The back of Beyond Diversity by Rohit Bhargava and Jennifer Brown states that the book is “for newcomers to the topic of diversity and DEI experts alike”. Rising above the potential pitfalls of trying to cater to such a range of needs, Beyond Diversity delivers on this promise.

Through a plethora of anecdotes and statistics, Beyond Diversity sets itself as a book that should be utilized by anyone trying to understand why DEI matters. Through its accessible language and intentional action items, readers are left with no excuse on how they can apply this in their own lives.

The book centers on the concept of “Beyond Diversity” for 12 themes.

• Storytelling
• Identity
• Family
• Culture
• Education
• Retail
• The Workplace
• Technology
• Entrepreneurship
• Leadership
• Government
• The Future

Each chapter begins with a quote to set the stage and a summary to let you know what to expect, contains quotes and stories from individuals of different backgrounds from around the world along with imperatives and proposed actions, concluding with three quick lists on each theme.

• What Needs to Happen
• What You Can Do
• Conversation Starters

Beyond Diversity manages to be both broad and ambitious in scope, while still accessible to any reader.

As a lifelong learner, I was happy to come out of the book with terms and concepts that I hadn’t been familiar with or thought of previously.

Here are a couple:

• The term “glass cliff”

From a Vox piece by Emily Stewart:

The glass cliff is a relative of the “glass ceiling” — a metaphor for the invisible, societal barrier that keeps women from achieving the highest positions in business, politics, and organizations. The glass cliff is a twist on that: Women are elevated to positions of power when things are going poorly. When they reach the upper ranks of power, they’re put into precarious positions and therefore have a higher likelihood of failure, meaning there’s a greater risk for them to fall.

https://www.vox.com/2018/10/31/17960156/what-is-the-glass-cliff-women-ceos

• Why there are more white male futurists

The one reason why futurism as a discipline is so White and male, is because White males have the ability to offer the most optimistic vision. They can get up on stage and tell us that the world will be okay, that technology will fix all our problems, that we’ll live forever.

Author and futurist Madeline Ashby

Some other aspects of the book that I appreciated:

• The bolded statement early on – “This is not a research book. This is a do-something book.“
• The continuous commitment to showcasing diverse stories as a range of global human experiences.
• The matter-of-fact tone and ability to present facts as facts.
• The audiobook and large-print edition are to follow not long after the initial release.
• The terminology appendix acknowledges the inconsistency in terminology that’s inherent in this field, due to differences in sources and changes in how groups and individuals identify themselves.

Beyond Diversity by Rohit Bhargava and Jennifer Brown is on sale starting November 9, 2021.

On a day in August that didn’t even hit 80 degrees, my partner, 4 kids (two sons + two daughters), father, stepmother, and I took the jaunt to LEGOLAND New York in Goshen, NY. Wanting to maximize the experience for my kids, I did more research than I usually do, downloading the LEGOLAND app, familiarizing myself with the park map and the seven different lands, and learning about the different requirements/restrictions for rides.

Living in Westchester, the drive there was pretty easy (with Lauren being less than happy to drive back in the dark on winding roads).

When we arrived, I was happy that parking didn’t feel too far away from the park itself, making me feel more comfortable leaving any of the ‘maybe’ items in the van.

Backpacks are no problem. There are cubbies available for drop-off, but for most of the rides, you can bring your backpack and put it at your feet.

Arriving at 11:30 AM, we ended up staying until closing, with the kids finally realizing how tired they and their legs were. The kids were able to go on every ride they wanted to, both in terms of wait times being reasonable and a lack of height restrictions keeping them away from the rides they cared about.

It was magical getting to go with my kids at these ages, as there was no one who was too young to have fun or too old and cool to enjoy their time. The 4 and 5-year-olds got to go on the Duplo train, while there were still a couple of rides that even the 7 and 8-year-olds were intimidated by. I worry that next year, the 9-year-old might be too old for the experience.

While this trip was definitely for the kids, I had great fun with Splash Battle, where you get to shoot water cannons at people not on the ride (wherein I took pride in knocking them away from their cannons and others in our party relished in targeting people while they were on line). I was surprised how much there was physicality involved in some rides, with making the real upper-body workout on Fire Academy to make the fire truck move and Tower Climb Tournament being much more interactive and heart-pumping than I had anticipated.

For those who love LEGO, LEGOLAND New York is an obvious choice. For the theme park-minded, it also hits the mark.

Some tips/observations:

• On August 2nd, I didn’t see anywhere that masks were enforced for anyone of any age. Part of my theory is that this has to do with the logistics of them not wanting to confront people, only to discover valid medical reasons for why people aren’t wearing masks.
• On August 2nd, social distancing wasn’t enforced inside or outside.
• Bring minifigures! You can trade them with employees, which is a fun add-on to the experience.
• If you pay online for parking, it’s $20 (+ tax) vs. $25 (+ tax) on-site.
• There are various coupons/discounts through a variety of channels, but the ones from when the park first opened are long gone.
• Things start closing down a bit before 6p, so make sure you get to your biggest priorities before then. (We didn’t get to see the 4D movie, as it was closed by time we got around to it.)
• There are plentiful water fountains and water fill-ups, but the water is so-so in taste and temperature.
• Only one side on the Splash Battle gets you in direct conflict with the people who can shoot water at you, so pick accordingly!
• Be ready for certain items to not work or be closed. For example, there were a bunch of different minigames that didn’t work in MINILAND and Wizard’s Frozen Wonders closed in the middle of the day we were there.
• They are not stringent on stopping you from taking food in, but nail files are a no-no.

==========

Note: I did not receive anything from LEGOLAND in advance of or in exchange for writing this piece.

In former FBI negotiator Chris Voss’ book Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It, he refers to “tactical empathy”. In a hostage or other high-stakes negotiation with a terrorist group, you might despise the other side and everything they stand for, but understanding what they really want and where they are coming from will help you achieve your objectives.

For Travel Unity‘s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work, we refer to “diplomatic empathy”, which is a few degrees kinder and is applicable for less movie-like situations, wherein people simply come from different perspectives and backgrounds.

“Diplomatic empathy” is a useful tool for anyone who is seeking to expand their awareness and success in the DEI space. The idea of “diplomatic empathy” is that you might not agree with the person on the other side, but you should understand where they are coming from.

(Remember that ’empathy’ is not ‘sympathy’. It isn’t a competition as to who has it harder or a time to make excuses. To be empathetic, you are seeking to see things from the other’s point of view, not reflexively defend your own.)

Perhaps that understanding will make you agree wholly with their point of view. Perhaps you won’t find agreement. Perhaps you’ll find a way to meet them part of the way or find a solution neither of you had previously considered.

No matter what, by listening to where they are coming from, you have the opportunity to bridge that gap.

The beauty of diplomatic empathy is that it does not require you to wait for the other person to do anything. They could be wholly unwilling to listen to your side of things. That doesn’t mean that you can’t listen to theirs and consider what you can do to address their needs/concerns.

I’d love to hear your thoughts! This LinkedIn post is a good place to chime in or you can email me: roni@travelunity.org

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Making glass at Corning Museum of Glass

Last year, I attended the NYSTIA Membership event, visiting the Finger Lakes region for the first time. I came away from the experience excited to have learned more about my state, yet saddened and a bit angered that more New Yorkers don’t take the time to do it. 

Part of the goal of both Travel Unity and the New York Travel Festival (both of which I help run) is to show people that there are wonderful things to do in the great wide world, but sometimes, you don’t need to stray too far from home to have a ‘real’ travel experience.

In the Finger Lakes, I was able to reconnect with the hostel vibe that I hadn’t plugged into for many years, visit a world-class museum, and wander a natural site that would be the centerpiece of other destinations.

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The Local

It would be hard to use the hackneyed phrase “hidden gem” for The Local, a hostel in Watkins Glen, since it is openly in the heart of the Village of Watkins Glen. Yet, despite its central location, I would love if more folks knew about it. When I told people where I had stayed last year (and where I’m staying again this year, as I attend TBEX), the response was usually a quizzical, “there’s a hostel in the Finger Lakes?”

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Run by locals Ian Montgomery and Emily Marcellus, I was immediately drawn to the hostel as their President of Communications (their dog, Beatrice) shares a name with my elder daughter. Once I arrived, I was reminded of the better hostels I had stayed at back in my constant travels.

As seasoned travelers themselves, Ian and Emily have created the hostel experience in the Finger Lakes, with a communal lobby, plentiful bathrooms, varied room arrangements for different needs, and other amenities that make beds starting at $25/night quite the steal.

Note: I was comped for the first time I stayed and am gladly paying this time around. An envelope with my key in it waiting for me at the front desk with the note “Roni, Welcome Back” still brings a smile to my face.

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Corning Museum of Glass (CMOG)

Without an understanding of what you’re in for, it would be reasonable to yawn at the phrase “museum of glass”, picturing pointy shards, an array of vases, and other scrapped-together pieces of different colors. How wrong you would be (and how wrong I was). For one, I was floored by how glass is a by no means a limiting medium – many pieces, without being explicitly told (and told multiple times, when I was incredulous), I would have had no idea that they were made of glass.

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CMOG also provides experiences in making your own glass art (at an additional cost). While you might worry about the safety of the burning hot temperatures that you will be next to, the CMOG staff are extremely professional and attentive – there are experiences that are appropriate to all ages. After you have finished your piece, which takes 20-40 minutes, you can pick it up the next day or arrange to have it shipped.

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If you aren’t content with only making your own art, CMOG also has a wonderful gift shop that allows you the opportunity to purchase pieces from local artists as well as those from around the world which, quite frankly, is basically its own museum.

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A post shared by Roni Weiss (@ronigram) on Nov 2, 2017 at 5:43am PDT

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Note: Also comped for CMOG experiences.

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Watkins Glen State Park

19 waterfalls. Gorge hikes. If it was anywhere else in the world, Watkins Glen State Park would have been packed with American tourists with their selfie sticks… Yet another reminder that you don’t always need to use a passport to find exquisite places.

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A post shared by Roni Weiss (@ronigram) on Oct 26, 2017 at 2:20pm PDT

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Riding in a pace car at Watkins Glen International

Other Finger Lakes activities

Of course, plentiful wineries and breweries, Watkins Glen International, the lakes themselves, and myriad other experiences are in the area.

For more information on activities in the Finger Lakes, visit fingerlakes.org.

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True relaxation is something that I’ve occasionally stumbled upon, but rarely can replicate. Generally, I have found that the sensation is usually somehow related to the water: time in Banderas Bay while on a Vallarta Adventures day trip in Puerto Vallarta, floating on pool noodles at a hotel in San Diego, the experience of a Quebecois Nordic spa…

I wish that I could be revitalized by a hike or live music, but that just isn’t my milieu. When I’ve set time to try to meditate, I cut it short, feeling frustrated that I am getting nothing out of it and anxious that I’m not getting things done.

There are two main reasons that isolation/sensory deprivation/floating tanks have appealed to me: an environment that facilitates, even forces, you to put everything aside and the pop culture depictions of a transcendental, drug-like experience, without any of the drug-like side effects.

One day, a sponsored ad for Rise Above Flotation (RAF) popped up on my Facebook feed and I was intrigued. On Main St. in Mt. Kisco, NY, it is a couple of towns north of me. (If you wanted, you could even get there easily from NYC via Metro-North, stopping at the Mt. Kisco station and walking 5 minutes.) A few days later, I saw they had a pay-what-you-wish day, and, thus, I was in.

If you do even cursory research of RAF, you’ll see people complimenting the cleanliness and the general atmosphere – both are unimpeachable (it has the vibe of a nice spa, with a home-like atmosphere that made it feel more accessible), but neither mean anything if the experience doesn’t provide what’s needed. So, while I was happy to be there, I was nervous. What if I couldn’t relax?

Micah, the owner, welcomed me in, had me leave my shoes in the lobby, then brought me into the room to show me how it all was going to work.

RAF has three different rooms: the tranquility pod, which is probably what you usually picture (Micah described it as being in an egg, with you ‘hatching’ when you’re done), an extrawide float cabin, and, what I was put in, the open float room.

Being assigned to the open float room made my worries of freaking out a non-issue, because it’s basically a bathtub in a room. Even with the lights out, it’s pretty easy to have your bearings. No worries of a Homer Simpson-like trapping in such a case.

The details are easy: you get your ear plugs in your canals, take a shower, and pop yourself in. No bathing suit required. Nothing required, in fact. Once you have an appointment, you can just show up and do it.

As for my personal experience, there were a few stages:

1. It took a bit for me to really accept that no one was going to pop into the door and ask me for something – no Lauren telling me that I had left a mess on the kitchen table, no kids asking to watch TV… This time being mine took some getting used to.
2. Initially, I was acutely aware of the sound of my breath and then my heartbeat.
3. I was reminded of some other experiences I’ve had floating: the aforementioned pool noodles, my naked experience at the New Museum, and the Dead Sea. There was a strange sense of continuity with these other times and places.
4. There was an interesting sensation of travel – I didn’t feel like I was physically transported elsewhere, but the experience being out of my norm, made me feel like I had left normal life behind for a bit.
5. Getting physically comfortable took some thought and calibration.  Micah had warned me that your body isn’t used to the fact that the high salt content in the water will support you, so your neck tends to crane, meaning you need to actively relax it.
6. Nothing was overly trippy.
   1. At one point, I felt what I can only describe as an internal ‘boom’. I’ve never had the sensation before and I was hoping that maybe I’d have more of them or have the sensation longer, but it really was just the once. It was like the sensation of falling asleep, then being jolted up, but with no negative connotation to it.
   2. At points, it felt like the water current was speeding up, when there’s no way it was, or that I was beginning to tilt, when that couldn’t have been happening, either. Neither was scary at all, though.
7. As time went on, I got into the state between awake and asleep. At points, I teetered over, until my snoring brought me back.
8. Despite it being a salty environment, I never had a salty taste in my mouth and, had I been a bit more careful, I wouldn’t have gotten any of the salt in my eyes. (Part of the orientation is that there’s a spray bottle of fresh water, which I took full advantage of to reset my peepers.)
9. While Micah had initially warned me that people can get bored for a bit (he said that even he wasn’t immune to that), at no point was that my state of mind. I was either settling in, going with the flow, or one with the experience. Other than some tension in my neck, figuring out where my arms should go, and initially worrying about my head bumping into the wrong button, I was along for the trip.

Like a good massage, once it was over, I wished that I had had more time. I gave myself a minute or two with the lights on to re-acclimate, then took the departure shower.

I went into RAF with the idea that I was going to be having this personal experience in a vacuum, with RAF just facilitating it. Talking to Micah after became the unexpected second stage of the journey. A wide-ranging, deep conversation with Micah about the experience itself, then issues ranging from parenting to health care to Finnish views on nudity to universal basic income to how people achieve their personal potential helped complement the float.

While I didn’t get the drugs-without-drugs feeling that pop culture had promised, I had the psyche equivalent of a Nordic spa (where you go from one temperature of water to another), being truly alone for a bit, then connecting with someone immediately after.

If you’ve been curious about trying something like this, I can definitely recommend Rise Above Flotation being a safe, welcoming, comfortable place to do so.

Rise Above Flotation (111 E. Main St. Mount Kisco, NY 10549) is open every day from 10a-10p. They have 60 minute and 90 minute floats, plus packages and memberships. More info on pricing here.

When I put a picture up on Facebook of the initial set piece to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (playing through September 4th at the Ethel Barrymore Theater (243 w. 47th St.)), a friend wrote that I had “found the holodeck”.

He wasn’t far off.

While there is certainly something to be said for the story (I’d read the book, which is what got me interested in the first place), what was really astounding was how the space was used.

As there are certainly twists in the plot, let’s not go too far into what it’s about: the crux of the matter involves Christopher (Tyler Lea), an autistic teenager, who, after discovering that his neighbor’s dog has been killed, gets out of his normal comfort zone to investigate who committed the crime, leading him into the greater world in a way he has never had to handle before.

Theater generally takes place two-dimensionally, with people moving side-to-side and diagonally like queens on a chessboard. In some cases of higher budget, it becomes like a Kirk/Spock game in three-dimensions, if catwalks, traps, or apartment sets are used, but Curious Incident goes far beyond the accustomed use of space, finding multitudes of ways, both with tech and choreography, to include the air and below the stage, as well, leaving no part beyond the curtains off-limits.

Some of this is done through a set that can be subtly adjusted. Another method employed is using the Ensemble as set pieces and human lifts, from representing doorbells and doormats (putting an interesting spin on how this character who isn’t comfortable with people is forced by the staging to interact with them without the character’s knowledge) to one of the best scenes in the play — where Christopher fantasizes about being an astronaut, with the Ensemble supporting his body as he makes turns in the air, with dreamy music playing and moving images of space projected onto the set. The music is more than a simple afterthought — it frequently matches the tenor of a movie soundtrack, punctuating flashbacks in a way that helps differentiate them from the present. When used, the technical elements come together in a cohesive gestalt. Unfortunately, the first act can drag a little — most of the amazing tech is only teased at initially, with the really great stuff coming after intermission.

One major difference from reading the book: while Lea’s performance is dead-on — the character is taken seriously, not mocked or caricaturized in any way — at certain points, I just didn’t want to be stuck with him anymore. You can put a book down — it’s generally frowned upon to walk away from your seat to avoid the main character for a few minutes.

Christopher’s dad, Ed (Andrew Long) is well-cast, embodying his working-class Englishman character, but sometimes ends up a bit one-note in his go-to screaming. The Ensemble can be a bit uneven, with accents not always hitting their mark and their rare moments sometimes hammed up, with the member of the Ensemble holding the spotlight as long as possible for the brief time that they have it.

While not perfect, it’s flaws can almost always be overlooked. After making my way to the play because I was curious about Curious, I left glad that I had made the jaunt.

Note: No comps or any such for this — paid for tickets on my own dime. Not bragging — just disclosing.

RW Social, my LLC, has been around for almost 5 years now. It’s through that entity that I produce the New York Travel Festival, work with countries such as the Czech Republic, and do consulting work.

As of this week, Travel Unity, Inc. has been incorporated in New York State. Travel Unity is a natural progression in goals, being the not-for-profit side of my general goal of connecting and welcoming people within/to the world of travel.

Travel Unity will initially consist of three components, all with the goal of bringing under-represented communities further into travel as members of industry and media, as well as individual travelers:

1. For the past two years, we have had Travel Unity Summits, a conference-within-a-conference at the New York Travel Festival. Last year, we had a special focus on African-Americans and travelers with disabilities. This year, we teamed up with Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams to have broader discussions about how tourism can be of benefit to all of NYC.
2. While there are many entities that provide overseas travel experiences for those who might not otherwise have them, Travel Unity Excursions focus on local and regional trips.
3. The Travel Unity Alliance is a furthering of the community that has started with NY Trav Fest attendees — it will be a means of connecting for those who believe that the world of travel should be diverse, welcoming, and open to all.

If you believe that “Travel Should Include Everyone”, I hope that you reach out (roni@travelunity.org or @roniweiss on Twitter), so we can find ways to work together on this new initiative.

While the social media presence is nascent, you can:

• Like Travel Unity on Facebook
• Follow @TravelUnity on Twitter
• Follow @TravelUnity on Instagram

As a hub for people coming and going, living in/by NYC allows for wonderful ways to connect to the rest of the world. Visiting The Wonder 500 provides the opportunity to be mentally and tactilely transported to the Land of the Rising Sun, through products crafted across the archipelago.

Unlike a sterile museum, exhibition staff welcome you to touch the variety of items, all designed by people who take great pride in their work. Along with myriad pieces, you have the opportunity to try a few different Japanese sweets and see an NYC-based tea master at work.

It’s possible that you’ll be compelled to buy an item, but that’s not the intent of the exhibit; you won’t find price tags on anything. In fact, many of the products are unique enough that even the Japanese staff learn about them right alongside you, via a comprehensive printed guide of the Wonder 500.

With free entry, right around the corner from Grand Central, and open through February 9th, swinging by and experiencing a bit of Japan without having to leave midtown Manhattan is a no-brainer.

Location: 4 West 43rd Street New York, NY 10036

Times/Days: 11:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., daily, through February 9th.

Price: Free to the public.

For more information: TheWonder500.com

Having gone for a UCB event, I can confidently say that Saturday Night Live: The Exhibition is more than just a money grab: it’s a well-arranged, museum-like experience with SNL artifacts that you couldn’t see without having backstage access at NBC.

The curation is based on the idea of learning “how SNL comes together in just 6 days”. They do this by breaking the different rooms up by each day, linking the production day with an element of production.

After a 5-minute video intro in a mock NBC elevator lobby, you walk past portraits of classic characters.

Then, the exhibition is broken down by day.

Monday starts with the history of the show. (Production-wise, this is the day that Lorne meets with the host.)

Tuesday focuses on writing, with a display of videos from writers past and present.

Wednesday is the read-through, with production design.

Thursday shows you sets and costumes. (Wayne’s World and Jeopardy! being the two showcased sets.)

Friday, my favorite room, is theoretically about rehearsals, but in actuality contains costumes, masks, and props from commercial parodies.

Saturday brings you through the control room, backstage, then the scaled down recreation of Studio 8H, ending with what might be considered an after party, with photos of all current and former cast members, and some goodbye shots of remaining famous skits.

(If you are planning on going to the exhibit, I highly recommend heading there for a special performance event, as it’s a nice experience to see an actual performance on the recreated SNL set.)

Throughout the exhibit, you see video screens playing skits. After, be sure to check out the gift shop, which is your entry point to the old Weekend Update set and some interesting merch, like a Seth Meyers bobblehead doll.

To close, let me shore up my credentials as an SNL fan.

1) I dressed up as Dieter for a Halloween. When I was… 12? 11?

2) I waited outside *twice* to try to get standby tickets. (Eventually getting into the Paul Rudd/Paul McCartney episode. Here’s the story.)

3) My Twitter cover photo, designed by Sharon Burian, is inspired by SNL title cards.

4) For the past 4 years, I’ve watched every episode. I’ve seen a good deal of the episodes from before then, but can’t promise the completion of late.

For more pictures of the exhibition, check out my Flickr album.

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Saturday Night Live: The Exhibition Info

Location: 417 5th Ave (between 37th and 38th St.)

HOURS: Open every day, except Christmas.

MON-THURS: 11AM-7PM

FRI: 11AM-9PM

SAT: 10AM-9PM

SUN: 10AM-7PM

Thanks again to the folks at the SNL Exhibition for inviting me.

(To see all my pix, visit this Flickr album.)

When you walk into the box office area, there’s a massive SNL sign. Just seeing a photo of it still gives me a warm feeling.

Perhaps you’ve seen the breakdown of cold open, skits, commercials, etc., but have you been able to take the tack off and move the cards? (Note: I don’t recommend that you do this.)

Bobby Moynihan’s disembodied head… I hope they reattach it before tomorrow’s opener.

Stunned to see so many props from commercial parodies, from “Oops! I Crapped My Pants” to Crotchet to the Gardasil-injecting doll to Colon Blow.

The mini faux backstage can give you that feeling of jitters that the real folks have.

Faux Studio 8H is a scaled down, but authentic, imitation, with home base in the middle, musical performance to the left, and skit space to the right.

A note from Phil Hartman to Lorne Michaels.

When people talk about SNL being an institution, it’s because of all of the folks who have walked through the doors and on to amazing things, sometimes, without even having made a mark on the show itself. People forget that Robert Downey, Jr., Anthony Michael Hall, Chris Rock, Janeane Garofalo, Sarah Silverman, and others who have achieved fame since were in Studio 8H first.

And for all who use the hackneyed “Saturday Night Dead”, it’s that revolving door of talent that sometimes gets stuck, but inevitably spins again, bringing in new blood.

Stay tuned next week for my review of Saturday Night Live: The Exhibition.

Thanks to the organizers of the exhibition for inviting me to check it out.