Rainy Wednesday

How I love the rain (maybeI should live in Portland, OR???), and waking up to the sound of it on the roof always makes me smile. That is how I woke up today, the rain beating rhyme and waking me. My jet lag isn't bad at all. But I find I'm waking up much earlier than usual (4:30 or 5). So I am making the most of it by actually getting my coffee and catching up on all the things that need to be caught up on. a rainy day gives me the excuse to stay home and really catch up!

I had a lovely book club visit last night, and another tomorrow night. But otherwise I am blissfully free to think about stories and such. I will be at the Barnes and Noble in Warwick on Saturday at 2 to sign THE TREASURE CHEST. From there I am off to Ithaca to hang out with Sam for the weekend, since I spent most of his vacation in the stans.

Annabelle and I have been getting ready for our trip to Alaska, hitting the REI sale and stocking up on all things hiking. We leave on June 13 and spend our first days in Homer, where I'm teaching at the Kachemak Bay Writers Conference. Then we head to Anchorage and on to Denali National Park and our little cabin deep in the park.

We get home in time to head to Ithaca to see Sam in HAIR! before Annabelle and I go off again, this time to Port Townsend, WA for the Writers Conference there. And home in time to see Sam in OTHELLO at Ithaca Shakespeare Company.

I have to share two book recommendations, by the way: Life After Life by Kate Atkinson and A Constellation of Vital Phenomenon by Anthony Marra. Both brilliant! My own summer reading is devoted to reading at least two of Robert Caro's books on LBJ, as well as Tara Conklin's House Girl, Meg Wolitzer's The Interestings, and Elizabeth Strout's The Burgess Boys. 

And I hope to knit two of the Mara shawls. I'm 1/3 finished with the first one, and I have enough flying time to knit two...hopefully...

But for today, I am just enjoying the rain, eating artichokes, and finishing with a cocktail party this evening. Good to be home!

Sipping cappuccino in Istanbul, on my way home!

Yes, it's true. Here I am in the Turkish Airlines lounge at the Istanbul airport, waiting for my flight to Newark.

You might have noticed that I haven't updated you on my travels lately. Well, in Ashgabat, all of our blogs were blocked, and Facebook got blocked intermittently.

What an interesting country Turkmenistan is! All white marble and gold or blue domes. Snapdragons and roses blooming in kaleidescopic proportions. Fountains everywhere, often changing colors Las Vegas style at night. Although I think I will not eat a shish kebab of awhile, we enjoyed the hospitality of the US Ambassador in his beautiful home (filled with the carpets Turkmenistan is famous for) and a party at the home of the Deputy Chief (WINE! Finally!)  We met poets, students, librarians, teachers, and had special sessions with people with disabilities. All fascinating encounters.

Perhaps my favorite excursion was to the city of Mary where, in Merv, there is an archeological dig that began just two weeks ago. Watching the painstaking work of sifting through dirt for shards of colorful pottery, I remembered my parents' story of watching Pompeii getting excavated when they lived in Naples in the early 1950s. They would take picnic lunches there, and watch as columns and murals got revealed.

We also got to visit The mausoleum of Seljuk ruler Ahmad Sanjar (1118 - 57), considered a jewel of Islam architecture for good reason. It was absolutely beautiful--and you can see pictures of it and other sites in Turkmenistan on my FB page.

I have a long trek home, but am happily upgraded so that the eleven+ hour flight will be less painful. Lots of time to dream of pasta and bacon and eggs and Gogo's meatballs. And the smiling faces waiting for me at the other end...

On the way to Ashgabat, I stopped in Istanbul

Our final night in Tashkent was another wonderful experience. After teaching a workshop, we went to dinner in a yurt! I had lamb kebobs and rice, a big cold beer, and the warmth of new friends. I wished the evening didn't have to end, but that 5:30 pickup at the hotel the next morning weighed on everyone's mind, I think! Of course, once back in my hotel bed, I couldn't sleep and probably only did for about a couple hours.

Still, I was eager to try the tour my new best friend inTashkent told me about: apparently Turkish Airlines offers free city tours to passengers with layovers in Istanbul of more than six hours (me!) I had about thirty minutes to make the noon (and final) tour. So one friend ran ahead and held my spot in the line for visas while I checked where to go to pick up the tour. Then I got my visa in a nanosecond while he held my spot in the passport line. This tag teaming worked, and I arrived at the tour pick up spot at 11:50. The guy there told me the tour was full, but I begged and begged and finally he relented and let me on.

First stop was lunch. Lentil soup, cheese pastry thing, salad, chicken shish kebob with rice, and honey cookies. All FREE! Wake up, American airlines! I have become a total slave to Turkish Airlines after flying them this trip and now this amazing offer to their customers. I kept thinking of those horrible US Air gate and ticket agents when I got stuck in PHL a few weeks ago. Now here I was, getting meals on every flight (even three hour long flights), cozy socks and eye masks, smiling flight attendants, pillows and blankets--in COACH! And then this free tour, with lunch. Everyone needs to fly Turkish Airlines as much as possible!

We passed the old Constantinople wall from the fifth century (I think?), which kind of blew my mind. I saw the Haga Sophia perched on a hill, and many beautiful mosques with minerets. Then the mindblowing fact that I'm driving along in Europe, and looking across the Bosporus at Asia! How cool is that?

We had a nice long tour of the last sultan of the Ottoman Empire's palace (the crystal staircase! Wow!) and I got back to the airport with a big Starbucks latte in hand by 5:45. Oh, Turkish Airlines, I love you.

9PM flight to Ashgabat, which means I have had a nice long hot shower in the great rent by the hour hotel at the Istanbul airport, and am in my nightie charging all my devices--phone, computer, ipod--and catching up in Words With Friends.

We arrive in Turkmenistan at some ungodly hour like 4AM. And our first event is at 9. So a looooong day tomorrow. But how excited am I to see this country??? I heard that Facebook is blocked there, so I won't be able to post pictures until I'm back in Istanbul airport on Sunday, or maybe even not until I get home late that night. But I will try, just in case.

Last day in Tashkent

Yes, it's sad but true. This is our last day here in the beautiful capital of Uzbekistan. Tomorrow we leave for Turkmenistan at the crack of dawn. Another adventure, which I'm excited to begin. Yet I'm sorry to leave my new friends here.

It has been a remarkable couple of days since I last posted. Yesterday we met with students and teachers at the National University and later at the beautiful National Library. I can't begin to describe how marvelous it was to watch their hands go up eagerly to ask questions about American literature and to share with us about Uzbek literature. The time passed too swiftly--I would have been happy to stay and talk with these intelligent, curious people for hours more.

The evening proved to be as stimulating, if not more so, as Stephen Kuusisto led a discussion with the local disabled community. Again I was struck by the intense knowledge and curiosity with which the audience asked questions. 

Steve said in his opening remarks that we (the other writers) were only temporarily able bodied, a comment that made me think quite a bit later back in my hotel bed.

I always had the youngest mother around. She could hit a ball farther, ride a bike faster, hula hoop longer than anyone. And now at 81, with a botched hip replacement, I have watched her as she entered the world of the disabled. In Las Vegas, a man actually pushed her to the ground as she made her slow way through a taxi stand line. She is hesitant to accompany me on even short journeys these day because she worries about her mobility so much. Steve's words are something to remember as we move through this world of ours.

I thought too about Gracie's horrible last hours in the ICU. At one point, the strep was destroying her arm, and we were prepared that she would probably lose it. Take her arm, I remember thinking. Just save her. Because we are not our limbs or our eyes or our voice. We are inside our physical selves. How often we forget that, and judge each other by the external limitations. If today I had my Gracie disabled, without her left arm, what a different person I would be. How precious it would be to have her beside me instead of gone.

These thoughts made me toss and turn last night, even though we ended the evening at a fantastic Czech beer garden, drinking large steins of Czech beer and eating sausages and meat and dumplings. Such camaraderie around that table with our local guide and our translator! Travel always reminds me of the beauty of the human spirit.

This morning found us at the Foreign Languages University for another lively discussion on American literature and Uzbek literature. Then an interview with a journalist.

And now a little nap to make up for my sleepless night.

I am continuing to read Kate Atkinson's novel LIFE AFTER LIFE, and love it more with each astonishing page. And happily, I didn't start Denise Mina's third book after all--I am right on track! Tomorrow's flight will find me knitting and listening, no doubt.

Plov!

Today I finally tried the national dish of Uzbekistan--plov. 

But first let me catch you up on my amazing day in Samarkand, an ancient city about 90 minutes from Tashkent by train. This ancient city is best known for its location on the famous Silk Road between China and the West.

There we saw: Sharh-i-Zindar, Gur Emir, Registan, and Bibi-Khanym Mausoleum. Google any of these for pictures of these gorgeous sites, with intricate mosaics and blue domed buildings. 

It was quite hot, but worth every minute in the blazing sun to gaze at the domes sparkling in the sunlight and to learn about the culture here.

I loved the stories of Timur and how he put one pomegranate seed for every soldier in a trough before battle; when they returned, they each took just one from the trough and that is how he calculated how many soldiers were lost. Also: his tomb has an inscription that warns not to touch it. After it was opened in the 1940s, World War ll began; afterStalin moved it, Leningrad fell. I love stories like these that add to the historical facts.

We met with a group of teachers and students at a university (great mural on the walls of the Silk Road) and we got to do a little shopping (scored a beautiful silk scarf for Gogo) before taking the train back. Once at our hotel, we went for some beers and conversation before collapsing (Ah! Jet lag!)

Today was simply great. Not only did we get to sleep in, but our first stop of the day was the Bazaar for shopping. Uzbekistan is famous for embroidered cloth called suzanes, in particular with a motif of pomegranates. I bought ten hand embroidered napkins and a purse for Annabelle as well as a beautiful bedspread. Also bought little fat ceramic men holding out the famous bread they make here, which is round and layered with designs of flowers or fruit stamped into it, or making pots of plov.

From there we took the very beautiful metro with its art deco stations and speedy trains to Independence Square, a gorgeous plaza of fountains and flowers with an arch topped with many silver storks. Through the arch you reach a statue of a woman holding a baby that reminded me of the pieta, except the baby represents Uzbekistan. We walked along shady paths lined with pine trees to the World War ll memorial, a stunning tribute to the two million Uzbeks who died in that war. there was an eternal flame looked upon by a statue of a grieving woman, and two buildings that housed engraved plates of the names of those lost in the war. This place moved me to tears. 

The day was cool and breezy, and it was so pleasant to spend all that time outdoors.

But it was lunch now, and time for plov. We went to a very traditional restaurant, that looks Turkish in some ways, with cushioned seats and baskets and benches. The plov is rice, carrots, peppers, raisins, chickpeas, lamb, and...yes, folks, horse. I admit I did not try the horse meat. But the rest was quite delicious.

From there it was an hour and half ride on bumpy roads to teach writing workshops to high school students who are in a special program via the Embassy. Many cows and goats walked past us on the way, and I saw people working in the fields (I think it was cotton). The students were enthusiastic, and eager to try their new English skills. At the end of our afternoon with them, they performed traditional Uzbek dances and songs. All marvelous and touching.

Dinner back in Tashkent at a Turkish restaurant, sitting outside under colorful blankets they provided. After our chicken kebobs and tea, I was happy to come back to my room and have some local beer, try to Skype with home (mostly unsuccessful) and climb into bed.

I got lots of knitting done on the train yesterday, but left it behind for the long car rides today--drat! I did finish STILL MIDNIGHT on tape, and started THE END OF THE WASP SEASON but then realized that's the third one, so when I start up again I will go to GODS AND BEASTS instead. Now I'm going to turn to Kate Atkinson's LIFE AFTER LIFE, which is amazing! Brilliant!

A full day tomorrow, including events at the gorgeous National Library. Until then...

Plov!

Today I finally tried the national dish of Uzbekistan--plov. 

But first let me catch you up on my amazing day in Samarkand, an ancient city about 90 minutes from Tashkent by train. This ancient city is best known for its location on the famous Silk Road between China and the West.

There we saw: Sharh-i-Zindar, Gur Emir, Registan, and Bibi-Khanym Mausoleum. Google any of these for pictures of these gorgeous sites, with intricate mosaics and blue domed buildings. 

It was quite hot, but worth every minute in the blazing sun to gaze at the domes sparkling in the sunlight and to learn about the culture here.

I loved the stories of Timur and how he put one pomegranate seed for every soldier in a trough before battle; when they returned, they each took just one from the trough and that is how he calculated how many soldiers were lost. Also: his tomb has an inscription that warns not to touch it. After it was opened in the 1940s, World War ll began; afterStalin moved it, Leningrad fell. I love stories like these that add to the historical facts.

We met with a group of teachers and students at a university (great mural on the walls of the Silk Road) and we got to do a little shopping (scored a beautiful silk scarf for Gogo) before taking the train back. Once at our hotel, we went for some beers and conversation before collapsing (Ah! Jet lag!)

Today was simply great. Not only did we get to sleep in, but our first stop of the day was the Bazaar for shopping. Uzbekistan is famous for embroidered cloth called suzanes, in particular with a motif of pomegranates. I bought ten hand embroidered napkins and a purse for Annabelle as well as a beautiful bedspread. Also bought little fat ceramic men holding out the famous bread they make here, which is round and layered with designs of flowers or fruit stamped into it, or making pots of plov.

From there we took the very beautiful metro with its art deco stations and speedy trains to Independence Square, a gorgeous plaza of fountains and flowers with an arch topped with many silver storks. Through the arch you reach a statue of a woman holding a baby that reminded me of the pieta, except the baby represents Uzbekistan. We walked along shady paths lined with pine trees to the World War ll memorial, a stunning tribute to the two million Uzbeks who died in that war. there was an eternal flame looked upon by a statue of a grieving woman, and two buildings that housed engraved plates of the names of those lost in the war. This place moved me to tears. 

The day was cool and breezy, and it was so pleasant to spend all that time outdoors.

But it was lunch now, and time for plov. We went to a very traditional restaurant, that looks Turkish in some ways, with cushioned seats and baskets and benches. The plov is rice, carrots, peppers, raisins, chickpeas, lamb, and...yes, folks, horse. I admit I did not try the horse meat. But the rest was quite delicious.

From there it was an hour and half ride on bumpy roads to teach writing workshops to high school students who are in a special program via the Embassy. Many cows and goats walked past us on the way, and I saw people working in the fields (I think it was cotton). The students were enthusiastic, and eager to try their new English skills. At the end of our afternoon with them, they performed traditional Uzbek dances and songs. All marvelous and touching.

Dinner back in Tashkent at a Turkish restaurant, sitting outside under colorful blankets they provided. After our chicken kebobs and tea, I was happy to come back to my room and have some local beer, try to Skype with home (mostly unsuccessful) and climb into bed.

I got lots of knitting done on the train yesterday, but left it behind for the long car rides today--drat! I did finish STILL MIDNIGHT on tape, and started THE END OF THE WASP SEASON but then realized that's the third one, so when I start up again I will go to GODS AND BEASTS instead. Now I'm going to turn to Kate Atkinson's LIFE AFTER LIFE, which is amazing! Brilliant!

A full day tomorrow, including events at the gorgeous National Library. Until then...

Greetings from Tashkent, Part Two

Sam always says to shut down and start again to fix technical problems and it appears to have worked here!

Ok. So I knit and ate and drank and slept my way to Munich on the fabulous Lufthansa, and arrived fresh as the proverbial daisy and almost immediately met up with my little travel group of writers plus Kelly who is the best travel coordinator maybe ever. We boarded our next flight to Istanbul, and I mostly knit  and slept my way there. I have to give a huge shout out to my writer pals Debra Spark and Lily King for turning me on to Audible.com. The whole time I knit I listened to the first book in the Denise Mina Alex Morrow series, which are read by a woman with the greatest Scottish accent. This knitting and listening to books is amazing!!!!

Even though I had a dream of going into Istanbul, exhaustion and practicality kept us right at the airport in a nice hotel where we got to shower and sleep and I watched two episodes of HOUSE before I ventured into the fabulous airport and ate free samples of Turkish delight plus a yogurty meaty wrap. Also spritzed some Chanel #5 on at a duty free shop before meeting back up with my lovely little group and boarding the flight to Tashkent.

At this point I didn't know what day it was, or what time zone I was in (a problem I still have right now!) and I didn't care because I could just knit and sleep and eat my way to Uzbekistan (new favorite airline: Turkish Airlines, who fed me even on a flight that departed after midnight and the food was really yummy, including a little bag of hazelnuts that I took with me and ate for dinner with a giant Uzbek beer last night)

Arrived here in Tashkent at 6AM on Friday (I think) and had to wait at the Visa window for the Visa guy to arrive at work. Then we got swept up by our fabulous guides and hosts, brought to our swell hotel where we immediately took advantage of the free breakfast (I just had coffee and a croissant as I was so full from the airplane breakfast) and our nice beds. But sleep was brief as we got picked up a few hours later for...lunch!

My favorite food here so far has been the bread. there are all kinds and they are beautiful, shaped like hats and printed with designs and all kind of salty in a good way. I'm not as sanguine about the salads, which are eaten in vast quantities and are mayonnaisey and filled with uncooked vegetables (a big travel no no). So I ate some kebobs and lots of aforementioned bread.

Then we went to a shiny office building and met with the Writers Union here and had tea and more bread, also pistachios and almonds and some other yummy nut I'd never had before. it was all very ceremonial and ended with all of us getting traditional Uzbek robes and hats and more flowers than Miss America (check out FB for pictures!).

Of course by this time jet lag was so bad that I was nodding off from time to time. And we still had to meet with about sixty high school students, which has been my favorite thing so far--they were so smart and asked such terrific questions. From there we met with the ambassador, which was very cool and he gave us little pins of the US and Uzbekistan flags.

And then it was on to a tiny museum that honors the poet who was married to Isadora Duncan (and this guy died at thirty but had four wives!) where we met Uzbek poets and shared readings with them. A lovely evening.

But all of us so tired that we practically crawled through the hotel lobby and onto the elevators and into our beds. I got a big Uzbek beer from room service and ate it with those airplane hazelnuts before sleeping blissfully for seven hours.

Now I feel refreshed. Will find out what day it is and meet my group in about an hour for our next adventure. I'm in my bed sipping French press coffee (I am always so glad that I pack my portable French press and some good coffee!) until then.

More anon!

Greetings from Tashkent!

What a whirlwind few days I have been having! My nomadic spirit is really being fed on this adventure, everything from the crazy long trip to get here to the daily adventures large and small. If I had my family with me it would be just about perfect. Every day I'm reminded of our family travel adventures to far flung places like Peru, Vietnam, Cambodia, and even the Arctic Circle this past winter.

But now for this adventure so far.

Got off to a bang up start by having my flight from providence to Newark cancelled, therefore missing my connection to Munich. I was rerouted on Lufthansa from Boston direct to Munich, which would have been a royal problem if my darling son hadn't been home and immediately offered to drive me to Logan (Yay, Sam!) Once there, I managed to get an upgrade to business class for my troubles. And let it be said that Lufthansa is the opposite of my hated US Air--I love this airline! Even more now that they got me to Munich in style, with delicious wine and roasted chicken and tomato mozzarella salad and a seat that reclined into a cozy bed. Ahhhh!

Also let me note that I started knitting the Mara shawl (available on Ravelry) and this is the PERFECT knitting project for long flights. You cast on only five stitches and it grows as you knit, fitting right in a freezer size zip lock bag with the yarn. Thank you, Knitting Goddess Helen Bingham (www.helenbinghamdesigns.com for her own patterns) for suggesting it! And now I'm typing green, I see...


Oh! I fixed that problem!

Digression: Helen has contributed five original patterns for KNITTING YARNS, the anthology of writers writing about I've edited that is coming out November 11!

Now my formatting has gone all wonky. I am publishing this and writing Part Two...

The Stans!

Today I get the pleasure of reading through KNITTING YARNS, the anthology of writers writing about knitting that I've edited. Contributors include Barbara Kingsolver, Anita Shreve, Sue Grafton, Elizabeth Berg, Andre Dubus III, Ann Patchett, Jane Smiley and more! I have to keep pinching myself to be sure this wonderful dream I had really is happening. In addition to these amazing essays, there are five original patterns in the book, all designed by Helen Bingham. Knitters and readers are going to just love this book as much as I do!

My other focus today is packing for my exciting trip to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan through the University of Iowa International Writing Program. Many of you will remember when Sam and I went to Uganda a few years ago and taught classes in theater (him) and creative writing (me). Although under a different auspices, this trip is similar in many ways. Although I've read what I could find on these two fascinating countries, there isn't a lot out there. So I expect every day to bring an adventure! The travel alone is about 27 hours, so I have downloaded lots of books on Audible to listen to while I knit my Mara shawls (pattern available on Ravelry.com)--Denise Mina's Alex Morrow trilogy, THE GOOD NURSE, and MIDNIGHT IN PEKING, among others. Of course I'm also taking some real books, including Kate Atkinson's LIFE AFTER LIFE, Meg Wolitzer's THE INTERESTINGS, and Tara Conklin's THE HOUSE GIRL. Plus many weeks' worth of New Yorkers, naturally.

I'm not sure what the internet situation will be, but when I have wifi I will post here, and on Facebook, so please check in if you want to share in my adventure!

As everyone knows, yesterday was Mother's Day, that beautiful but complicated celebration of moms. I remember the first Father's Day after my father died, which came just two months later when I was still numb with grief. It felt like those Happy Father's Day cards were assaulting me every time I walked into a drug store or supermarket. And then of course there was the first Mother's Day after Grace died, a mere three weeks later. That stands as one of the hardest days I've endured. Yet we should celebrate our parents (well, we should celebrate them EVERY day!), and as time passes I have found that these holidays can lend to reflection on those people we loved and lost--the memory of drinking beers with my dad and barbecuing together on those long ago Father's Days. The memory of Grace's handmade card with its I Love You Mommy in her careful script, her small hand in mine. How it hurts to remember! How it brings joy! Last night when I got in bed I found four dimes by my bed, a sign that we always think comes from Gracie. Maybe they are still near us, after all...

But to have my mom and mother in law with us yesterday for a Peruvian feast, and to wear the earrings Annabelle made me, and to see my phone light up with a call from Sam...we must always remind ourselves of what we do have, and hold on to it tight.

LET THE SUN SHINE IN!

As you all know, my fabulous son Sam studies theater at Ithaca College. What you may not know is that this summer he and a group of his friends are producing HAIR in Ithaca. Details about why and how and who is involved are on the video on this link, as are details about how you can help this talented Tribe let the sun shine in!

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/hair-ithaca-summer-2013

Thanks for helping make this happen!

A writer has to write

Coming off a terrific evening in NYC at The Three Cups in the East Village where the Sweet! series had an actress do an amazing reading from THE OBITUARY WRITER, I headed off to a weekend in Boston for Grub Street's Muse and the Marketplace. Always so inspiring, and interesting, and exciting, and just plain fun. Got to hang with so many writing pals, and go to two fabulous parties, and meet so many new people. Straight from there I came home to do a panel on historical fiction at the Athenaeum here in Providence withTaylor Polites, Tom Cobb, and Adam Braver. That is a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Then cocktails with Cousins in the backyard. Yummy pork chops for dinner with fresh sugar snap peas. Even got to watch Mad Men live!

So why am I feeling so off center? Because I need to write!

It is time, after so many wonderful events, so much fun, so much travel, to begin a new book. I am all tingly with the excitement of it...