Niizaki Sensei

Niizaki Sensei

Niizaki Sensei is here for a visit from her hometown of Miyakonojo, Japan. Niizaki Sensei was my Japanese professor during my three years living in Japan and also the translator of my first poetry book, Water and Stone. We’ve been having such a beautiful time together. We attended a Korean Orchestra on Friday night and a Chinese New Year celebration on Saturday, both at Kennesaw State University.

Niizaki Sensei's Welcome Party

Today we had a welcome party for her in our new home. We ate Japanese Senbe and drank Japanese tea to start…followed by Miyazaki curry with rice. Then we finished with Turkish tea and Turkish delight for desert.

Lampworking glass beads

I taught Summer and Niizaki Sensei about making glass beads. They tried it out and each made original beads of their own. Then we spent the afternoon designing necklaces and eye glass holders. Tomorrow we are off to the bead shop to buy Niizaki Sensei the tools and supplies she needs to continue creating bead jewelry back home in Japan.

Designing Jewelry

Lupita Watercolors Art Show

Yesterday was the Opening Reception for my Lupita Watercolors art show at the Institute for Global Initiative Art Gallery at Kennesaw State University.

It was a wonderful moment, seeing my paintings all together in one room and visiting with friends and colleagues from the University. There are 42 paintings up in all…

Here are some photos from the reception. The Lupitas will be in the gallery for the entire month of November. I also have the paintings in the show up on my website: http://www.emilyplum.com

Ecuador Highlights

The Educaor 2009 Summer Study Abroad Program has come to a close. It was an amazing experience for all involved…so many good moments to remember.

The highlights of my time in Ecuador come from the many moments when I learned from my students, and the teaching moments I found myself sharing with them.

I loved the colors of Ecuador, the bright oranges and pinks…how these colors are incorporated into everyday life. Art and everyday life – alive and well in Ecuador.

I feel so fortunate to have met the wonderful people who took a leap outside their comfort zones to participate on this program. And, I’m happy to of had the chance to have conversations with them over meals, in the cloud forest, standing at the middle of the world and on top of the world.

I know I will look back on my time in Ecuador with great fondness for the rest of my life. I learned many important lessons there, and myself had a great teacher, Dr. Linda Niemann. Here’s to learning more about this giant place where we live.

Artist Markets in Ecuador

Pink Alpaca Blanket

I found the Artist Markets in Ecuador to be wonderful. On Sundays there is an open air artist market in the park next to the National Theater that includes music, textiles, silver, paintings and more.

Here I am buying my prized pink-striped alpaca blanket for my living room & a ceramic & silver turtle for my brother’s 30th birthday.

Pre-Columbian Smiles

These fantastic pots are at the Guayasamin Foundation Museum in Quito, Eduador. They are such beautiful examples of Pre-Columbian indigenous artwork with humor and humanity. I love them.

And here I am, thinking…thinking…among the ancient pottery. This, the perfect place for a poem in the making.

Lupita thinks among the pottery

Middle of the World

Lattitude 00 00'00"

We stopped by the middle of the world on our way home from the cloud forest. This place is bizzare and wonderful. We had a guide who took us through a series of experiments to show us what happens when you stand on the exact center line of a spinning planet.

Experiments at Middle Earth

Experiments included:

* Watching a ball burn a line of the sun on paper (above).

*Watching water swirl one direction north of center, a different direction south of center, and then watching water fall straight down without a swirl while on the center line.

*If you stand north or south of the line, you maintain your current resistance, and the guide tried to force apart our fingers we held together & could not. Then, we stood on the line, and she could easily pull apart our finger because we had less resistance. She said it is because there is less gravity right on the center line. And, we weigh 2lbs less one the line than we do standing one step north or south of it.

*trying to balance an egg on a nail, which can be done right on the center line, but it is quite difficult! Two students were able to do it, though, and got a certificate (below).

balancing an egg on the center line

Bella Vista Hike

Giant Leaf & Erin & Brandon

Here’s a few photos of my students on our hike in the cloud forest at Bella Vista…

Allison & Pink Flower

Ashley & Nicole

Calling Tucans

Calling Tucans

We stayed the night at a beautiful cloud forest reserve, Bella Vista. Some students woke up at 6am to go bird watching and hike up the road to look at plants. We had such a special moment out in the forest that morning, the sun just rising, when our guide, Jorge, taught us how to call Tucans. He picked us all pieces of grass and taught us how to hold it between our hands to make a Tucan call.

After our bird watch, we had breakfast and then our other guide, David, took us on a two hour hike down into the forest to see a waterfall. We saw massive leaves & bright pink hummingbird flowers. Richard, the owner of Bella Vista, was also there to welcome us during our amazing day up in the clouds.

Lupita Learns to Fly

Lupita Learns to Fly

In Mindo we went to the top of the cloud forest for Canopy Ziplining. There were 12 zips in all that we did in sequence, zipping from one side of the valley to the other, then climbing up to the next line and zipping down again. Larisa was extra brave and did the “Super Chica,” with a guide, where she stretched out in front to fly like Superman. And Krystal was calm as calm could be, enjoying every second. Jenni had to go with a guide each time, but  got up there & tried it still. And Lori was super cool to take picutres & videos of us all from the ground.

Larisa & Krystal in the Cloud Forest

My body was shaking pretty much the entire time, but I loved it. “I’m from Iowa, from flat land,” I said when others noticed the shake.

The best thing was, that after a few zips, I started to look around and enjoy, and it really was like flying across the cloud forest. Just a few moments of complete peace and Zen up there in the sky….Lupita learns to fly.

See the white speck below the branch? That's me zipping away.

Lupita Flower in Real Life

Lupita Flower in Real Life

This weekend we went to the cloud forest of Mindo. While on a hike at Bella Vista Cloud Forest Reserve, I came upon this amazing flower. It looks like a Lupita flower I dreamed up awhile back, except in real life.

So sweet…and yet a bit ferocious at the same time.

Lupita Flower Leaves Are Bright Purple & Green!