Emily Hoskins

My T2EA team mate and motivational hard body, Justin on our first 8 mile run!

Recently, I’ve decided it would be a good idea to take on the challenge of an Olympic triathlon and have joined the Team to End AIDS endurance training to help in the fight against HIV/AIDS.  Crazy?  Yes.

We’ve all supported someone great in our lives who tries to make a difference by running, cycling and/or swimming for a great cause.  If you haven’t, lucky for you, I’m someone who is doing all three and great in need of support!

On Sunday, August 28^th five months of training will pay off at the Chicago Triathlon.  I hope that you all come cheer along side my Mom and wish her happy birthday while you’re at it!

I’ve got some lofty fundraising goals, and anything you’re willing to contribute will go straight to the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and pay my way to the finish line!  There are a few ways to get involved!

First, click on this link and go to my Team to End AIDS page or copy this into the address bar  (http://afc.aidschicago.org/netcommunity/emilyhoskins).  Then click the ‘Sponsor Me’ button up there to the left!

Second, look for the ‘Share This Page’ link at the lower left side of my fundraising page and share it on your Facebook wall, Twitter feed, and blog!

Third, clear your calendar for Friday, June 17^th for an evening filled with booze, music, raffles, and a silent auction at Studio 24 all in effort to meet my fundraising goal and to send me across the finish line with success!

Fourth, for my analog family and friends, cash, check, and making it rain are always accepted forms of payment and welcomed by my wallet in person or by mail (4621 N Hermitage Chicago, IL 60640).  All contributions will go toward my fundraising goal and if you make it out the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, it’s also tax deductible.

If you’re in need of further convincing consider that every 9 and ½ minutes someone in the United States is infected with HIV.  Nearly 1.2 million Americans are now living with HIV. That is why over the next several months I will train to push myself further to support the AIDS Foundation of Chicago.  They’re leading the fight against HIV/AIDS in the Chicago area by funding prevention programs and services such as medical care, food and housing, to stop the spread of HIV and help people live full and productive lives until the day there’s a cure.

Thank you!

In January, I made up my mind to commit to more. live. music.  I was a new years resolution of sorts, because I don’t much care for resolutions of the new year variety.  It’s more of a goal.

My first quarter music marathon has served me pretty well.  The Black Key’s, Daphne Willis…Twice, Modern Conversation, and now Over the Rhine.  Five shows in four months may not seem like a lot to many, but I’m blowing my last year’s music self out-of-the-water!  BTW I also discovered the magic of Pandora and bought Ray Lamontagne tickets so I’d say I’m pretty much on a roll.

So, with this goal of experiencing more music.  I was led blindly into Lincoln Hall for an Over the Rhine show.  It was the best thing I could have done with my night, that and the handful of whiskey’s I put away that evening.

If you’ve never heard of Over the Rhine, you should.  HERE.  My gift to you.  They’re nothing short of Cincinnati adorable.  Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist are the singer/songwriters that perpetuate the group.  They’re married, they have a dog, she has an incredible voice, he travels with a huge piano in his truck.  Win. Win. Win.

I photographed a quartet a while back.  They’re called Modern Conversation and they’re neck deep in creating their new website.  Hence, the photos.  If you can’t wait for the site to launch, get your fix at ReverbNation or on their Facebook page.

It’s a little bit of rock, a hint of reggae, and a whole lotta west coast yoga meets mid-west charm.  In order we’ve got the super talented Janet Cramer on the drums and if you’re lucky she’ll bust out the bongos.  Jackie Rada on keyboard…because her baby grand won’t fit in her trunk.  David Courtenay, vocals, Guitar and an occasional downward dog and the quietly charming Jeremy Schmidt on  Guitar/Bass.

Come see them play at Goose Island on April 22nd and Uncommon Ground on May 12th!

I’ve been involved with World Bicycle Relief since 2008 in some way or another.  I’ve photographed for, traveled with, volunteered my time, and/or supported this comprehensive and impactful NGO in some capacity.  I’m very proud to be a continuing part of this organization and they’ve made enormous strides in the past year.  Since the launch of the Bicycles for Educational Empowerment Program (BEEP) in June 2009, WBR has successfully delivered 2,574 bicycles to Chongwe and Mumbwa Districts’ students, teachers, and community supporters at 19 schools.  It’s nothing short of amazing.

To satiate your love of Africa, bicycles, education, culture or you simply need to start checking off your 2011 bucket list I suggest getting involved in one of the three Africa Rides that are taking place in Zambia this year.  The WBR staff in Zambia have many charming tricks up their sleeves, one of the best is making you feel like Zambia is your home away from home.  You’ll also find that same hospitality outside the walls of WBR.  Zambians are always excited to see you and want you to stay and enjoy unlimited dancing, music, home cooked meals and adventure.

If what would be a completely rewarding and fulfilling trip doesn’t convince you, then possibly this flashy brochure that includes my photographs will.

The first WBR BEEP distribution at Chongwe District in Rural Zambia in 2010

All work, all play.  Each Africa Ride in 2011 culminates at the Lower Zambezi.  An incredible place for sunset cruises, true wildlife, serious cocktails, and ELEPHANTS!

You have three opportunities to join World Bicycle Relief for one of three Africa Rides 2011 trips and experience an exclusive 9-day journey providing an inside perspective on development and transportation barriers in rural Zambia. Witness bicycles as an empowering tool in the fight against poverty. Build your own World Bicycle Relief bike and ride along with rural HIV/AIDS caregivers, students and business entrepreneurs whose lives have been transformed by The Power of Bicycles.  Find all the information at World Bicycle Relief/Events.  Here is the complete itinerary:World-Bicycle-Relief-Africa-Rides-2011-brochure

It’s coming up quick!  The first trip is from May 21st -29th.  The next two are from  July 23-31 and October 8-16, 2011.  Get in line, these trips are as amazing as the people hosting them.

In effort to expand my music palette and experience more. live. music, I moved to Austin.  Then, I moved back.  Needless to say, it was easy to achieve my live music goals in the capitol of live music.  It’s a less easy feat to accomplish in Chicago, but I must say I’m doing a bang-up job thus far in 2011.  Lets start with New Years day.  The Black Keys.  Well, mission accomplished.  Put a check in the More Live Music box.  The Black Keys on 1.1.11 is a pretty great way to start the new year no matter how you look at it.  Unless, you were one of the six dozen crazies that were waiting in the line that undoubtedly wrapped around the Lawrence Red line stop.  Despite the 50 degree weather the day before, New Years Day slapped me, and everyone dumb enough to wait in line outside with 10 degree weather and a windchill that mad it feel like 10 below.  UGH.

In related news, a good friend and great musician, Daphne Willis is helping me achieve my 2011 goals by touring the US and making beautiful music along the way.  She was kind enough to grace Chicago with her presence this month at Schubas.  And if you’re in Kentucky or Iowa, which, I don’t know why you would be, you can see her live on January 22nd or February 11th.  Her new album, ‘Because I Can’ is coming out on April 19th.  One day before my birthday.  Coincodence, I think not.  Happy birthday to me, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll download it.  From iTunes.  That’s right, she’s on iTunes.  Pretty cool.  Pretty famous.  Pretty pretty.

Lauren Dukoff shot this little ditty in Los Angeles.  She has shot the likes of Lady Gaga, MIA, Mila Kunis, and Katy Perry.  Completely talented.

I’m not, nor have I ever been a very big fan of new years resolutions.  Usually, due to the fact that they most likely involve some sort of weight loss goal, unrealistic changes in your smoking habits, or insert your personal shortcoming here.

For 2011, I’m attempting to overcome my own shortcomings and general lack of attention to my blog and website.  Welcome to it.  Also, to see more live music.  More on that later.

I had the idea last year to blog about the Pantone color of the year, when it was 15-5519 Turquoise – Clearly, that never came to fruision.  Turquoise was supposed to transport me to an exciting, tropical paradise while offering a sense of protection and healing in stressful times.  This is a lofty claim, turquoise, considering your a color and semi-random, depending what colors they chose in years past.  I imagine it similar to how they choose names for tornadoes.  Regardless of HOW the Pantone color of the year is chosen, I don’t know how I feel about the accuracy of what it means for the new year.

Take, for example, Pantone’s 2011 color of the year, 18-2120 Honeysuckle.  Courageous. Confident. Vital. A brave new color, for a brave new world. Let the bold spirit of Honeysuckle infuse you, lift you and carry you through the year. It’s a color for every day – with nothing “everyday” about it.

That’s quite presumptuous, Honeysuckle, considering I though you were yellow.  But, I’ll take it.

Working for a magazine is the best way to get to know a new city.  I learned that when I moved to a new city and started working for a magazine. In my one month interim of ‘fun-employment’ after moving to Austin I became all but obsessed with Rob Haggarts blog, aphotoeditor.com. Perhaps his blog plus my obsession with it, (not to mention a four hour interview and an unexpected drug test) created the perfect combo for me to become the photo editor of Austin Monthly Magazine and Austin Monthly Home.

My first day at work was actually a shoot, the cover shoot of the January issue.   Stand up paddle boarding is one of the coolest sports in Austin, and we got to learn from the best.  Andy Lukei from Austin Paddle Sports provided the boards and paddles and Diego Huerta came with the camera and lights and the nerve to take it all into the water for our cover shot.

It was part of a feature about Austin being so much thinner than the rest of America. For Texas, Austin is defiantly thin.  Thinnest city in America, I dunno.  However, there are a lot of beautiful people here.  Either way we photographed a handful of the more popular ways to keep the pretties looking pretty, and the not so pretties to start working out.

8am mornings on Lady Bird Lake in November

Hair & make up

This could go downhill in so many ways.

Luckily, they know what they’re doing and we avoided all emergency trips to the ER.

Moved to Austin a few months ago.  Actually 5 months and four days ago to be exact and it has treated me very well.  This move was initiated for many reason; warm weather being the first, followed closely by a change of scenery, and never wanting to look back and realize I’d never lived outside the state in which I was born, also, dating a gypsy may have had something to do with it.  Unbeknownst to me, Austin has so much more to offer.  Here are a few highlights.

Pros:
For Christmas 09 we added a new member to the family.  We call her Bacon, but she answers to Peanut.  She drives Chevy’s, updates my blogs, and stays cute all day long.  Sometimes she goes to the magazine with me, but mostly she maxes and relaxes in our sunny apartment. When you come visit (all my besties in Chicago) she will win you over with kisses and cuddles.

Circle Country Club.  They don’t have a website, google-ing them is a complete waste of time.  I’ll save you the energy and just say that this place is the tops.  Despite its pretentious name it’s quite approachable.  And by approachable I mean its BYO hard liquor because they only sell cans.  Wait, it gets better. The patrons are baby boomer generation at best and its outside the county limits so smoking a pack a night indoors is completely encouraged.  As if this were not enough, the country club is famous for its All Starz karaoke night, which is every night.

Please note the teased bangs on the left.

Mean Eyed Cat:  The servers are, well, mean and they don’t serve booze, only beer.  But they do like Johnny Cash.  And any friend of Johnny Cash is a friend of mine.

Cons:
Big ass cows wearing basketball jerseys.  They stand on the side of the road and try to convince people to ‘eat mor chikin’.  First of all, gross. Second of all, that’s not how you spell chicken.

Birds.  Growing up in the Midwest I learned that birds fly south for the winter.  Now, living in the south, I realize the birds really do fly south for the winter.  They fly to Austin in the winter, which, I cant blame them.  So did I.
But seriously, there are a lot of birds.  This is in the con category because they shit all over the car.

My July 4th looked like an island this year.  In Zambia, Independence Day in not celebrated, mind blowing…I know.  But they do celebrate Heroes day and Unity day right around the same time that means no one goes to work.  If my calculations are correct that means that Unity day + Zambia – Independence Day = Zanzibar.

Our flight left in the middle of the day and made to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania around six, in just enough time for it to get dark.  Thankfully, we had our passports stamped before hand and flew through the chaos that was the customs line.  After a shady cash transaction for our transfer flight in a small, badly light room at the back of the airport it was just a short five minute taxi ride to the domestic terminal which resembled the small, badly light room at the back of the airport we were just in.

Once we boarded the late 50’s era war plane it was a quick 20 minutes to Stonetown, Zanzibar.

We didn’t see much on our way in, it was mopeds and badly maintained street lights flying past the taxi window, until we arrived at Tembo Hotel.  We were traveling with two friends from Zambia and apparently someone had signed Ellen and I up for the honeymoon suite.  We didn’t complain. The next morning we woke up to the sunrising over the Indian ocean, men swimming, huge birds on our balcony, fisherman pushing their boats out for the days catch, and what could only be the smell of shark liver on the beach.  More on that later.

Heroes Day was filled with spice plantations, tiny streets, making too many pictures for any one’s own good, and eating.  My favorite things.  I think Ellen became the wife a few charming boys in town and I revisited the idea about becoming  vegetarian after walking through the fish and meat market.  Today was also the day I was re-introduced to my favorite Disney movie saying: Hakuna matata.  Maybe it’s the island lifestyle that induces this problem-free philosophy in all Zanibarians or maybe it is their undying love for The Lion King; either way, Hakuna matata bookended every conversation we had with locals.  Its quite contagious…although it sounds much more poetic said with a Kiswahili accent.

Then I woke up on Unity Day.  Sixty year old tortoises, a boat, a snorkel, an underwater camera, and our own island off the coast of Zanzibar.  My new favorite things.  This day also included a late afternoon swim with some 17 year old Zanzibarian boys who were just as amused with me as I was with them.  Therefor we  swam out to a docked Rastafarian’s boat and did trick dives off the top.  Duh.  Back to the smell of shark liver…after a good long day on the Indian Ocean fisherman take the liver from sharks, boil it up so it becomes soft and schmear it on their dhows to protect from the salty water.

He handed me a bouquet  then he said, ‘marry me’.  I said thanks, and no.

The meat market smelled almost as good as the fish market.  I just don’t see this meeting USDA standards.

Either she was crying, or she really, really didnt like me.  Or both.

Morning swim.

Late afternoon water run through tiny tiny streets.

Late afternnon swim. Hakuna matata.

With the soft launch under our belt with as few hiccups as possible, we look forward the official launch of the Bicycle Educational Empowerment Program (BEEP). The official launch will be the fame of Ndapula Community School in Chongwe District, about two hours outside of Lusaka, the capitol. This is the school that was founded by the husband and wife couple from Chongwe that recognized the need for a Chongwe students to have accessible education that they could afford. If it was not for Mr. Amos and Angelina Muloiswa and their passion for education the students would have to go to a government school that charges a fee per term, not to mention the closest government school is an additional six kilometers from Ndapula. Students like Rogers and Mairriem walk approximately six or seven kilometers as it is. It was incredible to see the look on their faces when they got on their own bike for the first time.

Marriem, 11 years old, the smartest girl on the block.  Has big dreams of becoming a photojournalist.

Mary and Rogers let me jog along side their ride home.

Mary was the first girl student to receive a World Bicycle Relief  under the BEEP program.