At last, the dog days of August are upon us. Whereas the month of July was hot and humid, August should promise to be sweltering. And I like it just like that. For those still in the city, there are so many ways to keep cool, stepping outside to warm up is not a problem. If, however, you think it is hot here, just be glad you are not deep in the heart of Texas. Among the obvious reasons, it is so hot there, M and M’s in an outdoor candy dispenser are melting. Every walking creature, human and otherwise, is ducking under a tree into the shade to escape the heat. And someone was even caught with a pan of cookies left out on the hood of a car to bake. Now that’s hot!
Revving things was the kickoff for Harlem Week at Riverside Drive across from Grant’s Tomb, which brought back the good old days. Keep a lookout for exciting events to occur each week, especially on the weekends.
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Looking for a light fare now that the weather is way too warm for anything heavy? Check out the seasonable sautéed vegetables, which are actually steamed first, and then sautéed in fresh garlic, at Corner Social, 126th Street and Lenox Avenue. Add a side of sweet plantain to go with it, and a glass of Pinot Grigio, and that’s all you need. You will be glad to know that Settepanni finally received its outdoor seating permit. Three cheers for that. Blvd Bistro is only open for brunch Sundays and closes at 6 p.m., so adjust your plans accordingly.
More than 250 girls, aged 11to 15, have received their personal passport this year, with an additional 100 or so being given to boys, as part of the Passport Party Project. Started as a pet project by Tracey Friley, the idea is to encourage underrepresented youngsters to become global citizens by becoming passport holders. The whole idea of having a passport opens up a world of possibilities, including studying abroad and global travel. The project has been supported by National Geographic Travel, an award-winning philanthropic global awareness initiative for underrepresented young Americans. Thanks to the support, National Geographic Travel has given away one passport a day for one year, with the help of travel advocates worldwide. According to an update, the Passport Party Project passport scholarship applicants have hailed from cities such as Atlanta, Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York, and passport gifts have come in from as far away as Beijing, China, with even more world travelers being encouraged to give via Friley’s social media channels, as well as those social media channels of Passport Party Project advocates.
“This is a true grassroots effort for our kids,” said Friley. “Imagine the global mind shift. Imagine the possibilities. With or without a plane ticket or immediate travel plans in sight, being in possession of a global permission slip changes everything.” What a great way to help a young person expand his or her horizons. Know a youngster you would like to do this for? Reach out and touch. For more information about The Passport Party Project’s Phase 4 #365PassportProject initiative, which ends July 15, 2017, you may visit the website at www.PassportPartyProject.org. Or if you are just curious, follow along on Facebook at @PassportParty and Twitter @TraceyFriley #PassportPartyProject.
NYC Men Teach is an initiative designed to put 1,000 more Black, Hispanic and Asian male teachers in the city’s classrooms by 2018. The program is part of the city’s Young Men’s Initiative, a private-public partnership that aims to reduce disparities in health, education and employment for local men of color, something I heard about years ago, and now here it is. One participant has been Kevin. He reflected on how he was inspired by his male teacher by stating, “The message I took away was … you got to try and be yourself and not be set up by society in your gender role. That ultra masculine role of, ‘oh men don’t cry, they bleed’ … and ‘they don’t show feeling’ … don’t do that, try to be yourself. That was really inspiring to me.”
His comments were followed by those of Gabriel Gonzalez, a senior at Hunter College, who stated, “Had it not been for my third-grade teacher, who was male, I don’t know where I would be. I was lost but I met a male educator who took it upon himself that I wasn’t going to be lost. That’s exactly who I intend to educate, kids like me when I was a younger child.”
Those with curly hair, and curls of all ages and stages joined in this year’s CurlFest, held in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. Members of the “curly hair community,” gathered among the vendors, D.J.’s, while dancing the day away and sharing curly hair secrets. Although the hot temperatures and humidity wreaks havoc on my hair, I rather enjoy the feeling of going natural without the hot irons, combs and curlers. I just want to still look good.
Speaking of curly hair, my daughter comes home after being away at camp for three weeks, and I know what kind of condition her hair will be in. The only thing I can say is bring on the conditioner.
Until next week … kisses.