Peddlers and Problems: Immigration in Madrid

The street vendors set out their wares for sale as the day begins.

Story and photos by JELENA KOPANJA

After two weeks in Madrid, I no longer rush to my window to confirm the frantic shouts and the incessant patting of feet on the cobblestones. I recognize the sounds: the police have raided the sidewalk. Vendors of pirated movies and fake Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses dissipate into the narrowest alleys. They seek refuge in the negligence of the neighbor who may have left the hallway door cracked open.

Most of the peddlers are from Africa and China. The Africans sell the knockoffs. The Chinese sell the small wooden abanicos, traditional Spanish fans, for two Euros each. “Hola, guapa,” they call out to me and every other woman who passes by. Hello, beautiful.

Child of the Velvet Revolution Witnesses All

Story and photo by DENE-HERN CHEN

Martin Stanek sums up the year 1989 with two events: the Velvet Revolution and his discovery of the Catholic Church.

“The Revolution was a nice time for me because I was so young– when you are 16, everything has a new color,” said Stanek, 34, the manager of the Academic Parish of Prague. “I did not know what to expect.”

At 16, Stanek hoped for a new freedom with politics and religion since the expression of both was restricted in communist Czechoslovakia. Priests were sometimes imprisoned for their activities, which could range from gathering in a non-church setting to talking to young people about religion.

“The regime wanted to destroy the intellectual level of church life,” said Stanek.

Lights From the Past

story and photos by KATIE JAKUB

Experience Maine's coastline and historical lighthouses.

My mother and I went to Maine this past summer. As part of our trip, we decided to take a driving tour of six different lighthouses in the Portland area. It took us about three hours, including some stops of our own and stumbling across some unlisted treasures.

Doggoneit!

story and photos by PATRICK WONG

There's more to Alaska than Sarah Palin, Main Street and moose hunting.

Alaska now seems to resonate most loudly with that Tina-Fey glasses wearing governess, Sarah Palin. But for what it’s worth, Alaska has a lot more to offer than funny speaking vice presidential candidates, doggoneit!

This past summer, an Alaskan cruise was the unconventional choice for a family reunion. A few days on the frigid waters to Alaska were fraught with buffet breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, old people, karaoke, old people, crumbling glaciers and the occasional whale sighting.

Chicago: New York’s Not-Too-Distant Relative

story and photos by RUBY HLIVKO

Chicago's skyline is reflected in the stainless steel surface of "The Bean."

Chicago is both a cosmopolitan city and a close-knit community with its sense of friendly, familiar faces and hometown comforts. There are blue-collar Cubs fans, Nietzsche-reading college students, black-berried business types, and women who could be your grandmother on their way to the market.