The Facebook Revolution

Social media.  It seems that every time you turn on the television or open up a magazine, people are talking about social media and how it's "taking over the world".  And at the forefront of the revolution: Facebook. 

I confess, it has very much become a big part of my day.  I find that some days I am eager to see what new posts people have written on Facebook.  What are all my "friends" doing? All 587 of them. Even as I write this I feel a bit bemused that I am so interested in the everyday happenings of everyone elses life.

587 - to some, this would only comprise a small fraction of their "friend pie".  Maybe your friend tally is in the thousands.  Me? I can't beleive I know 587 people... Okay, I'll admit, every so often a request comes across and I can't remember how I know the person - maybe I don't...  What's fascinating to me is that of those 587 some are my best friends, some are my family and a very large portion are the acquaintances I have met along life's journey.  High school friends, college friends, some I studied abroad with, some I met while living in New York, and even some I have met at functions here in South Carolina. 

I remember when Facebook was first picking up steam.  I was a Junior in College at UC Santa Barbara.  Back then, it was the battle of Myspace and Facebook.  Facebook was limited on the information you were allowed to share.  There certainly wasn't a Newsfeed like there is now (modeled after Twitter), where people can literally write what they are doing or thinking at any second and share it.  I'm not even sure you could post or share pictures.  But the intention of the social network has always remained the same - to change the way we communicate and share information.

From the day I signed up for Facebook it opened a whole new venue of connectivity.  I could send a message to my friend at college across country even if I didn't have her email or phone number.  As long as other people shared, you could keep up on the break-ups and make-ups, who was taking the same course as you and who was working on the same paper you were.  The flow of information was dramatically changing.  Back when it started, Facebook was only limited to college students.  You had to have a University or College email address to register which kept it as a college network of 18-21 year olds sharing the good times we were all having in school.

Fast forward to 2010... my Mother is on facebook, my grandparents are on Facebook.  Now I am able to see friends that not only graduated college but who are getting engaged, married, even having children.  The amount of information seems to be ever increasing and sometimes overwhelming.  I made a Facebook page for our business and from time to time receive requests to connect with other businesses in the area.  I admit, sometimes I am confused by this... what once started as a purely social portal all limited to one age group has now ballooned to an all-inclusive network. Caution is now warranted, I have to think before writing messages and posts and sharing pictures of friends and family.  Do I want to share this with the world? If not, maybe Facebook isn't the best place to share my information...

I often wonder how social networking will change and adapt even further.  It is ever increasingly becoming a part of business, of marketing and it seems to be a place where people go first for the latest information whether personal or professional.  I'm sure there will always be more avenues provided to share information, whether Facebook or another portal, there will be places to catapult personal information across cyberspace.  Although I'm not the most internet savvy person there is, I'll try to keep up with these adaptations.  But for now, I'll just continue to feel perplexed as to how I know 587 people...

To Health Wealth And Happiness

Black-eyed peas, collard greens, spinach cornbread. As I recently found out, these are a few of the southern culinary traditions to bring in the New Year.  New Years Eve is one of the most widely celebrated nights of the year.  Parties, champagne, trying to stay up till midnight to watch that glittering ball drop in Times Square - I still can't figure out why all those people wait there in the cold... This year, my New Years Eve consisted of me and my wonderful husband relaxing on the couch watching a movie.  As my Dad wisely pointed out to me during our conversation earlier that day "It's not like you haven't been to big NYE parties in the past."  Dad, you have a point...

As 2009 came to a close, I, like most other people, began to think back at the year that would soon be in the past.  This time, it was not only the year, but the decade.  Attempting to reflect on it all was at first overwhelming.   The past decade included my high school graduation, college graduation and most recently my wedding.  [see below - you get the idea...]


From Senior Prom to starting my first day of work in New York City, the past decade has certainly been filled with ups, downs, sideways challenges and everything imaginable in between. My ego aside, the past decade was also filled with great loss of very dear loved ones whose memory certainly will carry on.  Through hard times and through joyous times, 2000-2009 is a vault of impressions.
Conclusion: I am infinitely grateful for my loving family and friends who have been there for me through it all. 

What I like about New Years is that it gives all of us a chance and opportunity to not only reflect but to look forward as well.  In anticipation of the next year and the next decade, I can't help but think about the significant moments that happen all the time - what memories will I be reflecting on next New Years Eve? I suppose that's one component of New Year's Resolutions; to think about what is to come and how you want to positively impact it. I would like to think I am constantly trying to resolve as a person... can that be a resolution? To resolve all year and continuously make commitments? That's going to be one of my resolutions.

Since this was a quiet New Years Eve, we decided to cook - and I mean really cook a New Years Day meal.  Walk into any grocery store in the south around New Years and there is an abundance of collard greens and black eyed peas.  In trying to participate in the southern tradition - we cooked up cornbread, chicken casserole (okay, not part of the tradition, but yummy just the same), black eyed peas and collard greens.  Black eyed peas are said to be for health in the new year and collards (or greens) are for wealth (there were a LOT of collards on our table...).  I have to say this was a fun tradition to partake in, one that I think will maintain in my home for years to come.
(left, spinach cornbread. right, collard greens and black eyed peas)


I'm not sure what path 2010 will lead me down - or how that path will wind through the next decade.  But I am thankful for my friends, family and for the memories of the past decade that I will cherish.  And here's to health, wealth and much happiness to come.

The Hunt

"pull"...  I sheepishly turned around and met eyes with the guide.  "Sorry" he said, "I didn't hear you".  I turned back around, took a really deep breath and yelled "PULL!" My eyes scanned the horizon where I briefly caught glimpse of the orange disk flying through the air.  Well, here goes nothing - I pulled the trigger which prompted a blast from the .28 I couldn't believe was cocked to my right shoulder.  Although I missed the target (and I'm pretty sure by a lot), I turned back around, a grin plastered on my face.
"You were right there, almost" he said. 
I love when people are encouraging. All I could think was, now I know why I shoved those orange ear plugs in my ear and this is only target practice.

There are few things more thrilling than a first time in life.  Or at least, that's how I feel.  There's a sense of adventure, of not knowing if you'll like it or hate it.  Whether its food - like the first time I ate an oyster.  Or something that pushes your physical limitations - the first time I swam 100 yards of butterfly (that's four lengths of the pool doing that stroke where you dolphin kick while both arms fly out of the water simultaneously... seriously, who thought of that).  Or maybe it's the first time you meet someone truly special in your life.  Firsts are something to be thoughtfully treasured and always remembered.


As you can probably see where I'm going with this, I had a new first this past weekend.  Well two actually. The first time I went hunting and consequently, the first time I had ever shot a gun.  Now I'm not sure how I felt about hunting in the past.  If anyone in my family has hunted (prior to my marriage:-) ), I was unaware of it and I had never thought of doing it.  Frankly, I knew nothing about it except for the less desirable stereotypes often associated.  This hunting expedition was definitely eye opening and I'll admit, downright fun.

The adventure was embarked on with Eric's family.  Their very dear friend had graciously invited us to hunt quail on a guided trek at their hunting club in Southern Georgia.  So my mother-in-law and father-in-law, my sister-in-law and her husband, Eric and I went hunting.  A family affair.

As mentioned, we were hunting quail which involves highly trained dogs that actually locate the birds and point once one has been tracked.  This particular location where we hunted was a preserve with farmed quail that had been set loose.  The guide would let loose two dogs which would leap and bound through the brush, elated to be running in the outdoors and along for the hunt.  I was absolutely in awe of the dogs.  Their ability to find a camouflaged bird in fairly dense brush is truly something exceptional. These dogs have been bred as pointers - their purpose in life fulfilled to be doing just that. 

Surprisingly, I actually got a few birds, something I wasn't sure would be possible for this first time.  Although it was a good time and I really did like being in the great outdoors practicing one of human's oldest pastimes - I couldn't help but think of long ago when humans hunted to put food on the table.  Of course, we would be eating all we hunted as well, but there is a difference in hunting out of the necessity to provide.  To me, being out in the fresh air and experiencing the hunt was exhilarating, challenging and sparked in me a new kind of appreciation for nature.

All in all, this first time experience is right up there in my log of memorable moments in life. I already looking forward to my next "first time" adventure which at this point I am confident wont be as challenging as hitting one of those orange flying targets...

The Little Things

I have a friend who came up with a fantastic idea.  Why not start writing down and sharing the "little things" that make you happy or that you come across and think - wow,  now that is really great. Now I'll try not to get too sappy or sentimental; however, those of you that know me well know that those two adjectives often define part of me.  Its a foggy day here in Columbia, and in sitting at my desk pondering what to write about, I decided to make a small list of the little things that make a difference to me.

Columbia

Driving - Understandably, Eric and I NEVER missed driving while living in NYC.  It does present a whole set of responsibilities and work that is easily eliminated when you're able to travel via foot.  However, since moving to a new town, Eric has really shown me a new side of driving.  We often take drives around town and through neighborhoods, always pleasantly surprised at the many beautiful places and scenery we simply didn't know were there. Weaving around town in a car is one of the best ways to site see - I guess now I know why those big red city tour buses do so well... There is often the humorous self-guided tour moment - like yesterday when I apparently found that naming a shopping center 'Boozer' was something to laugh about... no really, it was called 'Boozer'

Our purple chariot...

An email, note or phone call - In the age of new media, I will be one of the first to admit that I often use email as I would a phone call.  To catch up with friends, send a funny thought, or just to say "hi" and stay connected.  Since moving away from friends and to a new place where we know no one in town, I have come to cherish and truly appreciate emails, notes and phone calls from my friends and family.  The effort in staying connected, at times, in this fast-paced digital world seems difficult but always, and I mean always is completely rewarding.

Straws - I love straws.  I know its a wierd simple thing to love.  But I'm drinking out of one right now and I'm telling you, it makes my glass of water ten times more enjoyable.  Most people wouldn't agree, but hey, this is my little things list and I like straws. :-)

Mystery Books - As an English major, I had to read a lot of books, and I mean A LOT.  These days I prefer reading the entertaining stories, ones that are quick reads, light and not difficult to comprehend.  Turns out my grandmother enjoys the same.  I returned from a visit to her house with a huge shopping bag full of books.  What's better than curling up and enjoying a good read, especially one where there is mystery involved? And thanks to my grandmother, I will be able to indulge in my guilty pleasure for quite some time as I take on the rather large bag of hand me down books awaiting me.

Saturdays - Undoubtedly the best day of the week.  They're a bit different for me these days since our business operates on Saturday so what once was a guaranteed lazy morning now means waking at 6 and out the door to work.  Still, Saturdays are the best.  It's that day of the week where you know tomorrow is Sunday, you can hopefully feel great about a full week completed and can start to look ahead to the new week upon you. 

Smiling - Partially a tribute to my sappy side, smiling is like chicken soup for the soul.  It's amazing what effect a smile has when it's exchanged between strangers.  I've noticed this especially living in smaller towns versus a large city.  Passing by people on NYC streets doesn't often warrant a warm exchange.  And with millions of people passing by each other each day, it seems justified.  I've noticed however that when I do smile at a complete stranger on the street, most of the time, a smile is returned.  I think I'm going to try harder to not only smile at others but just to smile more in general.

Admittedly, this is by no means a comprehensive list.  Just the thoughts that came to me first.  In thinking about these little things, I suppose they aren't little at all.   More, one size fits all things.  In any event, these are things that make my day brighter and they are definitely fun to think about.  Happy holidays, and here's to the little things in life!

Giving Thanks

There must have been thousands of hamburger buns.  Or at least it seemed like it.  A group of volunteers diligently transferred huge bags of buns from the crates they were sitting in to large boxes where they would await distribution.  This was our first assignment when we volunteered at a local food bank this past week.  Turns out a McDonald's truck was involved in a minor traffic accident (no one was hurt) on it's way to deliver these buns to a local Mickey D's.  Well when the trailer tipped, the most famous food chain didn't want the buns anymore so instead, delivered them to the food bank.  This is where our task came in of transferring the buns from the McDonald's cart to boxes at the food bank.

The 'bun initiative' sparked many thoughts in my head as I'm sure it might spark a few as you are reading this.  I couldn't believe that a twist of fate had re-directed that delivery truck from providing thousands of dollar menu meals to providing thousands of meals that probably would have been eaten (or not eaten) sans-bread.  Thank goodness.

I feel I should candidly state my naivety.  Before spending time at the food bank, I was unaware of what a food bank actually entailed.  I thought it meant that people without homes could come and get a hot sandwhich or bowl of stew, or maybe we would help put together bagged lunches to hand out.  I had no idea that these banks provided canned goods, baked treats and even fresh produce for families that were forced to choose between paying their rent and bills and putting a hot meal on the table. These banks provide relief for these families and truly embody the spirit of giving.  And it's not only during the holidays but year-round.

Growing up my family participated in adopting a family for the holidays.  We would bring them food and gifts that they could open for Christmas.  Those are the most humbling of experiences.  The families we brought gifts too were utterly grateful.  In return they would make us a homemade dish to take with us - an offering of thanks.  At my previous job, my boss would adopt a family each year and I had the chance to go shopping for one of the children's wish lists.  Sweaters, jackets, a new backpack - all she wanted was the essentials.

This year, we are helping out with sponsoring a child at a local children's home.  She is a 15 year old girl and on her wish list is a new bedspread, shower gel and batteries.  I was trying to remember what was on my wish list when I was 15...

Tis' the season for giving.  I love the holidays for so many different reasons.  I truly believe it brings out the best in people.What better time to tell family and friends how thankful you are and what better time to help out a stranger? From bun initiative to shopping for a new bedspread - I have realized I'm already learning a lot this holiday season.  I have much to be thankful for - my health, my friends and my family.  What better way to celebrate that than to keep giving thanks.

Metropolian Megatown

My right foot extended past the automatic sliding doors as I took a first step onto the cool concrete.  There's was a quickness in my step, an urgency that only comes out on certain such occasions.  We made our way to the line to await our yellow chariot - maybe chariot is a bit glamorized... yellow cab that would wisk us from the hustle and bustle of the busy morning airport to the hustle and bustle of the always busy metropolitan megatown of New York City.

As we rode in the cab on the way to the city thoughts swirled around in my head.   Ten weeks ago I called the island city of Manhattan home.  Would I miss it terribly? How long would it take to adjust to life where you couldn't walk everywhere but had to drive? Those and many other apprehensions subconsciously came to my attention before the big move.  Now that the move had really happened, and this was no longer home, I looked out the window as we whizzed by other cabs and cars, happy to be going back to the city for a visit. As we continued our automotive journey over the Quensboro bridge and into the City, I immediately felt the edge and buzz of the city penetrate my skin and liven my senses. I anxiously watched the meter as it crept higher and higher and could literally feel the hole begin to take shape in the bottom of my wallet.  I hadn't forgot the price tag on everything in the city...

With luggage in tow we finally reached our destination, hopped out of the cab and assumed full Manhattan attitude.  Crossing the street before the light turned, weaving in and out of people all on their way, like us, somewhere important.  We entered the small cafe we were to meet my sister-in-law at, who was already waiting.  She looked fantastic.  The three of us talked and caught up as much as we could in the 20 minutes we had together.  When time was up we exited the cafe and met the still bustling city streets, she was off in a cab on her way to the airport to embark on her own weekend adventure.  There's one thing I knew I would feel when we moved and it became a pinch in my gut when we saw her off - I miss the people here.

New York City is an anomaly.  With about 1.6 million people in about 23 square miles, there is a constant flow and commotion of people moving in, moving out, traveling, visiting, living, working, doing just about everything.  The energy is contagious yet at the same time you stop every so often and wonder, why am I rushing?

The rushing sentiment was a bit different this time since we were visiting the city instead of living in it.  A smile crept across my face as I thought, right about now I would be taking the subway ride to work.  Why don't they build subways in every city? I mean, I know why, but what a great public transport system the city has.  We continued on with the day walking from midtown to upper east side and back down to the east village, meandering through the concrete jungle and reminiscing about all the fun times we had when we called it our home.  The brisk November air was a bit colder than I remember, I've found it's incredibly easy to forget how it feels to be cold.

There were two surprise birthday's we were lucky enough to be in town for and celebrating in New York City is really something spectacular.  With different bars, restaurants and sites to see around every corner.  We visited with friends and at the end of each party were grateful to collapse into the back seat of a cab who would screech through the city streets back to our awaiting hotel.  Another detail I forgot about the city is the roller coaster ride you get when you risk getting into a cab...

Sunday morning arrived and greeted us much quicker than we would have liked.  It would be back on a plane to South Carolina Sunday afternoon to return to our new home in what seemed like worlds away from this illustrious city.  I couldn't help but reflect once more on how I felt about being back in the metropolis.  The only conclusion I could come to was one of conflict.  I missed the lights, sounds, and excitement that always greeted and sometimes bombarded me each day I would set out to tackle city life.  The convenience of restaurants and stores of every type around every corner is definitely a force to be reckoned with.  Yet living amongst 2 million other people, often was a daunting task to deal with.  And let's remember I grew up in Southern California, a far cry from the bitter northeastern winters. I suppose the city was somewhat of a love and not like relationship for me.  Yet I also know that it's the type of place that is full of learning and challenges that strengthen, encourage and develop one's self.  No matter how I might feel about the hustle and bustle and every other component, both good and bad, that make up New York City, I will always know it was home for three years of my life, and with that - I felt good about leaving.

Thoughts on Gastronomy

Breakfast, lunch, dinner... maybe a snack or two in between.  There is one thing I think about every day - multiple times a day without fail: food.  Since moving to a new town and running our own business, we stay home and cook at night much more than was customary in the past.  Okay, maybe it's also the fact that we don't have every cuisine imaginable offered within a two block radius from the doorsteps of our Upper East Side Manhattan apartment.  Or maybe it's that we used to be able to have that cuisine delivered to our doorstep if it seemed too cold, snowy, rainy or we just didn't feel up to battling the city sidewalks.  As you can imagine, one gets quite spoiled with that kind of gastronomy available at any given hour on any given day. 

Last week we were sitting at home after an exhausting day of work.  I had only gone to the grocery store four times that week but for some reason there seemed to be nothing in the kitchen to make for dinner. I still can't figure out how that happens...  Well naturally, we thought, let's order out?  A quick search on Google and we found ourselves vastly disapointed - no delivery?!?! It seems like just about everything is on demand in today's world... you can chat with someone halfway around the globe from your couch, you can order movies, you can watch a show recorded from last week, write a letter to be electronically transmitted, all from your couch... but alas, I couldn't order delivery.

Delivery aside, I have actually found that I really enjoy cooking.  Being in a new town and trying to save money where we can, cooking is a perfect solution to provide an entertaining night at home.  Something else I've discovered since moving to this new town... southern food.  And it is delicious.  I've been fortunate enough to have traveled internationally.  During college, I studied abroad in Italy during which time I traveled to Germany, Spain, Czech Republic, Austria, France, the Netherlands.  I also had the opportunity to travel to Israel.  One thing decidedly spectacular about traveling to different countries is trying the different cuisines offered.  Each country and city prides itself on a type of cooking, the ingredients and the lifestyle that surrounds eating.  So what about this same notion in the states?

I think sometimes the cuisine of America is somewhat overlooked.  From California to New York to South Carolina, I have recently thought about the very different food each state and region embraces.  Of course there are obvious standard dishes.  Who could live without pizza and burgers in America?  But take seafood for example - In California, halibut and swordfish are regular staples in the grocery store.  Travel east and it changes a bit to Atlantic salmon, lots of tilapia and sometimes easier to find lobster.  Down south - crawfish, lots of shellfish and a fish I have come to love, catfish.  It becomes a curious subject when you think about a town or states' food.  In Columbia, South Carolina where I currently reside, there are a few staples, or rather specialties, that can be found around town.  One category I had not been aquainted with before - barbecue.  Growing up in Southern California, barbeque is usually synonymous with Fourth of July burgers and hot dogs.  Here, think pulled pork, brisket, lots of sauce and oh yeah, hush puppies (aka fried cornbread).  Another saucy delight the town isn't short of is chicken wings - hot, spicy, mild, you name the way it's made, and it's one finger food that is fiercely competitive from one restaurant to the next.  And yet a third example of a southern treat that I certainly wasn't aware existed in California, grits.  Which I actually tried a hand at and it turned out pretty well.

Whether traveling abroad or moving to a new city, I love to embrace the culture and of course, the food. I think food even helps a person get acquainted with a new place, literally offering a flavor for the culture and people that might not think twice about what they are eating.  So for now I'm going to keep "cooking around the world and country" while the actual travel is on the back-burner and look forward to discovering even more regional delights.