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December 16, 2009

Santiago: Heroic City

After <a href="/journal/old-havana-no-receipt-you">Havana,</a> I flew to Santiago, the second city of Cuba, located in the Oriente region at the eastern end of the island. It is called &ldquo;heroic city&rdquo; for its role as the cradle of all the revolutionary wars of Cuba. It was founded in 1515 and its first mayor was Hern&aacute;n Cortes, the conqueror of Mexico. Its wealth came from the production of coffee, copper, sugar, and, more recently, rum.
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December 15, 2009

In Old Havana: No Receipt for You

Going to Cuba is always an adventure. On this, my fourth trip to the island, I stood out at the Miami airport while waiting in line with an all-male church group and several Cuban American families bringing multiple plastic-wrapped bundles.
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December 14, 2009

World Monuments Fund Goes Hollywood

John Stubbs, WMF's Vice President for Field Projects, and I had the opportunity to meet many of our donors in Los Angeles this past November. We were there to make a presentation at the Beverly Hills Women's Club (BHWC) about our current projects around the world.
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December 14, 2009

Shaking Up Shaker Village

How easy is it to get a 4-wheel-drive 135-foot articulated man lift weighing 40,000 pounds stuck in the mud? Quite easy, as it turns out. That, at least, was our experience&mdash;Robert Silman, Mike Auren, Jenna Cellini, and me&mdash;who spent three days evaluating the condition of the wall masonry of the North Family Great Stone Barn at the Mt. Lebanon Shaker Village, in New Lebanon, NY.
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December 08, 2009

Suspended Above Earth: Farnsworth House

As WMF's Watch and Field Programs Administrator, one of the great privileges of my job is having the opportunity to occasionally visit architectural icons for business purposes. But recently I embarked on a visit toa Modern masterpiece solely for my own pleasure.
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November 13, 2009

Cloister of St. Trophime

For the last year, WMF has participated in a number of on-site meetings to analyze the columns and capitals that form the cloister of St. Trophime and determine the best methods for cleaning, repairing, and maintaining the structure.
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November 13, 2009

A Hemisphere Away from Home

Jacqueline Wiese, a graduate student in the University of Pennsylvania's historic preservation program, volunteered to spend some time researching and working in Peru's Colca Valley in summer 2009. WMF connected them with AECID (the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation), our partner in the Colca Valley, and subsidized their travel expenses.
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October 25, 2009

Ken’s Diligent Service in Beijing: Day 9

After gathering with my fellow WMFers for some strategizing and shopping, I had the afternoon to myself, so I tackled the Beijing subway solo (with a few semi-embarrassing bumps) and headed to Tiāntán Gōngyuán, the Temple of Heaven. It's one of the iconic spots that's a must-see, not just for the spectacular architecture, but also because it's a spot where average Beijingers love to gather, to ballroom dance, wave flags, and generally hang out.
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October 24, 2009

Ken’s Diligent Service in Beijing: Day 8

Mmmm, Beijing duck! Admittedly not an expert when it comes to Chinese cuisine, I honestly didn't find it much different from what they serve on Mott Street in NYC. But it was very, very good.
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