Valentine’s Day Mix (Not Mine)

Posted on February 14, 2012 by lisafindley

Dearest fellow travelers, I had every intention of creating a Valentine’s mix for you again this year, but every time I went to Grooveshark it crashed on me. We are talking through it and expect to emerge stronger than ever on the other side, but for now it’s a difficult time. So in lieu of my Motown-heavy list, might I direct you to The Rejectionist’s indieriffic playlist? (The Rejectionist is a stellar writer and also, as it turns out, a good DJ.)

It’s manufactured, it’s silly, but Valentine’s Day can also be a time to smile more at the people you love, and that’s always a good thing.

It’s a day late, but of course I wish you the best Galentine’s Day too. Leslie 4evah.

Valentine's Day blurry hearts

Image.

New Centerstage Review Up

Posted on February 14, 2012 by lisafindley

And in the center ring, we have another play review. (Last week was a busy Centerstage week for me, and tonight I see South Pacific, so you can expect even more.) Quest Theatre has been putting on FREE shows for ten years, which is an impressive feat in this town. I saw Barnum, a musical that was originally staged in 1980, and is just as much fun today. Quest does a lot of family-friendly shows, and their call-outs to kids in the audience and fun puppetry does aim for them, but this isn’t just for kids (I mean, there’s a story about an extramarital affair and some hurdy-gurdy dancing from a 160-year-old woman).

Here’s an excerpt of my play review:

In a funny recurring bit, Barnum lets the audience in on various kinds of humbug, like the marriage humbug or the patriotic humbug. There are all kinds of ways to reach people and persuade them to your point of view, and Barnum used them all in his endeavors.

You can read the rest of the review here.

New Centerstage Review Up

Posted on February 13, 2012 by lisafindley

Just in time for Valentine’s Day comes a tale of love gone horribly wrong: The Gingerbread House at Red Tape Theatre in Lakeview. Here’s an excerpt of my play review:

Imagine the story of Hansel and Gretel, but instead of following the children down the path of breadcrumbs, we follow the parents into their own increasingly dark forest. That’s the premise of Mark Schultz’s “The Gingerbread House.” Money is tight and life is miserable for Brian (Mike Tepeli) and Stacey (Meghan Reardon), so they decide to make all their problems disappear by doing the unthinkable: they sell their kids.

Yep, it’s quite the premise, and it holds promise for the first half hour. But it goes on too long (two hours, with an intermission) and loses the intensity that was so compelling at first. Still, the set, direction, sound, and acting is all good–all the elements are there except for a tight script. I will want to see another show by this company to see what else they can do.

My Kind of Town Monday

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Made in America, Fullerton and Washtenaw, Chicago, IL, October 22, 2011

Stowaway Connections — Readers, I Need Your Help!

Posted on February 9, 2012 by lisafindley

Hello, dearest fellow travelers! As Tuesday’s post announced, I have made plans official by putting down money on an airplane ticket. This is very exciting for a couple reasons: 1) I’m actually doing this, and 2) it means more planning. Even a cursory glance at this blog will show that I love planning. Some people get anxious when planning, and I feel for them, but I find the anticipation part of the fun of the whole travel experience. Which is all to say: will you help me plan?

Who do you know?
It seems every time I mention to someone that I’m going on this trip, they know at least one person living abroad. Often, they’ll offer to put me in touch with this friend abroad, which I greatly appreciate. One of the main reasons I want to go on this trip is to meet people everywhere I go, see how they live, make friends (as opposed to just meeting fellow travelers in hostels; that has its own charm but is often a more fleeting personal connection and no geographic connection at all).

A couch to crash on, or just a friendly face in a new place
So do you know someone living on my route? I would especially appreciate a place to stay (no more than three nights! I know the Benjamin Franklin quote: “Fish and visitors stink after three days.”). But not everyone is able to or wants to accommodate guests, and I totally understand that. If the friend abroad could have coffee or a meal with me, or even just give me pointers via email if they’ll be too busy to meet up, I’d appreciate it. All connections are helpful.

Below is a rough outline of my route and about when I expect to be in each place (so your friend can know when to expect a call). I’m putting down the names of cities I expect to visit, but I certainly won’t confine myself to just cities, so if your friend wants to make a pitch for their particular corner of the world, go for it! I love planning, but I know that half of all travel plans fall apart and flexibility is key.

The Suggestion Box
Drop by The Suggestion Box and add in some advice on where I should go, or have your friend abroad do it. I’d especially love to have the Google Map updated with restaurants, sights to see, cafes, bars, etc. from people who live there or who’ve been there (that may be you!). Do it this weekend before you forget all those places you went last time you were on the other side of the world.

Come join me!
Also, now that you can see where I’m going and when, you can plan your own vacation to come visit me. I am serious about this–if you have vacation time and some money, give it some thought. We’d have great fun.

Leave a comment or send me an email/Facebook message if you have a connection you’d like to share. Thanks so much!

Lisa’s World Trip, Part 1*
Oceania & Asia, September 2012-August/September 2013

USA — Honolulu, Hilo — 2 weeks 9/3-9/17
Australia — Sydney, Alice Springs (for Uluru), Cairns (for Great Barrier Reef), Byron Bay, maybe Melbourne? — 6 weeks 9/17-10/31
New Zealand — Auckland, Christchurch, maybe Dunedin — 6 weeks 10/31-12/12
Indonesia — Jakarta, Bali — 3 weeks 12/12-1/2
Singapore — 1 week 1/2-1/9 (too expensive for much more time!)
Thailand — Bangkok, Chiang Mai — 4-5 weeks 1/9-2/13
Laos — Luang Prabang — 3 weeks 2/13-3/6
Cambodia — Siem Reap, Phnom Penh — 2 weeks 3/6-3/20
Vietnam — Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Hanoi — 4 weeks 3/20-4/17
Japan — Tokyo, Kyoto — 3 weeks 4/17-5/8 (to see the cherry blossoms, but if this is too expensive from Vietnam I might make it the last point on the trip)
China — Guiyang, Shanghai, Beijing — 4-5 weeks 5/8-6/12
Korea — Seoul — 3 weeks 6/12-7/3

You’ll notice that the timing lands me back in the states in early July, but I’m planning to return mid-August or September. That’s because this is my general idea before I leave; I just know that I’ll stay longer in some places and shorter in others, or that I’ll find a cool volunteer program that requires me to stay in one place longer than originally expected. So consider that flexibility built in.

* Parts 2 and 3 will include Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India, and Latin America. So if your connections are in that part of the world, rest assured I will need your help in 2013-2014!

Where in the World Wednesday

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Dublin Castle, Dublin, Ireland, January 2004

Let the Trip Begin!

Posted on February 7, 2012 by lisafindley

I’VE BOOKED MY TICKET. I booked a ticket to Hawaii, the first stop on my trip around the world. On Labor Day of this year, September 3, I’ll be flying from Chicago to Honolulu. My sister Heather will be joining me, and we’ll spend time on Oahu and the Big Island for two glorious weeks. Then Heather will head back home and I’ll carry on to Australia. I’m super excited and more than a little scared that I’ve taken the leap. It’s all very real now. Hurrah!

Image 1 here. Image 2 here.

My Kind of Town Monday

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Logan Square, Chicago, IL, January 8, 2012

At My Pace: In Defense of Slow Walking

Posted on February 2, 2012 by lisafindley

Sometimes when I’m ambling down the street and fellow city workers rush past me, I sing a little song to myself: “I’m a slow walker and you think it’s not fair, but I’m a slow walker and I don’t care.”

...on track to my destination! Boo-yah?

Friends have tried to make me speed up but that just makes me want to drag my feet out of stubbornness. City walkers move impatiently past me, but I don’t rush from place to place and I don’t see why I should. I don’t stand and gawp in the middle of the sidewalk, and I keep to the right so it’s easy for people to pass me, so I don’t understand the sighs of frustration as people do pass me. There’s sidewalk enough to share!

At my pace, I’m able to see little things to brighten my day or amuse me, like a kid making up a hopscotch game as she waits for the bus with her mom. At my pace, I can look around and enjoy the sights, and feel like I’m really a part of whatever place I’m in.

I’m a slow walker at home and I’m sure that won’t change when I go on my trip. Since most of the time I’ll be doing my own thing, it shouldn’t be an issue. I will have to speed up some if I go on tours, so as not to slow down the whole group, but otherwise I’ll see foreign sights as I see hometown ones–at my own pace.