The Silent "I"

100 Cars for Good: Voting Open Through August 21

Did you know that Toyota is in the middle of giving away 100 cars to worthy non-profit organizations across the country? Through August 21, Toyota will be giving away cars to non-profits in a Facebook voting contest. If you're on Facebook, you can use your clicks to help a wonderful, community-based organization win a car to help them in their mission of helping others. The organizations come from all over the US and are competing to win a brand-new Toyota of their choosing that will help them in their daily work of helping others.

Some are helping abandoned and abused pets find permanent and loving homes. Some are helping disadvantaged people in the inner city move out of poverty. Some are working to help victims of domestic violence.  Some are promoting recycling in their community.  Some are helping veterans or former prisoners or people with disabilities.  These groups work day and and day out to help people and animals in all of our communities to lead better lives.  Most of them don't do it for glory, they do it out of love.  You can show a little bit of love yourself by using an otherwise wasted click and voting for a non-profit that is near and dear to you. 

Throughout my life, I've been fortunate to volunteer for a number of non-profits, from a domestic violence shelter to a food pantry and homeless shelter to a national NGO promoting evidence-based sex education for young people.  In each of these organizations, I saw first-hand how much they struggled with doing the most good with limited resources and funding. Receiving a reliable car or van would be a huge blessing to any of them and redouble their efforts in their communities.  You might not have time or inclination to volunteer, but you have the power to help by just clicking through and voting for your favorite type of charity.

What are you waiting for? Get clicking!

Disclosure: I was selected for participation in the TWIN community through a program with Clever Girls Collective. I did not receive any compensation for writing this post, or payment in exchange for participating. The opinions expressed herein are mine, and do not reflect the views of Toyota.

Photo Credits: All photos are © Glennia Campbell 2012.

APEC Summit on Women & the Economy

Romi Haan was a housewife in South Korea with a problem: how to keep the floors clean without spending hours a day doing it.  Because of the ondol tradition of heating homes through the floor, Koreans spend a great deal of time at home in a central room, on the floor.  As Romi says, "Koreans live on the floor. We sleep on the floor. We eat on the floor. We sit on the floor. We play on the floor." 

Keeping the floor clean is serious business for Korean women, and means daily washings, down on their hands and knees.  Romi wanted to free herself of this daily chore, or make it a little easier for herself and her friends.  So, she imagined a steam cleaner to do just that: clean the floor with less effort and cut the time spent on washing the floor in half. It was a way to get women up off the floor and out into the world.

When Romi approached a bank about a government loan program to get her product made, the bank officer asked her, "What company did your husband bankrupt that makes you now have to work?  Are you doing this for him?"

When she told him that her husband was not the reason she wanted to go into business, he didn't believe her. Her application was denied. Romi didn't take no for an answer, and persisted with her dream. She mortgaged her home and quit her job to pursue her invention.  She was able to get her business up and running in three years, but faced other hurdles. 

When Romi tried to market and distribute her product, she was met with skepticism and disdain by male buyers for department stores. She would go in to talk to them, and they would ask her, "Why do you need a steam cleaner when you have a vacuum cleaner?"

She explained that a vacuum cleaner would sweep the floor, but her cleaner would mop it. After an hour-long discussion the buyer would ask again, "Why do you need a steam cleaner when you have a vacuum cleaner?"

Ten years later, Romi Haan is now the CEO of a multinational, multimillion dollar appliance and beauty products company, Haan Corporation. She is one of the few female CEOs in South Korea, and her business is thriving. She represents a new breed of Korean women executives and a model of successful entrepreneurship. Her story is not atypical of the challenges that women face in the global economy, but her success is unfortunately too rare.

I was privileged to hear Romi's story firsthand at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Women & the Economy Summit in San Francisco recently. The conference brought together women leaders, government officials, diplomats, and corporate innovators to discuss actions to improve the lives of women in the Asia-Pacific region, and by doing so, the world's economy. Recognizing that women are a vast, largely untapped resource for change and growth, the group spent a week in San Francisco working on plans for change.  This was one of several meetings around the Pacific Rim leading up to the APEC Summit in Hawaii in November, which President Obama will attend.

The Conference Keynote was delivered by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a woman who has inspired a generation of women to enter political life to try to dismantle the political barriers that keep women from fully participating in economic growth.  Secretary Clinton's speech was a call to action, for all nations to tap the power, creativity, and drive of women to help elevate all people, across all regions.

Disney Wonder Comes to San Francisco

For the first time ever, the Disney Cruise Lines fabulous Disney Wonder arrived in San Francisco, en route to Vancouver.  The ship was on a repositioning cruise, moving from it's southern base in Los Angeles up to Vancouver for its maiden Alaska voyage in May.  Several of my favorite fellow mombloggers and I got to spend some time aboard the Disney Wonder on Friday afternoon, while most of the passengers were off exploring San Francisco.  Kimberley from Tippy Toes & Tantrums, Ana from Finding Bonggamom, and Whitney from Rookie Moms were all along for a special press tour and luncheon.

Each Disney ship features a character statue at the main floor landing, and Arielle is the star of the show on the Disney Wonder.  Ana was nice enough to pose with her. The ship, like Disneyland and Disneyworld, featured themes in every restaurant, hallway, and common area.

I really loved the giant Dale Chihuly blown glass sculpture hanging over the main atrium in the ship.  It was like hundreds of giant technicolor blue and gold poppies hanging from the ceiling.

Heart of Haiti Mother's Day Tribute: To My Granny

The very clever Clever Girls Collective asked its bloggers to write a post in honor of Mother's Day and in support of the Heart of Haiti campaign about a woman who helped us along the way.  This Mothers Day, The Clever Girls would like to offer you the chance to buy something from the Heart of Haiti collection, to benefit rebuilding of Haiti by local artisans. Get 15% off your purchase from May 3-8 by using the code: CLEVERGIRLS. 

I've been blessed many times in my life with help and assistance from some amazing women, but none more wonderful than my grandmother, Haley Campbell.  My grandmother, or Granny as she liked to be called, was a tiny, scrappy woman from the hills of Kentucky who was probably my first role model for hard work, perserverence, and having a positive outlook on life, no matter what cards you are dealt.

Family lore has it that I was a large and fussy baby, nearly too much for my 90 pound mom to handle.  Mom and I traveled from Korea to the US when I was nine months old.  It took four layovers and 47 hours to get from Seoul to Louisville, Kentucky. To hear my mom tell it, I screamed the entire time.  I am a much better traveler now, and try to keep the screaming to a minimum.

A magical thing happened when we arrived in Louisville.  My mom had never met my grandparents and my aunts, who were waiting at the gate for us, looking exactly like the faded black and white photos she was clutching in her had.  According to my mom, I took one look at them, and immediately quieted and reached out my arms.  Somehow, I knew I'd come home. 

Throughout my early life, Granny was my strongest ally, best friend, and biggest cheerleader.  My mom and I lived with her during my toddlerhood, while my dad was stationed in Germany.  When my dad came back to the US and was stationed at Fort Knox, my grandparents would drive from Ohio to Kentucky every Friday to pick me up, and return on Sunday with me.  When we moved back to Ohio, I spent nearly every weekend of my childhood at her house, mostly with my cousin Barb and other cousins as they grew older. 

 I remember being in her tiny kitchen, a pot of chicken & dumplings simmering on the stove, cornbread baking in the oven, with gospel music blaring on a tiny radio, and all of us dancing.  Granny had a special kind of dance, part shuffle, part clog-stomp, keeping time to the music, while the kids joined hands and danced in a ring around her.  By today's standards, we were probably very poor, but we didn't know it.  What we knew was that we were in a house full of the richness of love.

As I grew older, Granny encouraged me to study hard, and when I graduated from high school, she was there, in the front row.  She never let an opportunity go by to brag about me, to the neighbors, people in the grocery store, at the doctor's office, or just about anyone who would listen.

I went off to college in the fall of 1979. Granny wrote me letters, telling me what was happening at home, how her garden was faring, and whatever she happened to be thinking of at the time.  She didn't have much money, because by now she was no longer working, but she always managed to tuck a neatly folded $5 bill into the letter "just in case" I needed it.  It seemed like her letters and her $5 bill seemed to always arrive at the exact moment I was down to my last $1 and subway token, a few days before my work-study check was due and I could breathe again.  That $5 saved me more than once. I knew that $5 was a great deal of money to her, and it meant the world to me.

Granny died when I was in law school, after a battle with stomach cancer.  I've missed her every day since.  I like to think that somewhere in heaven, there's a little woman from Kentucky, dancing her special dance, with a choir of gospel-singing angels as back-up.

I was selected for this very special “CleverHaiti” opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity. All opinions are my own.

Saving the Oceans with Jean-Michel Cousteau

A few weeks ago,  we were invited to hear a lecture by oceanographer and environmentalist, Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of the late Jacques Cousteau.  Frank and I grew up enthralled by The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau and are proud owners of several of Jean-Michel's video series on PBS.  We wanted Alex to hear what he had to say, since care of the ocean will largely be left to the next generation. 

Cousteau was speaking at the Northern California regional convention of Rotary International.  We were invited to the dinner as guests of District Governor Loren Harper.  The Rotary Club has a longstanding tradition of community service and involvement in important issues, and it was an honor to be among this distinguished group of community leaders.

Jean Michel Cousteau's passion for the deep blue see was evident in his remarks, probably a result of his taking his first dive below the surface at age 4.  He showed video clips of amazing animals and underwater habitats, along with startling scenes of plastic debris washed up on the shores of one of the uninhabited islands of the Pacific.

Cousteau runs the Ocean Futures Society, which runs educational programs on conservation of the world's oceans and how people can get involved.  The Ocean Futures Society runs an annual family camp on Catalina Island, where families spend a week in August learning about the ocean.

During his remarks, Cousteau urged everyone to consider the environmental impact of throwing trash into the ocean and into landfills.  Millions of tons of plastic garbage are floating in the Northern Pacific Gyre, in a mass the size of the state of Texas.  Cousteau's group and others are working toward cleaning up the mess, but in the meantime, wildlife ingest bits of plastic debris and die from it. 

He spoke about the practice of shark finning and showed a video of Chinese fishing boats capturing sharks, cutting off the fins and throwing the shark back into the sea to die.  The fins are used in Shark Fin Soup and other delicacies in China and other parts of the world, without regard for the impact on the shark populations. Cousteau noted that sharks have a particularly bad rap, mainly due to Hollywood's portrayal of Great Whites and human-hungry predators.  He showed footage of himself diving and catching a ride on the dorsal fin of a Great White.

Carnival of Cities: January 27 Edition

Welcome to the January 27 Edition of the Carnival of Cities!  Join us for a virtual tour of some of the world's great cities and towns with our intrepid travel writers from around the globe.

North America

Starting out in Vancouver, Canada, just in time for the Winter Olympics, Julie Ovenell-Carter shows us the Hottest tickets in town: My Top 5 picks for Vancouver’s 2010 Cultural Olympiad posted at theseboots.travel for anyone who's just not that into sports, or wants to take a break from the action to enjoy some culture.

Jump in your virtual convertible and drive on down the coast to my home state of California,  where Caitlin will introduce you to the real Surf City in Driving Highway 1 in California: Santa Cruz and The Lost Boys Railroad Bridge at Roaming Tales. Keep going past Big Sur and Hearst Castle, all the way down the Pacific Coast Highway, where Joanne will entice you with Newport Beach Romance posted at Newport Beach Vacation for you and your valentine. 

No valentine? No worries! Follow Peter Kimmich through a tour of The Best Walking Bars in LA, Part 1: Los Feliz posted at TryOurLA.  Be sure to sober up before going along with Jim to the Hash House A Go Go, San Diego via Wanderlust Journey.

You'll need to abandon the convertible and fly out to the Midwest, and pick up a mini-van to brave the weather in Minnesota, in order to check out Beth Blair's Family Tips for Nickelodeon Universe at Mall of America over at The Vacation Gals. No kids? My son will be glad to join you, since he loves Nickelodeon!

While you're in Midwest, Jordy Clements invites you to check out Omaha, Nebraska with Guerrilla Trail Crew: Tweets, Shovels, and Rides Again posted at Omaha.net - Local

In Michigan, Case Ernsting provides great information on Amish Furniture at Think Local Washtenaw County posted at Home and Decor, and tips on local Couples Getaways in the Midwest posted at FinditLocal411 Blog.

In Kentucky, Jack for Prema Michael shows us Raven Run Nature Sanctuary, Lexington, Kentucky posted over at Eyeflare Travel Articles and Tips.  Then, travel down to Texas with Tui Cameron and do a little Shark-gazing at the Dallas World Aquarium posted at Mental Mosaic: Have Blog, Will Travel.

On the East Coast, Jon Rochetti tells us how the DC Flamenco Festival Dances into Town at The PlanetEye Traveler - Washington DC.  Victoria gives us a Londoner's nostalgic look The Big Apple at one of my favorite family travel blogs, It's a small world after all.

Europe

After you're done touring North America, head on over to The Continent, to some well-traveled roads, and a few off-the-beaten path locations that our travelers have discovered.

Curious about post-war Bosnia?  Look no further than Mostar: From the Ruins posted at Twenty-Something Travel, where you will see how this nation has fared since the war.

On a budget? Find out ways to travel in Germany without spending your life savings with Munich Alberto's Cheap Hotels In Munich posted at Cheap Hotels Inn.  For a more in-depth look at accommodations on the Rhine, Jim & Martha show us Bed & Breakfasts vs. Hostels: Bacharach posted at Wanderlust Journey.

Want to save money in Scandinavia?  Just follow Martin Andrews  Seeking Discount Travel Deals To Explore OsloBrad Alexzander and  How To Find Discount Travel Deals To Visit Stockholm Sweden posted at Globe Cheap Travel. 

If Rome is where the heart is, check out Sam's New !! The 10 Best Tourist Attractions in Rome Italy  at Travel Welcome and Robin Locker's lovely Cul de Sac posted at the beautiful My Melange. Robin's blog gets my vote for best design this time around.

For a gorgeous view of Spain, be sure to read Lena's 3 Facts: Barcelona posted at The Colors Magazine. The photos are muy fantastico!

Asia

Only one stop in Asia this time around, this time a view of Old Delhi as seen through the eyes of a woman traveling alone at Cold SnapDragon.

Africa

For a peek at life in Africa, Lanora Mueller shares moving account of her experiences in the Congo at Impressions of Kinshasa, posted at writing travel.

Last, but not least, we certainly have to acknowledge the devastation brought by this month's earthquake to our friends in Haiti.  June Tree presents some excellent advice on Haiti Relief Efforts and How To Help at The Digerati Life. I hope you will all take the time to stop by and find out ways you can help those in the greatest need right now.

Thanks to all the wonderful travelers who participated in this edition of the Carnival of Cities!  I look forward to reading the next edition, hosted by Family Travel Guides.

Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of cities using the carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on the blog carnival index page.

World Breastfeeding Week

This past week was World Breastfeeding Week, but I've been so caught up in work, planning a birthday party, and recovering from my last round of illness that I almost let it go by without mention. I received a couple of interesting press releases and information on this topic that I wanted to share here.  The first was this interview clip from Julie Menin's Give and Take.  In this clip from the interview series, CNN host Campbell Brown talks about motherhood, work-life balance, and looking for role models for working moms.  One particularly resonant anecdote is the one she tells about pumping, and express mailing breastmilk to her husband when she moderated a Presidential Debate. The full interview can be seen in four parts at Julie Menin's website, and will air on select cable channels.

I also received information from a marketing program aimed at increasing awareness by giving out information and breast-feeding friendly supplies as new moms are discharged from the hospital.  When Alex was born 9 years ago, I got not one but two diaper bags from the hospital chock full of...formula.  I thought it was a nice gift, but I was set on breastfeeding.  The only information on breastfeeding I got was some strong encouragement from the nurses and an instruction to watch a video.  Several painful, exhausting weeks later, I threw up my hands and went to see a lactation consultant, but felt like an utter failure.  Eventually, I figured out how to do it without making my toes curl from the pain, but it would have been helpful to have some additional information and supplies.

This has been the norm for a number of years now, so I was pleased to see that an alternative is now available.  The breastfeeding-friendly version of the discharge bag is called the Healthy Baby Bounty Bag.  Starting this month, the bag will be distributed in approximately 200 hospitals across the country, to about 300,000 new moms.  The bag contains milk storage bags, disposable nipple pads, samples, coupons, and information on breastfeeding.  The bags are sponsored by Lansinoh, makers of a lanolin cream that I could not live without when Alex was an infant.

I asked if this would be available at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford, our local hospital, but unfortunately, it is not.  This might be a good project for our local Palo Alto & Menlo Park Parents' Club to take on.  I hope these bags will help other moms ease into breastfeeding a little smoother than I did.