explore. dream. discover. View RSS

Hey all,

As you will notice, I've been a bit absent from chronicling my adventures on here, but have no fear, although I'm based in Oxford, I'm still gallivanting around the globe!  Next up is a trip down to Cape Town to work with the University of Cape Town and the South African government on developing their social investment market.

Also, I've created a new blog APsocialfinance.com to write about the work I'm doing in social investment.  Do check it out.

Peace,
Aunnie

Just for fun - here are a few of the recent wanderings and outings:

Croquet in Magdelan Lawn - May

Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology, Accra, Ghana - July/August

Turning in thesis - August

More MBA shenanigans - Summer

Graduation - September

Twickenham Stadium - November

San Francisco - December

San Francisco Brunch - December

Minnesota beauty - Christmas

New York SBS reunion - Birthday (January)

Cambridge - February

 Some standard Oxford beauty:

So the week I've been waiting for for almost a year is here!  For the next 4 days Oxford will be turned into a haven for Social Enterprise and Social Finance aficionados.  Basically, heaven.  :)

The Skoll World Forum is the largest conference in the world for Social Entrepreneurship and part of my Associate Fellowship at the Skoll Centre is attending, blogging and participating in all different aspects of the event (and the sister event the Oxford Jam).  I could not be more excited.

Follow the action on twitter (#skollwf), facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Skoll-World-Forum/337234232975325) & blog (http://skollworldforum.org/all-posts/).

Here's to an amazing week!

Hilary term is now officially finished!  I can't believe we've finished our second of three terms.  The time is going far, far too fast here in Oxford.  Is there any way to slow it down a bit?

Here are a few pictures of some of the incredible times from the past couple of months:



















Next it's off to Turkey, South Africa and the U.S. (for the VCIC World Championships!).  Stay tuned.

Unfortunately, I've been very delinquent in posting about the incredible time I've spent at Oxford over the past 4 months, but thankfully, my friends have not been!  Check out some of these posts for descriptions of our magical time and I'll do my best to whip up some essays soon on what it's like to run around an 800 year old college in black tie dresses and hogwarts-esque outfits.

Alethia Kang - One of the most beautiful writers (and people) I've ever met.  She is impeccable at describing the magic of our experience.

My MBA class: around the world every day
As quickly as snowflakes can blanket the English countryside in a layer of innocent white, Michaelmas, our first term as it’s called at Oxford, is over. And what a term it was! They weren’t kidding when they said that your MBA year will fly by. I dare say that most, if not all, of us have never tasted such an intense concoction of intellectual, extracurricular, and social flavours...

Another day at Oxford…
We climb spiral towers,
Stroll through green meadows,
Punt down rivers,
Explore grand, old buildings,
Stop by gardens,
Cross bridges,
Bike through lanes,
Visit quaint cafés,
And it’s another day at Oxford...

Official Blogs
The Official Oxford MBA blog site  - great stuff written by some of my favorite classmates.

Library Rock by Mike Navarrete  - A video a classmate made of our 4:00pm silent dance party in the library every day during the study week before finals.

Finally, here are a few pictures I took of campus during my first weeks of exploring.  Hope everyone had a beautiful holiday season and spent some quality time with people you love.  I certainly did and was thankful for every moment of it.

Way overdue on this post, but I have to admit, I've been so overwhelmed by the past couple of months of settling into Oxford.  It's been a crazy, beautiful, amazing experience so far and I have this inkling* that this year is going to be one of the most intense and wonderful of my life.

Will be posting more on Oxford life soon.

*Fun fact: the "Inklings" including C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien used to hang out at a bar not too far from me.  I love going in there and having a pint in the same place they sat and discussed all their crazy imaginative wonderings.  How amazing is that?

My favorite parts of my Latin America trip (which seems forever ago now!) were the crazy adventure things we did.  Here are my top picks.

In Bolivia, it was independence day and we were lucky enough to watch what seemed like every marching band in the country parade down one of the main avenues in La Paz.

We spent a couple of days wandering through the streets of this beautiful city (the highest capital city in the world) with stops in dozens of churches and a very informative Cocaine museum.

Coca tea.  One of my favorite parts of Latin America. Mmmm.

 The next stop was Cuzco, Peru.  What a city.  Arriving very, very early in the morning, our first glimpses of its beauty were a dark square surrounded by illuminated cathedrals and picturesque museums.
When the sun came up, the city came alive and there were miles of cobblestone streets to walk, parks to sit in and soak up sun, views to be admired and churches to be astonished by.






 We signed up for a 4 day trek to Machu Picchu that started with bike riding down the Andes mountains.
 Then it was time for 2 days of trekking, a session of zip lining and lots of avocado eating (they literally fall off the trees here, it's amazing).
 And finally, getting up at 4AM to run (I do mean run) up the 1000 steps to Machu Picchu (we were among the first 20 people at the entrance).  Words do even come close to describing the beauty of this place and pictures only hint at its magnificence. 


We had tickets for Waynu Picchu, which is the mountain next to the ruins (picture to the right).  We again ran up to the top and for a few minutes we had the view (picture to the left) all to ourselves.  Over the past two years I've been fortunate enough to see a lot of natural beauty and I have to say, the sheer magnificence of Machu Picchu does not have an equal.




After a crazy fun go kart ride out to the middle of the desert, we took out our boards and I trusted our guide enough to lay down on mine first.  30 seconds later I was flying down a sand dune mountain faster than I have ever gone on something not motorized.  Apparently I am quite aerodynamic, I not only flew down the entire dune but half way up the next one.  Talk about a rush.

Sand and sunset.  Two of my favorite things.

Onto another Go Kart in Ecuador (except we got to drive these).  It was like MarioKart but way better (and slightly more dangerous since the trucks and semis on the road were real)



Then it was time for some rappelling down 200ft waterfalls.   I've realized I love experiences when someone tells me to jump and I have to harness my adrenaline and catapult myself over a ledge into the air. 

 Speaking of air. In Quito, there is an amazing cathedral up on a hill in the middle of the city where you can climb up stairs that may or may not be entirely sturdy to the tip-top bell tower with a gorgeous view.


 Our last port of call was Colombia.  Bogota is an interesting city, I think I'll have to go back again with someone that knows the city.  BUT the gold museum (above) was pretty fantastic.

Mmmmm, a lovely few weeks.  My next goal is to learn Spanish before I go back and hit up the Galapagos. 

After a wonderful 3 weeks in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, I'm back in the U.S.A. staying at my dear friend Christin's gorgeous apartment in Chicago.  Even though I gush about it at every opportunity, I found myself amazed at the Chicago's beauty when I got here.  The weather is perfect, the lake looks magnificent and I've already had the most delicious micro-brewed beer and some great Mexican food.  Cheers for that.

I'll be sure to find some time to tell some stories about the South America adventures and share some pictures (I took like 800 and I can't wait to get them on my mac back in MN and play with them) in the next couple of weeks before I head out to England on the 14th of September.  In the meantime here a few thoughts on my Latin American journeys.

I love being called Senorita.  Seriously, leading with that, pretty much any street hawker could get at least a few seconds of my attention.

Why are all of the cities built up in the mountains?  It's crazy cold at night!  My dreams of short shorts and tank tops certainly didn't include them being covered by sweaters and sweatpants.

Looking down on the sun rising over Machu Picchu from up on Wayna Picchu is one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen.

Cama (fully reclining leather seats) buses are unbelievable, talk about traveling in style.

That being said... It should NOT be so expensive to fly around the continent.  Some of those bus journeys are crazy long and the intercountry flights are 4-5x as expensive as anywhere in Asia or Europe.  Come on!

All of the activities you can do are overwhelming!  We go karted, sand buggied, sand boarded, zip lined, road bikes down the Andes, went canyoning down 150ft waterfalls, trekked all over the place and still left a bazillion other things undone.

Staying at a real oasis (a lagoon in the middle of the desert) was surreal.  Particularly because it was in Peru and I never imagined Peru having the biggest desert I'd ever seen.

Next up, lots of pictures!!

It's been an incredible year here in Bangalore.  I've felt particularly blessed over the past few days, as I've said my farewells and made plans to see my friends again someday, at all corners of the globe.   Here are few pics from this past weekend of people who've made me smile over the past year and who I'll miss dearly!

My beautiful ladies Danika and Mangala (at our FAVE brunch spot "Hole in the Wall")

My crazy dutch/german/greek buddies Katerina and Walter

My Aussie loves Dan & Emma (Emma was bouncing around London last weekend, so we had to have a drink in her honor)

My Sandalwood princess Meghana and the amazingly dressed Praveen.

Awww Shiv.

5 hours of Sushi and drinks, a lovely way to say adieu!

My neighbor children who run out each morning to see me off to work

My chai stand, where they know exactly how I like my (8 cent) cup of chai everyday

My beautiful flower seller who pins strands in my hair and lights up my morning everyday with her smile

My florist couple who give me gorgeous daisies and carnations  and always say hello in the mornings

So many more people have touched my life in Bangalore (and Mumbai & Delhi).  Just so you know, I'm thankful for each and every one of you.  

You look at the bowling lane next to you and see a women in a burka

A bull walks by you on your way out of a business meeting (in a fancy office park)

The pilot says to buckle up, as up the monsoon will cause turbulence

You are ordering pizza and are asked if you'd like "non-veg" pizza

The person in front of you at the movie theatre answers their phone and starts shouting during Harry Potter.  Or you go get popcorn at the movie theatre and the choice includes masala and schezuan (first pretty good, second, not so much)

You are having a conversation with an American friend and you say "can you believe it? It cost 1.5 lakh only?"

I was sitting in a cab last week looking our the window when something occurred to me: the Indian landscape outside my window looked normal. Completely and utterly normal.  Don't get me wrong, I still remember what roads without cows and rickshaws look like and my surrounding continue to amaze and surprise me, but at some point over the last year or so, what used to be exotic, unfamiliar and unexpected became.... expected.

So, for you dear reader, over the last few days, I've tried to re-examine the ordinary by jotting down things I see each and everyday.  I don't bring my camera out with me during the days, but I'm sure if you look through my pictures you'll see each of these images.  This is what the scenery of my life looks like.

Things I see EVERYday:
A mosque adorned with a bazillion Christmas lights
Whole families on motorcycles
Men holding hands
Buses with strange pictures of children painted on the back of them
Billboards for luxury goods with Westerners instead of Indians on them
Ads for whitening creams
Street hawkers selling fruit, snacks, vegetables, or herbs
"My" children: the little kids who live in the construction site next door (where their parents work)
Women in saris hauling plates of sand and gravel on their heads
Rickshaws
People pausing on their motorcycles to touch their heart in front of a temple
Said temple and all the celebrations that occur on a daily basis
My chai stall and flower sellers with huge reams of jasmine flower waiting to be sold to women for their hair
A giant 6 lane road with no stoplights or crosswalks in sight (which I get to cross everday)
Huge gaps in the sidewalk that go down to what looks like the middle of the earth (walking and texting can be quite dangerous)
Cows, dogs, goats
Sunshine  (it really is sunny almost everyday here!)
 
Suffice to say, my neighborhood rocks.

So I've been a bit lazy about updating lately, I can't explain it really.  I feel so inspired with ideas and themes when I am walking around Bangalore or in the middle of some ridiculous situation, but when I get back home to a blank computer screen and a quiet room, it's hard to describe the beautiful chaos that is India.  Or maybe I'm trying to make my laziness a little too poetic.  So instead, today, I'll wax poetic about this gorgeous/crazy/amazing/frustrating/ridiculous/colorful country.

I only have 6 weeks left in Bangalore.  6 weeks left in India.  Woah.  I remember when I first landed in November 2009.  My wonderful friend KB was waiting at the airport and whisked me away from the rowdy, intimidating crowd that completely surrounded the arrival gate at Chennai.  My amazement at everything around me was intense.  We went straight for dinner from the airport and seeing all the stares that I was attracting, I asked KB "is this (sleeveless) shirt not appropriate?".   "Well," he replied, "you might want to cover up a bit more, but it may not help the gawking that much".  He was right, on both counts.

Here is one of the first pictures I took in India.  In the sea of such unfamiliarity I sought out the familiar, a bookstore with English tea.
 By the time I arrived in India I had traveled to dozens of countries on my own, including several in the developing world, but India (Chennai in particular I was to discover) was in a league of it's own.  The nearly non-existent infrastructure, the beggars, the cows, the modesty in the dress and action of women, the lecherousness of the men, the pollution, the hawkers, the rickshaws, the food, the trash, the dogs, the goats, did I mention the cows?  All of these things I take almost for granted today.  Those first weeks they weighed on me, but also presented a challenge.  I'm no stranger to challenges, in fact, I'm kind of in love with them, but I don't know if there I've ever had one has mind-numbingly frustrating or unbelievably rewarding as India.

Soaring above the world at the Monkey Temple Hampi

I've said this since almost the beginning (and written it a couple of times in other posts) India is like an abusive relationship.  One moment you are sitting on a boat in the middle of the a sacred river, peacefully watching pilgrims bathe and admiring the grandeur of palaces built along the water, feeling as if you were transported back in time to a mystic land, then the next minute you are on a dirt road, clutching your queasy stomach, overwhelmed by the stench and the crush of the street stalls, the leers and grabs of the men and the pitiful faces of the beggars, when a motorcyle veers into you knocking you down and prompting a total meltdown.  (I promise, this happened within a couple of hours once).  

But for me, all these stratospheric ups and depths of the world downs, the thrills, the discomforts, the beauty, the ugliness, they are authentic and somehow I think they suit me.

My friend Shiv tells me that I'm about 95% Indian now, with the final 5% being fluent Hindi.  :)   I know I'm going sorely miss this gorgeous/crazy/amazing/frustrating/ridiculous/colorful country that has been my home.  So maybe one of these days I'll come back for that 5%.

Reason number 46 I love living in India: Going on Sunday afternoon adventures.

The crowd thinned as we approached the actual market.

Last Sunday afternoon I had a friend in town from Chicago, so Katerina and I decided to take him (Ryan) to the city market.  As we alighted from the rickshaw, we found ourselves in a different world from the Bangalore we live in.  Just a few miles away from home, India had reinvented itself.  The streets were crowded, small and overflowing with every product imaginable.  As we gingerly made our way to the large building of the market, the crush of people, the stench and the mix of animals teemed around us.  We were all amazed at the intensity of it.  Sometimes I think I get used to India and then it just jumps up and slaps me in the face.  Definitely keeps things interesting. 

Once we got into the gigantic market building, a maze of wonders awaited us.

Art or fruit? Hard to decide

50 year old Singer sewing machines

Mountains of Bindi colors

Heaps of Chilis

Miles of pots and pans

Beautiful children

After we spent sometime in the labyrinth up above, we found the flower market on the ground floor.  There were endless stalls of men making flower arrangements for weddings.  We were greeted with enthusiasm and curiosity.  With men at each stall yelling at us to take pictures of their work.  At different points we were given: streaks of color on our foreheads, flowers for our hair, requests for pictures beside us.  It was like we had been invited into a private workshop and were being given an intimate tour. It was delightful.

 We came out of the stalls into the main flower market.  The smell and the colors of the flowers were overwhelming beautiful.
 Also overwhelming were the requests for pictures by all the flower sellers!  They each wanted to display their works for us (in the customary Indian male way - serious face, no smile).  Ryan and I happily complied, zig zagging across the market to the calls of "hey hey, photo!". 
 Some preferred to be photographed hard at work, even taking to rearrange their workstation so it looked nice on camera. Asking "accha? (good?)".
After each picture, we were rewarded by large smile, obvious pride seeing their image on the camera and bits of the flower strands.
 This guy had me take at least 2 dozen photographs until he approved of one.  "My face, my face" he kept saying.  Motioning me to zoom in on his face.


 Just as we were walking up the stairs to leave, this young boy ran down to me and requested "photo, photo".  I had less than a second to snap it before he kept on running with his heavy pack.  But his smile made an impact on me in that one second.  I can only hope this is his weekend job and that he gets to go to school on Monday.  But I'll never know.  You never do.  Sometimes you are good at maintaining a distance, sometimes it just hits you in your gut.

We left the market with colors on our foreheads, flowers in our hair and smiles on our faces.  Truly, India offers adventures like I've just never experienced anywhere else in the world.

Salwar Kameez

Saris

On this lovely holiday, when we get to celebrate the women who gave us life, I think I'm going to let my little sister do the talking.  She is an eloquent, beautiful woman and her blessing of our mother, Becky Patton, is just gorgeous. Happy Mother's Day!!

{guest blogger: natalie} my mother's gift

 

 

So I just got back from a lovely vacation up in the Himalayas and I promise, I will have many wonderful things to say about it and beautiful pictures to share with you.  Before that, I have to beg a few minutes for a completely self indulgent diatribe.  Watching Mike get on that plan to Ireland, back to a land where people stand in lines and autorickshaws don't dodge cows in the road,  well, it made me a bit nostalgic, and more than a tiny bit jealous.

As I stood in the Delhi airport, I realized I was developed world-sick.  I've only been gone six months this time, but I think the difference is, there has been no Singapore, no Hong Kong, no Kuala Lumpur break like my last trip.  No shot of developed world-ness to make me long for the deliciously cheap street stalls and beautiful chaos of the developing world.

So here are my few minutes of a pity party.  Thanks for joining.

I MISS:
Waiting in lines
Trash cans
Mexican food
Grocery stores stocked with rows of cheese, olive oil, ranch and other delicacies
Having an oven
The absence of goats, cows and stray dogs
Not needing a bath after 30 minutes of being outside
Good customer service
Bagels
Wearing shorts, tank tops and dresses
Public transportation (metros, subways, the el, the tube)
Being able to stand or walk alone without being hit on (badly), leered at or taken pictures of (to be fair this really isn't super bad in Blore)
Getting in a taxi and not negotiating the rate, determining whether the driver wants to go where I'm going and if he has any idea where it is (these three rarely align)
Street numbers that make sense
Tree lined streets
Crosswalks
Streaming netflix (ok, I have actually never done this since it really got going after I left, but it seems amazing)
Fast food hamburgers
Little coffee shops
Running
Lastly and most importantly: my friends and family. But with friends strewn throughout the U.S., Asia, Africa and Europe, a sister in Korea and a boyfriend in Ireland, I'm pretty sure it will be hard to find a continent where I'm not missing somebody!  I suppose everyone just has to visit.

On that note, if I counted correctly, this list doesn't even come close to adding up to the 56 reasons I love living in India, so we can safely say, pity party over Aundrea Nicole.

Next up: the other 48 reasons I love living here.  Whew, all that negativity felt strange.  Glad to be back to normal. :)

Reason number 49 I love living in Bangalore: Visitors! 

One of the hardest parts about living in another country is being away from your family and friends.  But on the flip side, it's fantastic when you have visitors come and you get to show them around your new world: your city, your neighborhood, your friends, your restaurants, your bars, your chai stall, your flower market etc.  It's a magical experience.  When I get to show friends "my" Bangalore, I feel like I have a chance to draw them into the beauty of my life here and I'm in love with that feeling.

So far I've had a few great visitors:

In January, Kathryn came down from Ahmadabad where she was doing a semester of Bschool.  While exploring the city, we stumbled upon the largest flower festival of the year, which was perfect for two photography aficionados (she's certainly the more talented one!)

Then a couple of weeks ago, Abhi and Tran (friends from back at BMO) made Bangalore their last stop on their India tour.  It was an absolute blast to catch up and they even had their timing perfect, getting to watch India win the World Cup.

And now, I have a very special visitor.  Mike flew in from Dublin on Sunday and we have a fabulous vacation planned up in the Himalayas starting on Thursday!  I'm so excited. Rock climbing, hot springs, trekking, Royal Enfield riding and relaxing here we come!

Next up: Bridget's coming down from Kabul to do a Mumbai weekend with me in May and Coon is stopping by Bangalore to say hello!  Woot woot for visitors!!

After 8 hours of watching, wishing, hoping, there was the crack of the bat and the crowd at the bar let out a roar.  It was over.  For the second time in 28 years, India had won the Cricket World Cup. 


 I promise you, at that precise moment, the hearts of 1 billion Indians overflowed with joy.  It's hard to overestimate just how much this victory meant this beautiful country.


As the team hoisted Sachin Tendulkar (The god of Indian cricket) up on their shoulders and circled the field, we screamed, cried. clapped, hooted and hollered.  It was a beautiful moment.


We then headed out to the streets to join the celebration that was already in full swing.



The streets were jammed with people and I've never seen so many Indian flags in my life.  Everywhere the cry IIIIIINDIIIA, INDIA was in the air.  As foreigners, people were thrilled that we were apart of the celebration.


Everywhere there was sound; horns honking, people cheering, drums beating, crackers (fireworks) going off, music, and singing.  It was a frenzy of color and energy.


As the only white women anywhere in sight, Feline and I attracted a bit too much attention, but thankfully we had enough male protectors with us to get out of the stickier situations (kind of).


 We walked along streets generally filled with fast moving traffic that know were gridlocked, people dancing on their cars, waving flags, revving their engines.

The sense of achievement and celebration spread over religion, caste and occupation.  Doormen and security guards were dancing with young, white collar engineers, inexpensive motorbikes parked next to BMWs waving flags.   As Shiv said, "tonight, for once, no one is Muslim or Hindu or Christian, we are just Indian".





 What an beautiful, intense, intoxicating, crazy experience.  IIIINNNDIA, INDIA!

Reason #51 I love living in India: Holi.  Holi is the festival of colors that happens every spring in India.  It is one of the most surreal experiences I've had here (and that's saying something!).  Both years there was a point where I stopped, stood still and just tried to take in the magic of the experience; the colors, the laughter, the music.  Both years it completely overwhelmed me and I just had to laugh out loud, run ahead and throw some color up in the air shouting "HAPPY HOLI!".

Last year we played Holi up in Jaisalmer in Rajasthan.  The north is known for it's frenzied celebration of the festival and this was no exception.  It was amazing.  Wandering around a desert town, through an ancient fort, past cows speckled with color, with everyone in sight throwing, squirting, dumping, brushing paint, now, that's a great afternoon.

Almost the second we walked out of our hotel we were jumped by a pack of kids wielding... paint!

It took less than an hour to be completely covered.

EVERYONE plays.  Yep.  Everyone.

This year in Hampi was even more of a sight.  Traditionally the south doesn't celebrate as much, but that doesn't hold true in this gorgeous temple town (one of my favorite places in India).  13 of us headed over from Bangalore via the overnight train.  After a lazy Saturday of playing in the river, shopping for our Holi preparations, relaxing in the shade, drinking beer and watching the sunset over the rice fields, we awoke for Holi!  We were all giddy like little kids, jumping around, getting excited to head out into the fun.

Before shot.

The festival begins!  Drums and dancing and colors, oh my!

Didn't take long for us to get our color on. :)

I couldn't get enough of this little cutie.

Wild abandon on the way to the river

Jumping for joy.  Happy Holi!!

After a few hours of dancing and painting we all came down to the river for a much needed bath.

P.S. The river didn't work, nor did the multiple showers.  Like last year, my hair, face and eyebrows refused to give up the color.  People keep looking at me and laughing!  "You played Holi, huh?"  Really?  What gave me away? Maybe I like my eyebrows pink, ok?

Reason #52 I love living in India:  It's easy to forget how powerful a smile can be, but thankfully India doesn't let me.  As I walk the streets of Bangalore, I am often looked at (and by often I do mean the majority of the time).  Sometimes this is uncomfortable (i.e. leering stares from men), but quite often it is a lovely experience.  I've found that I am regarded with an intent, searching look by Indian women and children.  It is a look of curiosity, for someone that looks a bit out of place.  Yet, if I return their look and extend a smile, I am rewarded brilliantly. Mostly I get a beautiful smile in return. Perhaps it is shy smile with a turn of the head, or a giggle and some whispering among a group of girls.   Sometimes its a wave of greeting or the ushering of a nearby child's attention to the "white girl". Always it reminds me how a smile can transcend culture and language and THAT is powerful.

Reason #53 I love living in India: I see monkeys all the time, and HOW cute are monkeys?

There is a great scene in the Return of the Pink Panther where Peter Seller encounters a "zeeing eye minkey".  


I have to admit, when I see monkeys here I invariably slip in a reference to the "ze minkeys".

Just chilling

Guarding a prized possession (fruit taken from a nearby stand)

Mommy and Daddy giving junior his afternoon cleaning

When not contemplating life atop a rear view mirror, this minkey also enjoys staring at his reflection in the windows

This post is dedicated to Meghan Murphy and her unending love of Minkeys.  :)

Reason #54(part B) I love living in India: after a "10 hour" (15 hours) bus ride on Friday we ended up in paradise (Gokarna).

The Bus Took FOREVER.  But so worth it.

There was cold beer and a beach waiting for us when we arrived.

And of course, Cows.

Friendly cows.

And boat rides.

And festivals where you throw bananas into giant semi air balloons! (Carnival)

And of course, my favorite: gorgeous little children.

That LOVE to have their picture taken (and see it on the screen).

Well some are just confused about the crazy girl with the strange skin.

Judging by the amount of sand she's acquired, I think she's had a good day.

What caps off a day at the beach better than dinner and drinks?

That's easy.  A bonfire on the beach and Spanish guitar players.

And how do you top a day like that? Spend the next day at a private beach....

Did you know that today is a fabulous holiday?  It's the UN's International Women's Day.  And the 100th Women's Day at that. I think that calls for some festivities!

There are events happening at UN locations all over the world and hopefully you'll see plenty of news coverage about milestones throughout the past 100 years.  But, how are YOU going to celebrate women today? 

Four Generations of Women in Gokarna, India

 In case you need suggestions, here are my top 5 ideas:

1) Curl up with a glass of wine and Half The Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristofand his wife Sheryl WuDunn.  An inspiring read on the potential of women.

2) Check out social businesses helping women pursue education

3) Offer to take out a younger woman for lunch and give her some solid advice on work, life and balance

4) Donate to a non-profit that promotes reproductive health, economic empowerment or education of women

5) Take control of your health; make sure you are current on your breast exams, pap smears and annual checkups. For more info try Women's WebMD

I hope you have a beautiful time celebrating the joy of being a woman.   Here's a toast to the next 100 years; may they be more empowering than the last!