America the Beautiful

I spent just under a month in America this last go around.  For the first time ever I genuinely felt like a visitor.  I think for the most part that feeling has come from watching the political unravelling of what was once the world's beacon of democracy.  Crowds cheering at the mention of executing hundreds of people in Texas, presidential candidates suggesting they will roll back civil liberties that have already been granted, politicians holding the future of America hostage to score some points with their base while letting the nation rot in financial turmoil.  It was all just way too much for me and I felt like, from abroad, I didn't even recognize my own homeland.

Thankfully, an adventure criss-crossing from north to south and east to west by plane, train, and convertible mustang reminded me of just how "American" I am with regular glimmers of hope in an otherwise depressing scene.  For the first time I got a real look at the Statue of Liberty and was reminded of its brilliant inscription:

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses, yearning to breath free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, tempest tossed,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

I thought to myself, "now THAT is America."

  There was the natural beauty of Utah and the downhome charm of the wild west.  Lovely people of all shapes, colors, and sizes who would go out of their way to say hello and lend you a helping hand.  That too, was my America.

I stood at the steps of the memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. days after its opening and was reminded of America's ability to change because of our American ability to come together, to protest, and to voice our opinion.  Once again, my America.

I watched a good friend take center stage in a brilliant and compelling dance production that merged politics, classical art, and modern movement into a spectacular piece of performance art in a way that only America could do.

Finally, I sat and watched two very close friends marry set against the backdrop of magnificent Santa Fe, New Mexico thinking to myself, I can be certain that in America, equality for all will come because progress is inevitable and we have never been a nation that steps backward.  It gave me hope that perhaps someday in the future I would once again recognize my country even from the other side of the world and be able to cite it as an example of how to do things well.

As I was sitting in the airport waiting for my onward flight to China a news clip rolled about the just-happened Republican debate.  The looney unchecked statements, the frightening backwards positions on equal rights, and the blatant lies were blasting through and all I could think was "what America do these people live in because it's certainly not the one I just spent a month visiting."  The hate, the anger, the discrimination, and the stupidity were downright frightening and quite frankly, I've had enough of it.  It's time to save our country from the onslaught of absurdity, the doom of stagnation, and the era of praising ignorance.  It's time to take America back.  BRING IT.

On a lighter note, you can find all my pictures on flickr here:

New York City, Utah, Washington DC, Santa Fe, Justin Giles' Soul Escape Starring Amy Nadeau

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Kyle Taylor

Read more at kyletaylor.com

A Super-Spicy Farewell

One week until departure, a million things to do and really, what better time to head up to New York, meet my sister and bust a move at the Spice Girls Reunion Tour? It was a hectic, fast-paced few days of bus trips, cab rides, subway treks and of course, the glorious LIRR. Scary, Baby, Sporty, Ginger and the ravishing Posh were playing the Nassau Coliseum in beautiful Hempstead, Long Island and the train taking folks eastward had been officially renamed the “Spice Train,” full of twenty-something’s whose childhood was defined by such thrillers as “Wannabe” and “ Spice Up Your Life” and 12-year-olds with their Moms who thought they were cool because Dad bought them front-row-seats (read: annoying).


Roughly 50% of the 20,000 screaming fans either came in groups of 5, each adopting their favorite spice (with the last person getting stuck as Sporty) or wearing equally fabulous themed shirts. My sister and I chose the latter, and she did her artsy thang to produce these gems. Needless to say, we were a hit, and loads of folks were snapping pics of us throughout the show.



There really are no words to describe the wonder that was Mel B, Melanie C, Geri, Emma & Victoria. From the first words of “Spice Up Your Life” to the last thumping baseline of “Wannabe,” the women looked amazing, sounded amazing and owned their glory days. I could go on and on about each song, costume and routine, but I’ll save you details in favor of my top 8 moments:

1. Geri’s Abs – I don’t think she’s human.
2. The revamping of their old duds and identities, only with more style, less hairspray and about a million sequins.


3. Sporty’s pants splitting at the end of Wannabe, leading her to run off stage and change while Scary tried to find Ginger a date.
4. The solo sequence where each Spice sang a song of their choice, except Victoria, who decided, instead, to do a catwalk down the center stage to Madonna’s Vogue, complete with impossibly tall heels, a 6-foot train and aviator sunglasses. She’s so Posh.


5. Their complete embracing of why they’re famous, singing their very best songs for real and sounding absolutely incredible.
6. The sound of 20,000 people screaming every single word of every single song.
7. The mid-song staging for “Holler,” where the girls lead their back-up dancers down the stage on leashes.


8. Turning to my dazed-looking sister half-way through to ask if everything was ok. Her response: “It’s just…too amazing. I can’t deal with it. I’m in awe. I need a moment.” Love her. LOVE HER.



Ok, 24 hours until departure…back to work!

Thanksgiving Recap

My oh my, what a day! After waking up at 10am and lounging about/working/napping, we (The Parks Family, Great Aunt Nancy and their Thanksgiving surrogate child - me) welcomed Fox and Jean for dinner. Originally from Beijing, we had a great time chattering on in Mandarin and talking about how China has changed over the last twenty years. Then it was dessert time, which meant a solid 24 people arrived, including a wild brood of 10 kids. It was just like holidays at home - chaotic, crowded and wonderful!

Aunt Ann, Looking Divine Beating Something


Me, Creating A Brilliant Shrimp Cocktail


Kira & Jenna - Sibling LOVE


The "Kids" Pull A China Pose (I Love A Good Group Photo)


The Adults Smile (Again, I Love A Good Group Photo)



Today we went to pick out the Parks Family Christmas Tree. More on that tomorrow!

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Kyle Taylor

Um, The Leaves Are TOO Beautiful!

So I wanted desperately to get to New Hampshire and watch the leaves change as an official “peeper,” but I missed peak and resigned myself to the fact that I would just have to wait several years until the time was right. Not so! I’m in Bronxville to celebrate Thanksgiving (you know, when the Pilgrims came and rocked out with the Native Americans. Or did they throw rocks at the Native Americans?) and the trees here are just INCREDIBLE. Check out these yellows, reds and oranges. This is definitely something you won’t find in California (but it’s still the best place ever).

Movin' Pictures Are Always Fun! Feature Video From NYC & Mass All Done!

It's here! The full feature video from my time in New York & Massachusetts. This covers some - but not all - of the incredible people I met during both trips, as well as the gorgeous (and interesting) places. Enjoy!



The url, if it doesn't work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY9OMlF2y7Y

The United Way - Youth Venture event in Gardner, MA was a great time. Met some awesome Venturer's, relaxed in the hot tub and tried to steal the biodiesel bus! Sadly, I was found!

Leaving the country in 6 hours for Argentina, so doing all those last-minute bits and bobs that have to be taken care of, liking replacing the heart faceplate on my phone, printing paperwork and throwing clothes out of my bag to make room for buttons, YV t-shirts to give away and business cards. Hey, who needs clothes, right? I'm off. More as soon as I have a chance to get on a computer in Argentina! I won't be back in the US until August...crazy. 97 days abroad. Bring it on!

The tour's official website is www.genv.net. There's an interactive map there, the blog is there, videos are there, etc. etc. Just click the box of me on the left.

My Dramatic Return To China(town)

Mouth watering. Head spinning. I can hardly contain myself. I’m on the subway en route to China(town) in New York City. The thought of crowded streets, outdoor fish markets, stretched noodles and gitchy “things” has me ready to pee my pants. As soon as we exit the station I’m enveloped in total chaos, and fully embrace it. My friends are struggling to keep up with me as I join the natural flow of thousands of bodies moving as one. They’re tripping, mis-stepping and doing their best to remain standing.

I ask around to find out where we can get an authentic-as-possible dinner. Mott Street is recommended and we’re off. I have this odd feeling inside that I can’t quite identify. People are offering us goods on the street and a “buyao” (don’t want) slips out. The saleswoman raises one eyebrow in interest. The girls find the most non-Chinese store and decide to stop in. The boys trek on in search of food. After scoping a solid six or seven menus I find a place that serves the all-powerful celery and lily buds dish. Before committing I decide to ask a man on the street where we might get some la mien. I ask in Mandarin. He stares at me blankly. I ask again. More blank stares. That feeling is still churning inside. Then I ask in English. He responds (in English) by telling me there isn’t really anywhere close by.


We’re now in the restaurant and ready to order. I ask the waitress if she speaks Chinese (in Chinese). She nods. I begin to order (in Chinese). She stares at me blankly. I ask her again if she speaks Chinese (in Chinese). She nods. I begin to order once again (in Chinese). Nothing. I eventually give up and order in English, supporting my requests by pointing to the items in the menu. The feeling inside is getting stronger. We eat some delicious (and fairly authentic) dumplings, sweet and sour chicken and brocolli with garlic, pay the bill (which is literally ten times greater than the check would have been in China) and hit the streets.


I still can’t quite identify this strangeness. Then, suddenly, without warning, a man leans back, hawks up some flem and launches a loogie through the air and into the street. It comes to me! I feel at home!!! It’s like I’m back in my element – my very “China” element. It’s amazing how content, calm and relaxed I felt; maybe even more at ease than I have been since returning to the US. It’s like my own world is almost more “foreign” to me than my world in China. Counting down until I “go international” again in two weeks. Until then, just follow the scent of Peking Duck if you want to find me.

Chair Advocates New York – “We’re All Just People”

My meeting with Linda and Maria of Chair Advocates took me to another distant corner of the fine borough of Brooklyn (have I mentioned how ENORMOUS New York City is?). I met them at Starbuck’s Coffee just minutes from the one of NYC’s most charming beaches. Both in wheelchairs, the ladies seemed hardly affected by their disability.

Just minutes into our conversation I learned that they felt the same way. “It’s part of you, so you shouldn’t be ashamed of it,” Linda said. “Just be yourself…and be proud.”

Through their Youth Venture – Chair Advocates – Linda and Maria are working to raise awareness about and access to supplies and equipment that ease the lives of those disabled. This includes anything from the more obvious wheelchairs to the lesser known “grabber” devices that allow wheelchair users to more-easily pick up items that may have fallen on the ground.

In less than three months they have already had multiple pieces of equipment donated that they plan to distribute to low-income families. As I learned from Linda and Maria, what usually happens when parents have a disabled child is that they feel a constant need to be at home with them at all times with the idea that they are “protecting” them. More often than not they have to quit their job to dedicate 100% of their time to caring for their disabled child. This leads to economic hardship and they lack the financial resources to supply their child with the necessary tools and equipment that help to ease their lives. Chair Advocates is about supporting those families.

Maria and Linda themselves are incredible young women. They both commute over an hour by public bus to college three and four days a week, respectively. Maria is studying Political Science and has every intention of pursuing advocacy work in local NYC politics. Linda lives alone on the eighth floor of her apartment building. “It makes it really complicated when the elevator doesn’t work,” she said.

Nothing gets these girls down. They’re driven and passionate. “We just want to encourage young disabled people to speak up about their needs and realize that they’re people just like anybody else. At the same time we want to educate people on what it really means to be disabled, because it gets really annoying when people stare at you all the time like you’re from outer space.”

For more information on Chair Advocates please visit their website at www.chairadvocates.org.

Also, in case you were wondering, I asked the question that is always on my mind: Is it rude to offer to push a person in a wheelchair? The answer, according to Linda and Maria, is no. It’s always nice of someone to offer. Just don’t be surprised if the person in the wheelchair says “no thanks.” They’ve usually got it under control. They both wanted me to note, however, that the people who were hired to push them around in high school got really annoying, especially when they wanted to have a private gossip session about friends, boys and teachers. So, all you volunteers out there – hang back every now and again! Give a girl some room to breathe!

“Trixie & The Oklahomos” Take Over Times Square

What’s New York City without a good night of sober fun in Times Square dressed up as a country rock band from the great state of Oklahoma? It ended up that several friends were in The City for various reasons, allowing for one big night out full of fun, laughter and country singin’. It’s no secret that I’m knuts, as are most of my friends. What drove us to raid Tina’s closet in search of the world’s finest cowboy-inspired “threads” is beyond me, but I was definitely feeling my red hat and aviator glasses.

After a major photo shoot in her apartment we hit the town in search of excitement. Equipped with our finest Oklahoma accents, the looks and stares came before we even got to the end of the block. After a failed attempt at karaoke it was decided that the only place to really truly enjoy our temporarily created selves was to go directly to the epicenter of the universe – Times Square. It started off light and fuzzy – a few Puerto Rican girls asked to take their picture with us. We agreed and struck our “band pose,” as we called it.

Then Tina & Emily decided to chat up a police officer, who couldn’t of been nicer. Another photo shoot ensued.

From there is was off to Hard Rock Café, where Tina asked the mater dei if “this is where the singing competition is.” She explained that we had won the youth singing extravaganza in Oklahoma and that we were now here to compete in the national competition. This led to some confusion and discussion until Trixie herself asked point blank, “where is the stage? We need to rehearse.” Sadly, Hard Rock wasn’t familiar with said competition. Neither was Bubba Gump’s Shrimp Factory, Planet Hollywood (where Trixie became obsessed with photographing the large Batman toy suspended from the ceiling), The Marriot Marquis or TGI Friday’s, where we ended up stopping for dessert. Our lovely waitress Chental couldn’t of been nicer, teaching us the ins and outs of the scary and intimidating “Big Apple.”

After a good three hours of happiness and merriment we hopped into a cab and headed back home, pledging to seek out the competition venue on Saturday. While the whole evening was a rip-roaring good time, what struck me more than anything was how few people took notice of our ridiculous outfits and terrible accents! Post-China I had this idea in my head that people in the US were just constantly staring at everyone but it seems that – in New York at least – Americans, like the Chinese, could really care less. How refreshing…or is it?

Simply Divine

New York City is one huge place. So large, in fact, that I could ride a subway car for nearly two hours and still be in the same city! Add freezing rain and 40mph wind gusts and you’ve got a pleasant little morning of meeting and greeting! It was, of course, totally worth it, as I had the chance to meet with Divine Bradley, an up and coming changemaker who is working to raise the image of doing good.

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” That’s certainly what Divine is trying to do with Team Revolution. From there brand new store-front location on Flatlands Avenue in Brooklyn, Divine is working to change the way young people approach their future. His focus is on creating after-school programs that offer kids alternatives to other, lesser-productive activities. “That was me when I was young,” he told me. “I was out there getting into trouble, causing problems. So rather than become part of the problem I decided to work against it.”

It all began on the back porch of his Mom’s Brooklyn home, where he and his friends would get together after school and plan community projects. “Soon there were too many of us and we couldn’t fit on the porch.” Divine thought bigger, turning the entire home into a local community center. Things have only gotten better since then. Team Revolution now offers three core programs aimed at empowering young people.

The first is called L.E.A.D. (Leadership Etiquette & Development). It’s a leadership bootcamp, so to speak. Then there’s The BANK, a financial literacy course aimed at giving these young people a basic understanding of how finance works. The final, and most crucial program is The Fellowship Academy-Social Entrepreneur Network. It is this body that works to connect and unify these now inspired changemakers in a way that offers long-term support for their work.

Team Revolution’s footprint is only getting bigger. They recently worked with Tommy Hilfiger on a partnership program that gave kids the opportunity to actually experience the design world first-hand. Doritos is printing a series of bags that talks about Divine’s work in Brooklyn. He just won a “Brick” award from Do Something for all of his hard work. That came with an additional $25,000 of funding, which he says will be used to take Team Revolution to the next level. “We’re growing. We’re changing. We’re evolving,” he said. “It’s a process.” It certainly is, and a much more exciting process than the one of getting back to Manhattan during evening rush while eating a Philly cheese steak from a Brooklyn deli that you had to wait twenty minutes for because of the after-school rush of kids looking for cheese puffs and Mars bars, all while holding an umbrella that spent more time inside out thanks to the wonderful wind. You gotta love New York!

For more information on Team Revolution please visit their website at www.teamrevolution.org.

For more information on Youth Venture please visit our website at www.genv.net.