Kim Kash's Blog, page 4
June 18, 2014
Jamie August Has Arrived in All Your Favorite Formats
Ocean City Lowdown Audiobook
My adventures continue as an indie author! Last year's Kindle title, Ocean City Lowdown, is now making its debut as a paperback (perfect for stuffing in the bottom of your beach bag) and an audiobook (just right for the long trip down to the beach.)
Ocean City Lowdown introduces Eastern Shore Maryland reporter Jamie August, who has a talent for unearthing more than her editor wants and a weakness for Ravens jerseys and sparkly underwear. She is assigned to cover the grand opening of a big new housing development in Ocean City, Maryland. But instead of writing about wrap-around porches and rattan furnishings, she uncovers kickbacks and payoffs, blackmail and murder. Jamie's tenacity, smarts, and sheer recklessness—plus some smokin’ striptease dance moves—can get her out of some tight spots, but are they enough to save her from a psychopathic arsonist and two generations of corrupt real estate tycoons?
June 17, 2014
An American Caddie in ... 'Udhailiyah?
This article originally appeared in my community newspaper and here. You, dear blog reader, get a bonus photograph!
Author, caddy and recreational golfer Oliver Horovitz tees off at ‘Udhailiyah’s Wadi Al-Saeed Golf Club while visiting the area recently. The author of “An American Caddie in St. Andrews” said he would rather play the ‘Udhailiyah course than Pine Valley, the No. 1 ranked course in the world. Photo by Josh Olson
UDHAILIYAH — When ‘Udhailiyah’s Wadi Al-Saeed Golf Club vice president Josh Olson contacted Oliver Horovitz about coming to Saudi Arabia, Horovitz’s first thought was, “There’s golf there?”
His second thought was, “I want to play golf there.”
And so it was that the author of An American Caddie in St. Andrews made the trip not just to Saudi Arabia, but specifically to ‘Udhailiyah — Saudi Aramco’s smallest and most remote family community — for a couple of speaking engagements and a few rounds of golf on the compound’s oiled sand course in early May.
“One round here or one round at Pine Valley (ranked by Golf Magazine as the No. 1 course in the world in 2012)? No joke, I would play here. It was just wonderful,” he enthused, especially with “Saudi Aramco’s kind of amazing radio station playing.” Horovitz and several ‘Udhailiyah residents played the course two days in a row, traveling in a golf cart tricked out with oversized tires and a “kickin’” stereo. (There are several of these in ‘Udhailiyah.)
Horovitz chilling on a classic tricked-out Udhailiyah golf cart. Photo by Josh Olson
“When I grow up, I want to have a golf cart just like that,” Horovitz said.
Horovitz grew up in New York City and made his mark at the academically rigorous Stuyvesant High School by founding its golf team. “I was not exactly The Fonz in high school, but I did love golf,” he said.
As a high school senior, he was admitted to Harvard, but he was accepted for the following academic year, leaving him with a gap year to fill. With family in St. Andrews, Scotland — the birthplace of golf — it was an easy decision for him to take a year of courses at the University of St. Andrews.
Students there are offered unlimited play on the Old Course, one of the world’s oldest golf courses, for a modest one-time fee. It was a “weird parallel universe, where the golf team was the coolest team,” he said.
Horovitz had such a great time at St. Andrew’s that he decided to stay on for the summer, getting a job as a caddie alongside the “old, gruff Scottish caddies” that have looped the course for decades. He did return to the United States to commence his studies at Harvard, but he kept going back to St. Andrew’s every summer to caddie — and he’s still at it. Horovitz has clocked nine seasons there, and he’s not finished yet.
An American Caddie in St. Andrews describes Horovitz’s journey from trainee caddie (“the absolute lowest of the low”) to seasoned veteran with humor and obvious affection for the quirky denizens of the caddie shack. He also has plenty to say about the often starry-eyed golfers who are fulfilling a lifetime dream by stepping onto the green in St. Andrews.
The book — and Horovitz’s talk — was full of funny stories about golfers he has encountered over the years. He describes one player as a “loud banker with the social graces of a mollusk” and talks about oddly generous players. Sometimes certain “golfers are so excited they take off running down the fairway” and bring gifts for their caddies: a packed lunch; a gigantic wind chime; a sleeve of three golf balls embossed with a picture of the golfer’s face. He said that the majority of people who come to play are Americans, who tip well (tipping is a subject of scathing, hilarious commentary in the caddie shack) but can be obnoxious and overbearing — unlike their Canadian counterparts, who are nice people but tend not to tip as well.
Not surprisingly, Horovitz has rubbed shoulders with some very famous people who have played golf at St. Andrews, including Bill Clinton, Condoleezza Rice, Michael Douglas, Andy Garcia, Huey Lewis (“a great golfer,” according to Horovitz), even Samuel L. Jackson, who said on The Late Show with David Letterman, “The only thing I’m afraid of in life is my caddie at St. Andrews.”
The golf jokes come fast and furious in the book. “’That’s a South America,’ Horovitz announces when his golfer’s putt stops 1 inch in front of the cup. ‘One more revolution needed.’” Or “That’s a Bon Jovi … halfway there.” Those are the ones that are appropriate for a family publication.
In addition to the delicious insider’s peek at St. Andrew’s caddie culture, Horovitz also talks about time spent each summer with his beloved Uncle Ken, and Ken’s best friend Henry. “They were like the two old guys in the Muppet Show,” he said, referring to Statler and Waldorf, offering grumpy commentary from the theater balcony. The difference is, Ken and Henry were enthusiastic gardeners and avid followers of local news and gossip, more likely to giggle than grumble. Both were World War II veterans who had led soldiers into battle, and now both were relishing life in their gardens and around town. They dragged Horovitz to flower shows, enlisted his help weeding the flowerbeds, and had him up on ladders trimming shrubbery.
An American Caddie in St. Andrews was a pleasure to read even for this nongolfer, and listening to Horovitz speak was like hanging out with a comfortable old friend. The crowd of about 50 clearly enjoyed themselves at the golf club, as did the group of students he spoke to at the ‘Udhailiyah School earlier in the day.
The morning after his golf club appearance, Horovitz got back on the road for the long trip north, with several newfound golf buddies in tow. They crossed the causeway for more golf in Bahrain, thereby ticking off a second Middle Eastern country in which Horovitz has now played.
Oliver Horovitz speaks to a group of ‘Udhailiyah youngsters during his recent stop in the Southern Area community. Photo by Josh Olson
May 31, 2014
Let's All Go Downey Ocean, Hon!
Ripleys' Believe It Or Not Museum on the Ocean City Boardwalk
While I’ve been looking at art in Qatar, living the lush life in Bahrain and glamming it up in Dubai (not really!), the summer season has opened back at my favorite Maryland beach, Ocean City. It seems we all have our opinions—strong ones—about the best stuff to do and see in Ocean City. Thanks to a recent, carefully calibrated and highly scientific survey (thank you, Twitter and Facebook), here’s a list of what some feel is the greatest stuff in OC, in no particular order. If you’re a Maryland native, these will probably all ring a bell. If you’re planning a trip for the first time, let this list be your jumping-off point. And please understand, this just barely, barely scratches the surface of possibilities in Ocean City.
Of course, no OC checklist would be complete without Jamie August. (Yeah, here’s the sell, but I mean it with all my heart!) I'm burning the candle at both ends to make sure that the paperback edition of Ocean City Lowdown is ready by the time the kids are out of school and everybody's looking for a little somethin'-somethin' to read at the beach or poolside. Soon, soon! The audio version will be available on Amazon within a couple of weeks, too. Listen to that after you’re over the Bay Bridge and can no longer get WRNR on the radio, okay?
Here comes the list:
Stuff to do: Boardwalk rides; boogie boarding; miniature golf; bicycling; kite flying (stop by The Kite Loft for yours); ice skating at the Carousel
Quintessential Ocean City summer treats: Thrasher’s fries; steamed crabs; salt water taffy; frozen custard; chocolate-covered strawberries; popcorn; soft serve ice cream; local beers
Favorite Eateries:
AKA “House of Creamed Chipped Beef,” this diner has a homey appeal. A great breakfast/brunch menu, but if you haven’t already, you’ve got to try an order of their claim to fame, chipped beef on toast. If you’re a fan of Scrapple, the wait staff will be happy to serve it up with your choice of ketchup or syrup.
A family-owned restaurant known for its bull steaks and steamed shrimp. Try their gravy fries!
Make a quick trip out to Berlin, MD for some seriously local beer: even the barley for malting is grown on the Eastern Shore! Cool atmosphere with live music on the weekends.
Hands down, the best homemade fudge on the east coast!
A must-visit in North OC if you love crabs. Show up hungry, because their crab feasts are all-you-can-eat, heavy steamed crabs plus some very distracting fries, coleslaw or chips. The seafood appetizers are fantastic. The deck is set up with picnic tables, which are always packed in season.
This historic ice cream parlor (the original was established in the 1930s) will take you back to the “good old days.” They have a lunch and dinner menu, but the ice cream is the best part, with sundaes, milkshakes and ice cream sodas.
Everett Fisher founded Fisher’s Popcorn in 1937, specializing in caramel popcorn. (Oh my, yes.) All of the products are made by hand with natural ingredients.
Ridiculously good doughnuts; get there early and get in line. Ever try a Margarita doughnut? They’ve got ’em. Yum!
You’ll love the gorgeous vista of Assateague Island. Nicknamed “Brew with a View”, this is a nice place to chill with a summer cocktail and appetizers.
An Ocean City standard for generations, Phillip’s has a range of choices on the menu that includes filet mignon, Maryland fried chicken, and mouth-watering lobster tail. Oh, and crabs. Of course! Very cozy atmosphere with a rustic bar.
French Toast is the big deal at Layton’s, in my book. They have a gluten-free menu as well. They also make their own doughnuts. So the big debate is, Fractured Prune or Layton’s? The only way to settle this is to try them both.
The Baltimore Sun declared they have “the best steamed crabs in Ocean City.” No argument here. It’s a charming little midtown shack, with heavy wooden picnic tables and friendly staff. They also have delicious fried oysters.
A funky mix of stuff goes on at this midtown restaurant. They make a great cappuccino, and they have a full breakfast menu. Plus Thai food. Somehow it all works.
Looking for a fun night out? Seacrets has great live music and the atmosphere to go with it. The night club holds special events every week, and during high season there’s something happening every night. Check out local and regional musicians of all kinds: Blues, Jamaican, Folk, Rock, and more.
The boardwalk’s best fries. Don’t bother with imitations—and there are some. Douse yours in vinegar, have a seat on a boardwalk bench, and eat your way to the bottom of the bucket.
Sadly, I will not be back to Ocean City this summer. So get on down there if you are anywhere in the mid-Atlantic region, and have a blast, hon! I'm spending the summer in the Arabian desert, so please hoist a cold one for me.
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May 19, 2014
Art and Sprawl in Qatar
Fancy shrubbery and construction cranes in Doha, Qatar
The whole city of Doha, Qatar is in an absolute frenzy of new construction, stretching the boundaries of the urban center farther and farther out into the desert. A few weeks ago we visited a friend who recently moved there. His flat is in a building that's just one of blocks and blocks of apartments built specifically as corporate housing for the city's exploding population of professionals. Much of the new suburban sprawl consists of housing developments and airplane-hangar-sized shopping centers built in grim, uninterrupted grids out to the horizon.
In the suburbs of Doha. Outside of downtown, there's a whole lot of this.
However, a lot of stunning, cutting-edge architecture is here, too, as well as some thought-provoking public art installations. Forbes names Qatar as the richest country in the world, so it seems only fitting that some big money is being spent on art and architecture.
Mona Hatoum's La Grande Broyeuse at Mathaf
I've seen the Museum of Islamic Art twice now (and I'm sure I'll go again.) But on this recent, third trip to Doha, it was great to see some of the city's other art offerings. We slogged through miles and miles of construction to find the spare, stylish Mathaf Arab Museum of Modern Art.
Some of Etel Adnan's paintings at Mathaf
The two major exhibitions at Mathaf the day we went were those of Mona Hatoum, a Palestinian artist born in Beirut who now lives in London, and Etel Adnan, an author and artist also born in Lebanon. Adnan lived for years in California and was inspired by the landscape there, particularly Mount Tamalpaîs, north of San Francisco. (My husband learned how to mountain bike on Mount Tamalpaîs, so he especially enjoyed these paintings.)
Richard Serra's Passage of Time
One end of Passage of Time
While in Doha we also visited a beautifully exhibited sculpture by American artist Richard Serra in its own building on the grounds of the Museum of Islamic Art. A few years ago I saw his Matter of Time series at the Guggenheim in Bilbao, and that was spectacular, but this! The sheer size and empty space around the piece seemed like a part of the sculpture. It's just the one piece, housed in a clean, white warehouse of a room. You need that much space to stand back and get a good look at Serra's pieces. It felt somehow appropriate that these two sinuous, parallel lines of steel have been given such a spacious home in this sprawling, flat city.
April 28, 2014
Covered Fashion: A Guest Post on Wardrobe Oxygen
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This photograph has been making the rounds--I found it on allwomenstalk.com, but it seems to pop up everywhere when you start searching for stuff involving "fashion" and "abayas." This really does capture the glamorous possibilities of covered fashion.
I'm not usually into fashion blogs, but I make a big exception for Wardrobe Oxygen--a smart, sensible resource for real women with interests that extend far beyond the shopping mall and the spa. Today over on Wardrobe Oxygen I'm offering a glimpse of Saudi women's fashion. Here's a taste:
I live in Saudi Arabia, where Muslim women cover their hair (and sometimes their whole face except for their eyes) and wear loose-fitting, long garments. I’m an American living on a very large, international compound where women do not have to cover. So I am hardly an expert on Saudi women’s fashion. However, I’ve been here for several years and spent plenty of time outside the compound covered up in what I call my “Invisibility Cloak.” Here, then, are my observations about Saudi women’s fashions. (Read more at Wardrobe Oxygen....)
April 13, 2014
Causeway Célèbre
The shrine to Guinness at JJs Pub in Bahrain
I don't even like Guinness. (There, I said it.) And yet, there's something comforting about walking into JJs, down a side street in Bahrain, and bellying up to the bar for a pint. Or a glass of something, anyway.
JJs and other watering holes in his tiny island nation know they've got all of us expats exactly where they want us: thirsty and exasperated at the end of the Saudi work week. They can charge pretty much whatever they want for a beer: and they do. We try to limit our exposure to Bahrain for fiscal reasons, but recently I've made several trips over the causeway.
When my husband and I first moved to Saudi Arabia, we lived on a very remote compound. It took three or four hours to get across the causeway to the relative ease and comfort of Bahrain. Now we live just on the other side of the bridge. Tempting, tempting....
Imagine that Maryland's Eastern Shore, connected to Annapolis and points west by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, was another country altogether. Bahrain is that close to Saudi Arabia, with a single bridge connecting the two. Thursday afternoons, which start the Middle Eastern weekend, can be vicious on the causeway.
Typically lively singing at JJ's monthly Irish music gathering.
Bahrain does have a selection of the same absurdly high-end shopping venues as Dubai (see my last post, and an earlier entry), but feels friendlier. Neighborhoods are walkable, and buildings are more human-scaled. On a recent walk, I snapped these pictures:
Mosque near the Manama souq
Architectural detail in the newly refurbished Manama souq
Food stall in the souq neighborhood
Marked-out graffiti in the souq neighborhood, a reminder of the continuing unrest.
Bahrain World Trade Center, with its wind turbines, just down the block from the neighborhood souq. Also, look! Sidewalks, and they're relatively clean!
A pedestrian-friendly street in the Adliya neighborhood.
The British Club, a throwback to (fairly recent) Colonial times, where shepherd's pie and mushy peas are served up poolside.
Life is really very nice at home in the Magic Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Not a day goes by that I'm not grateful for the opportunities we have here--financially, culturally, you name it. We are doing fine! Sometimes, though, I just need a very cold glass of good white wine. So it's off to Bahrain.
February 3, 2014
The Fab Life in Dubai, Barbie Style
Clouds swirl above the dancing fountain at the Mall of Dubai.
I've been to Dubai twice now, and I need to search a little harder for the soul of it (because several friends have told me that it has one.) So far, I have found it to be about as compelling as Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse: "This is the ultra shopping, dining and entertainment destination for Barbie and her friends. Whether they’re checking out hot boutiques or dining at trendy restaurants or watching the trained dancing dolphins show, this is where they live the fab life."
If I sold my car, I could afford a watch at the Mall of Dubai! Oh, wait. No I couldn't.
Totally! Like in that one episode? "While Barbie gets ready for her date with Ken, she realizes she needs the perfect accessory. To the amazement of Nikki and Teresa, she opens her closet door to reveal an eye-poppingly amazing labyrinth of aisles and racks – clothes, shoes, accessories – as far as the eye can see. But once they enter, will they ever find their way out?"
Beyond the marina, you can see the ring encircling Palm Jumeirah Island.
My husband and I spent a long weekend in Dubai with two other couples and our "niece" (the daughter of one couple.) We rented a flat in a tower apartment building in the Marina district, with a view of Palm Jumeirah Island (you know, one of Dubai's man-made islands? It's in the shape of the Malibu Barbie logo?)
Snazzy living room!
Pretty bedrooms!
Leopard pattern accent tiles in one bathroom! Rawwrr….
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A kitchen that might best be described as "stunning."
The flat was obviously decorated by Barbie's fave interior designer. But, oh no! There was a plumbing leak in the kitchen, an alarming smell coming from the utility closet, and construction noises piercing the double-paned windows from dawn to dark. Where we stayed wouldn't have mattered so much, except that the purpose of the weekend was to hang out in a big apartment, cook, visit, and relax. The plumbing problem nixed extensive food prep, but we did have some fun in the kitchen:
Any cupboard can accommodate a little kid. These were so roomy that mom could fit too!
A few of us went to the "black market" souq, which is woven into the upper stories and back alleys of a gold souq. One of our crowd was a native Arab speaker, so we felt pretty bold in checking out this hidden system of commerce. I didn't take any pictures (for obvious reasons).
A guy came up to us as we entered the shopping district. He said something like, "Watches. Handbags. Number One Top Quality." We nodded, and he led us through an unmarked door and into a lobby, then up three flights of stairs. He knocked on an elaborately reinforced and locked door. The door opened and we entered a room about the size of my closet (which is not nearly as big as Barbie's closet), lined on all sides with shelves and hanging displays of knockoff purses, scarves, belts, and other accessories. These looked like the junk you can buy on the sidewalk in New York or Paris. We weren't impressed.
"You want high quality? We have replica quality! This way!" The guy reached behind one of the hanging purses, turned a doorknob, and pushed open a second door into another room, stuffed equally full but with higher-end knockoffs. Each room was crowded with shoppers, and the air was still and warm. If there had been a fire, it would have been curtains for everyone. Luckily, no emergencies befell us. We shopped in a few of these off-the-grid shops, and I netted one very nice "Lacoste" polo shirt for about 20 bucks.
No knockoffs here: this may look like crazy costume jewelry, but it is not. This is the real deal at the gold souq.
I decided against picking up any bling, though it would have been perf to roll up to the Mall of Dubai and step out of a pink Maserati, dripping in gold. With a name like Kim Kash I guess I should work on this. For the moment I find myself lacking in Italian sports cars and bereft of 24 karat necklaces.
Gold ingots: Swiss and Emirati
It's not all fancy jewelry on the gold souq. One of my traveling companions has been buying gold as an investment since she arrived in the Middle East, figuring it was safer than the stock market. Plenty of shops in the souq cater to these more sensible gold purchases as well.
Shoes in the gold souq
The only thing that really tempted me in the gold souq was this collection of shoes, being sold by a vendor against a wall outside a gold shop. Sadly, it's hard to find shoes in this part of the world for my American-sized feet. (Barbie must have some Eastern branches in her family tree.)
Night views from Barbie's penthouse
Dubai makes me impatient for a lot of the same reasons that LA does (I let it rip about that city, too.) But it's a quick, cheap flight from where we live and a welcome break from Saudi austerity, so I'm sure I'll go back again. Next time, the plan is to seek out the places in the city that are less blingy and less plasticky. And steer clear of bargain rental flats.
January 8, 2014
The World's Friendliest Country, Part 2
Can you spot the shipping container?
I realized it was an earthquake almost immediately, but I wasn't terribly concerned. I was standing inside a great big metal box; I knew a few shakes wouldn't collapse it. As the tremors continued for many seconds--and the aftershocks continued on and off for the rest of the day--I felt fortunate to be staying at a resort that was constructed entirely out of retired shipping containers. Several additional conex containers were in the process of being reformatted there at Anika Resorts, and it was fun to see how the ubiquitous steel boxes were being transformed into cute, comfortable beach cabins.
How about now?
Just a few weeks later, Anika Resorts on the Philippines' Bantayan Island withstood another natural disaster--Typhoon Haiyan. It was the only resort left standing on the island. Those shipping containers sure were a great idea.
The devastating effects of the typhoon made international headlines. But the fact is, the Philippines suffered a one-two punch in October and November, with the 7.2 earthquake preceding the deadliest Philippine typhoon on record by just a couple of weeks. My husband and I were there when the earthquake hit.
The island that was hardest hit by the earthquake was Bohol. We were on Bohol the day before the earthquake, as part of a two-plus week island hop around the Visayas, the central islands of the Philippines.
A picture I snapped of St. Michael Parish Church, Bohol, one day before the earthquake that destroyed it.
St. Michaels after the earthquake. Photo by Erik de Castro/Reuters
We joined a one-day bicycle tour around Bohol, passing the St. Michael Parish Church, countless peaceful rice paddies and small villages, and the odd Chocolate Hills in the central part of the island. In the summertime, the grass on the hills turns a roasty brown color. Don't they look like a box of chocolates stretching to the horizon?
Chocolate Hills before the quake.
Chocolate Hills, shredded by the earthquake. Photo courtesy of Philippine News (philnews.ph)
We had a great day on the island, and I managed to stay off of the Bus of Shame (the jeepney trailing the group of cyclists and picking up exhausted stragglers) until we were really really very close to the top (I swear!) of the Chocolate Hill overlook!
Cycling up to the Chocolate Hills overlook
The Bus of Shame!
This is a large but otherwise fairly typical Filipino jeepney. They're available for private hire, and they are also used as public transportation. Jeepneys are the equivalent of buses here, nutty paint jobs and all. Jeepneys are not the most comfortable ride, especially if you're a very tall American.
The jeepney: long on style, short on headroom
While on the cycling trip, we stopped at a butterfly sanctuary (the second one we'd visited in the Philippines--and I'd recommend the one on Bohol over the one in Cebu for its extensive and well-maintained gardens.) We also visited a tarsier sanctuary, though it was a bit disconcerting because it was basically just a big cage that tourists could walk through, gaping and taking pictures. Well. I was one of them. That said, there are government conservation projects for the tarsiers on Bohol and two other Visayas islands. Tarsiers are tiny primates, smaller than squirrels, with huge eyes.
Tarsier
The Philippines was one of the friendliest, most culturally comfortable countries I've visited since we moved overseas. The world-class diving, gorgeous beaches and unfailingly friendly and kind people there make it easy to gloss over the Southeast Asian traffic chaos, the poverty, and the need for tighter environmental regulations. As an American, I do cringe a little when I see litter on a pristine beach and families living in tin shacks. But conditions here seem vastly better than in other parts of Southeast Asia. And after the twin disasters of last fall, life goes on.
A friend just returned from visiting his family in Cebu. It's business as usual for the dive operators and other tour operators (tourism is an enormous source of income here.) Our friend swam with whale sharks and went on a stunning dive trip with his 10-year-old son. The whole family went on a zip-line trip, and stayed in a family-owned hotel overlooking the sea.
December 18, 2013
The World's Friendliest Country, Part 1
Cebu Detention Center inmates shakin' their thang during their monthly performance in the prison yard.
My husband and I were chased from island to island by an earthquake and a typhoon in the Philippines this October. Nevertheless, I think this country is the friendliest place I have ever been on earth. Here's a nation that knows how to have fun.
For example, the photo above was taken in the prison in Cebu. (Cebu City is the urban hub of the Visayas, which is the big group of islands in the middle of the Philippines, if you divide the island nation into thirds from north to south.) Chief Warden Byron Garcia loves 80s pop music--as does the entire nation, it seems, though soulful love ballads are even more popular. So he created a different sort of exercise drill at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center. Their dance to Michael Jackson's Thriller was a huge YouTube hit a few years ago.
Every month, the public is invited into the prison yard for a free performance. My hyper-security-vigilant American brain was melting down as I considered the million ways in which things could go very, very wrong in there. Over a thousand inmates--some serving time for deadly crimes--performed in front of a civilian audience with absolutely no barrier between us. I'm no security expert, but I've seen an awful lot of Hollywood movies. That qualifies me to say this looked like a BAD IDEA. But it's a fine tradition that happens the last Saturday of every month, no problem. You have to book tickets way in advance, because this thing is a smash hit. The day we were there, highlights included "Gangnam Style", a Michael Jackson medley, and the Pointer Sisters' "Jump".
The New York Times several years ago did an article on Garcia and his work with the prisoners.
The videos illustrate what we saw better than I could describe it. But it doesn't show the inmate color guard's opening presentation of flags, choreographed and executed with dignity and precision to the ultimate disco classic, "The Hustle."
Inmate dancers wearing pink ribbons to indicate cancer fundraising efforts. Yes, the prison is raising funds for cancer research.
So, sure, I'm snickering about prison inmates waving flags to disco hits. However, something Garcia wrote strikes me as humane and very sensible: "If we make prisons a living hell for (the inmates), then we might just be sending out devils once they are released. Cruel methods to achieve discipline are a thing of the past! So, keep on dancing!"
Whaddya say, Texas?
Bryon Garcia
November 19, 2013
Spotted: Jamie August on Wardrobe Oxygen!
Today the splendid fashion blogger Alison Gary is writing on Wardrobe Oxygen about books as gifts--and she's giving away a $100 Amazon gift card! That's nothing to sneeze at. Alison offers fashion advice that is sophisticated yet grounded in reality. She writes for actual women (versus size zero 19-year-olds), and she knows how to do that because she's a DC-based full-time professional with a husband, a kid, and a full, messy, normal life. I cannot recommend her site highly enough.
But you know what really caught my eye about her latest post? One of the covers pictured on Alison's Kindle Paperwhite is that of my novel, Ocean City Lowdown!
So get on over to Wardrobe Oxygen and enter Alison's contest. I mean, a hundred bucks? That could buy, for example, gift copies of Ocean City Lowdown for 33 of your dearest friends! Make sure you and all your beach-loving pals have read about Jamie August's first adventure, because you've gotta get ready for the sequel. Oh yes. Jamie will be back and I'll tell you this much: there's a leopard-print bikini involved.
