Why I Will Vote In An Election That Nobody Wants

Posted on May 27, 2016 by jaynezak

“Elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.” Abraham Lincoln

The Republicans seem to feel that if Obama can be elected President than anyone can – even a reality star who has never held any public office. Hillary Clinton who seemed like a viable first woman president is now untrustworthy and very unlikable.

I voted when I turned eighteen and then I didn’t vote for a long time. I always believed that the lesser of two evils was still an evil. Political participation felt ineffective and protesting seemed the way to create change. After I had kids, I felt differently. I was responsible for everything including earthquakes, climate change, crime and the economy. It was my responsibility to my children to vote people into office who also felt responsible and would make the world better for them.

I’ve spent time in countries that are run by dictatorships, the military or have corrupt elections and governments. Watching the movie An African Election, makes you realize that having a vote is not a given for everyone. I can’t not vote anymore, even though this election is troublesome to me.

The right to vote is mentioned more often in the Constitution than anything else. Perhaps the mentality was that voting was a privilege and it needed to be a right. For a long time it was only the “right people” who could vote. This is something we are so adamant about when we see it in other countries. Our vote may not seem so important to us now but we would be so much worse without it.

Will my vote this year be who do I hate less? Neither of them have the qualities that I picture in a leader. When I think of what a leader of a country is supposed to be I think of words like stability, peace, tolerance, fairness, honesty, character, substance, and justice. Didn’t we learn in Elementary School to build bridges not walls and to never tell a lie? The system is clearly broken. It seems that no one good and really qualified wants to grow up and be President of the United States anymore. Instead it is “clowns to the left of me jokers to the right, Here am stuck in the middle…….”

Who would Jesus vote for?

Fly safe,

JAZ

Walking Alone – Street Art In Amsterdam

Posted on May 22, 2016 by jaynezak

“Art is an evolutionary act. The shape of art and its role in society is constantly changing. At no point is art static. There are no rules.” Raymond Salvatore Harmon

Street art in Amsterdam is more satirical and fun then the street art in Third World countries.

It is much more accepted and looked at as art not vandalism.

Amsterdam doesn’t have as much street art as Paris , London or Berlin, but if you have a good guide you will find it.

It is not that hard to find nice street art in Amsterdam.

Nicole at http://www.streetarteurope.com/street-art-amsterdam-tour/ does an interesting comprehensive, reasonable priced group tour of Amsterdam street on Sundays.

I had actually never done a group street art tour because it never fit into my schedule in a city.

It was interesting to see the range of people who were interested in street art.- an older couple from Belgium, middle-aged couple from Shoreditch,who were very proud to be where Banksy was from, and people from Canada and the States who were living in or visiting friends in Amsterdam.

Nicole is self taught and passionate about street art. She knows a great deal about the art and the artists and has made a career from her passion and knowledge curating street art in Europe. It is nice to have a tour with someone who clearly loves it as much as the people who signed up for the tour.

Good street art will tell you a lot about the people who live there.

C215, Alice Pasquini, Space Invader, The London Police, Shoe, Faile, Icy & Sot, Bustart, Zaira, are all showing in the streets of Amsterdam.

The London Police are a British street art collective currently painting all over Amsterdam.

I loved seeing Icy and Sot’s boy Walking Alone in different places in the city. It was like running into a friend. He is all over Europe now and for some reason he reminds me of the refugees and how lucky I am.

Laser 3.14 is a street poet whose words are found all over Amsterdam on temporary surfaces only.

There is a lot more street sculpture in cities around the world these days. They are usually small and easy to miss without a guide.

Invader is a street artist known for creating tile pieces that are out of video games.

He created an app called Flash Invaders that gives you points for finding his work all over the world. He has made a game out of the hunt for street art. Nicole is doing well. I just saw a huge one on Beverly Blvd in LA.

Street art started as a creative outlet but has turned into a legitimate business with tours, galleries, books, design, fashion and art.

It definitely has more of an art movement feeling in European cities than the protest feel of South American countries.

Street art is always beautiful, funny, moving and in this moment in time.

Fly safe,

JAZ

Twelve Hours In Paris With A Wedding Dress

Posted on May 18, 2016 by jaynezak

Twelve Hours In Paris With A Wedding Dress

“Paris is always a good idea.” Audrey Hepburn

Check into a hotel so you do not leave the wedding dress in a taxi. Put the wedding dress in the closet.

See Syrian refugees begging for money and militia on the streets. Give away my Euros from Amsterdam. Big reality check.

Drive past Eiffel Tower and Arc Du Triomphe. Take bad photos from moving car.

Stop for lunch at La Carette.

Eat croissants, omelet, nicoise salad and cafe au lait. Have everything French in one meal.

Buy fabulous French pharmacy beauty products.

Go to Versailles.

Walk around the gardens and Petite Trianon.

A little Louis XlV and a bit of Marie Antoinette go a long way.

Drive to the Louis Vuitton Foundation by Frank Gehry. Get out and take a photo so it looks like I was there.

Crowd five people into a tiny French hotel room with the wedding dress. Two are napping. One is in the shower. Another is fixing her carry on luggage.The fifth one goes downstairs and has tea. The one fixing her carry on luggage left her favorite bracelet from Cambodia in that hotel. They called to tell her.

After much restaurant deliberation, the not sleeping people have appetizers at the hotel. The not sleeping people are the women.

Go back to the airport with the wedding dress. Have macarons at airport Laduree.

Fly safe to Africa,
JAZ

Art Museums In Amsterdam

Posted on May 14, 2016 by jaynezak

Art Museums in Amsterdam

“I’ve become like one of those people I hate, the sort who go to the museum and, instead of looking at the magnificent Brueghel, take a picture of it, reducing it from art to proof. It’s not “Look what Brueghel did, painted this masterpiece” but “Look what I did, went to Rotterdam and stood in front of a Brueghel painting!” David Sedaris

The best place to start exploring art in Amsterdam is the Rijksmuseum.

Many of Johannes Vermeer’s paintings are housed in the Rijksmuseum and though Girl With A Pearl Earring is in the Hague there is a lot to see. Several Rembrandt paintings are there including Night Watch. There are many rooms devoted to Dutch painters. Allow a few hours.

The passageway at the Rijksmuseum has the best outdoor acoustics in the city. Many professional musicians come there to practice. It is definitely worth a walk through.

The Van Gogh Museum is a crowd pleaser . Visit during the week to avoid the crowds.

However, it’s still worth wading through floods of tourists for a chance to get up close to so many recognizable works of art crafted by such a complicated fascinating man.

Sex sells . Easy Virtue explores artists’ fascination with prostitution in Paris in the second half of the 19th and start of the 20th centuries.

It was curated at the Musee D’Orsay in Paris and is now showing at the Van Gogh museum till June. It is confrontational, interesting and beautiful. It is filled with unanswered questions, double standards, hints and clues. Amsterdam with its red light district is a good city for this exhibition.

The Stedelijk Museum is also located in Museumplein with the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh museum and is usually overshadowed by them . All three museums are worth visiting because they represent different aspects of Dutch art. The Stedelijk focuses on modern artistic movements and is definitely worth a visit.

If you are a photography fan or not, the Foam Museum is a cool place to go. They always have fascinating exhibitions and change them often.

It is a large and interesting space with a great gallery and bookstore. It could be one of the best photography museums in Europe.

The Rembrandt House Museum consists of a seventeenth century house, his studio and a modern shop.

He painted many of his masterpieces here.

The rooms have all been refurbished with art and furnishings of that period. The museum also own most of Rembrandt/s etchings and many are on display.

The Moco Museum just opened in Amsterdam with an exhibition of work by Andy Warhol and Banksy.

It is located also in Museumplein and is hoping to reach a larger younger audience. It opened the day I left and I really wanted to see this.

There is a lot of art in Amsterdam. So do some research and decide where you want to go or randomly walk into a museum or gallery that looks interesting. You won’t be disappointed.

Fly safe,

JAZ

Visiting Community Projects In The Townships In Capetown, South Africa With Uthando

Posted on May 10, 2016 by jaynezak

Visiting Community Projects In The Townships In Capetown With Uthando

“With love and joy, have happiness. “ Xolani from Uthando

Townships are holdovers from apartheid, when non-whites were forced to live in large communities. All townships around South Africa evolved over time, many of them turning into small cities. Unlike a real city though, townships lack key aspects of infrastructure, like sewage, universal running water, and well-organized electrical grids. Townships still exist today, but they’re changing and many have distinct sections of middle-class people as well as the very poor. There is most definitely poverty in a township, but that poverty doesn’t define the experience.

I feel as a middle class white woman that when I travel it is my responsibility to raise my awareness about how ninety per cent of the world lives. My visit to a township will not save anyone from poverty. It will probably not change anyone’s life – except my own.

I was going to be in Capetown with friends and family and I found Uthando (uthandosa.org) on the internet. Uthando is a nonprofit company that oversees many different community projects in the townships In South Africa. I was interested in going but was a bit concerned. There has recently been criticism about this new kind of tourism where visitors are feeling enriched by going to the townships and gawking at the poor standard of living. Uthando is different. Uthando raises money and awareness for the many projects they fund through these tours. You are driven through very poor areas in the townships directly to these programs.

I went with my daughter and some of her friends. We were lucky enough to visit a few programs. We started in Guguletsu. We went to the Zama Dance school. It is run by professional ballet dancers and is in one of the nicest dance spaces I’ve seen. The dancers are focused and trying really hard to follow the strict rules and postures of ballet.

We continued on to the Seniors Project. The women proudly showed us their intricate handicrafts and their beautiful center. Creating their interesting pieces and interacting with tourists gave them confidence, self-respect, some income and a voice.

Xolisa is in charge of the Isikhokelo Primary School Garden Project.

He loves gardening and is teaching the community to grow their own food.

Amy Biehl was an American student from Stanford University who was murdered in Capetown while working against apartheid. Her family and friends started the Amy Biehl Foundation in Khayelitsha to continue her work and help at risk children in the townships. We came after school and there were incredible music, dance, singing and acting programs going on. The kids were really talented. I was blown away by the fact that they were rehearsing Merchant Of Venice.

There was energetic African dancing, incredibly beautiful voices in the choral class and excellent musicians.

After school programs like these promote self-discovery, problem-solving skills, opportunities for positive risk taking, mastery of artistic skills and resiliency.

James Fernie, the director of Uthando, took us around. It is amazing that he has been able to incorporate so many small community programs into his organization.

We only saw a few of them.

One person cannot change the world alone. Development is a much larger and involved process. We are more likely to have small impacts than world-changing ones. I strongly urge anyone going to Capetown to contact Uthando and spend a half day with them.

Whether I choose to experience the poverty and see what people like James Fernie of Uthando are doing to help or not, we still all occupy the same planet. We are all human beings. My responsibility as a fellow citizen of this world is the same, whether I choose to see it and acknowledge it, help in any way I can, or do nothing.

Fly safe,

JAZ

How to Lose Weight In Amsterdam

Posted on May 6, 2016 by jaynezak

How To Lose Weight In Amsterdam

“Like drugs and alcohol, stairs take you up and stairs bring you down. Stairs are neither in one place nor another. They bridge the vertical. Stairs have no allegiance.”Chloe Thurlow

Amsterdam is one giant stairmaster with bicycles, You can eat fresh cheese, poffertjes ( baby pancakes with butter and sugar),brooje (raw herring and pickle sandwich -really),stroopwaffels ( yes they are crispy waffles),Indonesian food and beer and not gain weight. Here is why. When you are not eating – you are walking, riding a bicycle or climbing very steep stairs. It is never just one flight of stairs.

Fly safe,

JAZ

Jewish Amsterdam

Posted on May 1, 2016 by jaynezak

Jewish Amsterdam

“And my conclusion Is, since I had been on very good terms with Anne, that most parents don’t really know their children.” Otto Frank after reading Anne’s diary

One of the most famous residents of Amsterdam is Anne Frank. Every school age child in the United States has read her diary. It has been translated into 67 languages and sold over thirty million copies. She became the voice for those who did not have a voice. The secret annex where Anne, her family and friends had hidden for two years became a museum in 1960.

The Anne Frank House was at the top of my list of places to visit in Amsterdam. I was much younger than Anne when I read her diary for the first time. Her yearning for love, freedom and peace were very real to me. I wanted to be just like her. When I saw the bookcase in the house, it changed from a story to reality. People move slowly and quietly through the annex. The rooms are dark and empty. There are quotes from the diary, pictures on the wall, an exhibit that tells what happened to the residents and at the end is a beautiful film which tells how her story affected different people’s lives. There are no photographs allowed. I was mostly in my head reliving the parts of the story I knew so well.

I took a walking tour of the Jewish quarter with Jeanette Loeb. http://jewishhistoryamsterdam.com Her knowledge of Jewish History in Amsterdam is extensive and I was lucky to find someone who gave such a comprehensive tour. She has a lot of background information and interesting stories about the places we visited – especially about the Portuguese Jews in Amsterdam.

The Portuguese Synagogue is Amsterdam was built in 1675. During the Spanish Inquisition, Jews in Spain and Portugal were forced to convert to Catholicism. Many escaped to Amsterdam for freedom of religion. The interior is a single very high, plain, rectangular space with wooden benches built in Dutch Protestant style by Dutch architects. It survived the Nazi Invasion unscathed because they were going to use the building.

The Hollandsche Schouwburg was a popular theatre. In 1941 the Nazis changed the theatre’s name into Joodsche Schouwburg, or, Jewish Theatre. After that, only Jewish actors and artists were allowed to perform there – for a strictly Jewish audience. Between 1942 and 1943 Jews from Amsterdam and surrounding districts were obliged to report at the Hollandsche Schouwburg before being deported. It became a transport center. The Jews were transported to the Dutch transit camps in Westerbork or Vught. These were the last stop before they were herded into trains bound for one of the extermination camps. It is now a memorial.

Jan Wolkers, a famous Dutch artist and writer, created a holocaust monument in the Wertheimpark in Amsterdam. The monument called “Broken Mirror”, is made from glass panels and reads “Auschwitz, never again”. It covers an urn filled with ashes from Auschwitz. The mirrors are supposed to reflect that air, sky and the world around us, will never be the same again. it has been vandalized several times.

The Stolperstein Memorial Project was designed by Berlin artist Gunter Demnig to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust.The stolpersteins (which means stumbling stones) are small, cobblestone-sized memorials for individual victims of the Nazi regime. The idea was to commemorate them in front of their last chosen place of residence. It is the largest memorial project in the world covering several countries. Demig felt that you have to make a decision to visit a holocaust memorial but with stumbling blocks, you can look down and see them at your feet. It is not a memorial to six million but to individuals – one plus one plus one.

The Jewish Historical Museum has a permanent collection about the history and culture of the Jewish people in the Netherlands as well as temporary exhibits. They were currently showing the Amy Winehouse exhibit curated by the Jewish Museum in London. It shows unseen photographs, favorite outfits, her collections, influences and passions and of course her Jewish roots. I loved the videos of her singing.

My mother who lived during the holocaust used to have one question about politics. “Is it good for the Jews or bad for the Jews?” Amy Winehouse is definitely good for the Jews bringing a younger, hipper clientele to the museum.

Fly safe,

JAZ

Things I Have Learned In Amsterdam

Posted on April 27, 2016 by jaynezak

Things I Have Learned In Amsterdam

“The pleasure we derive from journeys is perhaps dependent more on the mindset with which we travel than on the destination we travel to.”Alain de Botton

There are over one million bikes within the city limits, yet there are only about 700,000 people in Amsterdam.

Stairs in Amsterdam are many and very steep – like ladders. (Rembrandt’s house)

There are 51 well-known museums that are dedicated to varied topics from the history of sex to the use of marijuana to the life of a famous painter. (Stedlijk Museum)

The passageway of the Rijksmuseum has the best acoustics in the city and many professional musicians come there to practice.

The majority of Amsterdam is below sea level. At its lowest point, it is 6.7 metres below sea level. If climate change causes even a small increase in global sea levels, Amsterdam may go under.

The entire city of Amsterdam was built on piles — massive stakes that are driven into the ground. These piles laid the foundation for every building in the city. This means that if you stay at one of the many Amsterdam hotels, you are actually staying on stilts. Over 6,000 piles are used to hold up Central Station. Regular maintenance keeps these piles in load-bearing condition.

The lines at the Anne Frank House rivals the Uffizi and the Louvre. Get tickets online in advance.

Amsterdam Is full of Polyglots. Polyglot is a term used to describe anyone who is fluent in more than two languages. 86 percent of Amsterdam residents are polyglots, speaking English, Dutch and a third language fluently. This makes a trip to Amsterdam an easy experience for English speakers.

Amsterdam residents are the second largest consumers of coffee in the world.

It’s estimated that during the Golden Age (put here between 1580-1670), when Dutch painters were among the best of the world, 5 million paintings were made – surely one of the most amazing Amsterdam facts. Almost every Dutch home had at least one painting. Now we have iPhones to take pictures of paintings. ( self-portrait Rembrandt – Rijksmuseum)

Amsterdam natives are the tallest in the world. According to several different studies, this height is attributed to their DNA and healthy eating habits.

Tulips, tulip fields and flower bulbs are typically Dutch. Yet, tulips do not originate from the Netherlands. The first tulip bulbs were imported from Turkey to the Netherlands, where they proved to grow extremely well on Dutch soil.

Amsterdam knows how to brew a beer. The Netherlands is the world’s biggest exporter of beer. Twice as much beer is exported from the Netherlands than the United States, the second biggest exporter.

Amsterdam Has More Canals Than Venice .

Often called the “Venice of the North,” Amsterdam boasts over 165 canals that compose a comprehensive network throughout the entire city.

Amsterdam has one of the most famous Red Light Districts in the world with window prostitution. There are almost 500 such windows in Amsterdam, next to brothels etc. Most of the girls are Eastern European, Indonesian and Malaysian. Few are Dutch. There is definitely a lot of human trafficking involved in bringing these girls here. There are no photos allowed. ( Belle – statue for prostitutes all over the world)

There are over 200 ‘coffee shops’ in Amsterdam where you are allowed to buy up to five grams of cannabis (marijuana or hash). Since the 1970s, buying of cannabis has been decriminalized. Five grams, by the way, is enough to stay high for several days.

Someone dropped their hash packet when i was having lunch . He didn’t know. I waited and decided to pick it up and return it. That would not have happened in the states.

In 2008, a tobacco smoking ban was introduced in Dutch cafes and restaurants, but you are still allowed to smoke marijuana and hashish in Dutch coffee shops – if only you don’t mix it with regular tobacco… That is bad for you.

Fly safe,

JAZ

How To Bring A Wedding Dress From Los Angeles to Kruger National Park, South Africa (A cell phone documentation)

Posted on April 23, 2016 by jaynezak

How To Bring A Wedding Dress From Los Angeles To Kruger National Park, South Africa
(A cell phone documentation)

“Even the elephant carries but a small trunk on his journeys. The perfection of traveling is to travel without baggage.” Henry David Thoreau

I met up with the WD in Paris.

It had made the trip from LA. The WD had been packed with great care for the journey. The dress had already been through one security machine and one Air France closet.

The bride walked out carrying the hanger high above her head with one arm. The dress was draped over her back. She wanted no help.

We had a 12 hour layover in Paris until our next flight. The dress hung in a hotel closet while we had lunch and saw Versailles and the Louis Vuitton Foundation. The dress was happy. (Louis Vuitton Foundation designed by Frank Gehry)

In the airport in Paris I noticed the bride’s arm had dropped a bit and the bottom of the dress was dragging on the floor. The bag was getting a bit dirty. The bride decided it was now to be a two person job. The mother of the bride was happy.

The dress went through a second security machine. ( In pre 9/11 travel this would not have happened) The mother of the bride was nervous but did not say anything.

We land in Johannesburg and change to South African Airways.

The mood is festive. People start calling out “Is that my dress? Are you bringing this to me? Am I invited to the wedding?” There is a discussion at security as to the best way to put the dress through the machine safely. They straighten the bag carefully before it goes through. I’m beginning to see that a wedding dress in Africa is important business. We lay the dress on a bench carefully in the airport lounge. When no one is looking I open up the dress and check it. Three security machines are a lot to go through. The dress is fine.

The mother and the mother in law are now both carrying assistants and happy to be doing it. The stewardess on South African Airways decides that the best place will be to lay it flat in the overhead compartment and moves the luggage so the dress can lie flat.

We arrive in Capetown and rent cars. The dress rides in the bigger one and reaches the hotel in Capetown quickly and unscathed. The other car is lost.

The dress rests in the closet for a week in Capetown and prepares for its final flight to Skukusa.

There is one more airport and security machine to go. Everyone is excited.

The maid of honor has arrived and is carrying the dress with the bride.

The dress waits quietly for the most important moment of its life as the rest of us eat breakfast in the airport.

We land in Skukusa.

It is a a very different kind of airport.

The luggage is loaded one last time.

The dress goes on its final portion of the journey on the back of a jeep for an hour through Kruger National Park. (Under the groom’s suit for protection.)

The dress sees its first elephant up close in Africa and realizes that it is a long way from Vera Wang.

Fly Safe,

JAZ

How To Plan A Wedding In South Africa From LA

Posted on April 18, 2016 by jaynezak

“I’ll meet you at the altar. I’ll be the one in white!” Stephanie Meyer

My daughter is getting married (yay) in South Africa (double yay from a travel blogger) at a safari camp (triple yay- great photos) The boy is good too. And we like the parents and family. (yay yay yay yay)

Everything is going smoothly. Everyone is on the same page. We are all very polite, nice and funny. Will we all suddenly turn into the in-laws from Hell? Is there a moment where they will turn into bridezilla and groomzilla? Don’t those people start out normal as well? Is it some hormonal thing that happens with the most important day of your life?

It is easy for an American to legally get married in South Africa – especially if you are marrying into a South African family. Hopefully they will remember to do all the paperwork beforehand. You have to check the laws carefully when marrying in a foreign country to make sure it is legal in both countries.

Getting married on a game reserve is the ultimate destination wedding. Asking close friends and family to travel for 24 hours and take shots and malaria pills to come to your wedding is definitely different. Not asking close friends and family because the safari camp is very small is another problem. Having friends and family who are used to traveling internationally and the fact that many of the guests are South African made it a possible destination.

The decorations and flowers will be easy – lions, elephants and jungle foliage. I love a theme. Khaki or leopard print table cloths? Or is a jungle theme in the jungle too much? Is mosquito repellent a good wedding favor? What about the hairdresser, makeup artist, photographer and musicians? Will they be staying in tents? So many important decisions.

Luckily, there are a lot of new South African relatives who can help with logistics, local recommendations and information.

What could go wrong? Flying on a small plane to the site might cause a few panic attacks. Is this one of the countries that have tsetse flies or no? They don’t have Ebola right? Perhaps a few too many cocktails and you wander off and end up as lion dinner. Remember animals have much better night vision than you do.

I’m thinking wardrobe – Out of Africa meets LA hipsters. The photos will be spectacular.
I’ll keep you posted.

Fly safe,

JAZ

Travel Well, Fly Safe

Travel

Why I Will Vote In An Election That Nobody Wants

Walking Alone – Street Art In Amsterdam

Twelve Hours In Paris With A Wedding Dress

Art Museums In Amsterdam

Visiting Community Projects In The Townships In Capetown, South Africa With Uthando

How to Lose Weight In Amsterdam

Jewish Amsterdam

Things I Have Learned In Amsterdam

How To Bring A Wedding Dress From Los Angeles to Kruger National Park, South Africa (A cell phone documentation)

How To Plan A Wedding In South Africa From LA