Elephant in the Room: We’re not on Barnett Lane Anymore!

Monday, June 6

Some blog readers might remember our Milwaukee house across the street from more expensive homes that over looked Lake Michigan. For those who were never there, it was on Barnett Lane, a lovely street in Fox Point, a suburb only 15 minutes from downtown—20-25 minutes on the scenic route along Lake Drive, instead of the freeway. But the setting was bucolic–a mid-century modern ranch home perched atop a wooded ravine and set back from the street as the second house on a long driveway. Sometimes we’d drive in and have to wait while a deer or two crossed the path into the garage. I remember once having a guest from New York City nearly fainting with awe at the tableaux of deer assembled in the back yard at the exact moment she walked into the living room. At night there was a menagerie silhouetted by our motion detector lights: the spooked deer (“caught in the headlights”) which would stop in their tracks, but our scrawny resident red fox (it WAS Fox Point, after all) and the feisty raccoons took it in their stride. The trees and bushes surrounding the house and filling the ravine lushly bloomed to capacity around Mother’s Day every spring and, even bare of leaves, framed a picturesque landscape all winter. Never much of a gardener, I felt less need to be one there, so we welcomed the deer nibbling on our leaves—unlike our neighbors with more extravagant landscaping.

What does this have to do with Africa, you ask? (The woman lives in the city of San Francisco, she’s on a fantastic trip to Africa, and she’s pining for Fox Point, Wisconsin?)

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When blogging, there’s nothing like free internet access from afar!

Sorry for the lag, but the five days in the province of  Kwa Zulu Natale were internet-challenged: we were able to get email via the lodge’s computers (for a fee), but spending the time and money for a blog post wasn’t in the cards. We’re back in Johannesburg again today (free WiFi at our airport-area hotel), toured Soweto and  a museum dedicated to the deadly June 16, 1976, student anti-apartheid demonstration, met up with our OATS (Overseas Adventure Travel) fellow-travelers of the next two+ weeks. Most from CA (Walnut Creek predominates), as well as Oregon. The Zululand experience was the one we bought at a charity auction in 2008 (as did everyone at the place; Eli is curious about its business plan). Not an area most people get to (Indian Ocean proximity), but cool. There, most of the people were from Seattle or Alaska. West Coast people gravitate to Africa–why?

Anyway, I’m downloading a small portion of our photos from Kwa Zulu Natale. You get the picture (so to speak). We hear every area has its unique safari experience. We won’t bore you with TONS of similar photos.

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OK–after all the lazy blogger content (photos), here’s a short piece re: the substance of the past two weeks. And just who were those unmasked men traveling with us?

We were part of an American Jewish Committee (AJC) mission to Asia led by Bob Elman, AJC national president, a sometime San Francisco resident and friend; Jim Busis, the professional director of AJC’s Asia-Pacific Institute (API) based in Washington, DC; and Gary Jacobs, the lay chair of the AJC’s API, from Los Angeles. Also with us were Gosia Weiss (a stunning blonde), who works for AJC in Los Angeles, and Cliff Goldstein, new Los Angeles AJC president; Ken Kahan, an AJC member from Los Angeles; and Murray Lee, from Seattle, who runs a trading business in Asia.

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Special Commentator during Q&A after book talk at Talking Point Book Salon, Beijing

Talking Point Book Salon Owner with first Guest Author Speaker

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We’re in the Hong Kong airport (Cathay Pacific Cabin business class lounge–all those HIPPY trips to Little Rock and visits to my mom in Chicago paid off in so many miles…). This is transition between the AJC Asia mission and Africa dream trip. Feel very global–and remarkably more accepting of our global family life. Have whole new answer to others’ angst about Amy and Jonathan living abroad. Between seeing them and their friends AND meeting so many wonderful people like them throughout Asia, I have come to a different view of expat mom role. Hmm–time to trade Telegraph Landing for Beijing condo?

Enjoy the smattering of photos.  The safari ones will be a tad different–and the wardrobe will change, for sure. Plan is to ship Asia bags from hotel in Johannesburg (first Africa stop) to the one in Capetown (last Africa stop).

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Israel Ambassador to Japan Nissim Ben Shitrit welcomes us at his stunning Tokyo residence.

As previously announced, the days have been long–and the Internet access either iffy or outrageously expensive. Here’s a quick first installment of photos. I started to publish this in Beijing Saturday AM. It’s now Tuesday night in Hong Kong. Hope you get a flavor of the trip in photos. More to come to catch you up on Asia leg before we leave for Africa tomorrow night (I hope).

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Arriving in Tokyo a day ahead of any official events of the AJC mission was godsend. From the smooth cocooned flight in a United 747 upper level (watched four movies, read 3 New Yorkers–and am still behind!–and wrote a little, very little) to airport bus to the lovely Imperial Hotel, Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece, it was an easy, albeit long, trip over. Weather warm and sunny by day, pleasant at night.

Last time we were in Tokyo was 2003 en route to the Amy-Jonathan wedding in Beijing. It was the summer of SARS in China, we’d blocked out two weeks, and decided they didn’t need us more than one. Where else to go? Jonathan suggested other spots in China, but we decided “not this year,” so we stopped in Japan. We had a nice time both here and in Kyoto then and vowed to return. Never thinking it would be three days with AJC, but some day we hope to get to other, non-city areas. Probably not the best time for that this year. The people we’ve talked to seem resilient and happy, but, again, we’re in Tokyo, where the suffering was minimal. There are signs all over about conserving energy and earthquake relief charities.

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No, there’s no movie. Yet.

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There are all kinds of firsts involved in being a published author. I’ve had some wonderful opportunities to speak at interesting venues. I’ve done public speaking before–in business, as a nonprofit leader–so these weren’t 100 percent firsts, just first for being an author. BUT a total first was my first book club meeting. Ever.

A San Francisco friend, Carol Parlette, invited me months earlier to her group’s meeting in November. She told me that the group had chosen my book as their book for their month, that they’d never had an author of one of their selections speak before, and that they’d love me to join them at their monthly meeting, which includes a dinner at a member’s home. Now, I love meeting new people (and Carol is the only member of this group I’d met before) and generically enjoy dinner with bright, interesting women. And the fact that they’d chosen After the Auction as their book club selection of the month was a huge honor. And, guess what? None of the members of this book club is Jewish! Dinner and wine were great, the questions incisive, and it was a rewarding and fun evening. I’ve got another San Francisco book club booking in March, thanks to another friend, Hazel Kawaja, the inspiration for the glossary of  Jewish terms in a past post.

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