Discovered a great store this past weekend. If you dig music, and also want to rack up some good karma points, this is a good spot for you.

We headed out to SE Hawthorne last Saturday (had a great breakfast at the Bread and Ink Café ― if you haven’t been to the waffle window I just don’t know what to say to you). Down the street is Global Exchange. That store rocks! Everything is imported, fair trade. And it smells great in there.

But the best part is the instruments. They have these cool drums from Indonesia, bells from Ghana, and these noisemaker things from Peru. We bought a recycled tin thumb piano from Burkina Faso and cruised down the street, plinking away, celebrating our find and our good karma.

Later,
Keith

OK, one last last thing about movies… Had to mention you can now buy tickets online for the Portland International Film Festival (Feb 5-21). I saw Miriam’s Wedding at the festival before anyone had ever heard of Toni Collete. OK, on to something non-film-related.

You know, ol’ Mark Twain said, “Everybody talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it,” (or something like that). Except, you can: Get yourselves bundled up and head out on a walking tour of Portland’s China Town.

Starting at the amazing gateway at NW 4th and Burnside, you can wander the streets and happen upon great little tea and traditional Chinese medicine shops, curio and book stores, and even art galleries. Stop for dim sum at Fong Chong (NW 4th and Everett) then walk it off at the Classical Chinese Garden at NW 3rd. Happy hunting!

Later,
Emily