The Atlantic (blog): Vayable Guides Travelers Off the Beaten Path

Original Article Here.

Russell Howze has been enthralled with the street art of San Francisco for decades. He can instantly recognize the work of the city’s most prominent graffiti artists, and knows which Mission District alleys house the most memorable pieces. Howze, a stencil artist himself, maintains a website dedicated to street art, and has written a book on the subject.

As a general rule, graffiti doesn’t pay; Howze is driven by his love of the art form, not by profits. But with the help of a new startup called Vayable, he’s beginning to turn his passion into a career as a tour guide, helping travelers discover the hidden artworks on city buildings and sidewalks. “It’s starting to pay a lot of the bills,” he says. As his reputation grows, he hopes he may be able to turn his street art curator side gig into a full-time job.

Vayable is an online platform that helps travelers find new experiences led by local guides. “The company was born out of my own experiences as a traveler,” says founder and CEO, Jamie Wong. “I love going off the beaten path when I travel, and friends started asking me to create experiences for them to replicate my trips. I built the company to expand beyond my own experiences, and help everyone find that sense of cross-cultural exploration.”

Vayable launched with 70 guides in April 2011, and customers began booking experiences within the first hour of going live. Since then, the company’s been growing at a rate of 30 percent each week.

In San Francisco, Howze’s three-hour street art tour of the Mission District is a top seller; other popular experiences in the region include a sommelier-guided tour of Northern California wineries; a fishing excursion in the San Francisco Bay; and a guided biking tour through the city.

The concept marks a sea change from the traditional tourism industry, which is dominated by large companies that stick to tried-and-true tourist attractions. Vayable is dedicated to giving its users choices in how they want to experience an area, encouraging them to follow their own passions in planning a trip.

Though some guides had been offering professional tours independently prior to working with Vayable, many are new to the field. “Many of our guides are everyday people with access to special knowledge, or a community or space. We’re giving anybody the tools to build and curate an experience out of their interests or passions,” says Wong.

Vayable allows guides to set the prices for their tours, collecting a 15% commission on confirmed bookings. “Many of the guides are supplementing their income in really significant ways,” says Wong. “They love the flexibility. They can have a day job and then follow their passion when they’re not at work and supplement their income through Vayable, to help them pay the bills or afford a trip.”

The company is now offering experiences in over 600 cities on six continents, and growing every day. “With technology, there’s a whole new way to connect,” says Wong. “We’re using these online connections to power offline interactions, and to help travelers and locals alike find meaningful ways to connect with new communities.”

Dream: Paint, Pizza, Pockets

I am on a school or college campus and hold a marker pen. A female student gives me a can of spray paint and I stuff it in my coat pocket. “I can’t do much with this color,” I say. She takes me through the back workings of the school. We see two other men painting while others look on. They may step in and tell the painters how to paint. The female student takes me out to the edge of the campus. She walks through a fence. I push it and a piece opens up.

We arrive at a wall where JN is painting. I take the grey can and spray under someone’s female lip stencil. I get the idea of doing another set of lips and then JN packs his paint and leaves. A party arrives. I find myself in a small room full of women. Food arrives and a man hands me a pizza box with a few leftover slices. I take one. An attractive woman talks about somewhere else later. I put my hand in her vest pocket. She steps back. “I’ll go with you”, I say as I hold her hand. She recoils and I leave the tiny room.

One woman reads Slingshot with a funny cover. The woman tells another woman that a piece of art she has is now worth $1,000. I go to a large room and see three-foot tall cans of spray paint. Most of the cans are filled with black paint. I grab them and take them to the wall. I go to the kitchen and get a bowl of odd-looking salad. I walk outside and hear singing. A man has music coming out of his backpack on his body and sings along to the tunes.

I wake up…

June 8, 2012: Dream Fragments

I am in the seat of a horse-drawn carriage and approach another one. “On your left,” I yell, but my horse decides to go right. A collision almost happens but my horse gets free from his tackle and gallops down the road. At a bridge, a car has to swerve to avoid the horse.The car crashes into the creek running under the bridge.

….

DH drives me to a cafeteria. We pass a large mall-like building that has umbrellas placed around it. It appears to be a promotional, interactive game. In the huge parking lot, DH drives fast, crushing cans and litter along the way. He swerves just before driving into traffic.

….

In the cafe I see RB and MC and do not talk to RB. The cafe is crowded. I notice a new issue of Cracked on the magazine rack. A blonde man stocks candy at the end of an isle. “What, no more antacids?” I find MC in the crowd and we chat. He really liked the email that I sent him.

Nov. 23 Dream (Mendocino Co., .5 inches rain)

I am at an Occupy encampment. As I settle down in my just-set-up tent, a group of Native Americans arrive at the camp. Their chief wears a full head dress and commands them to set up camp. I move my tent back a bit to make space for them.

….

SB pilots a jet and takes me for a fight. He keeps going higher and eventually touches the outer atmosphere. I look out the window and see strange vessels floating in air streams. I look out at the horizon and see factories belching smoke into the haze. The jet slowly starts rocking like a boat. We dock at a port city in the North Pole.

The North Pole is like the Wild West: rough living and contant harassment. We protect ourselves from a group of thieving children. A man grabs a beautiful woman and the she turns and flips him over her shoulder.

SB and I end up in a tree, staking out a group of black gangsters who are holed up in a duplex. The gangsters dress like police in an attempt to escape the North Pole.

A group of real police approach them. A female police begins to talk to them about James Brown. James Brown seems to be in negotiations with another group of police regarding their escape from the North Pole. He’s talking his way out of trouble!

27 Sep: The Critical Mass Birthday Party

critical-mass-20th-birthday-party

Bikes, Bands, and Brews
The Critical Mass 20th Birthday Party

Live bands – check. Beer – check. Bikes – hell yeah! Rock your way into Friday and help build the momentum towards the Interstellar Critical Mass. Got SUV pinatas? Birthday cupcakes? A bike crew? Bring it if you wanna…

PERFORMING LIVE:
Grass Widow (grasswidow.org)
Apogee Sound Club
The Rabbles (therabbles.wordpress.com/)
Future Twin (futuretwin.com)

Thursday, Sep. 27, 2012
7pm to 1am
21+
$10 – $20* sliding scale
*door proceeds cover costs of event; profits go to the bands… please give generously if you can

CELL
2050 Bryant 
(b/t 18th and 19th sts)
SF, CA 94110

also:
bike stencils by Mission legend Scott Williams
DIY culture share… sell your bike-themed wares ($10 extra at door, byo table, while space lasts)

http://www.sfcriticalmass.org/

More Crankie Fun

Just got an email from Sue Truman, a crankie creator and performer. I’ve been a fan of crankies for a while now, and am glad that she found my page here on the HappyFeet site. She’s got some great links on her site, along with her own work.

Here’s the intro for her site. Check it out!

What is a crankie?

Hello and welcome to my humble website dedicated to the proliferation of crankies! I am a fiddler, stepdancer and crankie artist living in Seattle, Washington.

What exactly is a crankie? I think of it as a panoramic scene, rolled up inside a box, then hand-cranked so that it scrolls across a viewing screen. If you haven’t seen one before, then a picture is worth a thousand words. Watch one by clicking on one of the titles to the left: Valse Bealieu, Mist Covered Mountians, A Murder of Crows, etc.

Some crankies are made from paper: painted, drawn, paper-cut or mixed-media collage. Some are sewn from fabric. Mine are made from felt, hand-stitched, using applique and reverse applique techniques.

I have posted links to other people’s crankies under the heading “Link 2 More Crankies”. You will find amazing and beautiful crankies by Anna and Elizabeth, Rose Diamond, Pete Sutherland, Dejah Leger and Katherine Fahey.

I hope you enjoy exploring this site. I will be changing the crankies to view every month or so, so stop by again.

Take good care,

Sue

Continue reading “More Crankie Fun”

It’s the Funky Puppet Supper 3

Here’s the final version of the show lineup. There are still volunteer opportunities available if anyone is interested…

See you there!

Russell

The CELLspace Puppet Cluster Presents
::: The Funky Puppet Supper 3: unJust Desserts :::

A Commedia Dell’Arte Cabaret Performance with
Three-Course Dinner & Puppet Mayhem

Celebrating the 7th Anniversary of CELLspace and benefiting their code compliance process

::: WHEN :::
Friday, March 21, 2003
Saturday, March 22
Sunday, March 23

Puppet crafting and appetizers at 6:30 pm (BYO puppet if you have one)
Food and cabaret begin at 8 pm

::: HOW MUCH :::
cabaret tables: $35
general seating: $25
Group rates available; donations above ticket price always encouraged.

::: WHERE :::
CELLspace
2050 Bryant St., SF between 18th and 19th Streets
:::wheelchair access, for special seating needs please call before show date:::

::: WHO :::
Starring:
The CELLspace Commedia Family
The FPS Buffoons
All-Star Stilts and Comedy
The Fou Fou Ha! Dancers choreographed by Maya Culbertson

The puppetry of Jessica Binder, Ian Greeb, Jen Hirst, Matthew Hoffman, Russell Howze, Catherine Lynch, Christine Marie, David Morely, Mia Rovegno, Chacha Sikes, Aundi Taylor, and Jonathan Youtt

Music and Sound FX by Dr. Abacus

Featured Acts:
The puppetry of Glenn Allen
Trapeze delights of Emily Leap
The juggling feats of Temple Brady
Enchanting cello and aerial fabric duo of Amanda Starr and Alex Kelly
The antics of Chicken Monkey Butt

And a few more surprises

:::FOOD:::
Prepared by Chef Justine Werfelman

ABOUT THE SHOW
unJust Desserts” is the creative response to Homeland Security’s dark shadow as it affects our local artistic community. Find out how the Commedia Family battles bureaucracy, and Little Dictators, with comedy, ingenuity…and puppet mayhem.

Continue reading “It’s the Funky Puppet Supper 3”

Stencils, Puppets, and Sound Oh My!

You are reading a HappyFeet communique dated April 2, 2002

Topics discussed below:

++HappyFeetTravels.org relaunch April 1, 2002

++StencilArchive.org world premiere launch April 1, 2002

++++++++++++++++++++

Hello digitravelers. You haven’t heard from HappyFeet since Sept. when Yair Dalal performed a San Francisco World Remix concert for Peace in the Middle East. How timely, considering the concert was on Sept. 6th

Here are two amazing announcements from H/F HQ

+++++++++++
https://happyfeettravels.org/ has been redesigned. Phase I of V.02 is
now online and mostly bug-free. Some new items covered on V.02 are:

PUPPETS: the Bay Area Puppet Cluster is alive and well. Check out their goings-on via our new puppet page.

SOUND: no mp3s up yet, but lots of concerts, dj’ing, etc. There will be more performers and more sound added to this page in Phase II.

STENCILS: see message below

++From the old site++

LINKS: all the favorite links, now community-centered. Send a link if you have one to post. More added in Phase II

CREATIONS: Extra art from HappyFeet

POLITICS: the Molotov Lounge is back in business with updated events posted frequently.

++BONUS TIP FOR H/F LIST: click on the HEART image on the homepage and get a treat (a la Brain Tease from old version)

+++++++++++++++

ANNOUNCING THE WORLD PREMIERE OF

www.StencilArchive.org

Since 1995 stencil art has been a HappyFeet obsession. Now the obsession is online for the world to share. Our mission is simple: create a tighter stencil art community and watch it grow. Stencils from around the world are posted on here, and will be added to frequently.

How to/FAQ will be updated frequently as well.

In Phase II, submission pics will be accepted and posted.

So welcome back to HappyFeet. Hope you’ve been thinking peaceful thoughts while we were away. don’t be a stranger.

Love,
The H/F crew

Puppet Supper II: Blast from the Past

Just logged in to the puppets list on topica.com. No one uses it anymore. But the archived emails have brought up a pile of details and memories… like this one from 2001:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<<
CELLspace Puppet Cluster presents
The 2nd Annual Funky Puppet Supper

A six course vegan meal with over seven courses of entertainment!

::: Come early, bring a sock or small water bottle, and create your own puppet:::

::: Our Featured Entree Performers :::
+The puppetry of: Bob Hartman, Monkey Thump, Puppets Rorshache, and Ian Greeb

+The CELLspace Commedia Players w/ special guests Dan Chumley & Ed Holmes

+The music of Dr. Abacus

+All-Star Stilts and Comedy

+Fou Fou Ha! Dancers choreographed by Maya Culbertson

:::In the Kitchen:::
Funky Food Productions

:::When:::
Friday and Saturday, November 16, 17, 2001
Doors open at 6:30pm (arrive early to make your own puppet)

:::Where:::
CELLspace
2050 Bryant St. @ 18th St.
San Francisco, CA
wheelchair accessible (call ahead for special needs)

:::Prices, reservations/contact info, etc.:::
Tickets: $23 to $43 sliding scale
(admission is tax deductable donation to the CELLspace puppet cluster)
(We were sold out last year so presale or reservations are strongly recommended)

A Speech: What Else I Learned at SFSU

This is the text of a speech I gave for the SFSU Paralegal Program Certificate Graduation on June 15, 2012. I was one of the two student speakers for the night and I received “Highest Honors” for my GPA level. Only one person out of about 150 knew who Hall McAllister was. One of the teachers had seen the statue. Now they all know who McAllister is!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Pat Medina, her staff, all the instructors, and guest lecturers for all their hard work with the Paralegal Program. Thank you for asking me to speak today as well. It is an honor to stand before you all, especially my co-graduates, and share a few words. I would especially like to thank my family, who came all the way from South Carolina to hear my speech, for all their patience, love, and support. And I would like to give a special mention to Hall McAllister, California’s first federal judge and a well-respected lawyer.

A year and a half ago, amid struggles as a starving artist, I felt a strong urge to make a change. I woke up early one morning while on a theatrical tour in Los Angeles and registered for my first two paralegal classes. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be a paralegal, but I had thought about it for a few years prior to signing up. I had looked into the profession, doing my due diligence, and found several keywords about the job that stuck in my mind. One was “research”. Another was “writing”. And a third was “organized”. Continue reading “A Speech: What Else I Learned at SFSU”

Hunting for Groucho on the Edge of Gas Town

Found Groucho’s book up in Vancouver. I first went to a used bookstore with books piled to the ceiling. “Now, I don’t put Groucho in the humour section,” the old worker said. “I put him in the Hollywood section.” Wasn’t sure if he was trying to be funny, until he walked me over to the piles of books about movie stars.

They had no copy of the particular book I wanted in either section. This put the number of book stores with no copy to about 6 total (SF and Vancouver combined). I leave the piles, and the aggressive hobo guy with an unlit cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

Just up the street was another bookstore. Walking in, I heard two employees discussing something under the rattle of a jack hammer. Just behind the till, on the other side of the shelved wall, a jack hammer vibrated the whole store. It was like having a loud drunk as a third party to the conversation.

Male Employee: “Oh, boy. My neighbors at home are doing construction. Starts early in the morning. I’m getting here and there!”
Female Emp: “This is fucking driving me crazy! We start a bathroom remodel next week so I’m going to get it here and there too!”
They pause. Then she says, “they’ve been pounding the same part of the wall for weeks now. What the hell are they doing over there?”

… all the while, classical music sheepishly peeps through their stereo.

I find the book, the 1993 edition, and pay way too much for it. I don’t mind, since I’m feeding the local economy and not getting the book mailed to me. Cash feels good in the hand, and in the till. A book on a flight home will feel even better.
“I would browse some more, but I think I’ll buy this and flee,” I remark under the metal and concrete racket.
“Wish I could flee,” the guy states. We pause so that the hammer can add emphasis to his point.

I accidentally give the guy an Australian coin that’s mixed in with my Canadian change.
When I pull out the bill, the guy says, “Hope you don’t plan on paying in pesos.”
“No,” I remark, popping the bill out in front of him. “I don’t think Mexico has the Queen on their tender.”

I hastily exit the store, unlock my bike, and take a glance at the building above them. Jack hammers are going in other parts of the building. It will probably be another condo after the remodel. For now it is the din and debris of “progress” above a musty smelling, but neatly organized, (and LOUD) book store. Continue reading “Hunting for Groucho on the Edge of Gas Town”

A Day on MUNI

Devin talked about his plan since early 2012. He initially planned to ride MUNI buses, trains, and cable cars for 24 hours on Friday, March 16. After I told him that that was St. Patrick’s Day weekend, he realized that the drunk and stupid quotient would be up. He postponed the ride to June 8.

I told him I’d love to ride along a bit, so Devin decided to eat lunch, a sandwich he made that morning, in my hood. I sometimes leave my phone off all morning so missed his texts (he had his phone off for most of the ride). He buzzed at the front door, took a quick WC break, and I joined him. We walked down to Divis and spent his break at Cafe Abir. We hopped the 24 and rode it to the end of the line on Fillmore. Caught the 10 and meandered through Pac Heights, Chinatown, North Beach, and then down into the Financial District. I hopped off at Market and caught a Fulton 5 back home to do some work.

He mentions the woman we met on the 10. He does no mention the joke she told us:

Three Italian sons move to the USA to succeed in life. The first one makes money and buys their mother a house in Italy. She replies, “Thanks for the house.” The second son makes his money and buys their mom a car and a driver. “You do too much. I let the driver go,” their mom said. The third son succeeded and wanted to buy their mother the most exotic bird he could find. So he bought her a parrot and shipped it to Italy for her. His mother sent him a note, which read:

“What a lovely gift. The chicken tasted terrific.”

Anyway, I snapped a pic of Devin during his travels. And he’s begun to post stories from the 20+ pages of notes he jotted down.
Glad I got to enjoy about two hours of his 24 total.

devin-on-muni Continue reading “A Day on MUNI”