Why is New Jersey called "The Garden State"? "Because 'Oil and Petrochemical Refinery State' wouldn't fit on a license plate?" (Miss Congeniality) Historians claim that the name was coined in the late 19th century, when Abraham Browning of Camden compared the state to an "immense barrel, filled with good things to eat and open at both ends, [...]
Reflections on Catania from a Wannabe Sicilian
“U tuoi beddu ùocchiu verdu cùomu u mari.” I looked at my roommate Ivana for an explanation. She translated from Sicilian into Italian, “Your beautiful green eyes the color of the sea.” I smiled at the crusty fisherman before me, thinking, “But my eyes aren’t green, and the sea here is definitely blue.” He rewarded [...]
Who’s on 1st?
I've gotten a lot of questions about what exactly I am doing in Ocean City, New Jersey. Well, in answer to that I am hanging at the beach, cooking fantastic meals, reading a Clash of Kings, and making lattes for a living. I am working at a small cafe on 1st and Asbury St. here in [...]
My Jersey Shore Life
If I had told myself four years ago that I would be spending summer (my favorite season) in New Jersey, I would have laughed and probably slapped myself in the face. Any true Southern Californian scoffs at the idea of summering anywhere else, let alone summering at the Jersey shore. After all, what do we [...]
Recipe for Summer Wellness
This week I seem to have caught a bad cold, giving me lots of time to relax in bed, soul search, and consider my overall health. In light of recent exam period, senior week, and my college graduation, I'm actually shocked that I am still standing (somewhat). Alcohol, pizza, cheese, and chocolate have tipped the [...]
Inspirations as a Choreographer
As a dancer and a choreographer I am always fascinated by those things that inspire us artists. My dancers are a constant inspiration. My muse for this last piece was just that, the spirit of inspiration and possibly a twinkle of California Soul. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRrZq2NFAgk&context=C3a8c69bADOEgsToPDskKqo0QOUc9KiAwpfuTL3FkC
Autumn in Maine
It was a record eighty degrees this weekend in Brunswick, Maine, which is unheard of in October. My response to the strangely sunny skies: I put my computer and my 200 pages of reading away (save it for a stormy day), I packed my bikini and my new camera (a birthday gift from my parents), [...]
Dance Dreams
I am absolutely in love with this pas de deux performed by Denis and Anastasia Matvienko. Their chemistry in this piece is particularly breathtaking, and I have never seen movement quite like what they perform in this piece. I'm hoping that it will inspire me to be a little more creative with my choreography.
Crab Cake Cravings
I have returned from rainy Suva to sometimes sunny California. My plans for the next week before I head back to Bowdoin College include: getting over jetlag, working on my tan, writing, and creating fabulously creative meals that adhere to the restrictions of my low-carb (Dukan) diet. Today, post appointment with my endocrinologist, I [...]
Notes on Diabetes in Fiji
This morning I had the chance to spend some time at a local urban clinic. I have been helping Rangita, a producer and reporter for a Hindi magazine program on FijiTV, with a documentary she is making on type 2 diabetes here in Fiji. Being a type 1 diabetic, I was able to provider her [...]
TYPE 1 TRAVELER 