Upcoming Events
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JUICE
A Global Music Dance Party
Saturday, Jan. 24th
9:00 pm at Lo-fi
$10 at the door
Come dance the holiday calories off with us at this great event benefitting CT!
Venice is Sinking
A Masked Carnival Ball
Saturday, Feb. 7th
8:00 pm at Fremont Abbey
$50 pre-sale, $65 door
www.carnivalseattle.com
This is the event you and your friends will be talking about for months to come! Read the feature story in this newsletter.
Safe Travel at High Altitude by Dr. Andrew Luks
Thursday, Feb. 12th
7:00 pm at Seattle REI
Free!
Highly recommended if you plan to travel to Peru, Nepal, India or anywhere else way up high.
Nepal Seminar by Chris MackaySaturday, Feb. 21st 1:00 pm Savvy Traveler Edmonds Free! Crooked Trails' Chris Mackay takes you on journey to explore many of Nepal's beautiful landscapes, as well as different ethnic communities and more in this fascinating presentation.
UW World Language Day
Friday, Feb. 28th
8:00 am - 1:30 pm
UW Campus
$16 for WA students & teachers
A great event exploring the importance of learning about world language and culture in today's world.
Check out full event descriptions at www.crookedtrails.org
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Staff picks from the Crooked Trails Store
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This month's highlight from Mia Reyes
The Buena Vista Social Club - Live at Carnegie Hall CD
"This is one of those CD's I refer my friends who are interested in expanding their musical collections beyond the pre packaged products our music culture is currently bombarded with today. This Cuban based ensemble was formed by Cuban musician Juan de Marcos Gonzalez and American Ry Cooder along with other popular veteran Cuban musicians, bringing the beat, bass and soul of Latin music to the forefront of American culture.
There are no surprises on this CD, which is one of the reasons I love this recording so much. It's pure in its artistic integrity, delivering the sweet sultry vibe of what everyone envisions those famous 1940's clubs in Havana to have been like. You find yourself swinging your hips and finding your inner Salsa with tracks like Chan Chan, where you can almost smell the fragrance of cigars, sweat and one-two steps. It's as if for just a fraction of our lives, we are colliding with the romanticized and mysterious Cuba we envision in our dreams. "
Your visit to Amazon.com through the Crooked Trails website also
supports our organization.
Click here to go to the store!
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Get your Crooked Trails t-shirt!
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"I love my country, but I think we should start seeing other people"
Available in various colors and sizes. Email angela@crookedtrails.org for size/color availability.
T-shirts cost $20 plus $5 for shipping & handling.
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Happy New Year Everyone!
Well the only thing constant is change... let's hope for some big positive changes in 2009. We have had some here at Crooked Trails with an addition to the family. Tammy Leland ,our infamous always-traveling founder gave birth on January 3rd to a baby boy named  Ashton. The kid is so cute! If he had a passport from the womb it would already be stamped with Thailand, India, Peru and Cameroon. Not even pregnancy could stop Tammy from traveling the globe. We hope nothing will stop you either. We know times are tough, but when that happens, the tough get traveling. If India is too far this year consider a trip closer to home- we are designing two shorter programs to Mexico for the summer that won't dent your pocketbook. For those who can't let the economy dampen their dreams we have just added Bhutan. I had a magnificent time there in December and we are offering our first program to Bhutan in April. Read on and see Bhutan is the place for you!
Travel Boldly,
Christine Mackay
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Featured Article
Bhutan: Where Ancient Meets Modern
by Crooked Trails co-founder Christine Mackay
Since my recent return from Bhutan, people have been asking me what I thought of this lost Shangri La. My reply has consistently been: "It's not like any country I have visited before". Where else have the rulers decided that Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross National Product? Where is traditional dress emphasized over western? Where do people grind grain with millennia old stone wheels while talking on cell phones? Where do visitors view gorgeous Himalayan peaks through fluttering prayer flags from the comfort of a new SUV? Where does the king step down at a young age and move the country towards becoming the world's youngest democracy? Bhutan is where the old and new are working magic together -to the delight of all who visit.
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Featured Trip
Journey to Bhutan
 Our Executive Director Chris Mackay has just returned from a site visit to Bhutan. We hope you enjoyed the featured article on her visit above.
We are excited to announce we will be offering two programs to Bhutan this year. The spring program in April is detailed on our blog (click here!) and will involve a homestay and cultural tour. The fall program in October will involve participating in the migration with the villagers of Dorikha to their winter village called Dorithasa. The migration is endangered and the way of life that it involves is slowly fading from memory. This will be an amazing opportunity to witness the migration and hopefully to be involved in filming it as part of a video project.
Both programs will be about 18 days in total and both will be up on the website in the coming weeks. If you are interested in coming to Bhutan with us, please call Chris at 206-372-4405.
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It's BACK! The Venetian Masked Carnival Ball Returns this February
by Mia Reyes
If there is one thing I have learned about a good party, it's that a masked ball is always going to be a great time. That is why we are so excited to announce the return of last year's near sell-out event, Venice is Sinking: A Venetian Masked Carnival Ball.
The event is slated for February 7th at the Fremont Abbey. If you weren't able to make last year's amazing extravaganza, be prepared for a party unlike any other you have ever experienced. From masked attire to trapeze artists swinging from the ceilings, from fabulous wine, beer and vodka to popular Seattle DJ's and world music bands, this is going to be THE party of 2009. And to top it all off, your night of drinking, friends and dancing all benefits Crooked Trails and allows us to continue our work in 2009 and beyond. How often can you justify a Red Bull & Vodka and a night out as benefitting a cause you believe in?
So find your favorite mask, grab a bunch of friends, and mark your calendars for the party of the year. Tickets will be on sale online and at the door, so head to the event website for tickets as it is sure to sell out!
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Introducing...Our Two New Interns!
Lindsey Goldberg and Bill Wynn
My name is Lindsey and I am one of the two new interns at Crooked Trails. I am thrilled to be joining such a dynamic, conscious and compassionate community. Currently I am finishing up a M.Ed at the University of Washington ...read more ...
 Hi! I'm Bill and I've just begun interning with Crooked Trails. My interest in international education and travel began as a study abroad participant to Beijing in 2003. After graduating in 2004 from Pitzer College ...read more ... |
In Search of Dynamic Individuals to Join our Board of Directors
 At the heart of any successful non-profit are 3 major components: the values and foundations of the organization, the staff that puts those values into action, and a Board of Directors that guides the process.
Crooked Trails would like to extend an invitation to anyone who is interested in getting more involved to consider applying to be a part of the Crooked Trails Board of Directors.
We are seeking interested individuals who are passionate about the organization and its' mission, and are available and willing to be actively engaged members of the board. This is a great opportunity to really get involved and be an instrumental part of our efforts to expand and flourish in 2009 and beyond.
If you have any questions please email info@crookedtrails.org
To apply please send a letter of interest and resume to our Board President Tracy Klinkroth at tracy@epiphanyresearch.net
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JUICE Global Music Night
Benefitting...Yours Truly!
To all of our Crooked Trails friends and family who have been looking for the perfect combination of good company, awesome global music, and a night of dancing and celebrating, your time has come!
JUICE Seattle, an organization that combines world music with local global charities has chosen Crooked Trails as one of its beneficiaries for its January event.
Darek Mazzone of KEXP and DJ Rhythma (Eric Schmidt) will be spinning all night long at Eastlake's Lo-Fi club, with all of the door proceeds going to Crooked Trails and our partner organizations: Community Empowerment Network , BMK Foundation and the AMA Foundation.
Please spread the word, bring some friends, and come out and dance those Holiday calories away with us. We hope to see you all there!
Juice Website: http://www.myspace.com/juiceinseattle
Date: January 24 , 2009
Doors: 9pm
Cost: $10
Location: Lo-Fi (429 Eastlake Ave E Seattle, WA 98109 Ph: 206- 254-2824)
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New Year's Resolution: I Want to Volunteer!
We are all guilty of the New Years resolution that we are never really
able to fulfill. It leaves us with that empty feeling of a job half
done, a book partially read, a promise broken. Crooked Trails' New
Years Resolution is to help our CT friends and family fulfill their own
goals of the year, which is why we are giving everyone the opportunity
to succeed in the resolution of volunteering your time with an
organization you believe in.
Read more...
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Many thanks to the volunteers who have helped out this month...
Alana Scalise Ira Goel Leda Kirilova Alexis Bonoff
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Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.
~T.S. Eliot |
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