danapop

My dad’s mom, Grandma Mary, used to drink one beer every July 4. And just that day. If memory serves, I think she said something about it being patriotic to drink a beer out of a can.

So, every year around this time I picture her and that beer. This year, I’ve spruced it up a bit with my version of how a beer should taste–The Shandy. It’s a ginger beer-based cocktail that originated in Britain in the mid 19th century. Which is ironically very un-patriotic of me, but I’m not one to overanalyze my cocktails.

Thankfully this drink, adapted from an old Gourmet magazine recipe, uses mint because my garden is overfilled with it at the moment. It also strays from the ginger-beer, calling for a good pale ale. In any case, this the most refreshing way to watch those fireworks while you ooh and ah.

ingredients
1 cup sugar
3 cups water
four 3-inch strips lemon zest, removed with a vegetable peeler
1 cup fresh lemon juice
2 fresh mint sprigs
chilled beer, I’m partial to Sweetwater 420 extra pale ale

preparation
In a small saucepan bring sugar and 1 cup water to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, and stir in zest. Cool sugar syrup to room temperature.

Transfer syrup to a small pitcher and stir in remaining 2 cups water, lemon juice, and mint. Chill lemonade until cold. (make about 4 ½ cups lemonade).

Pour ¼ cup lemonade, or to taste, into each of 4 chilled beer glasses and top off with beer.

I love the dualism of Anna Bondoc’s work. This L.A. based artist works in one of the most seemingly simple forms around–paper. But what she does with an X-acto knife creating and cutting these layers is like nothing else. Working and whittling down pieces ever so intricately, using shapes and designs that appear like a modern twist to an ancient medium dating back to origami.

I had the chance for a Skype interview with Anna and her business partner Vanessa Peter in which we chat about perfectionism, patterns, and parenthood.

dp There’s something so simple about working with paper, yet, your work is so intricate, how do you balance that?

ab The simplicity is true it really comes from my background as a printmaker. I like the idea of layers of color, very graphic, and sharply designed shapes. After I had my daughter it was one activity I could do in small bursts and when you’re working with paper there’s immediate color. There’s no weight, no machinery, just paper and an X-acto knife.

That sort of intricacy comes because I enjoy the repetition of it and the actual cutting and as I work with the layers the layers then turn into shapes and all nest with each other and mimic the first shape that I cut.

Similar to when you’re a child making snowflakes the magic of cutting out a shape and having the paper not fall apart and holding it up to the light, seeing that you created a positive space out of a negative space. That forces me to slow down; I’m taking the time to cut and thinking deeply about how colors interact. I’m not rushing through it on a computer, which is very fast. It’s much more deliberate than on a computer.

dp Your work to me seems very influenced by Japanese forms, and even origami, where does that come from?

ab I don’t really know. I do know that when I open up and choose my own art books there was always a negative space and industrial design. Hours and hours spent looking at books. I just kept gravitating towards Japanese design. Lots of open space, but there’s a sense of restraint.

dp How does living in Los Angles affect and influence your work? Because I think L.A. in general would be a complete contradiction to your tight, clean style.

ab L.A. doesn’t necessarily affect me, but my inner goal. I love traveling because it brings layers of history. The California lifestyle has allowed me to bring out levels of concern … in L.A. you have hiking everyday and swimming and in NY (where I used to live) you have twitter everyday.

dp Which is interesting because I think in this conversation and the grid and sort of pattern of New York is would be more you and it’s interesting to me that L.A. and the nature that it is sort of is the balance for you.

ab I feel like NY left sort of an intellectual footprint on me. But, with a child it’s a little too much.

dp How does being a mother influence your work? Or how does it not?

ab This pushed me into art because when I had minutes of free time I worked. Before I was sort of cerebral and thought it through in ways that I don’t now. Now, it’s put up or shut up. Are you going to create or are you not?

And made me think why is a child’s name such a big deal? Now I understand that connection. My work is now a reflection of giving myself one tiny goal and giving myself a space to work.

dp How do you know when a piece is finished? Is it an aesthetic feel or emotional one? With your pieces because there are so many layers, when do you walk away?

ab It’s kind of when I run out of space to cut and those windows are full. And then there is always that question of–do I feel balanced? Does the piece feel top heavy? Bottom heavy? Does the negative shape take too much space? I’m not a gardener, but I imagine that must be how a gardener must feel. Is this space too intricate? My eye now will notice a slight imbalance.

dp You work really resonates with me because there seems to be an exactness and preciseness that I can appreciate. Does that piece of your personality only come out through your work?

ab I was raised in an Asian household and was a chef for a little while and my leaning was towards pastry, which is mathematical. I enjoy the chemistry and exactness of that, that kind of completeness is why I enjoy working with a knife. I want that clean boundary so I can see exactly how a shape interacts with the color. I see it in my parenting. My daughter is on a very strict schedule. I get satisfaction in making right.

dp What’s next for you?

ab The big thing is our launch and after we launch with our product–I’m not just creating layered pieces on paper, it’s on a knitted product, a rug, and beyond. When people see my work they generally say this would look so great on such and such.  I would also love to see it on wallpaper. I don’t picture someone wearing it because it’s so big, but it would be great in a fabric.

We love being on the learning curve. Cut paper is fun, but part of the learning curve is what kind of yarns are out there to make a children’s sock and what kind of manufacturers. And how you translate a flat pattern into a fiber. We have fun contemplating what we must learn.

dp Which is interesting because I think most people don’t want that side to them to be exposed. They do what they know. Interesting that you’re not only willing to step outside of that box, but explore around a bit.

ab It’s fun. And I think I come from an entrepreneurial family. We’re used to the layers and when you look at things you can use it’s endless. Can we work with leather and layer it? Rugs? It’s so exciting.

dp How can my readers get one of your fabulous pieces?

ab Order online through the website–annabondoc.com

Thanksgiving in Beijing

This week, I check back in with Eric & Beth from El Mundo. Remember, they took a trip around the world that lasted many months and I wrote about several portions of their journey here and here. I was curious how they were acclimating to life back in Atlanta. Recently, we finally had a chance to catch up a bit where we talk Beijing barbecue, compromise, and communication barriers when traveling.

Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand

dp I’d imagine settling back into normal, everyday, non-traveling life would be quite difficult after such a long time on the road, how was the transition post trip?

Eric The transition was much smoother than expected. Beth and I were extremely fortunate to find jobs within a month or so of being back. This made paying off our small travel debt, quite easy. As far as the non-traveling aspect, that’s the bummer. To go from having everyday like Christmas eve, where only excitement awaits you in the morning; to groundhog’s day, where everyday is pretty much the same, is a harsh reality. Good news … anytime, anywhere, I can always think back and reminisce, and no one can take that away.

Christmas morning

dp How was it traveling through the holidays and being away from family?

Eric Traveling through the holidays was a bit difficult at times because, Beth and I both have strong relationships with our families and the holidays are when we come together. On the flip side, it was great spending a holiday in another country and experiencing it in a different way.

Beth It was quite different experiencing Thanksgiving dinner at a Texas BBQ house in the middle of Beijing and spending Christmas eve and morning lounging by the pool in Bali. The Balinese man dressed as Santa handing out the best chocolates in the world made for a fantastic Christmas morning present. Plus, Eric and I gave each other the greatest gift ever–a four star resort complete with our own bathroom and warm water.

dp Is there anything you wish you packed?

Eric We both wished we had bought and brought a Netbook. We would have saved quite a bit of time and money with our own compact computer. The reward would have exceeded the risk on this item.

Peru

dp Overall, what did your journey teach you about yourself? Each other?

Eric Individually, I learned more about myself than anything else. I could go on for hours about this, but in a nutshell I learned that there is more to life then just flashy cars and fancy clothes. I learned how to function on little money and how to sleep in not so nice places. It seemed like my everyday Atlanta life, with a car, a nice apartment, and great food within arms reach was actually more stressful. Deciding what to wear to work, choosing a place to eat, and figuring out what new gadget I wanted to buy, were all foreign concepts while I was gone. I did not miss that at all. Living as a minimalist was quite blissful.

In regards to the both of us, just thinking about spending six months with someone 24/7 is a bit nerve wracking. We were a little apprehensive about this big journey, but it turned out being ten times easier then we thought. We learned to work as a team

Beth I learned a lot about compromising with Eric. We often shared meals and slept in places that I normally would have turned my nose up at. He taught me a lot about living on barely $20/a day and saving our money. I’ve definitely noticed this influencing my life in Atlanta. I think items through before purchasing them and Eric and I often share meals when we go out.

dp What country or region did you think was the most difficult to travel in and why?

Eric I think that India is probably the most difficult to travel in. We were lucky enough to have had a tour guide for most of our time in India, but without them would be a mess. India, for one, is a tough cookie to swallow. It’s hard to stomach the levels of poverty you are exposed to in certain places. Anytime you ask someone a question, you get a head bobble in return. It’s not a nod, nor a shake … it’s both. Basic communication can be VERY misleading.

Beth Although I agree with Eric on India, I also found China to be very difficult. We constantly found ourselves in situations of the Chinese stealing our money and pointing us in wrong directions. I used the best sign language that I could and the people of Beijing would still look at me and turn away, pretending not to see me. Eric and I got in a bad habit of talking about everyone we passed on the street because no one understood us anyway. We spent lots of time lost with fake money in our pockets.

dp Which place would you like to return to?

Eric We would both like to return to India, and the Philippines. There was a lot that we saw, but much more that we missed due to our tight schedule.

Beth I felt that a lot of our trip was on fast forward. I’d love to re-visit most of Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos. I would like to surround myself with more of the culture and visit more of the sights that we had to skip over due to our tight schedule. I would agree with Eric as well, India and the Philippines are at the top of my list to revisit. The beauty of the people, country, and culture is something that I would like to experience more of.

Australian Open

dp Would you have changed anything about the experience?

Eric I would have probably been gone longer. We were held to a tight budget on a tight timeline. If we had the option to do it over again, we would probably have taken a year off and posted up somewhere to get some short term work and earn some scratch. We met many travelers that were doing just that. Traveling until they money ran out, working, then starting all over again.

Beth I would have stayed gone longer and given myself more time in some of the larger countries. I regret not seeing more of India and China. They are both so big with so many great things to offer. I feel that my negative perspective of China would have changed if I had visited other cities besides Beijing.

I also would have bought a few more souvenirs. I hated having a heavy pack so I often didn’t buy some great things that I saw.

Thailand

dp Do you have any current trip itineraries in the works?

Eric At this time (cough cough) we do not, however there have been talks about Morroco in the near future.

Beth As of now we just have some short weekend trips to visit friends in the United States planned. Fingers crossed we will either be spending Thanksgiving or Christmas on the road again. Sorry mom and dad.

I’ve always been a fan of solid Brit pop. From the ’90s Blur, James and Oasis to today’s Travis and Coldplay. I’m a sucker for brooding scowls and accents duking it out with a catchy beat.

As I’ve mentioned before, we’re traveling for a wedding in mid-August and we’ve just begun the planning stage. It’s looking fairly certain that we’ll have three legs to this trip–England, Hungary, and Poland, or more specifically, London, Budapest, and Krakow.

For now, I’m putting together the London version of my playlist that includes a heavy dose of UK invasion, plus a few I think will be perfect for gazing out train windows, daydreaming

Time has Told Me by Nick Drake (One of my favorites by him, such a waste that he only made it to 26).

Maybe Tomorrow by Stereophonics (I don’t think I’ve made a playlist yet without including these boys … I never tire of them and my friend who’s getting married introduced me to them).

There Goes the Fear by The Doves (The great thing about traveling is you can step outside of your norm, fear included).

Dreams by Passion Pit (Their version of the Cranberries original is so beautiful).

Daylight by Matt & Kim (Fit it all in from sunup to sundown).

You Told a Lie by Camera Obscura (The summer before my own wedding in 2003, I went to Scotland with said friend, though we didn’t make it to Glasgow where this band is from).

Quelqu’un M’a Dit by Carla Bruni (Model, singer, and married to the President of France, a luxe life indeed).

Sleep the Clock Around by Belle & Sebastian (A sleep mask and dose of Ambien will aid in the time change).

Svefn-g-englar by Sigur Rós (Almost eleven years to the day the brilliance that is Ágaetis Byrjun was released; such a gorgeous album and particularly this song).

Daniel by Elton John (It’s so strange when you go to a new place how many people remind you of others you know, my interpretation of this song is a bit of that).

I Was Made For You by She & Him (I know Zooey Deschanel’s doe eyed act bothers some, but I do think she has a fabulous voice and everyone could use a sing-a-long).

Shiver by Coldplay (I was gifted this album long before it was cool to own and could not get this song off repeat).

Back to This by Helio Sequence (The trance-like beat on this one is unbelievable).

Young Americans by David Bowie (Can you really list Brit bands without Bowie? More importantly, we’ll do our best to blend in during our travels).

Subterranean Homesick Alien by Radiohead (We won’t be gone long enough to really get homesick–other than missing Otis the wonder puppy).

Holiday by Hourly Radio (It’s ironic how everyone but Americans call vacations a holiday. Going on holiday sounds so official, like you’re declaring it festive, period).

Lay me Down by The Frames (I adore this band from Dublin whose lead singer has since become one part of The Swell Season, equally as good).

Song to Say Goodbye by Placebo (This is an angst-riddled song that’s perfect to blast when you’re feeling frustrated or better yet, totally over it. The lyric, ‘you lying, trying, waste of space’ really sums it all up).

Talk her Down by Starsailor (This English band is said to be influenced by Jeff Buckley. I’ve seen them live several times and believe the comparison).

1901 by Phoenix (I gulped the Kool-Aid, love, love, love this song, muah).

I’ve always been a reader (it sort of goes hand in hand with us writers). As a child, I was certainly the happiest when buried in a book and honestly that hasn’t changed much with age. Since we’re approaching summer months and perhaps I’ll even admit to a little escapism on my part, here are my picks for what to read. Not all of these are newly released titles, but some of my favorites. And truthfully, when you’re in a house rental with your entire family for seven days you won’t care when it came out if you’ve gotten to the point of isolating yourself in a quiet room with a stiff drink reminding yourself serenity now! PS—things would be so much easier if I had a Kindle.