The Unsent Letter Project

Gosh.  Back in April, I decided I wanted to post unsent letters I had written.  In typical fashion, I've failed miserably at that goal.  In total, I've posted exactly one letter.  At this rate, I'll be lucky if I get one up a year.  This entry isn't unsent letters, but postcards that were sent, received, and through fate, are now back in my possession.

     Today, I'm thinking of my grandma, or Golden Grams as I called her.  She would have been 89 today, and losing her is one of the hardest things I've gone through.

    When she died, we began the process of dismantling her life, of sorting through her things.  Tucked in her beloved set of Encyclopedia Britannica were the following postcards, each one next to entry for the country I'd sent the postcard from.  It touched me to see how she'd saved the postcards I'd sent her from my travels.

     The first postcard is from my first trip abroad-- a trip I took with my friend, Mark, and his family.  The following year I went back to Paris to study abroad for a semester, and I mailed her a postcard from the Loire valley, which my classmates and I had toured.  The third postcard was mailed from Athens, Greece.  I had traveled there alone to model, and it was my first time traveling on my own.  I stayed there for two months, and worked with a local modeling agency there (garnering my first two national magazine covers during that trip).  The last postcard was mailed from Cologne, Germany.  It's special to me, because my grandma sat next me on the train while I wrote it.  We'd traveled to Germany to visit my brother, who was studying there, and so that Grandma could see the homeland of her father.  It was a very special trip, and I was thrilled to have the woman I loved so much with me.

    Grandma, I miss you.  I think of you all the time, and I'm thankful for whatever vestiges I carry of you.  You were an amazing woman, and I'm glad that you're reunited with Grandaddy, sitting at the Lord's feet in Paradise.

1/18/2000

Dear Golden Grams,

    Here's your postcard-- as promised.  I thought this one was kind of pretty.  This shows the Notre Dame Cathedral which is situated on an island, surrounded by the Seine River.  We climbed the bell tower-- it was very cool!  The view was amazing and there were cool gargoyals.  We also went to the Catacombs-- yards and yards of bones & skulls and things underground.  There's bunches of other things we've done as well but I'll tell you about them later.  Right now we're in Brugge, Belgium which is quite a captivating wonderful little town.  There's a moat surrounding the city.  Also canals-- this is known as the Venice of the North.  I've been to what feels like zillions of churches on this trip-- all magnificent.  The hotel we're in here is an old monastery.  Very quaint.  I love you and hope all is well!

♥ elise

January 2001
Hey Grandma.
   How are you?  We visited this chateau today-- what do you think?  We spent the night in one- it was amazing. Toured 5 in all.  It's cold here but we leave for Barcelona, Spain in two days-- should be warmer there.  I'm having a great time-- meeting lots of friends-- the French are nice.  We stay busy-- constantly doing things.  Thanks for the $$ you sent me for X'mas-- I'm doing pretty good on spending but every bit helps.
♥ you! elise

July 18, 2003

Dear Grandma~

    Hello:)  Greetings from Athens:)  Thought I'd send you a pic of the Parthenon-- it looks much better in the pic as it is currently under construction.

   My time here is almost up-- 10 days to go.  I'm sad to leave as I've grown rather fond of this city.  But I'm happy to be getting home to yummy home-cooked food and my sis's birthday and all.  I'll be home for all of August so that should be very nice.

   I've worked a little bit here so it was definitely worthwhile for me to come here.

   Thank you so much for the money!  I really appreciate it!  I ♥ you and miss you.

xoxo elise

Oct. 12, 06
Hi grandma!
   We are riding back from the Grand Cathedral in Cologne.  I thought this was a nice postcard to remind you of our trip!  I wanted to thank you for being my roomie-- it was a grand trip!
   I had a wonderful trip and am so thankful you came (believe me, when I thought you might decide not to come because of that passport, I seriously considered backing out myself.)  I am so glad that you were able to see the motherland-- and that I could see it with you!  I will treasure the memories of our time together here forever.
I love you!
xoxo-- elise

Go South Africa!!! The Cape Town Travel Guide

So, you're going to South Africa for the World Cup? You LUCKY FISH (as one of my South African friends says)!


A few months back, a friend of mine emailed me for suggestions of where to go in Cape Town and surrounding environs. He was heading down to watch a couple of the World Cup matches, and was hoping I could enlighten him as to some of the must-see spots. I never got back to him, so this is my last minute guide (the games started June 11th!) to some of my favorite Cape Town places. If you're wondering what makes me qualified to write this post, I must say that I'm absolutely NOT qualified, but I did live a stone's throw away from the fancy new stadium in Greenpoint during January, February, and March, and so, have at least a few opinions.

Where to start?(The A-to-Z guide)

Cell Phone: Your American cell phone will not work unless it supports the 900 frequency (many American phones do not). If your cell phone does, and it has a sim card, you can purchase a sim card for 4 Rands (50 cents) at most drug stores and grocery stores. It's pay-as-you-go, so just buy more phone credit when you run out.

Climate: Bear in mind that June is winter in South Africa and that at night time, the temperature can dip to 40°F/4.5°C. The high temperature for June and July is about 62°F/17°C. Expect rain, and if it is anything like the summer months, it will be incredibly windy as well.

Church: If you find yourself in Cape Town over the weekend, and looking for a church, I can recommend the one I attended while I was in South Africa. They preach the Gospel and are committed to furthering social justice in the city of Cape Town. They meet in the heart of the city at 44 Long Street in the New Space Theater. Service is every Sunday at 5:30pm. View their website here.

Currency: The currency is the South African Rand.
The current exchange rate is $1US= $7.85ZAR or €1EUR= $9.35ZAR

The bills feature Africa's "Big Five"-- the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot. They are the African Elephant, the Black Rhinoceros, the Lion, the Cape Buffalo, and the Leopard.

Food: Yum! Try everything. The cuisine was some of the best (and consistently so!) that I've ever had.

Getting Around: South Africans drive on the left-side of the road, and in my opinion, were some of the worse drivers I've ever seen (Sorry! but it's true. I feared for my life just walking down the street, and my poor friend, Catherine, did get hit one day while walking, and the driver didn't even stop!). If you rent a car, make sure you get insurance. Also, if you do drive, make note of the "car guards" when parking. Little more than bums with reflective vests on, they help you park your car, and expect payment when you leave. Capetonians always pay these guys, so you probably should too (and, yes, it does feel like extortion). $2 Rand is sufficient.

Internet: Sadly, internet in South Africa tends to run quite slow, and unfortunately, is also expensive. Rather than unlimited usage, you are charged by kilobyte uploaded and downloaded. There are some internet cafes, but most block websites such as YouTube which eat up kilobytes. I ended up turning off all pictures on my browser to try and keep the price down. And, in the end, I ended up doing what the South Africans did-- I "MacGyver'd" my phone and turned it into a modem that I connected directly to my laptop (see accompanying photo). My advice? Leave your laptop at home, and use the internet cafe when you need a fix.

Languages: South Africa has 11 official languages which include English, Afrikaans, Xhosa (which uses clicking sounds!), and Zulu. You'll be fine speaking English, but expect to here new words/phrases such as robot (traffic light), bakkie (pick up truck), lekker (nice), kiff (pleasurable), braai (barbeque). My favorite expression I picked up there is "shame," which is what people say anytime they hear something bad or sad. Also, expect to hear the word now (and its variations) used to mean soon, or in a little while. On the phone, they may say something like, "I'll see you now-now," which actually means, "I'll see you in a little bit." You'll want to add T.I.A. to your vocabulary as it's likely something you'll say a lot-- it means, "This is Africa," and you say it with a shrug of your shoulders when things go wrong (i.e., the internet cafe loses power, or the waiter brings you something different from what you ordered). Remember, you're in Africa, and things don't always run as smoothly as you may be used to. Finally, if you want a name for that annoying horn everyone and their brother is blowing (bring earplugs-- they're loud!), it's called a vuvuzela. (Click here for more South African "English" words).

Public Transport: Public transport is pretty shoddy in Cape Town. There are regular taxis, which can be flagged down on the street (make sure they use their meter), but it's better if you can book ahead. Excite Taxi company's number is 021 418 4444. Rikkis (086 174 5547) is a shared taxi that charges a flat rate per person, but is the most dependable mode of transport. You'll need to call ahead to book. There are also mini busses that run on selected routes. White South Africans don't ever take these, but then again, they all have their own transportation. I did take the mini busses, but I do think caution is in order (one girlfriend was kidnapped by one, and robbed at the top of the mountain). Rules of the minibus:

1. Always have your fare ready when you board. The fare is quite cheap, usually no more than $7 Rand ($1 US), so it's best if you have correct change. Additionally, you don't want to be fumbling around in your wallet on the bus.

2. When possible, ride with other friends.

3. DO NOT BE THE LAST PERSON ON THE MINIBUS. This is one of the cardinal rules of the minibus. Even if you're not at your stop, get off with everyone else, and take the next minibus.

There are also commuter trains which you can use. Once again, you'll find that white South Africans do not take these, and say they're unsafe. I did use them, and in my experience, they were fine, but recommend that you take them only during daylight hours, and it's best if you do it with friends.

Safety: One of the most common questions I hear regarding South Africa is "Is it safe?" My general impression is that it is not safe. Before I continue, I would stress that South Africa is one of the most beautiful countries I've been blessed to visit, filled with delightful people. I would go back in a heartbeat, and I think when we talk about safety, it's only to encourage visitors to be wise and street smart. I honestly don't think the crime should deter you from going at all.

Why would I say South Africa is unsafe? Well, because it takes both hands for me to count the incidents-- mostly muggings-- that happened to people I personally knew during the three months I lived there. Based on those experiences, here are a few tips:

1. Carry a fake wallet. My Brazilian friends tell me they do this back home, and I don't think it's such a bad idea in South Africa. The idea is that if you're being mugged, you can give them the fake wallet, and save the hassel of having to replace all of your cards, etc. Throw a small amount of cash and an expired credit card in it to make it more believable.

2. Don't walk and text. That's how my one friend was "relieved" of her Blackberry. You keep your phone out of eyesight, and do things like texting and calling inside a store, not on the street.

3. Keep your valuables out of sight. You want to take a photo with your fancy digital camera? Fine, but make sure you keep it in your bag until you want to use it, then put it back in your bag, so it's not obvious you're carrying it around. This goes for cell phones, wallets, and anything else you don't want to be targeted for. This probably goes without saying, but NEVER leave your cell phone on the table at a restaurant (even while you're sitting there), and NEVER leave your bag unattended. A final cautionary tale: One friend's passenger window was bashed while she sat at a red light. The criminal saw her purse sitting on the seat, grabbed it, and ran. Don't think just because your things are behind glass that they're safe.

4. Keep your wits about you at all times. It's when you let your guard down that you're most vulnerable. One of the most common areas for crime that I found was Long Street, which is the popular, quaint, "Main Street" part of town.

5. Know that the number of HIV/AIDS infected people in South Africa is higher than any single other country in the world. So says Wikipedia.

6. Use ATMs inside stores. Rather than on the street where you're easily targeted.

7. Keep your passport safe. This piece of advice comes courtesy of my friend Phil, who learned that lesson the hard way: His was stolen during a short layover in Johannesburg.

FYI, Johannesburg is considered to much more dangerous than Capetown. Also, in fairness, I should add that statistically, most of the crime occurs in the townships.

Taxes: If you plan to do much shopping, it pays to collect receipts, as you will be able to claim your taxes back. You can only be reimbursed for items you're taking with you when you leave, but in my experience, it was well worth the effort (items are taxed 12-14%). Take receipts with the items to the airport, or the day before you leave, go to the tax place at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. You'll find it on the second floor of the mall directly behind the clock tower (near Nelson Mandela Gateway). If you go there, bring your receipts, your passport, and a copy of your flight info. They're very quick, and then when you go to the airport, you'll be in the express line (do this before checking into your flight). Make sure to ask for receipts when you shop!

Tipping: South Africa does not have a tipping culture like the United States. Do not tip taxi drivers. Tips in restaurants are 10%.

Water: Cape Town straddles the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The Indian Ocean water is warmer, but overall, it is still pretty cold! And, by the way, yes, you CAN drink the tap water.

Wine: South Africa is world famous for the wine it produces which are available just about everywhere. Plan to bring some home with you, as it is both excellent incredibly cheap, and you won't find as diverse a selection once you are out of the country. A note on buying alcohol in Cape Town: Most stores close alcohol sales at about 5pm on Saturday, and do not reopen for business until Monday morning. If you're going to be there over the weekend, you're going to want to plan ahead and stock up.

My Favorite things I did in South Africa: (the part where I get to show off my pictures!)

Go Greenmarket Square: Originally built in 1696, the square, located in the CBD, houses one of the oldest outdoor markets in Cape Town. Go armed with your bartering skills, and pick up some souvenirs before heading back home.

Take a Stroll through the Bo-Kaap: Formerly known as the Malay Quarter, this area retains much of its cultural heritage. Many residents are descendants of slaves that were brought over from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Malaysia in the 1600s and 1700s.

Hang out with the other tourists (and a few locals) at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront: A short walk from the Cape Town Stadium, it's not hard to see why the Waterfront is the most-visited attraction in all of South Africa. Part mall, you can find pharmacies, trendy stores, tourist shops, fine restaurants, live entertainment... the list goes on and on. If you're thirsty for a beer, and want to watch soccer, head to Mitchell's.

Take in the vistas while cruising down Chapman's Peak Drive to Cape Point and back: One of my favorite things I did while in South Africa, this peaceful drive provides ample scenic vistas. Following Chapman's Peak Drive, you'll pass the lighthouse in Kommetjie, and continue on down to Cape Point. Drive back via Simon's Town (where you can stop and visit the penguins!), and Kalk Bay, a picturesque seaside town. I recommend the Brass Bell for lunch and a pint. Alternatively, if you don't have a car, you can catch a train fron Cape Town to Muizenberg and get off at the Kalk Bay stop.

See Cape Town by Night: The easiest way to do this is to drive up Signal Hill just in time for sunset. If the weather is nice, and you've got a few hours to spare, you can hike up Lion's Head. It's a tradition to go up on the full moon, which provides ample light for the trek.

Stop and Smell the Flowers at Kirstenbosch: If you're into flora, be sure to checkout the famous Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, nestled on the eastern side of Table Mountain. Winter is a great time to go, as it's said to be very green, and lots of plants are in bloom.

See the fashionable set and the amazing views in Camps Bay: This suburb of Cape Town sports white beaches and is silhouetted by the stunning Twelve Apostles Mountain. It's where the trendy set hang out, and is home to a number of nightclubs. Have dinner at one of the restaurants lining the beach-- I recommend Cafe Caprice, where all the models hang out.

Take the cable car up Table Mountain and take in the views: One of the best ways to take in the scope of the city, the cable car is a quick and easy way up the side of the mountain. The vistas on top are incredible, a must-see for any traveler passing through Cape Town. Make sure you bring appropriate clothing as even in the heat of summer it can be quite cool at the top. Check out the website for info including a weather report and visibility from the top.

Visit the Winelands: Visitors to Cape Town have lots of options to choose from if they desire to go wine touring. While I was there, I visited Stellenbosch, Paarl, and Franschhoek. Driving through the countryside is a great way to spend an afternoon. You may even discover that some of your favorite wines come from this region of South Africa. I have always loved the wine company, Goats Do Roam, and was delighted to find that it is produced at Fairview in Paarl (which I recommend visiting!).

Get the postcard picture at Bloubergstrand: A popular spot for surfing, this beach also provides that classic photo of Table Mountain that you see on all the postcards.

See the animals of Africa: I call them South Africa's national treasure. They were what made South Africa truly special to me, and were the icing on the cake. When driving around Cape Town keep your eyes peeled, as you're likely to see wildebeest, various boks, and zebras. Wine farms and other locales keep animals, and while Cape Town isn't the best place to find game reserves (there are much better ones outside Johannesburg), there are a few small ones close by.

Brush up on your history: Whether you're a student of colonialism, apartheid, Dutch art or a myriad of other topics, you'll find museums to explore (there's even one dedicated to the world's first heart transplant). I never made it to Robben Island, but I did check out the Castle of Good Hope, as well as the District 6 Museum. The Company's Garden is a nice spot to mingle with the squirrels, and is lined by museums as well. If you have a moment, pop into St George's Cathedral next door, which was a meeting point for the resistance movement during apartheid.

South Africa is a place that is full of beauty-- you can not go wrong in however you decide to fill your time there. Go, make your own adventure, and have a wonderful trip!

XOXO,

This is a photo of a painting of the Cape in 1487. The original hangs in the museum at the Castle of Good Hope.

Packing Up...

Today is my last day in Dubai and I'm supposed to be doing this right now:

Figuring out how I'm getting home that giraffe I picked up in South Africa (among other things!) is going to be fun... I think I need to go out and buy another suitcase just to transport all the new things I have accumulated along the way.

But, instead, this is what I'm going to do this afternoon (and is, in fact, what I did yesterday):

And, let me just say, I'm pretty proud that at thirty I can still do this:

I'm going to miss you Dubai!

XOXO,

Day 14 in Istanbul-- My Day in Pictures

Day 13-- Back to Istanbul

Hagia Sofia from the Golden Horn, Istanbul via Flickr

I have to apologize for not blogging lately. You'd think with my being in a foreign country that I'd have more than usual to share. Unfortunately, I've also been just too busy to have any time to write.

The day usually goes like this: I wake up around 7 to take a shower and to ensure there is hot water before the rest of my 13 housemates stir. I move extra slow in the morning, showering and doing my makeup, and then checking my email before piling into a large van around 9:00am. Once in the van, our driver, Koray, drives us girls (and two boys) all over Istanbul to castings. Castings, for those of you who don't know, are the modeling world's job interviews. We do multiple "job interviews" a day-- meeting a catalogue companies, magazine editors, photographers, etc. They're each looking for models for their job (or shoot), and we meet with them and show them our portfolio. The actual interview process only takes about five minutes a person, but getting from casting to casting in the sprawling city of Istanbul (which traverses both Europe and Asia) takes all day. I haven't been home before 10pm since I arrived, which means that I pass a whole day in a hot car with 10 or so other models. It's quite draining, believe it or not. (Think if you had to go to ten job interviews a day, every day).

I did end up booking two jobs last week which meant that I was excused a bit from the tedium of sitting in that van every day and going to castings. What's more, the jobs were in Izmir, a lovely town in Turkey that sits on the Aegean Sea. I spent five days there, shooting two different pajama catalogues.

I'd love to tell you more about it, and post pictures, but right now I am too tired. I'm hoping that I will have a bit of free time in the morning as our castings are starting a bit later tomorrow.

I do have several new roommates (I swear they keep coming in droves); here they are:

From Top Left to Right:
Sigrid from Estonia, Anne Mai from Estonia,
Gerli from Estonia, Laura from Germany
Junita from Lithuania, Viktoria from Russia
Dene from South Africa, Williams from Argentina

XOXO,

Istanbul and Modeling 101

December 2007, Istanbul, Turkey. In front of Bosphorus Strait with Farah

December 2007, Istanbul, Turkey. With crazy Turkish man selling Cashews at Grand Bazaar.

I think I failed to mention this before, but I am now in Istanbul, Turkey. I arrived last night, and am geared to stay for two months. I am here for work-- although, I should specify that I don't have any actual work lined up at the moment.

I shall pause a moment and explain how this modeling thing works-- or, at least try to. I suppose like most other jobs out there, it's really hard to understand what one does unless one actually does it. I mean, how many of us can accurately describe what our own parents do for a living?

So, where to begin? I think the best way to explain it is to compare it to something else. Let us say that you are an actor. As an actor, there are many places you can work-- i.e., you can stay in the small town you're from and try to do local theater productions, you can move to the nearest city and audition for commercials or theater there, or you can move to New York or LA and try out for films, Broadway, commercials, theater etc. When you move to Los Angeles, you move there without a job, but with the hope and expectation that you will find work when you get there. It works much the same way for models. I moved to NYC at the age of 23. I did have a job per se (pay close attention as this is where it gets confusing), my job is modeling, but I did not have any jobs lined up. The idea is akin to an out-of-work actor. He is still an actor, and being an actor is his job, but he currently does not have any work.

100% of the time I am a model (as in that's my job, or what I do for a living). That said, I only have jobs (as in specific bookings that pay me money) about 25% of the time. Does that make sense? An actor between movies is still an actor, but in the meanwhile, he's out of work (and, not getting paid). Perhaps I belabor the point. Let me continue.

Models are lucky in that the world is our oyster. There are many cities in the world where models are in demand and are able to work. For instance, I grew up (sort of) in Delaware. Living in northern Delaware meant that I was close to Philadelphia, which meant that I was able to work out of that city. Living on the northeast also meant that I had easy access to New York, so I was able to find work in that city. After working in New York for a while, I set my sights on Europe, and in the summer of 2003, traveled to Athens, Greece to model. Like the actor who moves to LA saying, "I'm going to go and see if I can find work there," models move to different cities with the same hopes. When I went to Athens, I didn't have any work lined up, only the hope that once I got there that perhaps I would find work. And, to clarify further, when we find work, it means we work for a day or two, and then we are out of work again. An example would be like if I booked a job to be in a Pantene Shampoo ad. It takes two days to shoot the ad-- I am employed for two days. Once the ad is shot, I am again out of work. The same is true of magazines. I work one day for Cosmopolitan shooting pictures for a story that they write. At the end of the day I go home and I get paid for one day of work. I am at point unemployed again. Because our individual jobs are so short-lived, we are able to travel from location to location in search of work. Many girls also pick one place and settle down; it depends on their own penchant.

So, I am in Istanbul. I came here because 1) it seemed like an interesting city that I should like to explore, and 2) I hope that I will be able to find jobs here. I've committed to staying for two months, but I do not know if I will work or not. Only time will tell.

So, that is my essay on modeling. Sorry to write such a long rambling post.

I arrived last night and am staying in an apartment owned by my agency here. There are several other models here, which is quite nice as I have instant friends. The internet also works here (in some countries it doesn't) which means I've been busy video-skyping my sis.

The girls are all lovely-- everyone has been so nice to me. Here are the girls in the apartment (with apparently six more arriving on Monday).

From Top Left to Right:
Alexandra from Austria, Taylor from Canada
Jeanne from South Africa, Me from USA
Anastasyia from Ukraine, Olga from Ukraine

I am already formulating my thoughts about this city-- I'll keep you updated as things progress. Tomorrow I think I will explore the city center. But, for now, I sleep.

XOXO,


P.S. A BIG thank you to everyone who voted on my new hair style. The votes were overwhelmingly in favor of bangs, so I took your advice and chopped them. I'm quite pleased with my haircut and will hopefully post pictures soon!