The Travel Trip

One of the most successful ad campaigns of the twenty-first Century has to be the 2002 Las Vegas ad, which urges travelers that “What Happens Here, Stays Here,” which, as people began to pick up the words, used by everyone from Jay Leno on The Tonight Show to politicians embroiled in scandal, the phrase “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas” has become not only ubiquitous but seems to have permanently joined the lexicon of sayings in the English language. That’s quite an achievement for a then 28-year-old advertising copywriter named Jeff Candido. We’re now eight years away from the time the ads first hit the public consciousness and we’re still debating about what happens in Las Vegas and whether or not it should stay there or come home with us. As a nearby Californian who has made many trips to Vegas, I can tell you that most of the time, I’d like to take home the experience. There is nowhere on the planet quite like Vegas, with its famous Strip and hotels; however, it would be a shame if most people stayed simply in the strip and never ventured North to Fremont Street, and never had a chance to see what this side of town offers — especially the Fremont Street Experience .

Las Vegas had its start about one hundred and five years ago, in 1905, practically on the corner of Fremont and Main Streets. In fact, Fremont Street was the first paved street. And this area is where some of Vegas’ most famous celebrities, such as singer Wayne Newton, began. If you stroll the area, now a five block pedestrian mall, you’ll find the 105-year-old Golden Gate hotel, with a great deal on shrimp cocktails, as well as other great places to spend the night . But perhaps it’s the Fremont Street Experience, a gigantic, arching canopy screen that covers the five block stretch, that will captivate your attention. Enormous images and music appear in the sky ninety feet above you and runs a thousand and five hundred feet in length. Each show begins by turning off all the lights in a section of town so filled with light that it’s known as Glitter Gulch. It’s often the site of free concerts as well. While you’re there, check out, too, the Neon Museum at the Fremont Street Experience , and see if you, too, wouldn’t want to return home with this kind of experience.

Posted on March 8th, 2010 by admin
Filed under: Community | No Comments »

Singapore is well known for offering great dining options and cuisine from around the world. It is also well recognized as being an essential aspect of Singaporean culture and food is something of a national obsession. Fortunately for those lucky people who visit Singapore it means that it is not difficult to find and enjoy a great meal or snack. Major shopping centers as well as entertainment venues and cultural establishments are almost guaranteed to have excellent restaurants near by or included in their design. This is true for the popular shopping center the Lucky Plaza, which is located right at the hub of Orchard Road.

The plaza is full of great shopping opportunities and what goes better with spending a day shopping than having some great food and/or taking a break for a nice snack and tea or coffee. While working up an appetite you can find great deals on sporting equipment, clothes, fashion apparel, electronics and much more including various entertainment options. In addition there is an assortment of dining options and they are always full of shoppers and other area explores who would like a moment to rest and refresh.

Some of the food options in the Lucky Plaza include a café for those looking for a lighter option and also an Indian restaurant as well as a Chinese restaurant. There are a few food outlets that make grabbing a quick bowl and sitting for a while and enjoying a nice conversation while watching other shoppers a pleasant dining experience. Most of the shopping and entertainment centers of Singapore also have great food options though you don’t have to find a major complex to find great food. Restaurants, cafes and food stall outlets are all over the city and you can enjoy as much local or world cuisine as you desire while you are visiting.

Posted on February 27th, 2010 by admin
Filed under: Travel | No Comments »

I couldn’t image having any more fun in Philadelphia, or actually anywhere else for that matter, than what I had last year while I was there visiting with some friends. It all started when Kyle came up with the idea that the four of us go because he really wanted to visit this girl that he had met over the summer and, as what should be obvious at this point, she lived there. So, all four of us piled into Mike’s Jeep Wrangler and we made a road trip out of it. To be honest I had my hesitations and concerns before we left, but from the moment we through are bags in the Jeep and piled in after them we began to have a great time.

We didn’t do a whole lot on the road except eat the donuts and chips that Troy brought. He was actually the only one who thought to bring food, and while he only brought it for himself, thinking we would all bring some as well, fortunately he has a huge appetite and there was plenty to go around. We told a lot of jokes and sang a lot of songs and that sort of thing. Oh, and I brought my guitar, yeah, I’m that guy, and we just really enjoyed being out on the road like that.

So, of course none of that compares to what we experienced once we reached Philadelphia. Fortunately Kyle had planned ahead and reserved a couple of rooms for us and we just had to show up. Predictably, one of the first things we did was find a cheese steak sandwich and though I hate to promote stereotypes, this one is really true, they’re great. Meanwhile, on our first night in town we went to a place called McGillin’s Olde Ale House. It was incredible. Can you believe it dates from something like 1860? There are so many historic buildings that are still functioning that it just creates a really cool atmosphere for the city. Anyway, we just continued to have fun times while we were there. I’d go back anytime.

Posted on February 26th, 2010 by admin
Filed under: Food & Drink, People, Travel | No Comments »

I had needed new tires for so long, that it was almost a bit scary every time I had to go for a drive. The tread was worn down. I could see this just by looking at the tires, and I even did the penny test my father taught me about years ago when I got my first car. The thing is, and I was well award of this fact, the tires of one’s truck, car or motorcycle are perhaps the single most important safety feature on the vehicle. When tires are old and worn the probability of experiencing a blow out on the highway increases exponentially. This I was aware of, and what I was also aware of were two nails, one in each of the two front tires. Add all this to the fact that the hot desert environment I drove in everyday, puts aditional wear and tear on all things, especially on car tires. I wanted to make sure that I would find good tires, such as Vredestein tires I had researched online. And I also wanted to find tires that would match not only the recommendations for my make and model, a Chevy S-10, but that would match the look of my truck. There are many brands such as B.F. Goodrich and Dunlop tires , and many varying prices and sizes so I first checked my owner’s manual to find the size I needed. I then looked at how much I wanted to spend, as I did have a budget to work within and I wanted the best possible tires for what I was able to spend. I checked online for consumer reports and ratings. I new that I did not want to go for used tires, I wanted brand spanking new ones. I took into consideration that I drove mainly in the city, so while the off road all terrain tires were big, and tough looking, I did not need them for the type of driving that I did on a daily basis. I do frequently however, carry heavy loads in the bed, so I checked up on that too. In the end I found the perfect tires for my truck, and once they were mounted I knew that life just became a little bit safer for myself, for my pickup and for all the other driver’s navigating the hot, desert roads.

Posted on February 24th, 2010 by admin
Filed under: Automotive | No Comments »

The town of Malibu California is rather small. There are only around 12,500 residents that live in the area and most of them are super stars. In the 21 mile stretch of town there are some of the most influential film industry people as well as music and sports figures. Topanga Canyon is east of the area in the mountains and is also filled with entertainment industry people. There are some really great beaches to walk along as well as some beautiful mountains to hike in. This big wigs have some really expensive property that is not only pretty but happens to be in an area that gets disrupted by natural disasters.

There have been many fires, mudslides and storms that have come through the town and caused some real trouble for the residence that live here. One of the first recorded disasters was in 1929 when there was a fire that took out 13 homes. A blaze in 1930 took out 15,000 acres of the canyon near by after it was set by walnut pickers working in the Thousand Oaks area. Thousands and thousands of acres burned through out the years of heavy population to the small town and surrounding area. Some of these are started by natural storms but some have been deliberate such as six homes burned badly in 1985 that was set by arson.

Fires also lead to mudslides in the area. When there are are devastating fires along a forest it voids the mountain of vegetation to keep the mud from moving down the hill and into town. When trees and bushes are burned they leave their sap on top of the soil which keeps the rain water from soaking into the ground which also contributes to mudslides and floods. One of the worst cases of mudslides was in 1994, after a recent fire in 1993, there was a massive rainstorm and the water created a great mudslide in Las Flores Canyon which closed the Pacific Coast Highway for months to clear. They had to move thousands of tons of rock and mud from the highway and many homes were damaged along the beach. The area is clear now and there are many grand hotels in Malibu for you to come and enjoy the ocean and mountain views

Posted on February 22nd, 2010 by admin
Filed under: Travel | No Comments »

After a great night’s sleep, I headed for San Antonio. I got there in time for a guided walking tour, it was 10am. The tour is usually with a group of people, but since no one else was there, it became my own private walking tour. The tour is more history based, which I prefer, because I really didn’t know much about the history of the Alamo or of Texas for that matter. An interesting note, in Texas, they like to teach Texas history first, then teach US and World history. So, as a kid, you’d have a Texas eye-view of the world.

The tour was really good. We covered The Battle of the Alamo, The Battle of Bejar, which both were a part of the Texas Revolution. Some of the history lead up to San Antonio’s role as we walked through different parts of the city where relevant events took place. Then they covered all the cultural aspects of San Antonio; really like the diversity San Antonio has, there are 26 different nationalities; the major ones being American, Mexican and German.

For lunch, I decided to try three of the Mexican restaurants that was recommended by the San Antonio hotel I was staying at. I intended to order a small appetizer at the first one, then do the same for the other two, but at the first Mexican restaurant, called Mi Tierra, the appetizer had some thing called Menudo. I’ve never had Mexican food before, and Menudo sounded appetizing. It’s a Mexican stew, the waiter told me it’s a local favorite, but it is an acquired taste; I ordered it. As I sipped on my margarita and munched on the chips and salsa, my Menudo came out in this huge bowl. It was a dark mixture of browns and reds, the spices and flavor permeated my senses. It was so good! I downed the whole bowl, which made it impossible to go to the other two Mexican restaurants.

My stay at San Antonio was very pleasant, I’d like to come back here with friends if I ever get a chance to take another trip to America.

Posted on February 19th, 2010 by admin
Filed under: Travel | No Comments »

There are now many great Vegetarian cuisine restaurants found around the world. Vegetarian cuisine often reflect Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Asian styles of food. In fact, some of the earliest record of people eating meals without meat is from ancient India. Greece and Italy also had many people living a vegetarian lifestyle. Even back in the sixth century there were people who didn’t want to hurt or kill animals and they made the choice to not eat meat and stick with a vegetable only diet. These ideals were supported by many religious groups and also philosophers.

It was the Christian influence and the Roman Empire that crushed the concept of vegetarianism from most of Europe. It made a revival during the Renaissance times in Europe and made a growth in the 19th and 20th centuries. The first Vegetarian Society came about in England around 1847 and then many European countries followed the trend. Those of us just learning about vegetarian history may not have believed that there was such early organization of the movement such early in times. In 1908 there was the founding of the International Vegetarian Union. The western world has now incorporated this style of eating into their culture because of so many people moving in from other countries sharing there ideas and there cooking recipes. New shops and restaurants have opened with a greater focus on vegetarian dishes.

There have been many debates around the idea of eating only vegetables. There have been many benefits to eating mainly vegetables so it is considered a healthy diet. Some of the benefit to eating this way is a better weight control. Reduced risk of diseases like heart disease and some cancers. There is lower saturated fat and cholesterol with higher levels of fibre, vitamins, calcium and other minerals that benefit the whole body.

Posted on February 17th, 2010 by admin
Filed under: Travel | No Comments »

Okay, I just returned home from a Super Bowl party, I know, I and a million other people, right? Anyway, this was a mellow, as mellow as a Super Bowl can be, party and it only included a few family and friends. It was also my brother’s birthday so we incorporated his celebration into the whole event. Meanwhile, the most significant thing about today for me was that I was attending a Super Bowl party and was the only New Orleans fan in the house. And I am not exaggerating or kidding. The pre-game party was fun and we had a lot food like sandwiches, pizza and chips and stuff. We also played some Texas Hold’em, which is a popular game in my family. In fact, I can honestly say I grew up playing cards and have thought about trying my hand professionally, but it’s really just been a great casual and standard for fun only game with me. Who knows, though, maybe one day. Of course though I won’t if you base my professional potential on this afternoon, but I had a lot of bad beats, you know?

Anyway, so we’re playing cards, eating food and I’m losing money and the Colts are favored for the game. I was having fun but things didn’t look good for me. And then once the game started, the Colts seemed to be outplaying the Saints a bit though fortunately the score stayed close. It was actually a pretty tame Super Bowl. There wasn’t any brawling or major controversies and there also relatively few penalties. And everyone there was having a great time until the Saints took the lead and then things got interesting, for me anyway. And what was incredible was the interceptions that Manning threw toward the end of the game. It was an unfortunate way to seal the deal, but still, it got the job done. And the New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl for the first time. I couldn’t celebrate until I got home and called my friend in Tucson, but dang, that was a nice victory. And I’m sure there were plenty of hotel room parties following the game today.

Posted on February 13th, 2010 by admin
Filed under: Sports, Travel | No Comments »

London’s reputation as a major center for world culture has always been rather strong, earning it a place in the top 5 cities to see new art.  It’s been like that for a few centuries now, and even with a radical change in the economy for everyone, there’s still no sign of the arts coming to a stop, and sometimes it even feels like someone’s been turning up the heat again.  This is good news for everyone who likes to see live theatre, because any kind of radical turns in art show up in the theatrical circles here.  They might be reflected in a play’s content, or in the sensibility of the artists.  It would certainly seem clear that artists are getting bolder again, but this time the producers seem to be willing to try anything.

That’s one of the reasons it’s a great time to travel here, make reservations at a lovely hotel in London and prepare for a weekend of great entertainment.  London’s not often considered to be a place where economics determine entertainment, but historically, this has actually always been so.  At the same time, bold experiments that are done with great care can sometimes find their way to the light of day.  This seems to be what’s happened with Anupama Chandrasekhar, as her last two plays have found audiences, along with excellent production teams, in the past year.

The work has been shown at London’s Royal Court Theatre.  This is undoubtedly one of the most consistently challenging and interesting venues to see challenging and interesting work.  Her particular voice and vision come at a very fortuitous time, because it is not a very fortuitous time.  Her play, Disconnect, concerns itself with call centers in India, and money brokers in the U.S.  The disconnect is a pun on the telephone, as well as cultural communications in general.  There are stellar performances here, with excellent writing, to make this event relevant, personal, and, as always with her work, very bold.

Posted on February 9th, 2010 by admin
Filed under: Travel | No Comments »

This movement back and forth between coasts has become a rare pleasure for me, where the circles that were inspiring me to consider chaos as a vocational interest started to come together.  They came together in magnificent ways, as they typically would, because this was the beginning of another world.  It was somewhere after the creation of the fourth world, and at the point where we all started to finally worry about the fifth.  It was about time we started to take them seriously, and whether or not the dwarves that lived under the earth would come to occupy the same rooms, and hold their meetings there, was still up for questions, but it was on the verge of a new spinning, that much was certain.

For me, cheap hotels in New York City also remind me of the smell of almonds, and that’s just enough reason to recommend returning again and again.  This visit was to find out what happened to the Date Palm Cafe, because this is where we had met.  I didn’t know it at the time, and she didn’t understand that it was important, so we just lapped each other in the way the people do when they are slightly conscious.  It was, all in all, a good time in life for both of us because we were so fixated on how we were falling off of all the things that we could count on.

This would continue for more than a few years, and they were never pointless, but never made enough sense until we were sitting in each other’s company again and talking about the Date Shake that had come between us.  It doesn’t matter if, by the end of the day, the shake was forgotten, and even ignored, and even scorned in some respects, because that, too, feeds the earth, and that too, opens up a window in the world that remembers us.  The dwarves get to drink, and they can decide whether or not those things on the surface are still worth keeping when they come.

Posted on February 2nd, 2010 by admin
Filed under: Travel | No Comments »

One of the most elemental feelings that you can get in New York City is the sense that something might suddenly happen, and soon.  This state of being on the verge of an unknown event or quality is hard to describe, but absolutely certain and present, and it’s also very, very appealing. There is something similar going on in the city on the other side of the country, Los Angeles, but there are differences, and these differences are some of what really distinguishes the cities from each other.  On the west coast, the good luck that’s about to come your way will lead to a house and a car and time to skate near the ocean.  On the east coast, good luck is going to lead to conversations with people you’ve always wanted to meet, and a better set of conditions in which to make new work.

The difference, then, can be reduced to the cerebral over the physical, but that would be to pose a kind of mind-body dualism that could be taken apart too quickly.  This might be why there are New York casino hotels here, as well as near to Hollywood.  It’s a kind of way to make manifest the sensation of something interesting, that kind of on-the-verge-ness that’s always lurking, and keeps people moving here.  Part of the appeal, of course, can be reduced to money, and that is a commodity that can be logically understood in both cerebral and physical terms.

But there’s something much more to it than that.  In fact, there is a kind of quality about the way winning is presented in each city that is subtle but absolutely there.  In New York, it is a kind of big dog contest, and the biggest dog gets everything, and the biggest dog will also be lucky at the table.  In California, the dog doesn’t have to be big, but young, and also sleek, and a little smart doesn’t hurt.  But not too smart, because that takes away the charm.  Young dog vs. big dog, then, might be the distinction, and those who do not wish to be dogs might have to stay somewhere in the middle, where they can sleep all day and not worry about things that may or may not matter.

Posted on January 28th, 2010 by admin
Filed under: Travel | No Comments »

Once again Fanny was left behind as a bridesmaid and had still never received a single marriage proposal. She was now the last of a group of ten friends and after Wendy’s upcoming wedding she would be the only one of them who was yet to be married. Interestingly, this was actually part of a conversation three of them had taken part in when Jodie, the first of them to get married, became engaged. Until that happened they never really thought about a particular order and on that night the three of them made a list of who they thought would get married and in what order and the also included what they anticipated to be the length of each marriage and whether or not they currently knew the person’s future spouse. As it turned out that night, Jodie was scheduled to be sixth in line for the big day, not last and at the time the other two even thought she was dating her future husband. Jodie wanted to laugh, but she was also surprisingly melancholic as she sat in her room at one of Miami’s fabulous hotels on the morning of the wedding rehearsal. Everything went beautifully that day and Fanny had to enjoy herself, despite of herself. She didn’t wish Wendy, or any of her other married friends, ill will and felt about her own disappointed feelings, but she just couldn’t escape a nagging feeling of failure.

However, everything suddenly changed for her during the rehearsal dinner party that was held at the Rusty Pelican that night. It seemed as though from out of nowhere a beautiful man appeared and unbelievably he seemed to be by himself. What was he doing there she wondered. After a little bit of investigation, she learned that he was a friend of Monique’s (one of the ten) husband. The husband had asked him to come along because he thought Monique would be off with her friends the entire time and he wanted to watch a few ball games. Oh, and the mystery man’s name was Jake. It got even better from there. Jake and Fanny were seated next to each other ended up having a great conversation over the shrimp scampi. Somehow, each of them knew and could tell by the look in the other’s eye that the knowledge was mutual. They were destined to meet each other that night and Fanny suddenly thought she was the luckiest of the ten friends.

Posted on January 25th, 2010 by admin
Filed under: People | No Comments »

Wilbur and Orville Wright are two of the most famous world personalities to spring from Dayton, Ohio, and “wrigthly” so. They are also the two people who developed and built the world’s first successfully flying airplane. This is a national distinction, let alone one based at the city or state level. The real magic began in December of 1903. On the seventeenth of that month the Wright brothers actually sustained their first human flight. During the following two years they continued to work on their flying machine and completed their version of a fixed wing aircraft. It should be noted that other people had attempted flying machines and experimental aircraft though they are credited with being the first to invent the aircraft controls that allowed fixed wing flights to be possible.

Residents of Dayton, Ohio are sure to know the details of this early flight and the development of their craft. However, tourists who visit the city and stay in one of the hotels Dayton are likely to be happy knowing the Wright brothers are responsible for making their trip happen. However, while they are there they may learn that the brother’s greatest invention would be the three-axis control mechanism, which allowed the pilot to maintain equilibrium. This system remains standard on fixed wing flying devices.

The Wright brothers were two of seven children born to the their parents Milton and Susan Catherine. Both of the brothers attended high school though neither of them received a diploma. In addition, neither of the brothers ever married and they devoted their lives and their attention to their work. Their fascination with flying and flying machines is frequently reported to have began when their father brought home a toy helicopter for them. The boys loved this bamboo and cork foot long helicopter and played with it until it broke. After that they built a new one.

Posted on January 20th, 2010 by admin
Filed under: Travel | No Comments »

Victor crossed the Bay Bridge in his new Toyota Camry and was headed home to his new apartment in the city. He couldn’t believe it. After all those years of uncertainty and endless hours of academic writing, reading and studying he had finally finished law school and had even landed a promising job in San Francisco. It was only three months ago that he had first arrived to the California Bay area, and that time it was by plane. He flew into Oakland and took BART to a hotel San Francisco where he relaxed and prepared for his interview the next morning. It was also there a month ago after having received the job offer and found himself the apartment he was now headed home to.

Ultimately Victor planned to start his own criminal defense practice though for now he intended to gain as much experience as he could. He never dreamed that he would be so fortunate as to actually get to live and work in a city such as San Francisco, but as he exited the bridge he was sure it was real. This was now his life and he was going to make the most of it.

He had even already made a friend. Well, technically it was an acquaintance but it gave Victor more of a sense of belonging. One thing he discovered immediately was that it was easy to feel lost and alone in a big city, especially one in which he didn’t know anyone. However, he had struck up a conversation with one of the court clerks while he was at the San Francisco Superior Court on his second day on the job. He was being given a tour of the city and all the buildings he would need to frequent regularly and he noticed Kelly’s friendly face right away. She introduced herself and the two of them hit it off right away. He looked for her again the following week when he was there and found her walking through the door as she returned from getting coffee across the street. He looked at her and knew San Francisco was going to bring him great things.

Posted on January 19th, 2010 by admin
Filed under: Travel | No Comments »

Let me explain, when I was in Portland, I was in this hiking shop and was reading about all the numerous hikes I could take while staying in San Francisco. I thought this was great since I booked a cheap hotel on-line for 6 nights: http://www.sanfranciscorestaurant.com. But, when arrived in San Francisco and made a few inquiry’s about these large number of hikes, I was told that the majority of the hikes were inaccessible by public transportation. My hopes were shattered.

I did my best to uplift my mood, so I headed downtown and came across ‘Union Square’ and just happened to see this man perform. He was promoting a variety show that he and his fellow performers would be performing later in the evening. He was a juggler – comedy act and I found him very entertaining. I was really enjoying his performance, but then he was followed by a stand-up comic who wasn’t funny at all. I felt kind of bad for him, he was really blowing it. I left before any more damage was done.

I found the Famous ‘Bloomingdale’s’ and was stunned by how huge it was and by how expensive it was. There were a few cool things in the store, like the two enclosed glass cabinets displaying the costumes for the ‘Joker’ and for ‘Batman’ from the movie ‘The Dark Knight’. Later, I hoped on the tram, which really didn’t do anything for me, I felt like there were just glorified buses. I found myself at the waterfront and I came across a chocolate factory that had some free samples. I managed to down a load of samples, and no one gave me a dirty look or anything. I then walked down the waterfront a bit further and came across Pier 39, which turned out to be a very interesting place with cafes and shops, a Hard Rock Cafe and a shop that was selling an original Abraham Lincoln signature at the sheer price of $18,000! Then I heard seals, but not before I smelled them. There on the harbour were all these massive seals hanging around a dock, well more like took over a dock. I stood watching them for a while, they were so funny. As I continued down, I came upon Fisherman’s Wharf.

By this time I felt I got in a good hike, even though it wasn’t a nature hike, I at least saw wildlife! I returned to my very inexpensive hotel room and call it a night and a great day after all.

Posted on January 14th, 2010 by admin
Filed under: Travel | No Comments »

One of the most exciting and overall fun times I’ve had in my life was an overnight trip to Los Angles that my boyfriend of the time, Dan, surprised me with. I’m an actor and have been most of my life, having been bitten by the bug at an early age after appearing onstage as part of a grade school class project. It so happened that I was in rehearsal for a production of William Inge’s The Dark at the Top of the Stairs when my twenty-second birthday rolled around. My car’s timing belt had broken and my car was in the shop overnight so Dan had dropped me off at rehearsal and was going to pick me up after it was over. At the time I wasn’t even thinking about the next day being my birthday. Plus, I was going to be twenty-two, all the exciting birthdays were over and I would officially be old. Or so I thought.

However, Dan, being a true romantic had asked my roommate Jodie, who also happened to be my best friend, to pack an overnight travel bag for me that would include a nice dress to where to the theatre. He then had his friend Troy take him to pick me up and told me that his car had also broken down. We were both students at the time and car problems were a common occurrence. I didn’t think anything about it, other than it was unfortunate, and got in the car.

That’s when things got really strange. After I sat down in the car Dan blindfolded me. I didn’t resist, though I had no idea what was going on it felt like fun so I went with it. When the blindfold was finally removed I was sitting at a departure gate for Southwest Airlines. This was before September of 2001, by the way. Way before. At that moment Dan showed me the two tickets to Los Angeles and also two tickets for Les Miserables, which was playing in the city at the time. I was absolutely stunned and thrilled. We flew in with time to have a nice dinner before checking into a Los Angeles cheap hotel. We had a fabulous time that weekend and Dan’s friend Troy was there to pick us up again when he got home. However, I had to go straight from the airport to the theatre as the trip had been planned perfectly between them. That was one of the greatest birthday weekends and also one of my favorite trips to LA.

Posted on January 12th, 2010 by admin
Filed under: Arts & Culture, Travel | No Comments »

Belgian tennis star and former number player, Justine Henin is back for the upcoming Australian Open Tennis Championship Tournament.  Last year she claimed she was quitting tennis for good, which would have quite a loss to the sport.  At the times she quit and retired for the quiet life, she was ranked in the number one position worldwide.  She has, after all, won the gland slam 7 times, forty-one Women’s Tennis Association Tour, about more than twenty million bucks in money for her wins and accomplishments.  Perhaps such accomplishments are all the more surprising considering her small size and weight.

She actually came back in September when she made the formal announcement that she would be returning to prepare for the Australian Open in 2010.  Henin believes her time off from tennis has actually been good for and improved her game, though she has been fiercely preparing for the tournament that will be held at Brisbane International.

Part of the reason she feels that she is better is that she has matured during her time off from tennis.  The tennis world can be a very exclusive one, and not as large as say the world of basketball or football, American and British versions.  Getting out of the world of tennis actually was quite refreshing and renewed her enthusiasm for the sport.  Henin knows it will take some time to get back to her peak performance abilities and level, but she doesn’t mind.  It’s all a part of the journey for her.

She is famous for her one-handed backhand, which John McEnroe commented on as being the best he had ever seen in men’s or women’s tennis, and being a former top professional tennis player himself, is no small compliment.  Her speed and agility made her famous too, along with her ability to stay tough during difficult games; she never let an opponent psych her out.  And that’s the kind of ability you never lose and that will help her during the tournament.

Posted on January 7th, 2010 by admin
Filed under: Sports | No Comments »

When traveling through the city of Austin, Texas you will find that not only are there many options for nightlife, in the way of fabulous restaurants and legendary live music venues, but so too are there options that are fit for the entire family to enjoy.  One of the hot spots of the city, sits just thirty miles from the downtown district, located close to many of the best Austin hotels, and along the banks of Lake Travis.  This is the Volente Beach Waterpark.  This is the only park of its kind in the city of Austin, and so many of the locals flock here during the hot summer months.  There are many rides, many water slides, an area for the very young and unsteady, as well as a sandy and beautiful beach to set up camp for the day and have a picnic.  There are many different tours available, in the forms of hiking and cruise ships, as well as the rentals of boats and companies providing the adventurous activity of para-sailing.

One of the favorite spots for an afternoon lunch or an evening cocktail is the Sundowner Grill.  The restaurant offers up a bit of what is now commonly known as Tex-Mex fare.  Zilker Park has many activities to offer for family fun as well, including soaks in the Barton Springs natural pools.  If you and your kids are not too squeamish, one of the traditional activities in the city during the summer occurs each night at sunset.  This is the time to be close to the bridge of Congress Avenue …and it involves thousands and thousands of bats.

Yes, bats!  Each night upon the arrival of dusk, the bats wake from their daytime naps and head out across the city.  Not only is this a spectacular sight, but a natural wonder.  There are a lot of bugs patrolling the skies during the summer, nasty things like mosquitoes, that not only wreak havoc on tender human skin, but on the crops and the ecosystem as well.  The bats take care of this.  Without them, the city of Austin would be as fun to walk around as say, a small town in Northern Minnesota, where the mosquitoes are as big as hummingbirds and the vicious black flies are hungry.  In all, there is a variety of fun things to do, from water slides to spooky bats, that will keep you and your children not only occupied, but filled with wonder, on any trip you take to the city that likes to “keep it weird“.

Posted on January 5th, 2010 by admin
Filed under: Travel | No Comments »

There are so many wonderful places to live in Toronto, and TransGlobe Property Management will help you to find the perfect place for you.  The fresh air of Canada always draws me back.  And one day last year, I decided to make the move.  Toronto, as well as many of the cities in Canada, is very European in the vibe and the flavor.  One of the finest areas in the city is that of Bloor West Village.  Here you will find trendy cafes sitting along side old school restaurants serving cabbage rolls and perogies.

Theatres offer the best of live entertainment and second hand bookstores seem to appear on every corner.  This was my choice when I decided to make the move.  Perogies remind me of my best friend, I love coffee and spending a few hours perusing the shelves of bookstores has always been a favorite pastime of mine.  Along with the well managed businesses, taken care of by TransGlobe Property Management, there are parks and botanical gardens through which to stroll.  For children, there are playgrounds and and a small zoo which allows them the opportunity for an up close and personal relationship with nature.

Summer time in Toronto brings a bit of humidity, but by taking a walk along the Harbour Front Walkway, the cool air blowing in from Lake Ontario will refresh you and invigorate your soul.  When I was there with my sister and her son, we spent many hours down at the Harbour, taking in the sights and feasting on ice cream from one of the many vendors.  Choosing to move to this area will not only give you a sense of relief, but a sense of belonging as well.  In Canada it is all about that sense, the sense of community, so when you decide to make that move, TransGlobe will be there and follow through.  A sense of community and belonging is what really great business is all about.  It’s what life is about.

Posted on December 29th, 2009 by admin
Filed under: Relocating | No Comments »

If you’ve arrived at one of the Neuchatel hotels in Switzerland, and you’ve done your research, you may have to make a choice about what to do first.  Take a look at The Chateau?  Perhaps visit the Collegiale Church?  Stroll up to the Place Pury monument?  Take in the Musee d’Art et d’Histoire.  Perhaps wonder about on a walking tour.  Even better yet, wander through the Creux-du-Van, part of a forested nature park.  Any one of these choices might make for a good afternoon.

The Chateau is a castle dating back to the 12th Century, found on Rue de Chateau, which is a stepped lane leading to the building.  It once belonged to the Princes and Counts of Neuchatel, but today it is the offices of the cantonal government.  While most of the building is from the 15th to the 17th Century, the west wing goes all the way back to the 12th Century.

The Collegiale Church stands next to the Chauteau and was also built around th 12th to 13th Centuries, although its west towers were built much later, in the 19th century, around 1867 to 1875.  The Place Plury monument is of more modern origin and stands amid buses and shoppers, along the Rue du Seyon.  The Musee d’Art et d’Histoire is part of a system of museum, made up of seven different sites, and has a number of fields: fine arts, applied arts, archaeology — all together describe the history of several civilizations from prehistoric life to contemporary life.  The museum has seven thousand objects out of a million possible works on display at any given time.  Finally, there’s the Creux-du-Van near Neuchatel.  In this park, you’ll find that the Creux-du-Van is a semi-circular cliff, approximately 525 feet, about half the height of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

If none of these options appeal to you, then perhaps it’s time to find a good restaurant in town and simply enjoy the relaxing ambiance of Neuchatel.

Posted on December 28th, 2009 by admin
Filed under: Travel | No Comments »

Neighborhood for neighborhood, and street for street, it’s easy to see why Canada has one of the highest levels of quality of life in the modern world.  We’re famous for being unpretentious, and people who live here for awhile understand that this really does mean that the needs of the people are more important than anything else.  Raising families, doing important work, and enjoying the moments of life are what make anyplace livable, and we’ve got more options than most in terms of having the chance to create the life we want to live.  Of course, it certainly helps when you like where you live, and that could be the most essential thing of all.  Location, location, location is a truism that works on many different levels.

This is where TransGlobe Property Management can step in to help the dreams become realities.  There are thousands of properties all over Canada, in all the major cities, and if you’re thinking about making a move for yourself, your family, or your place of business, they can help make the complicated details get ironed out.  This means less time focusing on the minutiae, so that you can keep the larger picture in mind.  Creating a new life is easier when you’re moving to the neighborhood you want to live in, and their user-friendly database makes it easy to browse through many splendid options in some very splendid locations.

There are always parts of every move that are unpleasant, and always many variables that mean difficult decisions ahead.  Change is stressful, and there’s no way around it except through it.  But there are certainly always ways of making it easier, and TransGlobe Property Management helps with the small stuff, so that you can get on with the excitement.  Because whatever the stresses, there’s also always an exciting part of any move, and any kind of change in life provides an opportunity for a fresh start, and there are many spectacular moments in any life that begin with a fresh start.  A move can open up not only new neighborhoods, but new possibilities where you can find yourself beginning again in your ideal location.

Posted on December 22nd, 2009 by admin
Filed under: Business | No Comments »

She has been noted by Forbes for ability to turn sales, along with more than a few heads, so there’s little doubt that Taylor Swift’s clout in the marketplace is solid, and apparently here to stay.  For a little while longer at least, because even though Swift ranks higher than Guns N Roses for her latest record album, the comparison between the two does not end there.  It might serve as a very good cautionary tale for her marketing people, because there were some certain pitfalls that could have kept GNR at the top for a lot longer than they were allowed there.

There were some mistakes that the band made in the 90s, and anyone doing an even cursory glance at Axl’s life, and his comments to the world at large, even after supposedly getting his head clear, shows some serious mistakes in judgement.  But for this hair band, who happen to have an awful lot of talent besides, by the time of their second release, they were already yesterday’s news.  Here, the distinction starts to fade, and this might be the moment when she could start pulling tricks by refusing to pull tricks.

There are many music chroniclers who would note that the difference between GNR’s first and second album was not a decrease in talent, but of edge.  The skinny kids who performed heavy and angry music were serious the first time, even if some of the things they said were a bit stupid.  And we were inclined to believe them, too, because they looked like they had been through a major battle.  Fame somehow did a whitewash on their grit, and it’s something that Swift is so far avoiding.  This is a good thing, and a delicate balancing act, because all stars of this stature, and this tender age, will try to reinvent their own pasts in public, and the only person who could ever do that was Dylan.  And maybe Fellini.  That kind of playfulness doesn’t seem to be on her agenda, however, so it would make sense that she continue to play it smart by keeping honest.

Posted on December 21st, 2009 by admin
Filed under: Music | No Comments »

Choosing which fireplace would be best for you home is easy, as there are many different options, in style and in the fuel or power as the case may be.  When it comes to creating warmth, in both temperature and in feel, the cozy atmosphere of a home in winter can only be attained through the gentle glow of fireplaces.  Gas models are quite popular these days, as they burn efficiently using either propane or natural gas.

They conveniently “light” through the flip of a switch either on the mantle or from a remote control device.  They are relatively maintenance free when it comes to clean up, and the styles of logs…the designs and the structure, are now very realistic looking, some models even have what appears to be glowing embers on the floor of the fire pit.  There are two different kinds of gas flame, and the variation is in the color.  One flame is blue in tint, while the other is yellow.

If the flame is blue, then the logs have been made to produce a hotter heat.  They may not be as stylistically designed as other kinds of logs, but they do burn extremely clean.  These are vent free logs, which means that they can be burned inside, without needing to open the damper in the chimney.  The logs that send of a yellow flame, will need to be vented.  The flame is more realistic looking, and this makes them more popular than the blue flame logs.

If the look of a real fire is something that it important to you, these are the ones to go with as most people really can not tell the difference between this flame and the logs, and a fire burning with real wood.  These however, do produce a deposit of soot in the chimney just as the wood fireplaces, so while daily cleanup is not an issue you will have to hire a chimney sweep once a year.  Either way, both of these options are going to be more clean than a traditional fireplace, giving you much more time to relax in front of the fire, and bathe in the cozy warmth.

Posted on December 17th, 2009 by admin
Filed under: Home & Garden | No Comments »

The perfect rainy day in any film is made a hundred times more romantic when the lead character spends some time gazing out of her window.  She’s looking at the world and wondering what went wrong, or when things will take a turn for her, for the better, or she’s just caught up in a memory.  Rainy days go by all the time and we forget we can be that character, and take a few moments just sitting and staring out the window.  We forget because life is too busy, or it just doesn’t strike us that this might be productive in any way, or maybe it’s just exactly what we need to do for the moment.  But anyone that’s had the experience knows that taking time to sit by the window can change your perspective entirely.

It’s odd that changing your perspective can happen by indulging in your current perspective, and it might seem counter intuitive, but it makes sense if you consider it taking an action, and that’s sometimes the key to changing how we look at things.  One thing is for sure, however, and that’s having beautiful window treatments help us want to sit and stare out the window.  At Next Day Blinds, it’s even better, because the materials are natural, and hand-made, so you might find yourself moving from looking out the window to staring at the window instead.

That’s a perspective shift that no one would expect.  But sometimes that’s exactly what we need to get out of a rainy day funk.  Some days the best way to avoid the blues is to drive right into the center of them, and trusting that there will be some delightful distractions along the way.  Next Day Blinds are certainly attractive distractions, if you want to call them that, but they’re also an incredible way to change how a room looks, and they also help to emphasize how the view out the window is often subject to change by shifting something inside first.

Posted on December 14th, 2009 by admin
Filed under: Home & Garden | No Comments »

When I was a child, I lived about two hundred and forty miles east of Seattle, and some the best times I had as a child can be found on my family’s visits to this city.  I loved the ferries out to the islands and over to Vancouver Island.  I especially was fascinated by the Seattle Space Needle and the buildings left over from the World’s Fair, the fish markets, the harbors, all of this was especially attractive to a ten year old, normally confined in a town of less than three thousand people.  Literally, everywhere you went in my home town, people knew your name, and kept tabs on where you were going and why.  In Seattle, there was suddenly the freedom of a large city, with all the excitement and pace that the place demanded.

Once we arrived in town and booked ourselves into a hotel, Seattle was ours to explore.  And in all the times I managed to get there, there was one place I never managed to see, but always wanted to go: Seattle Underground.  I heard about it, of course, in pamphlets and brochures, so much that it became legendary in my mind.  Essentially, Underground Seattle consists of about three blocks that burnt in the Great Seattle Fire of 1889.  When the city rebuilt, they rebuilt over this area, creating an underground realm that were once the main roads and storefronts of 19th Century Seattle.

Today, you can take a tour of this underground area with a frank tour that provides a history lesson you may not have read in the history books as a child.  One tour begins in Doc Maynard’s Public House, a saloon restored from the 1890s, and then moves its guests through the Pioneer Square through three city blocks, ending as all tours seem to do, in a gift shop.

Underground Seattle exists because, after the fire that ate up the wooden buildings of the time, the city decided new buildings should be constructed of stone or brick.  At the same time, they raised the height of the buildings because the city was built mostly on tideflats, which were soggy and, when rains came, the mud would cover up anyone low to the ground, like dogs and kids.  Obviously, the city wanted to do something different this time, raising the city streets a full story higher than the old sidewalks, thus creating as a byproduct the underground portion of the city.  It’s a place I intend to see and tour the very next time I’m back in Seattle.

Posted on December 14th, 2009 by admin
Filed under: Travel | No Comments »

London, England, wow, there are so many images that pop into a person’s head with the mere mention of London. Do you feel the excitement of hearing that name? Do you think about it being the capital of England and the United Kingdom? It’s an ancient city with a fascinating history of major historic events. And it continues to build history. In 1908 the Summer Olympics were held here and then again in 1948. And now, London is again slated to host the Summer Olympics of 2012. Talk about a global city, London certainly is that. With major financial institutes and huge corporations, all doing business world wide, this city certainly is influential in what happens on a day-to-day basis.

Did you know there are over 300 different languages spoken in London? Or did you know that the London Underground, also known as the Tube was started in 1863 and is the oldest and busiest metro system in the world? And the London Heathrow Airport is the world’s busiest airport, due largely to the vast number of international passengers? Another interesting fact is that the Westminster Abbey is London’s oldest and most important building? And London is the home of Buckingham Palace. The biggest part of William Shakespeare’s life was spent here, writing and living. And Arthur Conan Doyle’s infamous Sherlock Holmes solved his crimes in London.

When you are in London, most likely you will be staying at one of the hotels. There are many and they are luxurious or more modest. They all have friendly staff, well trained and eager to please. The amenities vary of course but be assured you will be comfortable and well taken care of. When you turn that key and enter your London hotel room, let yourself give in to the relaxation of the moment. Feel the stress disappear, focus on the moment and give yourself to London.

Posted on December 8th, 2009 by admin
Filed under: Travel | No Comments »

Clarence and Denny were the perfect couple. He was solid, grounded, rational and logical while Clarence was abstract, spontaneous, and frequently metaphoric in her thought processes. The reason they were such a great couple is that they balanced each other so well. They had a genuine respect and love for each other understood how the other one functioned, which allowed for a strong balancing effect. Of course they also drove each other crazy at times, but for the most part they worked together, enjoyed each other’s company and had a great time.
This was certainly the case when they were headed to New York to visit Clarence’s Aunt and see about getting picked up at the Gagosian Art Gallery. Clarence had been in contact with them for months trying to ensure a perfect fit for her current installation piece. As they were beginning their descent into La Guaradia Clarence remembered a news story she recently saw about taxi impersonators who would take your money. Denny laughed at the idea of a human impersonating a taxi and assumed his wife was on one of her flights of fancy. She insisted it was true and insisted they be careful when choosing their New York City car hire company. Denny agreed and went back to his News Week Magazine and forgot about the whole idea.

As they were exciting the airport Denny waved his hand toward a yellow taxi and they were both surprised that it was so easy to hail one right there at the busy airport. Clarence got in and sat down while Denny threw their bags in the trunk. As he did so he noticed a man in an unmarked car next to them telling a couple that it would be one hundred dollars to get them into Manhattan. The couple looked dismayed and Denny remembered what his wife had said. He budged into the situation and asked the driver if he was a licensed taxi service provided. The man quickly got into his car sped off. The other couple thanked Denny who realized the importance of assuring that you’re working with a true taxi service. He and Clarence then shared their cab with the other couple.

Posted on December 1st, 2009 by admin
Filed under: Travel | No Comments »

It’s an overcast day, but it’s dry. Yesterday, we decided to head to the Wine-lands and stop by the Fairview Winery. I was there back in 2006 on a cricket tour, but I didn’t get a chance to do any wine tasting, which I’d like to do now. We headed up north on the N1 Motorway and followed the signs for Paarl, which is 35 miles north of Cape Town.

The motorway was in good condition and if it wasn’t for the wind picking up, it would’ve been a great drive. The strong crosswinds and low clouds gave us very little to look at in the sightseeing department. We we took the exit to Paarl, we weren’t too sure which way to go, so we headed into town for a quick bite to eat and ask directions. After a nice cup of coffee and a pastry, we followed the directions we were given, up Main street and look for the Tourist Information Office to get a map of the wine region. That drive felt forever, and by the time we arrived to the tourist office, it was closed for the day.

We decided to trust the directions we got back in town and headed out of town. It only took us five minutes more! The winery was heavy with visitors; most of them in the restaurant part. We were glad we got a bite to eat back in Paarl. We got to sample some wonderful cheeses and a few samples of wine. We decided to head back into Paarl and have an early dinner at that same restaurant with which we had the cup of coffee. The restaurant specialised in Mediterranean food. We had the roast lamb, which was very good. The restaurant owner touted himself as a wine expert, especially with the local wines. We wanted to buy a particular wine from a local estate, but we thought that the winery was closed. The restaurant owner told us that is was closed, but that we could buy the same wine at his restaurant! He had purchase many bottles before is closed.

We purchased a few bottles from him and headed back to Cape Town. The weather was turning more ominous, so we were glad we made it back when we did. It was late, but we were hungry, so we stopped off at one of the best Cape Town restaurants for a late dinner and afterwards a nice bottle of wine back in our hotel room.

Posted on December 1st, 2009 by admin
Filed under: Food & Drink | No Comments »

If you’ve walked through The Panang, Little India, and Chinatown, you might want to also try walking through the Singapore marina, in order to keep up your cardio health as well as see some sights.  Some tours will meet up at the Tourist and Transit Hub next to the Singapore Flyer, which is one of the world’s biggest observation wheels (also known as a Ferris Wheel).   No doubt you won’t have trouble finding it.  The wheel stands at a height of 165 meters or  541 feet.  Naturally, the first sight to see here is the Singapore Flyer.  It reaches up 42 stories high and employs 28 air-conditioned capsules, each capable of holding 28 passengers.  It’s 98 feet taller than the London Eye.  A complete rotation takes about 27 minutes.  At first it rotated in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed from the Marina Center, but the operators changed the direction in 2008, under the suggestion of masters of Feng Shui.

As you walk through the area, you’ll note St. Andrew’s Cathedral, which was consecrated in 1870, and is Singapore’s Neo-Gothic Anglican Cathedral; Padang, which is a large area used for recreation, such as sports and other social events from colonial times up until the present; City Hall, which was built in the 1920s.  This structure was called the Municipal Building until 1951, which was when Singapore was granted its city status.  Nearby, you’ll also see the Old Supreme Court Building which was built in the 1930s, and contained until 2005 the Singapore’s Supreme Court.  The building for the New Supreme Court is close to the old one; however, the Old Parliament House, which was home to the Parliament from 1965 to 1999 is now a center for the arts.

Also in the marina area, you’ll discover the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall.  There’s the Raffles Statue, too, a bronze of Sir Stamford Raffles, who founded today’s Singapore.  The bronze may be found in front of the Victoria Theater.  You’ll also see a Cenotaph, which is dedicated to those Singapore soldiers who died in World War I, as well as to those who died in World War II.   There’s also a Civilian War Memorial, as a tribute for those dying during the Japanese occupation of Singapore, which was from February 1942 until September 1945.

The Marina Bay also contains a Merlion, a statue with the head of a lion and the body of a fish, celebrating Singapore’s emblem.  It seems that this spot is the most popular place in the entire city to have your picture taken.  Finally, you can see the 77-year-old Clifford Pier (1933), which was a landing spot for sea passengers and immigrants, Marina Bay itself, which was created by land reclamation, and, finally, the Esplanade, which contains Theatres on the Bay, a state of the art concert venue and waterfront theater.

Posted on November 30th, 2009 by admin
Filed under: Travel | No Comments »

Green, yellow, orange, pink, blue…all these ultra bright colors hit you from everywhere. The clothes, stores, advertising, shoes, buildings and bangles the women wear mix to form a psychedelic kaleidoscope that is the country called India. I’m not a morning person and all these colors have made me feel like I’m on a drug trip. I arrived at 7am in Delhi, after being on a 24 hour flight.  This meant I was not really feeling the incredible India vibe. The soothing voice that sings the little jingle of ‘Incredible India’ on the ads turned into a blaring annoyance.

I arrived at the hotel Delhi India and was greeted by 3 incredibly happy Indian men. I went straight to my room and crashed out. After some what recovering, I went to explore the heart of Delhi, Connaught Place. My guide book told me that this was the hub of India, but it’s a tourist trap now. I still hadn’t woken up enough for the all that was coming at me. So, after grabbing a bite to eat, I decided that all of this whole incredible ‘India’ thing is not going to capture me until I get some more sleep, but I had to pick up Tara at the airport.

Still feeling groggy for having to be up so early, I was waiting for the ‘Incredible India’ like a boxer expecting a punch in the face. But that wasn’t happening. My head was sticking out, face poised and ready…but no punch yet.

What amazed me at times in India, was how these magnificent historical monuments appeared out of nowhere. Just like the cows walking down, up and across the streets without people, cars or bicycles paying any attention or giving any recognition to them. The monuments are given no grand introduction and just appear. Like the Jama Masjid, the biggest mosque in India is no different or the Lal Qila. Both of these are massive statements in history and size, but cannot be seen until relatively close up. The Taj Mahal is the same. I thought I’d be able to see the Taj Mahal from miles away, that it would dominate everything around it. But, nope. Even when you are at the site, you still cannot see it until you enter the compound. It’s completely hidden by the soft red sandstone walls around it. Then all of a sudden ‘Woosh!’ there it is, right in front of you.

Posted on November 25th, 2009 by admin
Filed under: Travel | No Comments »