Minnesota Mixed CDs

I'm trying to put together some gifts for the families who will be hosting me throughout the trip. I've settled on a variety of items that I'll try to mix and match to suit each family. One of these items is a mixed CD* of Minnesota musicians. Below, you'll find the playlist. I'm sure I'll get some judgy looks/clicks for several of the songs I've chosen, but I'm trying to find a middle ground between recognizable, not offensive (or profane) and "good". 


* I've had discussions about the phrase "mix CD" versus "mixed CD" and I think it's clear that it's mixed CD. You could rearrange it and say that the CD is A mix, no problem...but otherwise, it's mixed. Adjectives versus nouns. I think I'm right on this one. If not, well, tough. It's my blog.


1. Let's Go Crazy - Prince; 2) A Girl Named Hope - Atmosphere; 3) Big Sur - Mason Jennings; 4) The Times They Are A Changin' - Dylan; 5) 5ves - Heiruspecs; 6) Save It For a Rainy Day - Jayhawks; 7) Stuck Between Stations - Hold Steady; 8) Slow Burn - Doomtree; 9) If You See Her, Say Hello - Dylan; 10) The Woman With The Tattooed Hands - Atmosphere; 11) Ballad For My One True Love - Mason Jennings; 12) Heartsprings - Heiruspecs; 13) Runaway Train - Soul Asylum (yes!); 14) Little Red Corvette - Prince; 15) Corrina, Corrina - Dylan; 16) Forest Whitaker - Brother Ali; 17) Alex Chilton - Replacements; 18) Never You Mind - Semisonic (curveball!); 19) Where Does A Stranger Go On Christmas Eve - Happy Apple


Another piece of the gift basket may or may not include a copy of the new Bela Fleck album titled Throw Down Your Heart. Three reasons I'm including this in the package: 1) I like the music; 2) it's really good (won two Grammys)**; 3) our Rotary team met Nicole Smaglick who was involved in the production of the album***.

** Grammy's included Best Contemporary World Music Album; Best Pop Instrumental Performance. 

*** Nicole also runs a business called the Amias Project, which "has mobilized over 200 Barabaig men and women in central Tanzania to design and craft jewelry and handbags inspired by traditional fashions". These items are then sold in the US (and around the world?) to generate income and educational opportunities for the Tanzanian communities. Cool stuff. 

There are a few other things I'll be picking up in the next 24 hours to complete the package. I haven't settled on the final items, but my guess is that they'll be assorted pictures of Minnesota. 


53 hours!

Moses!

Here's a link to a story from the Minneapolis Star Tribune about a Kenyan boy named Moses who's been on an interesting journey. The reason I'm posting it here is because the leader of our trip to East Africa, Tim Murphy, is a prominent figure in the story. I'll let the article speak for itself, but it's definitely worth a look.

Star Tribune - Moses

PS - Moses will be on our flight to Nairobi, so I'll get to hang out with him. I've heard he likes buttons and french fries. I'm still looking for the ultimate gift for Moses that combines these two things...

Safari Gear

One of the many things that I've learned about myself while preparing for this trip is that I love safari gear (most outerwear, in fact). Can't hide it.* I have noted the irony in that sentence because, as a child, I essentially hated the outdoors. Fact: I was the kid that didn't run around outside without a piece of fabric between my toes and the grass (socks, sandals, shoes, slippers...etc). Mostly socks though. Weird, I know. Anyway, in the last few years I guess I've realized that my lack of experience with the outdoors as an adolescent has led to a deep fascination with camping/hiking/safariing/general outdoorsyness as an adult. Hence the love of safari gear. And fleece jackets. I'm not sure I'm ready to join my Widjiwagan-y friends and hit the arctic circle for 39 days, but I can bite off a supervised, safari trip in a large vehicle with automatic locks -- no problem. 


* I hate that it's called safari gear, by the way. Reminds me of "carpenter jeans" or something that has become a cliched shell of it's former useful self. Safari is now a style and not an activity for which the product is used. I guess that's commonplace, but it seems particularly transparent with "safari shirts" or "safari hats". What does a shirt with two pockets and some extra buttons have to offer that a t-shirt doesn't? I can't put my binoculars in the pockets, too narrow. I can't keep a souvenir gazelle bone in the pocket, too shallow. You get the point.


So I have to exercise some budgetary restraint for two reasons: a) I have very little money to spend on "safariwear" that I'll use for 5 weeks of my life; b) I don't want to make myself look like an even bigger tourist. Yes, I realize that reason B will be essentially impossible to avoid...but I've gotta draw the line somewhere and that line has been drawn at floppy hats. I will NOT be buying a floppy hat. A part of me is slightly disappointed by this.


Not sure there's a point to this entry, but I'll probably be learning a lot during this trip so I wanted to get the first introspective anecdote out of the way. I think it was a good one. 

Off to a fast start!