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Some Sports are Bigger than Sports

November 2, 2016

“Some sports are bigger than sports.” And that was true tonight. My Grandpa, a lifelong Cubs fan from Wisconsin, is on hospice at home. Since about game three of this World Series he has been too sick to watch, but my mom has been giving home the play by play at his bedside. I love you Grandpa. This was for you.

CUBS WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Ted Continue Reading…

Cambodia, Destinations, Social Work

A Psalm for Cambodia

December 18, 2012

A Psalm can take many forms, one of which is a heartfelt cry of misery followed by an exclamation of hope. This is the story of autogenocide, justice and joy in Cambodia. Warning, this post contains accounts from our travels which some people may find disturbing.  

We braced for entry into Cambodia, in part because we knew we’d come face-to-face with its brutal and recent history of war, torture, and terror.

Continue Reading…

CarRentals.co.uk, Destinations, Featured Partners, New Zealand

The Promised Land: From Oregon to New Zealand

December 3, 2012

We’re obsessed. Like new parents about their kid, or grandparents about their new grandchild (you know who you are), we can’t stop talking about her, bragging about her, and comparing everything to her.

We love Oregon. It’s that simple.

Yes, we think she’s the greatest state in the union (but not in the same way Texans do). Yes, we believe Oregon has something to offer everyone. Yes, Portlanders live 90 minutes from world-class windsurfing, skiing at Mt. Hood, gorgeous coastlines, and fertile farmland.

I could be preaching to the choir.

There’s just one problem with living in a paradise. It takes quite a place to actually compete with the beauty of Oregon. Continue Reading…

Inspirations, Ted's Short Reads

Ted’s Reading List From the Road

October 28, 2012

El Ateneo theater-converted-to-a-bookstore in Buenos Aries

My interest in reading has ebbed and flowed in the past two decades. During my sophomore year of high school, I read over 100 books, and began to amass a personal library of over 1000 titles, most of which are now sold off. After high school, I began to feel the weight of knowledge in an unhealthy way, so I distanced myself from reading for several years. Later, while studying theology and education, I had to time to read little else than what was required.

After university, I joined the Albina Literary Society, a dedicated group of scholars who meet monthly in NE Portland to discuss literature of all sorts, and who graciously invited Bethany and me to join their rich discussions. It’s delighting to share a text with people I trust; reading in community always enhances my literary experience.

Reading while travelling has been rewarding as well. I’ve had quite a bit of time to read, more than I originally thought. In Argentina for instance, there was nothing better than waking up at 11:00 am (early for an Argentine) strolling down to the local cafe, ordering a coffee, a beer, and an ice bucket, and reading until 2:00 in the afternoon. I was in good company among the other cafe readers. Other times, books helped pass the time on long bus rides, plane trips, and ferries.

Sometimes, I intentionally picked titles that were strongly connected to the place we were visiting. I reread Borges in Buenos Aries. I read “From Beirut to Jerusalem” in Lebanon. And I picked up a biography of Pol Pot in Cambodia.

Other times, I was at the mercy of whatever was available at the local book exchange. Sometimes, I was lucky, like with “The Catcher and the Rye.” Other times, not so much, as with “Prodigal Summer.”

Here, I’m going to share as briefly as possible about some of the books that I read, and what I thought of them in the context of my travels. Enjoy!

This post is dedicated to the Albina Literary Society, and to Professor Domani Pothen, who in one way or another impacted us all.


The Hunger Games Trilogy
by: Suzanne Collins

country: Peru

I promised several people I would read these books before watching the first movie. Sure enough, I started our trip by getting in touch with my inner teenager. Pure entertainment. I learned very little. But I DID learn more about what teenagers go through in school. As one commentator wrote, the books seem to be a metaphor for the brutal, competitive, real-life games young people feel forced to play every day in order to survive adolescence. I tend to agree. Either way, the books are brilliant. I may even have finished all three within 48 hours, start to finish. Recommended Continue Reading…

Destinations, Feature Trips, South Africa, twoOregonians Tour the Cape

What Lies Beneath: Caving and Craft Beer

September 19, 2012

As I wiggled like a worm through damp crevices, claustrophobia gripped me. I trepidatiously advanced into the belly of the earth, one.five kilometers away from sunlight, deep within the recesses of Mother Nature’s time capsule, where beauty wore darkness to veil its secrets.

I eagerly agreed to visit the Cango Caves, just ninety minutes from our lodging in Wilderness Bay, South Africa, not knowing just exactly what to expect. Bethany stayed behind to catch up on work. I took the car across a major mountain pass, up up up and then down down down, threading my way inland, looking for what is known as one of Africa’s seven natural wonders.

Guests can choose between two routes at the entrance of the caves. Both are guided. Neither are for the faint for heart. I chose the first route, an easier distance which didn’t require tight squeezes or belly crawls. However, the caves manager talked me into the second route, extolling the additional beauty I would behold, and assuring me that I could “turn back and wait” if at any time I felt uncomfortable.

Okay. Considering I get claustrophobic if I wake up with a pillow on my chest, embarking on the second option was my equivalent to shark cage diving or jumping head first off the world’s highest bungee. But I agreed, and off I went. Continue Reading…

Destinations, Lebanon, Musings

Weekend Update: Beirut, Lebanon Round Two

June 17, 2012

This week was splendid. As you may remember, we’re staying with our friend Jodi here in Lebanon. After fairly brisk pace the last couple of months, we are sitting still (mostly) and getting some R&R.

Turns out, we picked the right city, but not for the reasons you might think. Beirut is a distressed city, a city very recently war torn, a place where many people-groups live at odds and in close quarters, a place where it’s easy to spot buildings still wearing machine-gun bullet holes on their walls.

But in part because of Beirut’s history of unrest, it has developed a culture of “oasis,” where there are countless places of rest, food, drink, and relaxation behind the rather disorderly store front streets. Thanks to Jodi and several other new-found friends, we have been introduced to delicious mezze, carrot cake perfection, and beer from the only micro-brewery in the Middle East.  Continue Reading…

Destinations, Featured Partners, Italy, Lamborghini, Ted's Short Reads

I’ve Always Dreamed of Driving a Race Car

May 11, 2012

Generally speaking, I’m afraid to dream.

Letdowns are a letdown for me, so refusing to dream means less disappointment in life. Right or wrong, I feel safer that way. Ironically, my wife is a good dreamer. At 10, she dreamed of marrying her future husband. At 15, she dreamed of being a Landscape Architect.  At 20, she dreamed of taking a year off to travel the world.

Needless to say, non-dreamers benefit immensely by sticking close to dreamers.

If you know me, you probably didn’t know I’ve dreamed of driving a race car. That’s because I didn’t know either. There weren’t any exotic car pics on my bedroom wall growing up. I don’t really know how engines work. I didn’t know a single exotic car model by name before this week.

Last week here in Italy, Lamborghini offered my friend Michael and me the chance to participate in their 2012 Driving Academy. I woke up from a nap in the peaceful city-center of Bologna to the news. Shutup! I thought my wife was pulling my leg.

A few days later, I found myself standing in the pit at a Formula One race track in Imola, Italy. Continue Reading…

Bolivia, Interviews, Musings, Social Work

A Man of the People: Bolivia’s Rolando Mendoza

March 4, 2012

Today, my thoughtful, easy going inspiration of a husband shares his write up of a recent interview with one of Bolivia’s finest leaders. Both men are humble and sincere, less the type to write for the world and more the type to be out living their convictions on local streets, day after day.
I’m grateful to share their story with you. -Bethany


A Man of the People: My Interview with Public Servant Rolando Mendoza
By Ted Rydmark

While in Bolivia, we spent a week on work-exchange with the Mendoza-Donlon Family.

Rolando Mendoza has extensive experience as a public servant. He is the former mayor of Mallasa (a suburb town of La Paz), the former Head of Social Services for the Municipality of La Paz (metro population 2.3 million), and is the current Person in Charge of Planning and Investment for the Ministry of Planning for the Bolivian Government.

When he was elected Mayor of Mallasa, he was the first non-party “man of the people” to serve in that office. His success as mayor resulted in his appointment a Head of Social Services for La Paz.

I took the opportunity sit down with Rolando and ask him about his experiences as a civic politician. Special thanks to Bethany for recording the conversation and to Rolando’s wife, Emma, for translating.

Ted: What was most challenging about working as head of Social Services in La Paz?
Rolando: It was most challenging to really know what was going on and to develop plans to transform the situation and make it better. Because we were working for the benefit of young people, children, and old people, I had this desperation to really make their lives better and make an impact – fast. I desired that my programs would become institutionalized and consolidated and would last over time.

Rolando’s position lasted four years, during which time he accomplished much. As the Head of Social Services for the Municipality of La Paz, Rolando’s responsibilities included five broad areas: Sports, Health (including infrastructure, equipment, and future planning), Education (including the planning and building of schools), Citizen Rights (equivalent to Civil Rights), and Citizen Security. During this time he was directly responsible for over 800 municipal staff. Continue Reading…