October 2009

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the Good: Harbour Bridge goes green for a day

Did you know there’s an official website for going green? I didn’t. It has Al Gore.

Anyway, whether they checked the website or not, Sydney is on the green ball with what may become an annual event – in case bridge climbing isn’t exciting enough already.

(In other news, despite my initial excitement, this Nathan Rees is not the Premier of New South Wales, and this Nathan Reese does not seem to have Twitter…).

the Bad: Karadzic hoping to call the shots as he defends himself

As the BBC explains, war crimes first became an international legal issue after WWII with the Nuremberg trials, so named the city where they were held. Now international trials are held at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

Karadzic is actually being tried by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), also in The Hagu. A similar tribunal set up for the 1994 genocide, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). It’s worth noting that all three websites are available in both English and French (the original language of diplomacy), and the ICTR is also available in Kinyarwanda with contact addresses listed in Kigali, Rwanda, and Arusha, Tanzania as well as The Hague.

Both courts are pursuing open investigations as well as trials; the ICTY is still trying to locate Ratko Mladic for trial and Idelphonse Nizeyimana was just apprehended and extradited for trial by the ICTR. Recent reports on the aftermath of war crimes appear from time to time, often on anniversaries of important dates, proving that these events have long lasting effects.

the Ugly: Botched facelift puts pyramid’s world heritage status at risk

World Heritage sites all over the world are monitored by UNESCO, and unfortunately they’re reconsidering how to handle a site in the Bolivian Andes after repairs were attempted on the pyramid there. Only two other sites – Oman’s Arabian Oryx sanctuary & Dresden’s Elbe Valley- have ever been removed from UNESCO’s registry, both because of man made changes. As UNESCO decides, Bolivia Web may be a good forum for seeing what people are saying.

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The church where the ceremony was held had this really interesting aperture.

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More importantly, the wedding was gorgeous and elegant, and two friends of ours are now starting a trip of their own, including a Jamaica honeymoon, and hopefully visits back and forth from anywhere we all end up. I borrowed these pictures from my boyfriend and date for the event, Steven.

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The weather was in the mid to upper 50’s there (and in the upper 90’s to 100’s when we got back to Phoenix!), the Wichita wind was high, the Rockies were stunning as always.

We stayed at the Hotel at Old Town, which already has an impressive website (including virtual tours, slideshows, etc.), to I’m going to link you there and just show you my favorite detail, as well as a clue to how it’s made:

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Finally, mad props to United. Yes, I may still complain about the delay and Denver’s ad crazy WiFi. But I’m a pilot’s daughter, and a good preflight is ESSENTIAL. Our pilots on Sunday caught a problem on the ground, while the flight crew kept us informed and the airline set us up with a new plane and got us on our way again. Here’s to safety checks, hydraulic pumps, and to making it home, safe.

(extra credit: please identify which of the photos below are from Denver area and which from Wichita…)

And that’s it for the moment – Mexico and Wichita in the same week, and the meantime, everything here kept going, full steam, so I’m back to going full blast in Phoenix…

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Thanks to one of these, and because I’ve a longer, better post planned for this evening too but can’t resist a dateline, this is the quick and dirty version of a TNT…

pacific region

Aussie soldier killed in live-fire exercise
Armed robber busted by blood-sucking leech
NZ doctor appeals for return of helicopter
Record September for tourists to NZ

global

Suicide bombers attack Islamic university
Freed Irish aid worker tells of mock assassinations
Genocide of an ancient Amazon tribe
Shoe-thrower helps out
Man wanted by Interpol found at US prison – as guard (Opps…)

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Travel is not limited to the new & exciting – sometimes it’s returning to a place that’s familiar. As the White Stripes song says, I’m going to Wichita this weekend, for a wedding.

I’ve had family here all my life, and some of my earliest memories are of playing in my Grandma’s garden and my Grandpa’s workshop, and their little blue house on Sheridan. Time’s passed, many of us are in new places, and the paint has faded and peeled. Still the city itself doesn’t seem to change significantly, a plains city riding the business winds of the airlines providing much of Wichita’s industry base.

Anyway not so many picture/story opportunities yet, mostly running around with flights and rental cars and hotels and trying to get assignments and grading done in between, but I’ll give you what I’ve got so far, from the airport

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Setting pictures may seem pretty self-explanatory, but I think it’s good to think about what setting the scene really means. Dictionary.com lists several definitions including “the surroundings or environment of anything,” “the mounting in which a jewel is set,” and “the scenery and other properties used in a dramatic performance.” This is where everything – and sometimes nothing – happens. This is what is there before and after. It can influence mood and it can influence action.

Anyway… I thought I’d focus on examples.

New Zealand

The first four are from the Hawkes Bay area on the North Island, the last two are from Milford Sound on the South Island. For more NZ photos, please see the New Zealand link under Picassa.

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Lake Tekapo

This is from the South Island of New Zealand.

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Democratic Republic of Congo

The first three are from Kinshasa, the next five are from outside the capital. The next two are from Bukavu , on the south end of Lake Kivu(except for the middle one, which was taken in Walungu on the way back to Bukavu).

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the drive to Phoenix

This is from the drive down to Phoenix during the Big Move this summer. The first one, I think, is somewhere in Oklahoma. The second is coming down out of Flagstaff.

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Phoenix

These were taken on our quick visit this summer to scope the city and grab an apartment.

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France

Finally, this is what the crepe shop looks like from the street view.

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Here are links to Nogales, AZ & Nogales, Sonoroa, the two parts of Nogales which lies across the border between the US and Mexico, and has been a trading center since at least the early 1900s. Today it’s one of the busiest points of entry, and the biggest shipping point for produce, with major industry contributing to population growth on the Sonora side. It’s also one of the frontlines in the immigration debate, the drug cartel power struggles, and environmental border issues. It’s a challenging, exciting place to visit, let alone live.

We spent the day meeting with politicians, city directors, and non-governmental workers who deal with issues like health and immigration.

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I’ll be writing more later, but in the meantime, here are the updates I posted via Twitter along the way, under our Bootcamp and News21 hashtags:

bexz24 Nearly ready to walk out the door… first trip to Mexico / first time live Tweeting something… I expect an interesting day :) #bc9 about 17 hours ago from TweetDeck

bexz24 First rest stop, ’bout 25 min from Tucson #news21asu #bc9 about 15 hours ago from Twitterrific

bexz24 En route to Mexican Consulate #news21asu #bc9 about 13 hours ago from Twitterrific

bexz24 Nogales consulate handles most juvenile cases of Mexican consulates #news21asu #bc9 about 11 hours ago from Twitterrific

bexz24 now in Mexico – Mexico’s immunization campaign is national, free; rising obesity/diabetes linked 2 changing lifestyles #news21asu #bc9 about 11 hours ago from Twitterrific

bexz24 Mexican repatriation officials in Nogales receive 300 to 600 deportees, needing food, shelter, medical care, daily by bus #news21asu #bc9 about 6 hours ago from Twitterrific

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Good morning…

A few quick notes before I head out. As of June 1, passports are now required for border crossing.

The currency rate as of late yesterday, calculated at Yahoo Currency Converter, lists 1 USD as 13.221 MXN (the Mexican Peso).

The weather forecast predicts a high around 80, nice and comfy, and…wind?

I’ve got my id, my notebook, my camera, and comfortable shoes…

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Spent part of the evening at this lecture, Visual Storytelling: The Power of Photos, by James Gregg.  Gregg is a photojournalist at the Arizona Daily Star, and the lecture was part of the Cronkite Schools Must See Mondays series.

I felt a lot of Gregg’s advice, which was all fantastic, could be applied to travel as well as photography – and photography plays a huge part of travel anyway. Therefore, I’m double posting my Cronkite Conversation post, and adding the travel twist on it over here along with a photo of my own.

James Gregg was a perfect speaker for this series. Gregg started with his thoughts on incorporating video with his still photographs, which he sees as an enhancement, and pointed out that video and still photos can each do something the other can’t. Specific insights like this and broader advice on photography and journalism made the lecture a valuable experience to aspiring photographers and journalists. But Gregg himself is a valuable lesson. In a time when journalism is shifting and adapting, Gregg talks about standards and challenging himself, finding stories and constantly looking for material, and being his own advocate. Gregg described the exhilaration of “pinch yourself moments” like photographing rodeos up close and personal, to the times people have allowed him to witness intimate moments like his first piece involving illegal immigrants. I was amazed that Gregg says he’s happy if he gets one photo a month that’s up to his standards – and impressed when he said that the more he knows, the higher his standards get. In short, I left the lecture intimidated and inspired – and really ready to get into the field to start learning and practicing and seeing what stories I can find and put together.

Quotes:

“We have an opportunity from one moment to the next to enter into someone else’s world.”

“It’s really important to listen to your gut.”

“I just started asking people, ‘How can I see more?’”

“Take people where hey can’t go themselves…if that means getting on a horse, get on a horse…when you don’t have a horse, take a mule.”

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NZ Herald writes up Jessica Watson

NZ Herald writes up Jessica Watson


Teen sailor to leave Sydney next week

These stories come up from time to time, and I know what I used to think – I know, I know – nice, cute feature piece. Dedicated kid, but fluffy coverage. Good for her… but moving on, right?

Three things about this article caught my attention.

First of all, there’s this idea – going around the world. Think about it for a second – going around the world. That’s a huge idea. And it’s a recurring one. From the camp to the romantic, it comes up again and again in the media, and also in the news. Forget the record setting – talk about the ultimate idea of travel!

To go around the world – to see everything?

Well, everything may not be possible – but imagine how much you WOULD see…

Secondly, in good brand creating fashion, Watson has a webpage and a blog which both seem to be well updated. I haven’t had time to read all the way back, but the entries I have read make me want to (and that’s always a good sign, right?).

Another teen going the distance, Jasmine Jordan, also has a website and got her cross-country covered Arizona press earlier this fall.

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This stands out to a girl going through media bootcamp. This is a great way to combine self expression (especially for Watson) with a little media savy – I can almost hear a certain professor’s critique of their efforts, made in certain sports related terms.

And that brings me to the third point – who’s taking the journey. It’s not “the” experts or leaders or well known public figures, at least not yet. Their journeys might make them into something, but at the very beginning, these are individuals who want to go somewhere. Watson and Jordan travel for different reasons, but they’re both on the move. Jordon could have held a sale or done interviews or protested or written letters to bring attention to her friend. She choose to run. Watson could have stayed on lakes or in harbors. For that matter, Amelia Earhart could have stayed on the ground, or at least in Kansas. I can’t help thinking that each is responding to something inside, as well as all those outside voices of reason and encouragement.

These are not simple journeys, either. Anyone who’s ever run cross country or just done a morning jog knows that Jordon’s run will be intensely physically demanding. Watson’s course takes her through waters that experience everything from tsunamis to pirates (oh, yes, I’ll address pirates here someday, but that’s another story). Earhart did not complete her last flight.

The world is a big place. Don’t let a feature article gloss the complexities too much, even if character is a teenage girl. I think, especially if the character is a teenage girl. Especially if she’s going somewhere.

‘Course, I’m biased. I want to go somewhere someday too.

Still – hopefully I’m not the only one who doesn’t think these are just fluff pieces anymore – I prefer to think of them as first chapters, ones with lots of back story to be included as the story unfolds. I hope that as the months roll on and the miles rack up, there are a few more of these from time to time, so we can all see where Watson and Jordon are going. Hey, maybe if we’re lucky, some of us are will be reading these updates from the road ourselves.

JW 27 Aug 03

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Two die at sweat lodge resort – Arizona in the news
On a strange related side note, Twitter is suddenly in the spotlight: 2 People Died In A Sweat Lodge Last Night. And Deleted Tweets Have Surfaced.
(and in other web security news: Girl, 15, in web scare)

Obama vows support to gays in army – President Obama makes a definitive statement on “don’t ask, don’t tell”

Honduras imposes media restrictions – As a political crises continues, Honduran media faces restrictions

Honduras

Honduras

Brazil police arrest wanted TV host – Maybe there is such a thing as going too far for your job

Deaths as UN plane crashes in Haiti – The UN has been in Haiti since 2004

And ending with a feature:
Ecuador: City in the sky – From the Travel Section, includes a photo gallery

Ecuador

Ecuador

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