Rome: street scenes and hidden treasures on day 2

Veni, vedi, vici.
– Caius Julius Caesar, Roman military and political leader

On Tuesday, we retraced our steps to the Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and Piazza Navona with our friends. While they went back to the apartment with the kids to rest up in the afternoon, David and I remained to return to Piazza Navona and wander the streets on our way back to the apartment. It reminded me of when we first came to Rome 18 years ago. David took photographs while I poked in and out of quiet streets and the hidden treasures of local shops.

Lone rower on the Tiber River. On our way to Trevi Fountain.

Lone rower on the Tiber River. On our way to Trevi Fountain.

Rooftop garden of an apartment building on the way to the Spanish Steps.

Rooftop garden of an apartment building on the way to Piazza Navona.

Artists abound at Piazza Novena.

Artists abound at Piazza Navona.

An explosion of colorful flowers on a balcony along Piazza Navona - a common scene in Roma.

An explosion of colorful flowers on a balcony along Piazza Navona – a common scene in Roma.

We split up at the base of the Spanish Steps after ascending to the top and enjoying the view. From there, David was my able compass, although we deliberately meandered in and out of side streets. One of the shops that we ventured into was tucked in a corner of a quiet street. Achilli Giotelli (Via dei Prefetti, 44 – 00186, 06 68133661) is a compact jewelry shop. Alexandra, the shop clerk, was very nice and indulged me as I tried on different pairs of earrings by Disegno. I settled on a matte black pair.

Achilli Gioielli jewelry store, Via dei, 44.

Achilli Gioielli jewelry store, Via dei, 44.

Wearing my Disegno earrings while looking out of our Roma apartment living room window.

Wearing my Disegno earrings while looking out of our Roma apartment living room window.

Wearing the earrings in front of a painting by Tommaso Cascella, artist and cousin to the owner of the apartment we are renting.

Wearing the earrings in front of a painting by Tommaso Cascella, artist and cousin to the owner of the apartment we are renting.

Shuttered window on the way to the Pantheon.

Shuttered window on the way to the Pantheon.

Antique and art shops are tucked away on this quiet side street. David and I loved the fact that you could see a reflection of graffiti across the street in the window of this art shop.

Antique and art shops are tucked away on this quiet side street. David and I loved the fact that you could see a reflection of graffiti across the street in the window of this art shop.

Street sign on a quiet intersection.

Street sign on a quiet intersection.

I loved this little artisan chocolate shop.

I loved this little artisan chocolate shop.

When you get closer, you can see the craftsmanship and love put into each little piece of chocolate.

When you get closer, you can see the craftsmanship and love put into each little piece of chocolate.

Like little jewels and pretty wrapped presents.

Like little jewels and pretty wrapped presents.

Another street scene, with a gypsy woman walking along the vespas.

Another street scene, with a gypsy woman walking on one side lined with parked vespas.

Just one of many charming street scenes.

Just one of many charming street scenes.

Gelato shop - yes!

Gelato shop – yes!

Another charming shop along the way home to Via Cicerone.

Another charming shop along the way home to Via Cicerone.

Walking along a bridge over the Tiber River, with another bridge and the Vatican in the background.

Walking along a bridge over the Tiber River, with another bridge and the Vatican in the background.

Statue on the bridge over the Tiber River.

Statue on the Ponte Sant’ Angelo Bridge over the Tiber River.

On the other side of the Ponte Sant' Angelo Bridge.

On the other side of the Ponte Sant’ Angelo Bridge.

Our second night we ate at the Grotto Azzura, a ristorante – pizzeria located two doors from our apartment at Via Cicerone 62/A (Tel. 06 3234586). Jacob, Isabella, and I had a sinfully rich lasagna. We celebrated our first evening as two families with a bottle of sangiovese, which went well with our main course. But I still had room to put away a mamosa cake, which was a very moist yellow cake with lemon crème. It was so good that we ate dinner there the following evening. The owner recognized us and treated us like long-time patrons. At the end of our meal, he offered us limoncello, an apertif made with lemons, which we gratefully accepted. It’s this kind of experience that makes me feel at home in Roma. And I’d love to live here for another six months to a year. In this great apartment in a great neighborhood, and of course, in a wonderful city that is Roma.

David's flavorful ravioli.

David’s flavorful ravioli.

Mamosa cake to round out the delicious dinner.

Mamosa cake to round out the delicious dinner.

A favorite restaurant for both families - Grotta Azzurra.

A favorite restaurant for both families – Grotta Azzurra.

 

Roman holiday: return to Rome

I found Rome built of bricks. I have her clothed her in marble.
– Augustus, Roman emperor

We landed in Rome on Monday and we’ve concluded our second full day. I thought it easiest to do a pictorial and recap the highlights of our trip a day later. We are traveling with our friends Mike and Raissa and their two kids. We met with them the second day. On our first day, we checked into the apartment that Mike found for the first city’s stay. It’s a gorgeous four-bedroom, two-bath apartment in the heart of the city, near Piazza Cavour and the Tiber River. The owner’s cousin’s artwork – from abstract paintings to hand-welded beds (moon and stars, and birds) and nightstand – adorned the apartment, which is already graced with tall ceilings and gleaming hardwood floors.

Our bedroom in our apartment in Roma.

Our bedroom in our apartment in Roma.

The living room part of the great room that also includes the dining area.

The living room part of the great room, which also includes the dining area.

The dining area of the great room.

The dining area of the great room.

Here's the other bedroom featuring welding work by the owner's artist cousin. One of the other bedrooms has a loft and another bed below.

Here’s the other bedroom featuring welding work by the owner’s artist cousin. One of the other bedrooms has a loft and another bed below the loft, which is perfect for kids.

The first day we took the kids to Trevi Fountain, where David proposed to me 18 years ago. Thank goodness the fountain was flowing back then, as it is currently under construction. I’ll leave the symbolism of that to your imagination!

Eighteen years later, we return to where David proposed to me. Alas, under construction!

Eighteen years later, we return to where David proposed to me. Alas, under construction!

Still gorgeous, still overrun by tourists, Trevi Fountain is still a sight to behold - even under construction.

Still gorgeous, still overrun by tourists, Trevi Fountain is still a sight to behold – even under construction.

Eighteen years later, here are what we have to show for our amazing years together - Isabella and Jacob.

Eighteen years later, here is what we have to show for our amazing years together – Isabella and Jacob.

We also spent time at the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, and Piazza Navona. We ended the evening with dinner at Mama’s, which was recommended by our apartment owner. The food was great, including my sea bass with basil, capers, and tomatoes with crispy potato chips. Of course, we indulged in gelato, not once or twice but thrice!

David and I return to one of our favorite ancient buildings in Roma, and it became Jacob's favorite part of the day.

David and I return to one of our favorite ancient buildings in Roma, and it became Jacob’s favorite attraction of Roma thus far and the best part of his day.

We used Isabella's selfie stick, which is a hot item being sold at all tourist attractions, by the way, to take this photo of us positioned under the Pantheon's occulus.

We used Isabella’s selfie stick, which is a hot item being sold at all tourist attractions, by the way, to take this photo of us positioned under the Pantheon’s occulus.

David got a new camera, a Nikon 5500 SLR, and what beautiful, crisp images it takes! This is a detail of a statue from one of the fountains at Piazza Novena, another favorite place that David and I were looking forward to return to. It did not disappoint - from the artists to the statues to the charming outdoor restaurants under colorful awnings.

David got a new camera, a Nikon 5500 SLR, and what beautiful, crisp images it takes! This is a detail of a statue from one of the fountains at Piazza Novena, another favorite place that David and I were looking forward to seeing again. It did not disappoint – from the artists to the statues to the charming outdoor restaurants under colorful awnings.

We have a photograph that David took of this statue 18 years ago, which hangs in our bedroom. Nice to revisit it.

We have a B&W photograph that David took of this statue 18 years ago, which hangs in our bedroom. Nice to revisit it in color.

More statue love from PIazza Novena.

More statue love from PIazza Novena.

The following day, our friends Mike and Raissa and their two kids arrived. We retraced our steps from our Monday tour. We had more leisurely time to take more pictures, capturing the architecture of the city, and enjoy this part of town. David and I were able to wander around on a photo tour and we had a really nice time in a jewelry shop, but all that is for tomorrow’s entry.

Dinner at Mama's our first night in Rome - tender sea bass under a bed of homemade thin potato chips.

Dinner at Mama’s our first night in Rome – tender sea bass under a bed of homemade thin potato chips.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Seedling Scholarship: changing the world for the better

Unless someone like you
cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better.
It’s not.
– Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel), from The Lorax

As an adult, I have always understood how fortunate I am with the opportunities that have been presented to me throughout my life. My father, who immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines, came as a teenager who only knew the words “yes” and “no.” His academic education ended with the second grade because his father needed him to work in the fields. He came to America, he once told me, to “change his luck.” He began his immigrant life as a farm worker and later spent the majority of his career as a cook. While most would say he achieved a modest goal, he and my mother lived fairly comfortable lives (they were also hard-core savers). The biggest goal my father and mother had was to ensure that their three daughters went to college and had solid careers. When we three graduated from high school and then college, and for me graduate school, they were incredibly proud.

Being in the high school environment again – through Jacob, who started his freshman year at El Cerrito High School last fall – I feel the same excitement of possibilities, of the world opening up. But for many students, the prospect of going to college is either a pipe dream or a journey fraught with challenges and barriers. And one of those barriers is financial. That was the main reason I wanted to establish a needs-based scholarship for seniors. But I want it to be more than that. If our family was going to help create opportunities, then the recipient must also “pay it forward.”

Our family – David, Jacob, Isabella, and I – established The Seedling Scholarship this year to encourage young women and men to act on their compassion and become engaged citizens by making positive contributions and to be of service to their communities – whether it be local, state, national, or overseas. The scholarship recognizes and supports a graduating El Cerrito High School senior whose passion in life is to be a social change agent and whose goal is to make the world a better, more inclusive place for their fellow human beings and/or by being compassionate stewards of and advocates for our environment and the animals on our planet.

Originally, the scholarship was named The Lorax Scholarship because I came across a line from Dr. Seuss’s book and it resonated with me. This, I thought, is exactly what the scholarship is all about. We opted out of trying to secure permission and decided upon the name The Seedling Scholarship, which embodies the same ideas and the desire to nurture our communities.

I sought to create a committee of three to be my readers, so I thank Jane, Lisa, and Kimi with all my heart. I was guided by the nurturing career and guidance counselor Bobbi Griggs in the career center. We all read the 10 applications that came in, and when it came time to run the applications through my admittedly evolving rubric, we all came to the same conclusion: the experience of learning about these amazing kids, the adversities they faced, and the successes they achieved was both humbling and profound. I truly believe that when things come too easily you don’t fully appreciate what you have. When you struggle and you stay in the battle and come out on top, victory is all the sweeter. That’s what we all learned about many of the applicants. When it came time to determine a recipient, we discussed the intangibles that go beyond GPAs and well-written essays. We talked about heart and drive. We talked about what it took to get to where these students are. We discussed who could really make their dreams come true – if they were able to get financial aid.

In the end, our readers voted on choosing two recipients. And I’d like you to meet them.

Congratulating ECHS graduating senior Monet Boyd!

Congratulating ECHS graduating senior Monet Boyd!

Monet Boyd: building a better community and empowering its members
“I have always wanted to uplift and build the people in my community, but never had the tools, network, or platform,” wrote Monet in her essay. “I want to show my people what they are capable of, so that we may grow as a collective group.” By attending Cal Poly Pomona with a dual major in urban planning and African-American Studies, Monet hopes to “promote the importance of Black business and group economics” and “educate my community about our ancestors so that we may have knowledge of ourselves.”

Monet went on to write: “I will teach young Black boys and girls their history/identity so they realize that they are capable of greatness and can change their circumstances like our ancestors have done many times before. I will teach young and old people of the struggle, the pain, the triumph, and the victories of our people so that we may love ourselves as well as one another.”

As an urban planner, Monet wrote, “I will create strategic and specific plans to renew, revitalize, and restore my community. I will make the City of Richmond a stable, eco-friendly city, as well as beautiful in all areas. The City of Richmond would reflect the hearts and the history of Richmond. These improvements will allow citizens of Richmond to understand that they deserve the best for their community; thus wanting more for themselves and others.”

In addition to excelling in academics and volunteering within her church, Monet, who will be the first in her family to attend college, works part time for the City of El Cerrito to help support her family. Among the many leadership roles she held, she was president of the Black Student Union for three years. One of her letters of recommendation cited her “resiliency, determination, and motivation…” Her AP Language and Composition teacher wrote, “Our school was recognized this year for our enormous gains in school climate over the past three years, and with all seriousness, Monet deserves significant credit in the matter for the multifaceted ways she has created community on our campus.”

I was on a business trip when the night of the Senior Awards Night, so I wasn’t there to hand the certificate to her, which truly pained me. When I saw the program, her name was under numerous awards – and for good reason. I was able to meet Monet this past week. The first thing that struck me about her was her kindness. Coupled with that was a quiet resolve. Those two traits will serve her well. In order to achieve the lofty goals she has set for herself, one has to have determination and resolve. But more importantly, one has to be passionate and compassionate. And those are the very things the Seedling Scholarship was created to reward. Congratulations, Monet!

Congratulations, ECHS graduating senior Akeilah Ward-Hale!

Congratulations, ECHS graduating senior Akeilah Ward-Hale!

Akeilah Ward-Hale: turning hardships into strengths
Akeilah and her mother have faced many hardships and challenges, but despite the challenges, she wrote in her essay, “I have learned some valuable lessons that I will carry throughout my life. I have learned to never take things for granted, to appreciate every resource I am given, to try to stay positive even in the worst situations, to work hard, and to be grateful for my mother, someone who has never given up and supported me through everything.”

She continued, “Being this low at a point in my life had inspired me to want to help people that are hurt, in pain or just stressed out…Having that certain experience in my life has pushed me to do well in school and not become another statistic that doesn’t take education seriously.” Akeilah, who will be attending Cal State East Bay in the fall, wants to become a doctor so she can provide healthcare in her community of Richmond, which she points out lacks doctors and medical insurance coverage.

Akeilah’s counselor touted the way she “consistently challenged herself throughout high school by taking Honors and AP courses.” Akeilah had juggled the demanding coursework, a part-time job, tutoring in an afterschool program, and volunteering at her church. Her counselor wrote, “Never once had she indicated that they (her mother and she) were experiencing hardship nor complained about her situation. Clearly, to persist with her education despite these circumstances displays a tremendous amount of grit. Akeilah has admitted to wanting to give up on occasion throughout her high school career, but she stayed focused on her education. To say I am proud of her is an understatement. Akeilah is one of the most inspiring students I’ve worked with in my career….”

What really resonated with me was Akeilah’s statement: “The hardships you go through is just making you stronger to succeed I life.” When I met her on campus on Friday, she exuded that sense of strength through adversity and also wisdom gained from having conquered her adversities. I felt that hard-earned confidence in her presence, and I came away with the knowledge that she will succeed in her goals because she has faced many challenges in her young life and understands what it takes to come out on top. And she believes in herself, as do we. Congratulations, Akeilah!

The Seedling Scholarship is very proud to offer scholarships to these deserving two young women in its inaugural year!

Belated birthday musings: on turning 53

It is impossible for me to remember how many days or weeks went by in this way. Time is round, and it rolls quickly.
– Nikos Kazantzakis, Greek writer

I know we're in spring now, but I think this photo was taken in February, my birthday month. We've got the fog and it's chilly, so faux fur and leather seem appropriate.

I know we’re in spring now, but I think this photo was taken in February, my birthday month. We’ve got the fog and it’s chilly, so faux fur from Zara and faux leather from H&M seem appropriate in early May.

Easter has come and gone, May Day has passed, and Mother’s Day is looming ahead of me. When my birthday in February was approaching, I knew my family and I wouldn’t be able to partake in our traditional birthday dinner. I was on deadline and would be until my company’s annual conference passed in mid April. Usually, the conference is in late February, but with the event being held in Chicago, we had to push it back to hopefully catch good weather, which we did. What squeezed me because of the late conference date was working simultaneously on the LUNAFEST film festival. Just as LUNAFEST closed, new projects required my immediate attention – fundraising drive for Jacob’s high school’s Investing in Academic Excellence and preparing my three readers for the 10 applications that were completed and submitted for a scholarship that my family and I established at the high school. We still haven’t celebrated my birthday with a dinner, and while at a certain point it seems pointless, I feel like I need that milestone acknowledged. Call it a continuation of my existential angst. I am still here, I am 53, etc.

At any rate, I feel that we’ll have that dinner sometime this month, when I don’t feel like cooking during the week. For now, I am forcing myself to slow down for a moment and reflect on what is almost half a year into being 53. The first thing that came to my mind was that I don’t remember much of January through April. So many work deadlines, so many stressful days and nights and weekends. If I just had that in my life, I would be very sad and not happy with myself. But thankfully that was not the case, even if it meant less hours of sleep to be able to do the things that make me happy.

Necklace by Gretchen Schields (Book Passage, Corte Madera, CA), ring (Lava 9, Berkeley, CA), Alkemie scarab cuff, and Anthropologie feather earrings.

Necklace made of antique kimono fabric by Gretchen Schields (Book Passage, Corte Madera, CA), ring (Lava 9, Berkeley, CA), Alkemie scarab cuff, and Anthropologie feather earrings.

For one thing, the East Bay LUNAFEST committee put on a really remarkable film festival this year. It was my second year. As was my responsibility last year, I handled the dessert circle. But this time around, I was able to contribute with my writing – interviewing and profiling our private chef who cheffed our VIP event, two of the filmmakers whose film was selected, two of our committee members, and the president and CEO of the Breast Cancer Fund, and adding two more blog posts. We also had a larger crowd this year, and I had the honor of interviewing on-stage the two filmmakers. So I was very proud of our effort. Though I spent many weekends on these profiles, the outcome was worth it all.

Secondly, a good friend’s introduction to her father-in-law, a retired McClatchy journalist, and his retirement home neighbor, who is a local well-known Filipina writer, led to my novel finally finding a home in Eastwind Books of Berkeley (2066 University Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94704, 510.548.2350). Eastwind is a bookseller, but owner Harvey Dong also publishes books that are aligned with the Asian-American themes that its shop carries. I’m overwhelmed with having to do a lot of the work, with Eastwind being an independent small press. I am learning a lot, which I’m grateful for, but we’ve also introduced added stress by condensing the publishing process in order to meet the early September date commemorating the 50th anniversary of when the mostly Filipino farm workers walked out of the vineyards in what became the Great Delano Grape Strikes.

Add a vintage purse (Feathers, Austin, TX) and bronze pumps.

Add a vintage purse (Feathers, Austin, TX) and bronze pumps.

Thirdly, I offered to help the Stockton chapter of the Filipino American National Historical Society with the opening of the National FANHS Museum this summer and help the East Bay chapter with reading events in the summer and fall. I don’t have time to really do it all, but these are things that I am passionate about, and being passionate about a few things keeps one youthful and exuberant inside.

Giving up sleep and multitasking – things that are not healthy habits – are enabling me to keep pace with what I need to do not just in time to send everything to the printer but beyond my novel’s publication, when I need to do a full-court marketing press. Despite the stress of work deadlines, I had an enjoyable annual conference, getting together with colleagues and having a lot of fun moderating a really smart group of panelists for one of our clients. But I’m glad that event is done for the year.

So as I look back at the quarter mark of 2015, I see a lot of productivity and passion. I see exhaustion, but I see work to be proud of and work that will carry me through to the end of the year and beyond. I have a business trip to Orlando coming up. I asked David if we could have that birthday dinner the following week – and throw in Jacob getting his braces off and my novel getting accepted for publication as additional reasons to celebrate – three months late. I’ll take it. My 53rd year is promising, indeed. Why not continue the celebration.

I wore sweats most of the time these last four months, but every once in a while I threw something together and felt like I was back in civilization.

I wore sweats most of the time these last four months, but every once in a while I threw something together and felt like I was back in civilization.

LUNAFEST East Bay 2015: a pictorial

What woman doesn’t love to go to the movies with her girlfriends? Film is such a great way to bring women together, so it made sense for LUNA to create this opportunity to connect women filmmakers and their audiences with causes they care about.
– Kit Crawford, co-owner and co-chief visionary officer of Clif Bar & Company

It’s been a week since our LUNAFEST film festival and before I bid adieu to our LUNAFEST season, I wanted to share my LUNAFEST pictorial – a narrative in the form of photos and captions. As they say, a picture is worth a thousands words. And I have a lot of pictures from that memorable evening.

Our VIP event, hosted by our chair Joann Steck-Bayat, prior to the film festival featured our guest filmmakers Emily Fraser and Katherine Gorringe, posing with their Lady Parts LUNAFEST poster.

Our VIP event, hosted by our chair Joann Steck-Bayat at her lovely home prior to the film festival, featured our guest filmmakers Emily Fraser and Katherine Gorringe, posing with their Lady Parts LUNAFEST poster.

Our piano player for the evening - tickling the ivories.

VIP guest Jeanne Rizzo, RN, president and CEO of the Breast Cancer Fund, and Joann, chatting with guests.

Our VIP event piano player, tickling the ivories.

Our VIP event piano player, tickling the ivories.

A beautiful spread of cheeses and fruits.

A beautiful spread of cheeses and fruits.

VIP event private chef Sirona Skinner Nixon making those heavenly deviled eggs for the guests.

Private chef Sirona Skinner Nixon making those heavenly deviled eggs for the guests.

Sirona's wife and partner of S&S Foods, Sinead O'Rourke, making the crostini.

Sirona’s wife and partner of S&S Foods, Sinead O’Rourke, making the crostini.

Joann trains our superb raffle ticket sellers, from let to right, her cousin Annika, Isabella, Mateo, and Wyatt.

Joann trains our superb raffle ticket sellers, from let to right, her cousin Annika, Isabella, Mateo, and Wyatt, in front of the prize board.

El Cerrito High School's IT Academy students volunteered to serve food at our VIP event. Service with a smile.

El Cerrito High School’s IT Academy students volunteered to serve food at our VIP event: service with a smile and lamb sliders.

Jeanne meets Emily and Katherine.

Jeanne, Emily, and Katherine in a lively conversation.

It may have been March 21st, but we were able to throw open the French doors and spill into the backyard and grab a drink from our friendly bartenders.

It may have been March 21st, but we were able to throw open the French doors and spill into the backyard and grab a drink served by our friendly bartenders.

Which bag shall I put my raffle ticket in? The GoPro camera or the Kindle? We had so many wonderful donated gifts to raffle.

Which bag shall I put my raffle ticket in? The GoPro camera or the Kindle? We had so many wonderful donated gifts to raffle. Committee member Rebecca Boe made our sharp raffle boards.

New this year - Taiko drummers perform as attendees arrived in front of the high school. They were mesmerizing!

New this year – Taiko drummers perform as attendees arrived in front of the high school. They were mesmerizing!

A tribute to Mae De La Calzada, owner of Lady Parts Automotive - a beautiful bouquet and photo of Emily and Katharine and Mae De La Calzada.

A tribute to Mae De La Calzada, owner of Lady Parts Automotive – a beautiful bouquet and photo of Emily, Katharine and Mae.

Committee member Rebecca Boe made this wonderful poster announcing our guests Jeanne Rizzo, Katherine Gorringe, and Emily Fraser in the lobby of ECHS's Performing Arts Theater.

Committee member Rebecca also made this wonderful poster announcing our guests Jeanne, Katherine, and Emily in the lobby of ECHS’s Performing Arts Theater.

As expected, Jeanne Rizzo delivered a rousing, inspired, and educational welcome. Joann rocked as master of ceremonies and Melody Shah, representing the ITA, let us know how much the ITA appreciated being a beneficiary of our LUNAFEST fundraising.

As expected, Jeanne delivered a rousing, inspired, and educational welcome. Joann rocked as master of ceremonies and Melody Shah, representing the ITA, let us know how much the ITA appreciated being a beneficiary of our LUNAFEST fundraising.

I was honored to interview Emily and Katherine on stage and listen to them talk about the making of Lady Parts and the connection they formed with Mae.

I was honored to interview Emily and Katherine on stage and listen to them talk about the making of Lady Parts and the connection they formed with Mae.

We had nearly 300 attendees at this year's LUNAFEST! They enjoyed complimentary coffee by Well Grounded Coffee & Tea Bar during our post-screening Dessert Circle.

We had nearly 300 attendees at this year’s LUNAFEST! They enjoyed complimentary coffee by Well Grounded Coffee & Tea Bar during our post-screening Dessert Circle.

This year we had a very popular photo booth with props, which was the brainchild of committee member Anja Hakoshima. Thanks, Anja!

This year we had a very popular photo booth with props, which was the brainchild of committee member Anja Hakoshima. Thanks, Anja!

Returning with their yummy cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies were Pamela Braxton and her son Zachary of Braxtons' Boxes.

Returning from last year’s inaugural Dessert Circle with their yummy cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies were Pamela Braxton and her son Zachary of Braxtons’ Boxes.

Group photo! Emily and Katherine, flanked by many members of the LUNAFEST East Bay Committee.

Group photo! Emily and Katherine, flanked by many members of the LUNAFEST East Bay Committee. Until next year!

 

Melody Shah: sharing ‘brain-shattering’ outdoor and classroom adventures

Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit, and as vital to our lives as water and good bread. A civilization which destroys what little remains of the wild, the spare, the original, is cutting itself off from its origins and betraying the principle of civilization itself.
– Edward Abbey, American author and essayist

Melody at Snow Tongue Pass, Sierra High Route.

Melody at Snow Tongue Pass, Sierra High Route.

In the summer of 2014, Melody Shah, El Cerrito High School teacher and LUNAFEST East Bay Committee member, and her husband, Sati, spent two months hiking a 600-mile High loop in California’s High Sierra. They started south from Sonora on trails to Road’s End in King’s Canyon at the South Fork of the King’s River in the southern Sierra Nevada, and hiked cross-country on the Sierra High Route back to Twin Lakes in northern Yosemite. Their trip, specifically through the 195-mile Sierra High Route in King’s Canyon National Park, is the subject of their talk at the REI Berkeley store (1338 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94702, 510.527.4140) on Wednesday, March 18th, 7 to 8:30pm, and the REI San Francisco store (840 Brannan Street, San Francisco, CA 94103, 415.934.1938) on Wednesday, March 25th, 7 to 8:30pm. “I want to take our experiences and share them with a larger audience,” she said of her objective for the talks. With the Berkeley event sold out and on waitlist, and the San Francisco event almost sold out, Melody will definitely achieve her goal.

A beautiful view of the Swiss Alps.

A beautiful view of the Swiss Alps.

When the LUNAFEST East Bay committee convenes in the fall to begin preparations for our spring film festival “by, for, about women,” the 10 of us look forward to hearing about Melody’s spring break and summer backcountry explorations. When we meet in January, we get updates of winter holiday adventures. Just to give you an unfairly brief overview, in January 2013, Melody and Sati paraglided with friends in Yelapa, a small beach town in Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco, Mexico. In the summer later that same year, they lived in the Azores and paraglided off of volcanoes. She has also gone paragliding in Indonesia and British Columbia, and traversed the European Alps from west to east, which included flying, hiking, and backpacking across France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, and Slovenia. On that latter paragliding trip, she launched off of flower-covered mountainsides and glided across valleys. “That perspective of these amazing landscapes is so freeing and other-worldly,” she told me. She’s canyoneered in California’s Sierra Nevada and throughout Southern Utah, including Zion National Park and Escalante National Monument, and toured the backcountry of Eastern Oregon’s Wallowa Mountains. And in 2005, she spent two months completing 700 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail through California’s high country.

Melody and Sati atop Mt. Whitney.

Melody and Sati atop Mt. Whitney.

I haven’t been camping in years and I confess I’m acrophobic, and that’s exactly why I am in awe of and inspired by, what I call, Melody’s acts of courage. Since 2004, she’s chronicled her adventures in her interweb, Range of Light!, which boasts some beautiful images of nature across the continents. When I marveled at how fearless she is, Melody interjected, saying, “I have a lot of fears, but in order to overcome them, I don’t deny fear.” When she first began preparing for her outdoor adventures, she admitted that she was “super terrified.” “I didn’t know I could do these things,” she confided. “But as I went through each adventure and gained strength, knowledge, and skills, my confidence grew. One of the most important goals of the experience for me is becoming more capable and then allowing fear to be a consideration and a way to analyze and strategically approach the risks. Fear keeps me smart and safe about the whole adventure.”

Melody, her two brothers, and her mom at Fundy National Park, New Brunswick, Canada, August 1984.

Melody, her two brothers, and her mom at Fundy National Park, New Brunswick, Canada, August 1984.

Roots: Love of the outdoors, love of design
Melody hails from Merrimac, MA, on the New Hampshire border. Her love of the outdoors can be traced to her mother, Joyce Audy Zarins, artist, sculptor, and children’s book author and illustrator. All of the family vacations taken when her mother was a single parent were outdoor trips, as were many of them after her mother remarried. Melody, her two siblings, her mother, and later, her stepfather camped, hiked, and canoed. “She wasn’t scared to take a bunch of us kids down a river for a few days,” Melody related, with a laugh.

Baiba, Melody, and her mom canoeing the Saco River in Maine, July 1984.

Baiba, Melody, and her mom canoeing the Saco River in Maine, July 1984.

She also inherited her mother’s artistic talents. Melody graduated from Syracuse University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in art media, with a focus on 3D modeling and animation. That summer, she helped put together an exhibit for the annual SIGGRAPH conference on computer graphics and design in Los Angeles. She ended up landing a job in the Bay Area, and she’s remained a California resident ever since.

When Melody began working for advertising agencies, the first Internet boom was ramping up. “Young people were the ones who knew about the Internet, so it was a great time to come out of college and find a job easily,” she explained. In her first job, she designed websites for public and private organizations – including the White House – at a time when websites were just emerging. When her work shifted to online advertising, something she didn’t want to do, she went back to school. At San Francisco State University, she studied lightweight composite design specifically for backcountry snowboarding gear, with the intent on being an outdoor gear designer. With her degree in industrial design, she planned to marry her love of the outdoors with her career.

Melody's students in the ITA at El Cerrito High School.

Melody’s students in the ITA at El Cerrito High School.

While in school, Melody taught college and adult classes at City College and CELLSpace (now Inner Mission), a community-based hub for artistic and cultural classes and events, both in San Francisco. She taught in the motion graphics department at Ex’pression College for Visual Arts in Emeryville. In 2007, she “answered the call” to teach at El Cerrito High School, and since then has been teaching digital art and design classes as the Lead Teacher of the Information Technology Academy (ITA) – one of the local beneficiaries of LUNAFEST’s fundraising efforts – and digital photography ROP classes and media classes within the Media Academy. “I love the idea of having a job where I can share the things that I’m passionate about with people and feel that I’m contributing to the community in a positive way,” Melody said.

Sati and Melody camping - 'home away from home.'

Sati and Melody camping – ‘home away from home.’

Opening up opportunities and the world
Teaching high school students is “a totally different world” versus teaching college students and adults, but Melody pointed out that the goal remains the same: give students an environment to collaborate, solve problems, and create art and design through technology in a way that is meaningful to them. “In the academy setting, I can foster this community within the bigger school and give kids a place of their own, and empower them with skills that help build their confidence and help them shape their identity,” she said. When companies hire ITA students upon completion of their internships because of the skills that the students learned and brought to the table, she enthused, “It’s really powerful and impactful and validating. Those moments are great.” Melody hears often from ITA graduates who are majoring in art and design in universities and colleges or are now in the workforce, working for companies such as Pixar.

Paragliding at Big Sur.

Paragliding at Big Sur.

She illustrates visual design concepts in the classroom leveraging content from her travels. In doing so, she shares her love of the outdoors and her traveling adventures with her students. “It introduces an element of fun, but the kids also appreciate and respect me because they see that I have these skills outside of the classroom,” she explained.

Melody has also engaged her ITA students to participate as volunteers at LUNAFEST. She became involved with the film festival when the East Bay Committee invited her to join four years ago while she was teaching a video class at the school. “I feel lucky to be part of that group, being a part of something positive for the community,” she said, referring to the committee members and their work, as well as fundraising for the ITA and the Breast Cancer Fund. “It’s also important for students to be exposed to positive messages,” she added.

Hiking the Sierra, with a stunning view before them (photo credit: Ki Hong).

Hiking the Sierra, with a stunning view before them (photo credit: Ki Hong).

She likes that the films selected for LUNAFEST offer such diverse viewpoints in storytelling. “I have a love for the telling of a story; a lot of my work with students is helping them articulate and tell their stories,” she said. ITA students who volunteer at the VIP event and the film festival are not only exposed to the good work being done around breast cancer prevention but are introduced to the filmmaking world – using video as the medium to tell a story. The message she imparts to kids about the film festival: It’s possible to have your story shared and celebrated via a platform such as LUNAFEST and become something meaningful to other people. Her students watch the films in class and Melody admitted that many of the films are “outside of the students’ comfort zone,” but she likes challenging them to widen their world and be open to other messages and styles. “They have responded well,” she reported. “They like being surprised.”

Backcountry skiing in the Sierras.

Backcountry skiing in the Sierras.

Teaching, Melody acknowledges, is a “funny job.” “There are some things that are very pragmatic and very black and white that you try to give to your kids, but skills are only part of it,” she revealed. “I hope the kids start to think of life as an adventure. I hope they know that they are empowered to advocate for themselves and communicate with confidence about the things that they can do or that they know how to do. I hope that they foster curiosity about the world outside their comfort zone and learn to recognize that being curious is going to open up opportunities that would be missed otherwise.” When her students adopt her enthusiasm for and philosophy of life – and her graduates are proof of that certainty – her hopes will indeed have been realized. And their worlds will open up like leopard lilies along the Pacific Crest Trail high up in the Sierras.

Launching at Chamonix, the French Alps.

Launching at Chamonix, the French Alps.