Portrait

This is my dog Lissie. She used to beg for food that she didn't even like. Finally I would break down and give her some, and she wouldn't eat it, because of course she didn't like it. But then she would beg for more! If you're eating it, then it must be delicious. Such is dog logic.

She passed away last week. Not entirely unexpected, as she was 14 years old, but I still wish I could have seen her one last time. You will be missed, my Lissie.

Where Water Meets Sky

The awesomeness that is Lake Michigan in the summer.

El Fishawy

If you ever go wandering through Khan el-Khalili, the ancient market in Cairo, then you have to go to El Fishawy. One of the most famous cafés in a country famous for its tea houses. El Fishawy's reputation as a famous café also makes it one of the few establishments where women can smoke shisha and drink tea and not get harassed. Tea houses are typically dominated by men in Egypt, so El Fishawy is a welcome exception for female travelers. I recommend the karkaday (Hibiscus flower infusion).

Cowboy Vs. Ninja

Whose side are you on?

Black Friday

I like my Fridays like my coffee. Black.

Just kidding. I don't drink coffee.

But seriously, I hope your inner consumerist is enjoying the biggest shopping day of the year. I will be spending the day counting my split ends, while trying desperately to write something that resembles a personal statement. I will also be going to Greek town with the family to celebrate my stepbrother's birthday. Yummy, yummy Greek town.

Thanksgiving

Today was too busy to post before now. I was too absorbed in eating my ENORMOUS THANKSGIVING FEAST! These are all the ingredients that went into the best sweet potato casserole of my entire life. Hope you're enjoying your Thanksgiving feast too!

Arbor

If you ever travel to England and make the trek from London out to Hampton Court – well worth the effort in my opinion – make sure that you check out this arbor. Firstly, it is enormous! Secondly, it is pretty! Notice a trend here? I like pretty things. If you don't like it – tough cookies.

Portrait

This week's portrait is of my friend Anna. This Portland inhabitant is a source of almost constant inspiration for me. Every time I talk to her she never fails to put a smile on my face, and I firmly believe one day she will take over the world.

Latest Anna-ism:
Anna: Portland is really a very small town.
Andrea: It has at least a half million people.
Anna: Yea, exactly. Small.

Alhambra

Alhambra is one of the most beautiful and surprising places that I have ever seen. I think the surprising part has to do with the fact that I had absolutely no expectations when I went there. In fact, before my roommate, Carmen, told me about it I had never heard of it. Well, we can all admit to some ignorance from time to time.

 Alhambra is basically just a palace. Except there is nothing basic about it. The architecture is absolutely amazing. Most of the buildings were constructed by the Moorish rulers in the 14th century, and it one of the best preserved examples of Islamic architecture. (If you want to learn more, check out the bringer of all knowledge, Wikipedia.)

Apart from all the style of the buildings, almost every inch of the walls are covered in Arabic script that has been carved into the stone. The effect is very impressive, from both an aesthetic and craftsman standpoint.

Gardens are extraordinary too. I was walking through the hedges and I noticed that the path was constructed out to these specifically placed stones. No detail has been ignored. I will be eternally grateful to Carmen for taking me to this amazing place.

Please Don't Eat Me

More Thailand temple treasures from inside the Grand Palace in Bangkok. It looks like it could eat me if it really wanted to.

Bath Water

Bath water from the hot springs in Bath. Looks appetizing, right?

Butterfly

I love that this butterfly looks like a leaf. It even has torn edges.

The Calm Before The Storm

I'm taking the GRE tomorrow. Trying to stay calm. Wish me luck!

This is my trying-not-to-panic face.

Camel

I remember the day Leigh and I went riding on a camel in Egypt. A pretty standard tourist activity in Giza – because you have not experienced the REAL EGYPT until you have had your picture taken on a camel next to the pyramids. So we saddled up some camels and went on a short jaunt out to the prime picture location. A man generously offered to take our photo, but he decided that we needed to look more excited, so he kept yelling at us to raise up our arms up in jubilation. The resulting photo makes us look confused and not really that pleased to be sitting on camels in the middle of the desert.

I will spare you the tourist photo and humbly offer this picture of a sassy looking camel. All camels are sassy – not unlike myself.

Portrait

Another portrait – this time of a girl named Andi. She is really gorgeous. The first time I met Andi I was in total awe of her. She is a style icon in the making. You can check her out here: http://www.tightsandbites.com/.

Dime Pier

This pictures seems really ominous to me. Or maybe it just seems that way because it was really overcast that day. I digress. Dime Pier is one of those things that fascinates me. It's basically this big, long seagulls' nest that faces Navy Pier. I'm surprised that Navy Pier hasn't tried to cover up this giant eyesore. Although I actually kind of like the way it looks. Plus it keeps all the big waves out of harbor, which is always appreciated when you live on a boat.

The Road Ahead

I'm back on the road to graduate school after a two day hiatus where I mostly watched the United States of Tara (awesome show!) and wondered where my motivation ran off to. Today has been reasonably productive so far. Only six applications and one life-determining standardized test to go!

This picture is from Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Flowers

Flowers cause they're pretty.

Doi Sutep

Another Doi Sutep picture, I know. **eye roll** I can't help myself. I am a woman possessed.

Something new tomorrow. I promise.

Shiny, Pretty Things

Here's another picture from Doi Sutep. These statues are some of the many, many gold covered representations of Buddha throughout the temple. Some of the gold work is incredibly intricate, like on the lotus flowers behind the statues.

Hot Oil

Visiting temples was one of my favorite activities in Thailand. Although this activity is not just limited to Thailand. I love to visit churches, synagogues, and mosques in all countries. If I ever make it to India (cross my fingers!), I will definitely visit as many Hindu temples as I can.

Houses of worship have this quiet to them that is hard to describe. It's like there is a hush that falls over the whole place and you can't help but feel at peace. Temples are also one of the best places to see art. I never saw any art museums in Thailand, but you will not feel bereft as long as you visit one of the thousands of temples around every corner.

This photo was taken at Doi Sutep in Chiang Mai. There are many spectacular temples in Thailand, but Doi Sutep was one of my favorites.

Lost in a Japanese Garden: Are We Still In France?

Jess and I went exploring in Nantes using the awesome rental bike stations that have popped all over metropolitan areas in France. (Only 1,50 Euros for an hour and a half!) We followed our trusty city map directions to the Île de Versailles – which looked promising – and we found ourselves in a Japanese garden wonderland.

Kitten

Everybody needs a little fluffy in their day.

Skyline

Chicago does actually have a really nice skyline. One of the major perks of working on a boat is that you get to be there when the sun goes down and splits the clouds open. Everyone else is marveling and you're thinking, "Yep... just an ordinary Wednesday."

Beetle Mania

In some ways living in Brazil was like living in a time warp. I remember seeing VW Beetles as a kid and playing punch buggy on long car trips. My mother told me stories about her Beetle, the first car she ever owned. She cursed herself the first day she drove it, because she had neglected to learn how to drive a stick-shift car before deciding to buy one. Oops.

Beetles have been dropping like flies though. It seems like you hardly ever see them anymore, except for those candy-coated pastel impostors that were all the rage a few years ago. The Beetle was the car of the 60's, and now it is the car of newly licensed 16 year olds. 

I still have a fondness for those old Beetles. In Araraquara, I would see Beetles all the time. And not all beat up ones manufactured in 1977. These look brand new! Well maybe not new, but not nearly as beat up as the classic Beetles that you see in the U.S. One day took a picture of this sea foam green one. Perfect. I want to commit grand theft auto just looking at it.

Be still my heart

Happy Birthday to a very special lady! She is such a giving, generous soul. Literally.

Miss you always, Meghan!

Sign post

Here are some more pictures from the Lake District. We went on a hike up into the hills following a path under the assumption that what goes up must come down. Well, somewhere along the way we lost the path and then had to trail blaze our own way down. Just when we reached the bottom we found this sign – and the path that we should have been on the whole time. Oops.

I can't decide which of these pictures I like better. I'm leaning towards the top one. I like the position of the hand on the sign and the fact that you can see the child's chin. On the other hand, I like the angle of the signs on the lower picture better. Any thoughts from the peanut gallery?

Lake District

 The Lake District is gorgeous in a way that is difficult to describe until you go there. The hills don't seem that tall until you hike to the top and you can see everything laid out beneath you.

Leaves

This one is a bit depressing since it's fall and the leaves won't stick around much longer. But I love the texture of the leaves. I need to dig up my portfolio of all my old black and white prints. I miss working in the darkroom. I took this one at a farm outside of Iowa City during my Alt Break trip sophomore year. I can't believe that was 4 years ago.

Happy November

Hope you're enjoying the first day of November! Have some holly from Kew Gardens in England. I was playing around with saturation in Photoshop. My pictures usually need some help in the color department, since my old point-and-shoot does not have the world's greatest sensor... oh, how I would love a digital SLR... Anyways! I was playing around with the saturation and it turns out I can manipulate the colors of a photograph separately. For my first experiment (above) I desaturated all of the colors except the red berries. I think it gives the picture more texture. Plus it really makes the berries pop. What do you think?