tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432831676153465945Sat, 21 Jan 2012 01:16:47 +0000techChicagogeeky2011SouthAmericahttp://nickiejoy.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (nickiejoy)Blogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432831676153465945.post-4256811996444172057Sat, 21 Jan 2012 01:16:00 +00002012-01-20T19:16:47.370-06:00Way better than preserved pig GI components, in my own experience...http://nickiejoy.blogspot.com/2012/01/mmmm-fresh.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (nickiejoy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432831676153465945.post-6804484474722972055Sat, 24 Dec 2011 00:17:00 +00002011-12-23T18:18:39.776-06:00A kid I'm lucky to know and love was riding along to the store with his mom this week. He started saying how lucky they are to have food, a good home, and a "good car" (a ~10 yo mini-van). Then he decided to spend the $10 he had on toys for "kids whose parents can't afford Christmas gifts." But wait.... there's more.Next day, his mom drove him to the homeless shelter and sent him in with his http://nickiejoy.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-and-year-round-miracles.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (nickiejoy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432831676153465945.post-1475860809288957352Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:54:00 +00002011-09-19T11:26:20.471-05:00ChicagogeekytechFully geeked out on this year's Chicago Humanities Festival, centered around the interplay of tech and very human experiences-- from identity to food to social justice and beyond. Bought tickets to my "must see" events... all 15 of them. Particularly can't wait for Sondheim, Common, and the Oscars music night, but it's really hard to pick highlights here. This is the prioritized list from the http://nickiejoy.blogspot.com/2011/09/2011-chf-tech-knowledge.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (nickiejoy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432831676153465945.post-7572956502486067352Thu, 26 May 2011 20:48:00 +00002011-06-06T10:22:31.288-05:00My gracious host, Susan, shared her favorite Montevideo spot with me: a fountain adorned with padlocks and a plaque that reads, “The legend of this young fountain tells us that if a lock with the initials of two people in love is placed in it, they will return together to the fountain and their love will be forever locked.”http://nickiejoy.blogspot.com/2011/05/locks-of-love.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (nickiejoy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432831676153465945.post-5940358038911183304Sun, 22 May 2011 23:27:00 +00002011-05-23T07:32:52.610-05:00In honor of my friend and Mentos fanatic, Scott Fiddelke, I search out new, weird and wonderful Mentos wherever I go. So far this trip...From Brazil:Strawberry yogurt MentosWatermelon MentosFrom Paraguay:Red fruits"Magic" Mentos... time to check the ingredients label!And a Mentos truck... which was funny and tiny (compare to car next to it)And from Uruguay:Grape and pineapple Mentos combo packI http://nickiejoy.blogspot.com/2011/05/freshmaker-south-american-edition.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (nickiejoy)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432831676153465945.post-9115898965943546842Fri, 20 May 2011 04:00:00 +00002011-06-06T10:23:23.884-05:00Asuncion airport: the biggest airport in Paraguay.Four gates.http://nickiejoy.blogspot.com/2011/05/quaint.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (nickiejoy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432831676153465945.post-2516757418655223062Wed, 18 May 2011 14:28:00 +00002011-05-18T09:34:31.453-05:00Julia Heitz and I took a 4 hour bus ride to Asuncion (standing the whole way) with Julia's dog Mo, rented a car, drove 5 hours to Encarnacion, picked up two extra Peace Corps volunteers on the way, and going to see the Jesuit ruins nearby! As with any good road trip we have tunes (a $0.75 CD purchased along the way with 100 random songs... from reggaeton to house) and junk food (dulce de leche [http://nickiejoy.blogspot.com/2011/05/road-trip.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (nickiejoy)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432831676153465945.post-2927924244880293031Sun, 15 May 2011 01:34:00 +00002011-05-14T20:46:43.617-05:00Paraguay is celebrating its 200th anniversary of independence. There was a lot of patriotism and parading...until the sky turned ugly and everyone ran for cover....except the crazy Nortes (i.e., gringas) who walked 45 minutes home in the rain, splashing in puddles and mystifying Paraguayos as we walked.Viva Paraguay!http://nickiejoy.blogspot.com/2011/05/bicentennial-patriotic-until-it-poured.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (nickiejoy)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432831676153465945.post-3216380631830869970Tue, 10 May 2011 01:34:00 +00002011-06-06T10:26:26.198-05:00Made by Jorge Selaron, and made famous by Snoop in his video for Beautiful, the Escadaria Selaron is one crazy piece of work that started 25 years ago and continues today. Got to meet Selaron while there.... he's a crazy piece of work too. http://nickiejoy.blogspot.com/2011/05/stair-master.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (nickiejoy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432831676153465945.post-6417457668127521264Sun, 08 May 2011 17:00:00 +00002011-05-08T12:29:23.352-05:00Mistakes can produce some of the most interesting travel experiences.Last night I had the experience of going to a working class house party overlooking the sea. The DJ was incredibly talented... like I've been to clubs where you have to know someone to get on the list just to get in, and this favela DJ was better than the dudes spinning there. You couldn't help but dance and half of the stuff http://nickiejoy.blogspot.com/2011/05/hostel-hopping-in-rio.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (nickiejoy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432831676153465945.post-7310187765218866155Mon, 02 May 2011 23:40:00 +00002011-05-02T19:29:38.566-05:00SouthAmerica2011South America, here I come!May 6-10Rio de Janeiro, BrazilMay 11Sao Paulo, BrazilMay 12-13Igauzu Falls, Brazil/ArgentinaMay 13-18J.E. Estigarribia, Caaguazu, Paraguaywith Peace Corps cousin Julia HeitzMay 19Asuncion, ParaguayMay 20-26Montevideo, Uruguaywith the amazing Susan Bridenstine, Victor Rojas, and their brilliant childrenMay 27-31Buenos Aires, ArgentinaJune 1Chicago, USAhttp://nickiejoy.blogspot.com/2011/05/its-almost-time-to-get-out-of-town.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (nickiejoy)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432831676153465945.post-71016080159594743Tue, 17 Aug 2010 03:42:00 +00002010-08-16T22:40:28.281-05:00Life is always an adventure. Sometimes it's a trot around the world and sometimes it's in your own backyard. A different adventure beckons from my backyard, so I'm flying back to Chicago today. I hope to still travel to China before my visa expires in December, but we'll see how things unfold. The Great Wall, the terracotta warriors... they've been there for awhile. They'll keep.Home, here I http://nickiejoy.blogspot.com/2010/08/time-to-fly.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (nickiejoy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432831676153465945.post-1456868414698114663Sun, 15 Aug 2010 06:17:00 +00002010-08-15T01:18:17.197-05:00On Halong Bay!http://nickiejoy.blogspot.com/2010/08/cruising.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (nickiejoy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432831676153465945.post-86773226891796743Sat, 14 Aug 2010 04:55:00 +00002010-08-13T23:59:07.195-05:00Beer in hand. :)http://nickiejoy.blogspot.com/2010/08/watching-world-er-hanoi-vietnam-go-by.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (nickiejoy)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432831676153465945.post-5829254419125576952Fri, 13 Aug 2010 05:31:00 +00002010-08-13T01:44:15.610-05:00This was taken from a US-built bunker overlooking the Perfume River near Hue, Vietnam. Then I hopped on the back of the motorbike and rode down thew Ho Chi Minh trail. What a history lesson!http://nickiejoy.blogspot.com/2010/08/bunker-with-view.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (nickiejoy)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432831676153465945.post-2179529372665609131Fri, 13 Aug 2010 05:25:00 +00002010-08-13T01:43:12.902-05:00Buddhist nuns made us lunch. All vegetarian, and easily the best meal I've had in Vietnam! Yay nuns!http://nickiejoy.blogspot.com/2010/08/lunching-at-nunnery.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (nickiejoy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432831676153465945.post-2557898697769734340Thu, 12 Aug 2010 03:36:00 +00002010-08-11T22:38:37.995-05:00Good luck to the extreme. This is a marble artwork workshop. These ladies are finishing the pieces, polishing it by hand with rags, sandpaper and water. It is across the street from marble mountain. Nothing like local sourcing!http://nickiejoy.blogspot.com/2010/08/polishing-buddas-belly.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (nickiejoy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432831676153465945.post-2183329031018998384Wed, 11 Aug 2010 09:19:00 +00002010-08-11T04:20:24.074-05:00Life isn't so bad...http://nickiejoy.blogspot.com/2010/08/china-beach-vietnam.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (nickiejoy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432831676153465945.post-1794577088547037559Mon, 09 Aug 2010 10:00:00 +00002010-08-09T05:03:01.238-05:00A few things left behind in Saigon at the War Remnants Museum (which formerly had a much flashier name about war crimes and American aggression).http://nickiejoy.blogspot.com/2010/08/leftovers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (nickiejoy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432831676153465945.post-2652120556148401222Mon, 09 Aug 2010 04:35:00 +00002010-08-08T23:38:39.435-05:00http://nickiejoy.blogspot.com/2010/08/remembered.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (nickiejoy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432831676153465945.post-7230467444601788261Mon, 09 Aug 2010 03:28:00 +00002010-08-08T22:39:20.359-05:00Here are my travel companions/parents on the road Harvey & Gail jumping in and out of the Cu Chi tunnels. I did it too! Wow!http://nickiejoy.blogspot.com/2010/08/cu-chi-tunnels.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (nickiejoy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432831676153465945.post-2922453379657079957Sat, 07 Aug 2010 03:39:00 +00002010-08-06T22:39:47.356-05:00When my parents were my age, I bet they never imagined they would have a daughter voluntarily, happily crossing the Mekong River while on vacation.http://nickiejoy.blogspot.com/2010/08/what-difference-generation-makes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (nickiejoy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432831676153465945.post-2871359969045112654Fri, 06 Aug 2010 02:27:00 +00002010-08-05T21:39:11.033-05:00http://nickiejoy.blogspot.com/2010/08/beautiful-morning-in-phnom-penh.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (nickiejoy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432831676153465945.post-4550947423949088006Thu, 05 Aug 2010 13:32:00 +00002010-08-05T08:37:59.812-05:00Yep, I ate it. Tasted like teriyaki.http://nickiejoy.blogspot.com/2010/08/bbq-tarantula-after.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (nickiejoy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432831676153465945.post-6936973667997621127Thu, 05 Aug 2010 13:31:00 +00002010-08-05T08:33:30.270-05:00http://nickiejoy.blogspot.com/2010/08/bbq-tarantula-before.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (nickiejoy)0