Av Tech Academy: Ghana's Young Women of Aviation

http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/65850676?access_key=key-1fb3unatw7g4qqb1bmo5

The Aviation for Women magazine (Sep/Oct 2011) has a fantastic article on all issues Global:  sharing a love of aviation, mentoring, Medicine on the Move, Ghana, and women's issues. I applaud Patricia, Lydia, Jonathan, Melissa and their friends on this important and life-changing work. 


I've never been to Ghana, but my husband and several friends have. I know they have a growing aviation community and is, as Lonely Planet calls it, a "rapidly modernizing country".


Please read this article, as it will touch your heart if you are at all interested in aviation, Africa, healthcare, or women's issues. And again, BRAVO to Melissa Pemberton, the air show performer, for bringing this issue to light. Thanks SportsGal!

Brasilia, Brazil and Animal Charades

http://www.destinationspoint.com/brasilia-the-planned-city/

It’s been many years since I’ve been to Brasilia, Brazil. But I just saw a wonderful video clip of the city on the Miss Universe 2011 contest so I wanted to look up this lovely city and see what’s changed since my visit.

First of all, I’m so pleased whenever I can see a show that highlights a little culture from around the world. We may not be talking world politics and life changing experiences with the Miss Universe pageant (although maybe some people or contestants have this experience), but we do get a glimpse of the background and culture of these ladies’ home countries. And that’s a good thing.

I remember that the landscape of Brazil was beautiful. The city of Brasilia is a UNESCO world heritage site. Lush and green as far as the eye can see- it’s a beautiful approach into this interior city that is the capital of Brazil. My favorite event was dinner at a local charasco restaurant. None of my traveling companions or I spoke Portuguese. And none of the restaurant staff spoke English. None. So there we were- forced to use the universal language of food. And the fun began.

Fortunately, at this type of restaurant, you are seated with big groups and the food simply comes to you. I hope you like meat, because it was all about the meat. Big hunks of meat skewered on four foot swords held precipitously by strong waiters anxious to cut you a slice of their ration. As many as a dozen waiters just hovered by the tables, fervently moving from guest to guest offering to shave you a slice and set it delicately on your plate. Since we faced the language barrier, the waiters got creative. The first waiter daringly moo’ed like a cow. We laughed hysterically, and many of us raised our hands for a slice of beef. Then the next waiter approached and clucked like a chicken. More laughter. More meat. I timidly passed on the waiter thumping his heart, but I did summon the waiter who huffed angrily like a bull (perhaps because he also made the hoof-scraping motion like he would soon charge at us). Soon, we were the most popular table in the restaurant and the whole staff was laughing with us as we ventured to “ask” for certain meats by miming or animating the animal of our choice.

Culturally, this is my impression of the Brazilians. They were as warm and welcoming and funny as could be to a group of random Americans who walked into their restaurant without even the courtesy to learn “please” and “thank you” in Portuguese before we went out that night. It also goes to prove what can be accomplished if you venture out to interact with the town you’re visiting, even without a knowledge of custom or language.

Brasilia is a “planned city” intended to provide efficiencies for business, highways and government. The planners have taken a lot of heat for their lack of warmth and human factors planning. Today, Brasilia is often praised for it’s innovative and beautiful architecture. It’s a focus center for business, music/arts and sports. Brasilia will be hosting the 2014 FIFA World Cup (the 2016 Olympics will be in neighboring Rio de Janeiro).

So my advice is:  be a Good Global Citizen both when you travel AND in your hometown. Perhaps some foreigner is trying to enjoy your city, and all he needs is for you to mimic a chicken to make his day. 

Almaty - Just a Peek into Kazakhstan

The steppes and plains of Kazakhstan in Central Asia are home to one of the world’s newest countries. Independent only 10 years now, Kazakhstan is the world’s 9^th largest country but 64^th in population. Traditionally nomadic, the Kazakhstanis are Turkic and Mongol, and now heavily inclusive of Russian ethnicities as well. The Kazakhstanis struggle to find an identity in this modern world, constantly striving towards updated government and social progress as well as an economic base to support their reliance on oil and mining.

I first came to know Kazakhstan as a dear friend and her family pursued adoption from this diverse country. I followed her blog relentlessly and waited eagerly each day for her to post excerpts of her progress with her new little boy, the activities of her day, and the emotional journey she lived. I was filled with excitement when I found out I would be visiting the land where she spent her heart becoming a mother again.

Arriving in Almaty (meaning "apple city" for no reason) from the East was gorgeous. The topography of the Tian Shan mountain range between China and Kazakhstan mesmerizes. Victory Peak stands nearly 25,000’ tall. In aviation- this is deadly. Standard emergency procedures requiring a decent to lower altitudes for oxygen availability or thrust deficiency are unavailable and alternate airway escape route briefings are well planned beforehand. But then to look outside the aircraft windows and see glorious snow-capped peaks just beneath your feet is breathtaking. I said prayers of both thanksgiving and of a safe journey.

We landed safely in Almaty, the former capital (Astana now claims the seat of government). Security agents in official uniforms (military??) wore the largest round green hats I’d ever seen. A quick trip to the hotel and a walk to a local restaurant shook off any jet lag I had. Entrecote Restaurant was very good- I had grilled vegetable “salad” despite the selection of skewered meats available. Perhaps it was the horsemeat on the menu, but I was happy to stick to vegetarian that night.

The next day we started with a decadent breakfast buffet including a honeycomb of dripping honey. Then we set off on a walking trek through the city. We were staying near the circus and the central stadium, so the walk east to the Kok Tobe sky tram and amusement area was about 3 miles. 

We rode the tram to the top and had an awesome time taking pictures and viewing the city from above. Famous for its bronze statue of the Beatles by Edward Kazaryan, there’s a mini zoo (although we only saw some falcons), kiddie games and rides, and my favorite: the FAST COASTER (you'll have to see this on YouTube). Single-person cars zoomed around a track on the side of the Kok Tobe Mountain, accelerated by gravity and decelerated by your own personal hand brake. I laughed the whole time.

After snacks, pictures with the Beatles, and a tram ride back to the bottom, it felt good to walk back to the hotel. We ate dinner right outside the hotel in their own outdoor patio restaurant. Food preparation was done inside the yurt, and the kebab grilling was done on smoking grills nearby. 

One of my friends was brave enough to order the horse kebab, others tried steak and I ordered lamb. It was a pleasant night to eat outside by the fountains and statues of wildlife and nomads. 

Next time- the list of sights continues with a desire to see the churches and monuments throughout the city, as well as talk to more people about their life in Kazakhstan. It was a fascinating trip, and I’m glad to have visited the homeland of my girlfriend’s son.

India and Dubai: An Educational Contrast in Global Business

I was just asked about the favorite place I've ever studied. I've had some exceptional educational experiences, but I knew immediately the adventure I needed to highlight.


My Global Business MBA from Georgia Tech was such an illuminating program. It was a truly international experience, as we not only studied global issues but also traveled as part of the curriculum. There's so much to tell here, but for now I'll share just a bit of the trip.


We spent 2 1/2 weeks in India and Dubai. We researched, attended lectures and tours and met business people in one of the world's poorest countries and one of the world's richest countries, back-to-back. The dichotomy profoundly enhanced the learning experience. 

 These are pictures of the public laundry system in India. I watched in fascination for a long time at the volume of colorful clothes being beaten by hand in a labyrinth of cement washing stations. Up close and individually, the process is labor-intensive, crude and difficult. But overall, the system works with an efficiency unknown in the West. There is organization, attention to detail, and pride. It's a pre-industrial revolution process that simply works in this part of the world. This is a quick video from YouTube that gives a great overview.

In stark contrast, Dubai is the largest population center of the United Arab Emirates. In a visionary look at the future, the traditionally oil-based economy was slowly focused on transitioning the Emirate to a financial center, tourist destination and educational hub. Forward-looking in both technology and economics compared to India, Dubai is much more internationally focused than service-focused. 

With an emphasis on architecture, shipping, real estate and land reclamation, Dubai is a world leader in global projects. The government has a determined vision on structuring their destiny. Unfortunately, the UAE, like the US, has been hard-hit by the global recession. Construction has been drastically reduced, building occupancy has stalled and economic conditions are stagnant. Time will tell if Dubai's vision of prosperity will play out. 


There is great beauty and prosperous business development in both India and Dubai. Each country goes about it in an extremely different manner, and the contrasting processes were enlightening in examining global development. This trip was an extraordinary educational experience in international business processes. 

All the News That's Fit to Travel

All the News That's Fit to Travel

An interesting article on "Tactical Travel Intelligence".

Get your news from a variety of sources. Prepare for your travel! Be aware of the global situation before you venture out there. Be informed. And then GO! TRAVEL!

Mere Minutes in Shanghai

Ah, the invigoration of a one-day stopover in a foreign city. Actually, Shanghai didn't seem all that "foreign" to me despite having never been to China. I don't know if general travel experience helped or if it was the excitement of being a power-tourist in those valuable minutes spent on this trip, but I found it easy to navigate and generally friendly to this eager Westerner. 

We landed in Shanghai in the middle of the night. After a brief nap, I was ready to explore during my short time off. I met some friends and we started with a walk and a break for breakfast. I had a black bean, mushroom and soy dish that was full of flavor. It was just filling enough to get me through our afternoon of shopping. 

The rain started coming down, so we ducked into the Ritz Carlton hotel lobby to hail a cab. Right then I saw the most beautiful sculpture of a Chinese fisherman. Backed by nature's soundtrack of large rain pellets pounding the pond between the buildings, this image particularly illustrated my reveries of ancient Chinese culture.




We raced through the stalls at the Market talking to vendors and comparing goods for quality. This lead to several interesting conversations about import/export issues, gray-market goods, and international business as well. Ah, the mixing of business and cultural conversation.

For me, the highlight was the short time we spent walking around central Shanghai. I'm fascinated by architecture and the lines of bold, bright buildings. I have many plans for my next trip, including temples, history lessons and some walks through parks and the financial center. I'm dying to see the Oriental Peal and the Shanghai World Financial Center buildings. I've admired the Oriental Pearl for its innovative design. It's one of the World Federation of Great Towers and I won't miss a chance to see it next time! 

Warsaw's Revolution

My first time in Warsaw was an educational experience! I didn't know much about the city and had only been to Poland one other time (but that was a remote location on other business). So I was very excited to see the country's largest city and a part of old Eastern Europe. 

As it turns out, Warsaw's not that old. I hadn't realized how "new" the "old" city was. I'm amazed at the connection the Poles have to their storied past. It's not something we talk about a lot, but it's very interesting. Poland has been the object of possession and political posturing since inception. Located at the crossroads of east and west, Poland's history is full of intricate dynamics. Conquered by Russia, Germany, and a victim of wartime escapades for centuries, the Poles are now established in a new identity. 

I'm so impressed with the modern rebuilding of the city. Warsaw is nearly completely new, as 80% of the city was destroyed during WWII and has been rebuilt in the style of its classic architecture. The buildings and streets look like old Europe, but they are only replicas that prove Warsaw's determination. 

The Poles have rebuilt a modern city. Streets are well laid out and the city is very friendly to pedestrians, international speakers, tourists, photographers and shoppers. I had a great time walking throughout and viewing the city life. Warsaw springs to life with vivid flowers throughout the city. The buildings are clean and there's many musicians and shops to entertain you. I stopped for a macchiato to refresh myself before stopping at the University of Warsaw bookstore for a look around. Street art (too organized and elegant to call graffiti) and architecture occupied my walk back to the hotel.

I only spent a short time enjoying this vibrant city, but I look forward to going back and learning more about the history and culture of this "Phoenix" city.

Enjoy more pictures here.