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Chloe

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Over the past few months, I have been taking care of three little girls after school until their parents come home from work. Usually, it’s a couple hours each day, meeting them at the bus, doing homework, getting snacks, and taking them to various activities like gymnastics, soccer, and Wednesday night church events.

Every once in a while, when they have school vacation, I stay with them all day, planning activities, making lunches, and everything else.

This week, the Dearborn Schools have a particularly unusual schedule, with a half day on Monday, and a full day on Friday. That’s right, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, there is no school.

Since the two older sisters (7 and 9) were away on a business trip with their father to Chicago, it was just the little one and I today.

We had quite a busy day, starting with riding bikes the few blocks from their house to the church, a visit to the park, many games of chess & checkers, another trip to the park with the dog, games of bingo, and the library.

During the second trip to the nearby park, we walked along the sizeable river that runs through the lower portion.

As we walked towards the playground, a flock of ducks floated on by down the river. The little 5 year old I was with was quickly mesmerized. We spent a good twenty minutes watching and talking about the ducks.

After a few minutes of silence, and watching the ducks go up and down the river, I heard:

“I wish I was a duck.”

I asked if I understood her correctly, and she said again, “I wish I was a duck. I like how they just swim up and down all day, playing in the water. They are going on field trips!”

I started to think about how life would be if we were ducks. Were they watching us, standing on the bank of the river, thinking “I wish I was a person. They have fun.” After my runaway thoughts caught back up with me, the little 5 year old was tugging on my jacket, and said “let’s go, the ducks can’t play on the playground.”

I guess it’s better to be a person.

Exciting find.

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My great find of the week is a new magazine, which of course it is all about traveling!

Instead another “getaway-focused” and escape magazines like Condé Nast Travel or Travel + Leisure (both of which I have subscriptions) that seem to write about places to “check them off your list” and are pretty exclusively touristy, this new magazine, AFAR, aims to explore the idea of experiential travel – the idea of connecting the traveler with the essence of a place and its people. Simply seeing the sights and spending a few days in a city is no longer enough. This magazine and media company is for those that want to venture off the beaten tourist path and experience a new and authentic culture, connecting with people in deep and meaningful ways.

In addition to starting AFAR magazine, they company is beginning to expand into a multi-channel media and services company focusing on experiential travel.The AFAR Foundation, a philanthropic arm of the company, launched its pilot program, Learning AFAR, earlier this year, which sponsors international travel for underprivileged students. Later this fall, they will introduce AFAR Connect, a new website that combines a unique global social network of “real travelers” with personalized trip planning resources.

I must admit that my obsession with magazines is fueled by my membership in e-Rewards. Thanks to filling out 2 or 3 online surveys each month, I am able to have free subscriptions to Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, O: The Oprah Magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Town and Country and happily now, AFAR!

Confession.

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I have a secret obsession with photographs, thick glossy paper and beautifully designed pages.

There is something beautiful, peaceful and just inspiring when it comes to reading a well put together magazine. This love of print and media led me to pursue a degree in Media and Mass Communication at Alma, and develop the desire and love of taking a blank piece of paper (or InDesign spread, or a blank WordPress template) and turning it into a well-pieced together layout.

A few nights ago I was flipping through the pages of Condé Nast Traveler and noticed this advertisement from the Power of Print Campaign. It said:

Young people do everything online. Like order millions of magazines.

Somehow amidst their infatuation with Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and the like, young adults are still making time for another one of their favorite pursuits: reading magazines.

Contrary to popular misperception, the phenomenal popularity of the Internet has not come at the expense of magazines. Readership is increasing, and adults between 18 and 34 are among the most dedicated readers. They equal or surpass their over-34 counterparts in issues read per month and time spent per issue.

What has changed isn’t people’s affinity for magazines, but the means by which they acquire them. Last year, nearly 22 percent of all new paid subscriptions were ordered online.

And just as the Internet drives magazine subscriptions, magazines drive Web searches – with nearly double the effectiveness of the Internet itself. Some might call it ironic.

The medium that some predicted would vanquish magazines is actually helping fuel their growth. And vice versa.

Just last night, in another magazine, I saw this clever ad, also from the Power of Print.

The Power of Print Campaign is was created in effort to quell myths of the state of the print industry, and to share the exciting story of magazine advertising’s outstanding value. It is chaired by five presidents and CEOs from some of the biggest and influential media outlets: Hearst Magazines, Meredith National Media, Time Inc., Condé Nast, and Wenner Media.

Ever since I started working for the school newspaper in high school (and then later on throughout college), I have had a dream of working in print journalism, specifically for a magazine. When I graduated from college and started looking at possibilities in getting into that type of career, it did not look too swell – the Chicago Tribune filed for bankruptcy, daily newspapers were cutting their print editions and moving to half print-half digital subscriptions, and online newspapers and magazines were taking off in popularity. It just wasn’t the right time. So to see these ads in the Power of Print campaign, it is exciting.

For a girl that loves technology, but also holding a glossy magazine in her hands, this is great news.

Last Day in Kusi

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Jonathan

Yesterday was my last day in Kusi for the summer.

On Monday and Tuesday, the work team from Virigina wanted to host a VBS-like program for the Girasoles boys, children that attend the SU-operated school at Kusi and children from the nearby villages of Ongo and Aira. Both days the team prepared songs, games, dancing, a craft, story and skit to share with the children, which was both successful and lots of fun. On the second day, they ended the event with a big carnival in the main square of Kusi. There was face painting, crafts, games where the children spun around a baseball bat (which is quite funny for those watching) and where they had to match numbers on floating little yellow rubber duckies. They even had a beauty station with manicures for the mothers that came with their children. It was a great way to end the two days of events!

Pijamada!

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Pijamada, originally uploaded by katherinebruder.

In an effort to do something different and have a little fun on my last night in Kusi, Katy (another translator who is here from England) invited Rosa, the house mother at Girasoles Kusi, and her 13-year old daughter, Alexia, to spend the night in our bungalow and have a pijamada!

So, after returning from having a delicious pollo a la brasa (rotisserie chicken) dinner in Yungay with the work team and all 40 boys plus staff, we returned to Kusi, spread out the mattresses, grabbed our blankets and got comfortable! Pretty soon, our bungalow was full with Katy, Rosa, Alexia, Carmen (another translator with us in Kusi), and the three ladies from the work team.

We started the evening with a short devotional by Rosa and then had a time of prayer, where we were able to specifically pray for the needs of the group. We ended the night watching “Una Noche Fuera de Serie” (Date Night).

It was nice to take an evening “for the girls.” Alexia, who lives in Kusi with her brother, parents and 40 boys, is usually the only girl at events and rarely has the opportunity to spend time with friends, or have friends come visit. It was nice to be 12-13 again and spend the night just watching movies and having fun.

I couldn’t have asked for a better last night in Kusi.


Pijamada, originally uploaded by katherinebruder.

Of course, there were some silly moments throughout the night. 🙂