly what George Spearing, a firefighter from Auckland, New
Zealand, who had never hiked much before, decided to do. he took a ‘leave of absence’ and, yes, walked the
length of America. The Great Walk is chronicled in a new paperback book called “Dances With Marmots
– A Pacific Crest Trail Adventure”. The book follows his journey along the Pacific Crest Trail from
Mexico to Canada. Personally, I’ve always wanted to walk the Pacific Coast Trail. I figured this is something I’d do
with my son some day, just father and boy on the trail, growing agitated with each other every step of the way. If you
want to learn more about the book and the man behind it, you can go here.
Spamalot: The Great Coconut Cacophony
Odd,
but cool event alert: the folks who put on the (supposedly) wonderful, and Tony-winning Broadway show "Spamalot" are celebrating their first full year
with an event that is so Pythonesque, I just had to post about it. While I haven’t yet seen the production (I am not
too avid a theater-goer…although I DID see Dirty Rotten Scoundrels the other day…and liked it) the Spamalot crew
will seek to enter the Guinness Book/Web site of World Records with a performance of the world’s largest coconut orchestra. What will
they sing? Why the song: Always Look on the Bright Side of Life of course. (Wait, wasn’t that in Life of
Brian?! Oh well. No matter.) Here’s how it will work: apparently anyone can show up at the Shubert Alley, grab a pair
of coconuts and clap clop away.
The great coconut cacophony will take place after the Wednesday matinee of
"Spamalot," which ends at 4:20 p.m. Anyone in the audience automatically gets coconuts, and walk-ons can show
up as early as 3:45 p.m. This is a must-do. I may try to be there.
(via Newyorkology)
Virtual Lewis and Clark
It was arguably one of
the most epic American adventure trips of all time. Heading into the gaping American West to document it’s wildlife,
indigenous peoples and (hopefully) to discover the Northwest Passage. Alas, no Northwest Passage was found, but the
team of explorers led by Lewis And Clark did sent home animals and plants that no one had ever seen before (OK, the
Indians had seem them before) and traversed the American continent, making known an area that to most people was as
forbidden as the edge of the sea.
Well,. now you can relive the Lewis and Clark expedition without leaving
your office chair. National Geographic has got a very
cool, comprehensive site dedicated to the famous Lewis and Clark expedition. With galleries, maps, logs, video and a
whole lot more, you can really delve into the history of the expedition and learn more than you thought possible. Very
cool, and worth a look, perhaps with your kids.