Heard melodies are sweet,
but those unheard are sweeter.

Keats

Photography by Denise Blasor

HELPING REFUGEES AT CHRISTMAS

 Za'atari is a refugee camp that was built in Jordania in July
2012. Today it is home to 120,000 refugees escaping the
mayhem taking place in their homeland, Syria.

"In Za'atari, the dispossession is absolute. Everyone has lost his
country, his home, his equilibrium," wrote New Yorker Magazine
Editor David Remnick in a story published in August 2013.

His harrowing piece describes what it's like to live in a refugee
camp and the horrors experienced by its residents. At one point,
Remnick mentions a couple with three children.

"They had come from Homs, where their house had been shelled.
 'The mother had just given birth,  and two of the kids, their faces
were completely deformed - and the father's arms, too, as he tried
 to save them from the fire. These children are disfigured and their
 lives are scarred forever. The mother refuses to let them go near
 any mirrors.'"

To be a refugee is surely a brutal experience and unfortunately
it is one that is becoming increasingly familiar in our current
troubled times as people escape the vicious violence and
political turbulence engulfing many countries.

The International Rescue Committee is a global humanitarian aid
and relief organization devoted to helping refugees around the world.
As with most charitable groups it depends on the financial kindness
of people to fund the amazing work it carries out with such dedication.

This Christmas, as you enjoy the pleasures of the season
and shop for family and friends, consider sharing your good fortune
with those who don't have it as good as you. Making a donation
that can help alleviate somebody else's hard life takes no effort and
you don't even have to spend a whole lot of money.

IRC has a whole list of "lifesaving, life-changing gifts" that one
can choose to make. They range from emergency care for a child
($23), mosquito nets ($18 for one) and a solar lamp & charger
($25) children ($68), a safe delivery ($24), a new classroom ($240),
lifesaving cholera treatment ($190) and women's small business
training ($192).

The most popular gift costs $58: one year of school for a child.
An education is a wonderful gift. In the stirring words of Nobel
Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, "One child, one teacher, one
book, and one pen, can change the world. "

Ninety two percent of all funds raised by IRC go to programs,
with only 5% going to covering administrative costs and 3% to
fundraising, a high benchmark for a charity.

Donate online at Rescue.org/gifts or call 1.855.9RESCUE
to make a donation by phone.

Photography by Denise Blasor

A heart in love beats the same at 14
as at 80.

Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart,
18th Duchess of Alba

TIMBIRICHE  WEEK-END

San Juan: The Timbiriche Fair brings artists
and craftsmen together in a celebration of creativity and it's
back again at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Puerto Rico
in the historic Rafael M. de Labra  building at stop 18 in Santurce.

If you are looking for special gifts to give this holiday season,
this is definitely the place to come. Last year's edition of the
crafts fair offered a wide array of gift options and this year is
sure to be no exception. Areas covered include jewelry,
furnishings, clothing, books and more.

The fair runs from Dec. 19 through 21.

This is a wonderful opportunity to support local artists.
Don't miss it!

In three words I can sum up
everything I've learned
 about life:
it goes on.

Robert Frost

A SIMPLE TIP

Baby powder comes in handy when grease gets on your
cotton clothes. Dab the spot generously with powder, leave
overnight, and by next morning the spot should be gone.

Photography by Denise Blasor

I adore simple pleasures,
they are the refuge of the complex.


Oscar Wilde
"The Portrait of Dorian Gray"

    ☛ EYE ON PRODUCTS:
 Hilary's Eat Well Veggie Burger

The best foods are those made from scratch, of course, but
sometimes, either because you are in a hurry or maybe you
are curious to try something new, you turn to a packaged
product.

Hilary's Eat Well Veggie Burger touts itself as the "world's
best" veggie burger and hyperbole aside, this product is
not only tasty but all the ingredients in it are real and organic.
Here is the list: millet, quinoa, expeller pressed coconut oil,
sweet potato, greens, onion, psyllium husk powder,
arrowroot powder, apple code vinegar, garlic, salt and water.

The package includes two patties that are easily cooked in a
pan on a stove top. The burgers are free of corn, gluten, yeast,
dairy, egg, soy and nut. They are non GMO verified and are
available in San Juan at Freshmart stores.

Hilary's World Best Veggie Burger made its debut at Hilary
Brown's restaurant Local Burger in Lawrence, Kansas.

Photography by Denise Blasor

"He wanted to pack his heart with gunpowder
and blow it up."

E. L. Doctorow, "Ragtime"

   © 2014 Lorraine Blasor all rights reserved

READING IS THAT FRUITFUL MIRACLE
OF COMMUNICATION
IN THE MIDST OF SOLITUDE.

MARCEL PROUST

Photography by Denise Blasor

THE PRICE OF SILENCE 
 

   Genetically engineered foods include corn, tomatoes, squash,
 golden rice, soybeans, oils, potatoes and sugar beets. Many
 processed foods are made using GMO oils, corn syrup, refined

  sugar and cottonseed oils

HOW MUCH are companies willing to spend to keep consumers
in the dark about their products?

A lot. 

Opponents of ballot measures to label foods containing genetically
 modified ingredients in Colorado and Oregon spent a whopping

 $37 million to persuade voters in those states to vote against the
proposals.

The investment  paid off;  the measures were rejected at the ballot
box, which not only says something about the power of money
and advertising but also about the willingness of consumers to
remain ignorant about the products they consume.

If one adds up what was spent to fight similar measures in
California and Washington state, "GMO labeling opponents
 have spent more than $100 million in those four contests,"
 according to the Wall Street Journal.

Colorado's Proposition 105 would have required labels on

packaged foods to include the text "produced with genetic 

engineering." Under Measure 92 in Oregon, food labels would
have had to include the words "genetically engineered."  

Opponents attacked the labeling requirement as too cumbersome;

they argued it would lead to higher food costs, hurt farmers and
spread misinformation.  

How adding some text on a label could possibly be curbensome
 and result in higher food costs sounds like a stretch of the
 imagination.  Less of a stretch: the reason why big corporations
 reject labeling efforts  is plain, unadulterated fear that the GMO
 acronym will turn consumers away from their products.

Which is totally foolish.

The very fact that most voters nixed the measures would seem

 to suggest that full disclosure on food labels is not a priority

 Sure, some consumers might be turned off by GMO products
 but the vast majority won't even pay attention because of
 any number of reasons. Any concern by food companies
 that the labeling of GMO products will lead to a massive
 downturn in sales is unjustified.

If consumers really cared about what they put inside their

bodies they would not tolerate the current state of affairs in
which companies deny the public the right to know basic
 information about the food products they sell.

It is interesting that companies are fighting to the death --
 metaphorically speaking -- to keep those three little words,
GMO, off packaging and cans. God forbid that people should
 know what those products contain: why it would be the end
of food producers!

If consumers really cared about what they consume, they would
go out of their way to stop buying the products of companies
opposed to GMO labeling like Pepsico, Coca Cola, Monsanto,
Kraft Foods, and General Mills.

If I don't have the right to know, then Mr. Big Company keep
your products, thank you very much.

It's as simple as that. But it won't happen.

  

  

I can be perfectly happy
 by 
myself.
With freedom, flowers, books 
and the moon,
who could not be
 perfectly happy?

Oscar Wilde

 ☛  A SIMPLE TIP

 The following tip may sound like a formula your great great great

grandmother would have whipped out to keep Dracula off your

neck but given its good results it's worth passing along to the

 rest of the world. So here it is: to keep mosquitoes at bay,

 cut up a lime or lemon and stick in whole cloves. Place around

the house…. a good conversation starter, by the way.

"Feel Free" written on a wall in Old San Juan

There is no reality without struggle,
no future without battles.

"The Man from Beijing"

Henning Mankell

 DEAL OF THE WEEK $$ $

  SAN JUAN -- The
 holiday season is
nearly upon us and
with it the urge to party
 and entertain. So if
 you  are in need of
new wine glasses,
 head over to
Supermax  De Diego
which brought
 in a shipment of nice
looking, everyday wine
glasses. At $1.29 a
piece, plus tax, the
glasses are a very
 good buy. Available
 in long- stemmed and
short-stemmed styles.
 

 ⓒ 2014 Lorraine Blasor All rights reserved✎

New SJ bookstore, museum tango, and sauerkraut feast

Logo for Editorial Agentes Cataliticos 

The Stop 22 area in San Juan is fast becoming the "it" place to hang out, thanks to its mix of new and established businesses centered on FAB: food, art and books. The latest entry, a bookstore named Libros AC Barra & Bistro, is actually the second bookstore to open in the neighborhood which is home to the superb Museum of Art of Puerto Rico and the glass enclosed Ciudadela residential complex, one of San Juan's most exciting examples of urban architecture.

Located across the street from Ciudadela, Libros AC picks up on the transparency motif with glass windows that allow outsiders to look in and insiders to look out onto Ponce de León Avenue, one of San Juan's busies thoroughfares. The sleek, modern store is actually two places in one: a bookshop on one side and bar/bistro on the other. The side with the books features a large semi-circular shelving unit filled with an eclectic mix of books, mostly Spanish titles with a few English-language books thrown in. There are books on art, poetry, politics, fiction, non-fiction. There are books by Puerto Rican authors, dictionaries, and  children's books. One children's book that might catch your attention is "El Monstruo más divertido del Caribe," by author José Rabelo (Publicaciones Gaviota). This monster story is sure to delight anyone, young or old, with its very surprising twists.

There are mystery books, including two intriguing titles: "El Ojo de Jade" (The Eye of Jade) by Chinese author Diane Wei Liang concerning a female detective's search for an antique lost during China's Cultural Revolution; and, "Critica de la Razon Criminal" by Michael Gregorio in which the two main characters, a magistrate named Hanno Stiffeniis and his mentor, the philosopher Immanuel Kant, investigate a string of murders in the town of Lotting, Poland. (Gregorio is actually the pseudonym for Michael G. Jacob and Daniela De Gregorio, two scholars who teach in Spoleto, Italy.)

There are poetry books and classics by all the usual suspects:  Jorge Borges, John Le Carre, J.M. Coetzee, Truman Capote, Umberto Eco, Ken Follett, Philip Roth. Scattered around the center of the store are wheeled wood carts used to display more books; they are like book islands enticing the visitor to stop and look. And when you have had your fill of books, all you have to do is step next door to the bistro whose standout feature is a pillar all wrapped up in bold-type pages from the novel Don Quijote. The bistro space is trendy and smart, a perfect place to idle away some free time, whether alone or in good company. The menu offers salads, sandwiches and hamburgers, lunch specials, a few à la carte selections, a few desserts. Prices are moderate.

The entrepreneurial duo behind Libros AC, Ruben Ramos and Samuel
Medina, run a publishing house, by the same name. They say their aim is to create a recognized reference point for San Juan, something akin to City Lights, the famous bookstore synonymous with San Francisco.

The other neighborhood bookstore is Cronopios, located on De Diego Ave., close to the Museum of Art of Puerto Rico. This is a small bookstore with a limited book selection but pleasant and homey: there's even a sofa for people to sit down, almost as if you were in a friend's living room. Since it also doubles as a cafe, there is a small open kitchen offering coffee, refreshments and food.

If you are looking to satisfy a hungry appetite, De Diego Ave. has plenty of options to choose from, from grand dining to more casual eating. The lineup includes Mumbay, a newly opened restaurant serving Indian food; Hacienda San Pedro, for coffee and snacks; Rigoletto, for excellent pizza; and the chic Bistro de Paris, one of San Juan's finest dining places. Pricey, yet it offers affordable lunch choices starting from $15.

Last but not least, De Diego Avenue is the "yellow brick road" leading to the Museum of Art of Puerto Rico (MAPR). Based in a former hospital, this is a museum well worth a visit at any time of the week, though Wednesday afternoon is especially convenient. That's because anyone gets in free. MAPR's excellent collection spans the entire period of art making on the island, from the 16th century to the present. The best thing about the museum is that its galleries are comfortable and never too crowded for one to enjoy a work of art up close.


Libros AC
1510 Ave. Ponce de Leon
between Stops 22 and 23
787.998.5130
Hours 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Thursday
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday and Sat

Cronopios
De Diego Ave.

Museum of Art of Puerto Rico (MAPR)
299 De Diego Ave.   787.977.6277

Photography by Denise Blasor

One should either be a work of art,
or wear a work of art.

Oscar Wilde

 MUSEUM TANGO

Tango, calligraphy, book design, digital photography and stained glass making are among the courses to be offered at The Museum of Art of Puerto Rico as part of the institution's ongoing workshop program. Taught by professionals, the courses run from Oct. 16 to Dec. 22 at a cost ranging from $100 for a digital photography class to $190 for a class in advanced painting. For those who want to tango, sign up early as enrollment is limited. Classes run from Nov. 7 to Dec. 5: Monday and Wednesday nights, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

There are courses also for the younger set ( 3 to 10 years of age). Subjects include papier maché, creative writing, painting, drawing. One class open to all children is "Talleres de duendes," a creative workshop inspired by Christmas.

Find additional information at www.mapr.org. Museum members get a $10 to $15 discount on classes.

To enroll, go to talleres@mapr.org or call 787.977.4423 or 787.977.6277 ext. 2283 or 2267.

Photography by Juliette Blasor

"But if I'd ever experienced the uplift
that an artist feels when he's creating, I think
I'd have scorned my material environment and
all that goes with it, and I'd have taken wing and
soared away into the sky."

The Seagull by Anton Chekhov

LIVING FOOD

The best sauerkraut on local supermarket shelves?

Gundelsheim's Barrel Sauerkraut, without a doubt. You can find it at
Supermax De Diego and it's tops, with just the right level of acidity and
assertive flavor. Gundelsheim uses only two ingredients for this product
made in Germany: cabbage and salt (a tad high at 430 mg but that's what
drives the process of fermentation!). Sauerkraut, by the way, is an
ancient food, believed to have been introduced in Europe by no less than
Genghis Khan!

Fermented foods are very healthy as they are rich in enzymes which help
with digestion and absorption. That is why they are called living foods,
because they are not cooked, thus preserving those all important enzymes!

Other fermented foods: miso, tempeh, kefir, kombucha.

©  2012 Lorraine Blasor All Rights Reserved✍

        NATURE IN A BOX

Courtesy of The Food Department

     Japan has a yen for bento, a boxed meal that traditionally includes rice, fish or meat plus pickled or cooked vegetables, each portion carefully nestled within separate compartments inside a box made of either polystyrene, metal, lacquerware or handcrafted out of precious wood.
     In Puerto Rico, another type of box is capturing the public's imagination but this one is a conventional cardboard box that contains the fruits of the earth: organic produce and fruits grown by farmers young and old on small farms scattered around the island and packaged for prompt delivery to clients. The boxes, marketed by a San Juan-based company quaintly called El Departamento de la Comida or The Food Department, are delivered directly to clients within a day of harvesting, or the clients themselves can pick them up at delivery points in the metropolitan area, Caguas, Bayamón and Dorado.
     The Food Department is the brainchild of Tara Rodriguez Besosa and Olga Casellas, two young women whose lives intersected at a confab on the state of Puerto Rico's sustainable farming that drew farmers and members of the general public. Together,
Rodriguez and Casellas set out to launch a company that would connect organic farmers and the public in a mutually advantageous partnership.
      Farmers gain access to a larger, steady market of clients and the public gets first dibs at the freshest and healthiest available food. Much of the food consumed in Puerto Rico is imported, which means local consumers purchase perishables that were picked well ahead of their maturity date so that by the time they reach the shelves of island supermarkets they often have no taste or have lost some, if not all, of their nutritional value. "Our goal is to help farmers develop a steady source of demand, so they can produce without having to worry about marketing and distributing their product and in this way, live and farm better," reads the company's mission statement.

     Organic farming is a method of cultivation that treats the earth kindly by eschewing chemical fertilizers, synthetic pesticides and genetic engineering. The network of farmers supplying The Food Department ranges from young people in their mid twenties to older folks in their 50s and 60s, said Rodríguez, whose sister now runs their late mother's farm in Aibonito, poetically named Three Lives Farm. These organic farmers grow a variety of edibles and none is exclusively dedicated to any one crop as diversity and crop rotation is an important aspect of organic farming. The advantage of this arrangement is that a farmer always has other crops to fall back on in the event that any single one fails. Rodriguez feels that educating people about the challenges that farmers face is part of her company's job, which is why every box also includes a newsletter relating the latest news about individual farmers, thus creating greater awareness about just what is entailed in the food growing process.
     Given the unpredictable nature of farming, no client is ever sure what the interior of the box will hold once they open it. The one sure thing, though, is the size of the box. There are different sizes to choose from, each containing varied quantities of products: varieties of lettuce and greens, vegetables, fruits, edible roots plus artisanal products to compensate for a failed or inadequate harvest such as bread, sauces, marmalades, pastries, tea or coffee.  Prices range from $21 for a basic box to $46 for a large box with a mix of products.
     Since making the service available in July 2010, the company has seen its roster of clients grow from 60 to 200, about half of whom choose to have their boxes delivered directly to their home or office.  Deliveries are once a week, once a month, or twice monthly.
     The Food Department recently moved its warehouse from Bayamón to Las Palmas Street in Miramar. The new building includes a retail section that is open to the public on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from noon until 5 p.m. You might want to bring your own box for purchases.

Departamento de la Comida (THE FOOD DEPARTMENT) http://eldepartamentodelacomida.com
 #1063 Las Palmas, Miramar 787.325.8306

                              

      One should never trust a woman who tells one her real age. A woman who would tell one that, would tell one anything.  
                        -- Oscar Wilde



☛New York Theater: "TAKE WHAT IS YOURS"
     American women may feel smug about the rights they enjoy, especially in light of their Arab counterparts: in Saudi Arabia, for example, women are not allowed to drive a car although they just gained the right to vote and run as candidates in elections for municipal councils four years from now (2015). It wasn't that long ago that American women won suffrage: more precisely, Aug. 26, 1920 when the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, stating that the right to vote will not be denied on account of sex, became the law of the land. 
     The long and colorful battle for women's suffrage is now the subject of a play by talented writer/actress Erica Fae and her collaborator Jill A. Samuels to be shown in October at the New OHIO Theater, in New York city's Greenwich Village. Fae, whose compelling one-woman play about Joan of Arc allowed her to shine on stage, describes "Take What Is Yours" as "the (too) little-known (true) story of how American women fought for and won the right to vote. Inspired by and composed in the words of Alice Paul, the National Woman's Party, and documents of their time."
"Take What Is Yours," at the New OHIOTheatre 
154 Christopher St., New York
Tickets: $18/$15 students and groups
Oct. 7, 8, 12-15 & 19-22 at 8 p.m., Oct. 9, 16 & 23 at 3 p.m.
www.ericafae.com

Photograph by Denise Blasor

  The one thing we can never get enough of is love.
  And the one thing we never give enough of is love.
                  -- Henry Miller


Copyright 2011 © Lorraine Blasor All Rights Reserved