eNewsHound

There are a lot of songs about New York that speak to the spectrum of human emotions.  The city is a fascinating place, and it’s often very exciting, with so many interesting things to do and see. It’s very easy to get caught up in the lights and the magic, and also easy to forget about the way that it’s also extremely challenging.  For people who live here, there are daily struggles that really don’t exist anywhere else.  Tourists won’t worry about the daily grind so much, because there are fabulous hotels, and the whole array of tourist attractions.

Paul Simon has written a song here that speaks to a very particular part of the human experience.  There are many who interpret the song as being an inspiration for those who struggle against all the odds and come out winning, but a close look here doesn’t reveal a win on the part of the main character telling the song.  He goes through hard experience, and he is changed.  He doesn’t live through the difficulties by learning how to face them, in fact, he leaves.  This is a very important distinction, because it reflects a sentiment that would fall under the anti-hero umbrella rather than an underdog story.  It speaks to a feeling that an entire generation had in common, and one that resurfaces again when the stakes are high, but the value of the fight is in question. 

This is the weekend when I decided I would lock myself in and write the poem of the century.  I had been stuck in a dayjob for years, and the past three months has been about overtime.  I haven’t seen the inside of my own apartment, or my own head, for a lot of hours in a row, and I knew there was something in there.  Usually, I try to work just enough to keep food and lodging, so I can spend some time every day working on my craft.  It happens sometimes, what they say, where you start to work, and the money is not bad, and you start to get used to that, and suddenly you’re no longer a writer.

I’ve seen it happen to close friends, and it always strikes me as a great loss.  It’s not just because there’s another dream deferred, and a kind of personal happiness that’s compromised, but also because that work that was supposed to come and live on the planet has been abandoned.  With that spirit then, I checked myself into a cool hotel, and prepared myself to write all weekend.

It starts off slow, this writer’s block, and it always starts the same way, and I always convince myself it’s not started.  The distractions in the world that make it hard for a dog to watch tv start to affect me, and I’m soon deciding to meet a friend in the Village, because it’s been so long.  I scribble a few words just so I don’t feel totally guilty while I’m out.  While I’m out, we’re having a great time, and those few words grow in significance in my mind, and I start to remember them as being the beginning of that poem.  It’s almost an entire verse, and that’s quite a bit, and I’m very optimistic.  By the next morning, however, the few words are really only two, and one of them is “the,” so I decide to sit down, and stay in the room even if there’s a fire.  I write about the Village, and suddenly I remember why I came here.

My cousin Vinnie, and yes that’s really his name and yes he really is my cousin, invited me to go with him on a road trip that would span Oregon, Washington and lead us into Canada. He wanted to take a whole month last summer to do this and at first I had hesitations. After all, I’m a working man, I have a job and responsibilities. So naturally I said yes. Vinnie and I grew up together in Northern California. My family lived in Pleasant Hill and his family lived in Albany. Both of these cities are on the East Bay and when we were teenagers we began taking BART into San Francisco and always had a great time. Vinnie is almost exactly one year older than I am and he is pretty much the one that determines what we’ll do. I’ve always just sort of relied on him for this and he always comes up with great ideas. I figured his road trip to Canada last summer would be nothing less. And I was right. It was just the two of us and we had an amazing time.

We stopped in Ashland, Oregon at the Shakespeare Festival. It’s something both of us had always wanted to do and just never made it up there. Moving on we stopped in Portland for a night and then headed out early the next morning and didn’t really stop until we made it Seattle. I know this is cliché but one of the first things I wanted to do was stop and have a great cup of coffee. We happened upon a place called Cherry Street Coffee and though this might sound stereotypical, it really was a good cup of coffee. Maybe the fact that there was a nice drizzle outside and it just all sort of felt right regarding Seattle expectations contributed to the overall effect, but still it was good coffee. Next we headed over to Pike Place Market and hung out for a while. Vinnie and I liked Seattle so much that we decided to stay the night and found a quaint little inn in which to rest our heads. The rest of the trip was just as amazing and I forgot to mention I have a great story about crossing the Canadian boarder. I’ll have to save that one for next time.

What if you could bring home CNN anchor Anderson Cooper to live with you?  You might think he would object, especially if you’ve never met.  However, for a price, you can bring back Cooper to wherever you live after you visit the CNN gift store at the Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. over on 190 Marieta Street in Atlanta, Georgia.  Okay, it’s not actually Anderson Cooper, but a life-size cardboard cut-out of him.  The gift shop, though, shouldn’t be your only goal if you visit the TBS headquarters; instead, you should aim at the CNN Studio Tours, which are available from nine in the morning to six in the evening, Monday through Saturday (closed Sunday).

The tour lasts about fifty minutes, with a friendly and expert guide.  You won’t be able to take pictures during the tour, but you’ll be able to see how CNN puts together the news and you may even get the opportunity to play news reporter for a few minutes.  The cost of all this?  Around thirteen dollars for adults and ten dollars for a child (the good news is that a child is considered anyone from the ages of four to eighteen — and if you have a Triple A or an AARP card, it may be less).  The CNN tour is actually a destination spot for locals to bring their guests, which really gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the news and the morning shows offered on CNN.

If you hadn’t yet considered a CNN tour as part of your itinerary, I’d certainly put it on the list.  I would grab a hotel room, and make a call or on-line visit to CNN and reserve a spot on the tours.  You can have your choice of a number of shows.  There’s the Morning Express Tour with Robin Meade, or Inside the Conversation Tour with Rick Sanchez, as well as the CNN Studio Tour.  And while, like any tour anywhere, CNN does deposit you into the gift shop at the end of fifty-five minutes, that’s where you can pick up the cardboard cut-out of Anderson Cooper.

Okay, so I’ve been to Los Angeles quite a few times. Actually, having lived in Phoenix, Arizona for most of my life, this is an easy thing to do. In fact I’ve had some really great times in Los Angeles and while I was a student at ASU my best friend’s and my favorite thing to do on the weekend was take off and go to LA. The only thing I could say about LA that I’m not a fan of, and this won’t win me any points with people from Los Angeles, but I do not like the Lakers. Keep in mind I’m from Phoenix and I am a big Phoenix Suns fan, so it should make obvious sense why I do not like the Lakers. In fact, I’m willing to bet that the majority of tourist you could find in any of the rooms in the Los Angeles hotels won’t be Lakers fans either. But enough of that, I want to talk about the great things about the city. Okay, and the truth be told, the Lakers are a great team, right now.

Anyway, here’s another thing I’ll admit that won’t win me any favors with locals but one of the best times I had in LA happened a few years ago when I met my good friend there on a business trip. It was her business trip, I was just along for the ride. We stayed in a great room in the Pacific Palisades and had so much fun while we were there. She had only been there once before I think and wanted to do all of the silly things that tourists do and I was just along for the ride so I agreed to just about everything. You see how I’m not taking any responsibility here?

Anyway, we went to places like Hollywood Boulevard and we walked all along street looking at prints and signatures of some of the biggest stars ever. We also spent time looking at all the crafts and jewelry that was available from venders around the Kodak Theatre. That place is even glamorous when nothing is going on and to be honest it was fun walking around in the area. I bought a really pretty jade necklace. So of course we also drove down Sunset Strip and we spent an afternoon on Venice Beach. That was nice, and dang it was interesting. Muscle Beach wasn’t as active as what it’s legend prepared me for, but it was still fun. This touristy trip I took with my friend honestly was one of the greatest times I’ve had in LA.

Here’s my Grand Rapids travelblog entry, I know, I don’t need to state that this is a travelblog, but for me, this is almost the same as showing slides to all your friends and thoroughly bore them to death. So, here is my writing slid-show, and it will bore you.

One place I visited is the Fish Ladder, this is where the salmon and stellhead’s find their first hurdle upon their momentous journey to spawn upstream from Lake Michigan to Lansing, which is located in mid-Michigan. Another place of interest is the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum. Inside, there is tons of activities for children; I wish I had something like this when I was growing up. The Grand Rapids Public Museum, which has an old-fashion carousel indoors and 3 stories of interesting things. The Grand Rapids Art Museum, which not only carries some famous painting, but also features local artists as well. I only toured the Grand Rapids Symphony, I didn’t have time to see a concert, but the Symphony includes a ‘Lollipop’ series for young children, which the tour boast to be extremely popular and successful.

I found, which I didn’t think possible, that Grand Rapids really does have a lot to offer travelers and visitors. I’m a little spoiled when it come to the arts and entertainment, coming from Chicago, but I was totally pleased with the amount of things to do here. I only spent two days here at this really nice hotel that I found on-line: hotelgrandrapids, which was conveniently located in the downtown district.

I really liked the Meijer Gardens, it really is worth a visit if you ever come to Grand Rapids, there was quite a lot to do and see. As I reflect about my two days visit, Grand Rapids really does offer a great deal of culture for children. I think, if I wanted to raise a family, I’d choose Grand Rapids.

When you visit a city the never sleeps, sometimes all you want is a really good nap. But, here in Manhattan, there’s not even a chance of that, there’s too much restless energy going through your pores and pumping your very being into a jumble of thoughts that can lead you to the brink of insanity. You feel you have to do everything that there is possibly to do in Manhattan.
 
Escaping the city is another possibility, seeing the forest for the trees, feeling the mountains ruggedness under your feet, finding sand in every parts of your body after playing in the ocean or encompassing the vastness of space. I love this city, I love my room at one of the New York top hotels, it’s like icing on top of a cupcake, but I’m so over-stimulated and frazzled.
 
At first glance, New York does overwhelm the senses, stimulates the possibilities, brings about a zest for life, and sparkles like diamond for the taking, but then it hits you and suddenly the urge to sleep or run pours in like Niagara Falls. I need calm, I need warmth, I need a friendly person to talk to, I need sleep.
 
I couldn’t sleep, so I took a walk to Central Park, I haven’t been there yet, so maybe, just maybe I find solace. I braved the park at twilight and with a threatening sky; as I entered, my first thought was: I found escape. The peace, the tranquility flowed through my garbled soul. The air was pungent with the scent of Night Jasmine, the horse-drawn carriages echo down the cobblestones. I felt sleepy and calm. Why didn’t I come here sooner? Central Park is an oasis in the concrete forest, it’s a balm on an open wound and saviour that grounds home a sense of being whole again.
 
I think I can once again take on the hustle and bustle of this spectacular city.

Year round, the city of San Antonio celebrates its history and holidays.  No matter what season you arrive and book a hotel, chances are good that there will be a place to enjoy yourself. 
 
Starting out in January, San Antonio rings in the New Year on South Alamo Street, across from HemisFair Park.  You’ll find here music and food as well as an amazing fireworks show blasted off from the heights of the Tower of the Americas.  This is followed by the Michelob ULTRA River Walk Mud Festival, which honors not a new year, but the annual maintenance of the River Walk, which is done by draining a portion of the river.  The festival, which includes a Mud Parade, an art festival and a Pub Crawl, also honors a newly crowned Mud King and Queen.
 
In February, there’s a sixteen day event known as the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo held at the Freeman Coliseum and AT&T Center.  In April, there’s a ten day festival held all over the city in order to commemorate the heroes of the Battle of the Alamo, as well as the Battle of San Jacinto.  This is all about the independence of Texas from Mexico, and there’s over one hundred events taking place at this time.  This particular festival goes back to 1891 when the festival was just a parade of ladies in carriages tossing the blossoms of flowers at each other.  In 1895, this parade had grown into a week long celebration, now known as the Battle of Flowers Parade.
 
Around Easter, you’ll find a Passion Play performed at the Cathedral of San Fernando, which happens to be the oldest cathedral in the country, and this production has happened every year for the last two hundred and fifty years.
 
In May, of course, Cinco de Mayo festivities occur in Market Street.  In June, you’ll find there’s free theater at the San Antonio Botanical Garden with Shakespeare in the Park.  There’s also a Texas Folklife Festival, four days that bring together forty ethnic groups in Texas to display food, music, crafts and folk dancing. 
 
In November, you’ll find the Holiday River Parade and Lighting Ceremony which is held the day after Thanksgiving, which lights up the River Walk for the holidays with over 122,000 lights.  In addition, there’s floats that move down the river, concluding with Santa Claus and Pancho Claus, the Latin variation on the mythic Christmas elf.  In December, you’ll find the amazing Fiesta de las Luminarias along the River Walk, where people put out seven thousand luminarias; this ceremony is part of a tradition with Mexican-American roots and will continue over nine nights.  This particular procession has been going on for over forty years here.
 
This brings us back to New Year’s Eve and another round of festivals begins.

Fort Lauderdale has much to offer in the ways of fun and good times in the sun, on the beach and in the water.  However should you need a bit of time away from the sun and the sand there are three museums in the city that are well worth a visit.  As mentioned in the travel pamphlets provided by the staff of most of the luxury hotels on the beaches of Fort Lauderale is rich with history, art and science.  The African American Cultural Center celebrates and offers the public, a look into the lives of the residents of African heritage.  The library located at the center draws researchers from around the world, as their collection of books numbers close to 80′,000.  Many rare or out of print books are to be found in the library as well as an extensive collection of African American writers and the museum contains a rich collection of paintings and sculptures.

The Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art is also filled with works of art, on canvas or in stone and bronze, with as well, a vast collection of locally produced textiles and craft-work.  There is a wide variety of famous works housed in the museum, and the touring exhibits change frequently.  This is one of the museums you will wish to set aside the entire day for, as there is much to see, and much to photograph.

As with the previous two museums, the Museum of Discovery and Science (http://www.mods.org/) offers fun for the entire family, in fact it is one of the best attractions for children in the city.  There are more than two hundred interactive displays and exhibits.  There is even a small section of the museum which houses and cares for alligators, snakes and bats.  There is a large nature trail filled with the fauna and the flora of the region, as well as the different levels of the Everglade forest.  And, as with the bringing of the animals and reptiles inside, the museum houses a shark exhibit, which contains along with the sharks, the largest coral reef to be in captivity.  From land to sea to the sky, the space exhibit will top off your trip.  These are great places to escape the heat of a humid day, and great places to learn while having fun.

The history of the area surrounding fine hotels located in Greensboro, North Carolina is long and plentiful. There are many stories that can be heard from the Civil War times and into the more modern African-American Civil Rights Movement. Some freedoms were won in the early 1860 but the battle continues on for some areas of America. In the 1940s,50s and 60s African-Americans continued to fight for their place in America. They had a vision of everyone who lived in this country should be able to live, eat and be where ever they wanted. There were plenty of people who didn’t want that to happen.

In early 1960, when segregation of public facilities was still in full force, four black freshman from a North Caroline University decided to walk into a segregated Woolworths cafe and asked to be served. They felt that if they were going to spend money at the local Woolworth store on products, then they should also be able to sit in the stores cafe and be served lunch. The restaurant refused to serve them so they sat there until the store closed. For the next five days these same young men came in and sat at that lunch counter. Each day more and more protesters showed up until there were hundreds of angry protesters creating a scene outside. The efforts they made did lead to the desegregation of the F.W.Woolworths cafe counter. The store in Greensboro was eventually forced to close its doors but the chain is still active and has made its way online.

These young protesters were the first to start the sit-in movement, which was led by a group called CORE, in an effort to make peaceful protests to push the point that they deserved to be in the same pools, restaurants and other public places along with the white men and women of the country. Groups of African-Americans were to go to lunch in a white mans cafe, sit down and order. They were not to leave until after they were served. However, they had to follow a few rules. They had to be friendly at all times while sitting at the counter. They had to sit up straight and face the counter. They were not allowed to talk, laugh out loud or strike back at any attack that may come at them. The were also not allowed to block entrances. This movement turned into many other forms of non-violent ways of protesting to come.

Manhattan is best for non-particular meanderings; no plans are necessary. I just walked and explored the city, she reveals exactly what I need at just the right moments. Like my quest for a ‘good’ cup-o-coffee, not what’s being served here at every corner and calling it coffee, but an actual great cup of coffee. Through my meanderings, I stumbled across ‘Stumptown Cafe‘. It’s the first in New York city and is the brainchild of a completely obsessive coffee addict spouting that the bean varietals as just as important as the grapes used for wine.

Stumptown coffee is Superb! It takes me back to my roots in Melbourne. I feel like I’m now ready for anything New York City wants me to explore. There is nothing better for one’s spirits than a Superb cup of coffee! Nothing! Not even alcohol, nothing. With my latte in hand, I let a new days adventure begin. I traveled through some previously ignored boutiques, boutiques busting with originality! See how a good cup of coffee leads to an eye opening experience? I found one boutique where people watching was just as quirky as the clothes price-tags were.

My next day, was just as random as all the previous days, except for a quick stop by Stumptown. Fortunately, the top hotel I booked on-line from this site: http://www.topnewyorkcityhotels.com, to stay at during my trip wasn’t too far away from Stumptown, which is located on 29th and Broadway. It was Sunday and Sunday led me on a wild cheese-burger and fries chase through the Lower East Side. A place named ‘Pianos’ was spotted, so I went inside. I found it to be somewhat of a California atmosphere of laid-backness-beach-house type of bar. I sat up at the bar and ordered a cheese-burger with fries. Boy!  Saying that was the best burger I’ve ever had is an understatement!

One of the best parts of being plan-free, is the truly unexpected happens, like as I was taking photos of myself via Iphone, Sarah Jessica Parker passed by me laughing! I quickly turned the camera phone around and managed to get a shot of her as she stepped into a taxi! So, next time you’re in New York City, don’t plan anything and be random and free. You’ll get to see a part of New York that isn’t on any tour package.

When it comes to estuary’s the largest one in the United States is Chesapeake Bay of the coast of Virginia. Any of the hotels Hampton has to offer is a good place to start your exploration of the Bay. This bay is shared with Virginia and Maryland along the Atlantic Ocean and each state has a few cities along the waters edge. It has more than a hundred and fifty streams and rivers mix in with the Atlantic Ocean everyday. The area of the bay runs about 200 miles long starting from Susquehanna River down to the Atlantic. You could spend days boating in the bay in order to see most of it. The narrowest part of the bay is between Plum Point and Romney Creek and spans about 2.8 miles. The widest section of the bay is about 30 miles wide and is near the Potomac River. The bay varies in depths between 46 feet to 208 feet. It also has a few bridges built over it. One bridge is in Maryland, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, and it crosses the bay from Sandy Point to Kent Island. The other is in Virignia, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel will get travelers from Virginia Beach to Cape Charles.

There are many thing to do on the Chesapeake Bay. Boating and fishing are very popular. In fact, the seafood like blue crab, oysters and clams were the well known harvest of these waters. There is even a famous boat that is the state boat of Maryland called the shipjack. The shipjack is a sail powered work boat and the only one of its kind in the United States. The waters are not quite as plentiful with shellfish as it once was but there is still some a good business being run there. Visitors can even get out and to a little fishing and crabbing. It is still a great tourist attraction.

There’s something about the nature of fame that makes people want to be near it, sometimes even more so once that celebrity is gone.  Because of that, in Los Angeles, even cemeteries are famous, such as Forest Lawn, but if you were to ask most people where a movie star, such as Marilyn Monroe, has found her final resting place, they couldn’t tell you.  What about Dean Martin?  Or Natilie Wood?  Or Roy Orbison, to name just a few.  Many writers, producers, movie stars, directors, and comedians have all finally come to a spot so hidden, so exclusive, that literally you could spend years in L.A. and never know you were so close.  For the first ten years I lived in this town, I would walk by, even attend movies at local theaters and not know that if I crossed a side street, walked down an alley beside a parking garage, to my right, I would find memorials for much of Hollywood.  It’s almost as if it’s one of the town’s best kept secrets.  But if you want to pay your respects to these lives who captivated us on the screen and page, then follow these simple directions.

First, go to Westwood, almost to the intersection of Westwood and Wilshire, at the beginning of Westwood Village, next to UCLA.  A short distance south of Wilshire, you’ll find on the east side of the street, the Majestic Crest theater, a magnificent independently run old movie palace.  Behind the theater, there’s a side street.  On the east side of that street, there will be a parking garage.  On the north side of the garage, there’s an alley.  Pull into the alley and drive past the parking garage (or walk in; there’s not a lot of space for cars in this small memorial park), and the gates will be to your right: You’ve found the Pierce Bros Westside Village Memorial Park.

The next time you’ve arrived in Hollywood, and you’ve checked into a fine Los Angeles cheap hotel, and are looking for a way to spend an afternoon, but not spending money, taking a walk by the markers and memorials of great writers and stars of the past may make for an unforgettable time.  It’s not for everyone, of course.  But you’ll find a trip there could well be surprising as well as humbling, and  even amusing.   Among the notables, including Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Eve Arden, Eva Gabor, Truman Capote, Cornel Wilde, and Donna Reed, the late comedian Rodney Dangerfield has written on his tombstone, “There Goes the Neighborhood.”

While the town of Sitges, a few miles away from Barcelona, offers beaches and a lively night scene, there are at least three museums in town that shouldn’t be overlooked.  If you’ve checked into one of the hotels Sitges offers, consider also checking out one of the following three museums: The Museu Romantic (“Can Llopis”), the Museu Cau Ferrat, and the Museu Maricel.

The Museu Romantic (“Can Llopis”) explores the 18th and 19th Centuries by recreating the world of a land-owning family in Sitges.  You’ll see the furniture of the time, objects of the house, and rooms the family in which the family lived.  Upstairs, you’ll find a collection of antique dolls, while downstairs, you’ll find the wine cellars, showing off the life of the family from child to adult.

In the Museu Cau Ferrat, you’ll find two cottages from the 16th Century, which the Santiago Rusinol, a Catalan artist, joined together to create the home in which he worked and lived.  He willed the home and its art collection to the the town of Sitges when he died in 1931.Rusinol’s house and art work are one of the chief reasons Sitges is such a favorite resort; this former home includes small Picassos, as well as The Bullfight, and a couple of paintings from El Greco.  And, of course, Rusinol’s own work is exhibited here.

Finally, we have the Museu Maricel.  The King and Queen of Spain opened this particular museum, and it displays art which Dr. Jesus Perez Rosales donated.  Originally built after World War One, or the Great War, the building was owned by American Charles Deering; it’s a palace in two parts, joined by a little bridge.  You may wish to visit this museum for the palace itself as well as three works by Santiago Rebull, as well as art work by Jose Maria Sert, whose painting is an allegory of World War One itself.

There is no denying that Baltimore, Maryland has great art.  There are so many museums and galleries located within the city and in the surrounding neighborhoods that it is often difficult to decide just where to go next.  Two women put together and incredible collection, that was fifty years in the making.  Etta and Claribel Cone lived their entire lives in side by side apartments in the city, and throughout their years and their travels and their friendships acquired one of the most inclusive and important collections of modern art in the world.

The two became friends many years ago, with artists who either gave them the pieces as tokens of friendship, and the sisters purchased many pieces in order to support the work of their friends.  The collection contains more than five hundred pieces by Matisse.  They also have quite an extensive collection of sculpture and paintings by Picasso, Paul Gauguin, Paul Cézanne, and Vincent Van Gogh.  They not only have one of the best collections of today, but they played a role in the evolution of modern and contemporary art.

The Matisse collection alone spans his entire career and offers insight to his evolution as a painter.  The two sisters lived well off of a family trust, so they took to traveling and collecting art.  They often visited Paris, and this is where they met and became friends with these master painters.  Some of Picasso’s drawings they purchased for a couple of dollars.  They would then come home and open their doors to show the public the art that they had purchased.

At the time, these painters who are now widely famous, were unknown and not yet accepted.  But the sister had an eye for what would become some of the most priceless pieces in the history of art.  The collection is part of the permanent display at the Baltimore Museum of Art, located to any fine Baltimore restaurant in the downtown area.  This is a bit of the history of art, a big bit, and one must stop here when in the city, at least for just one day.

Singapore is amazing, and keeps getting more interesting.  It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what is so attractive about this city state, whether it’s the mix of the urban with the exotic, or the global sensibility that seems to permeate everything, or if it’s something that’s just not palpable, but it’s certainly there.  The past decade or so has seen an increase in travel, and its for very good reasons.  There are excellent world class hotels, amazing food everywhere you go, including Italian restaurants, and a cultural scene that is always growing by leaps and bounds.  One of the most fascinating things about Singapore is its ability to adapt to and adopt cultures that are not necessarily native, and that’s one of the many reasons Italian food is so delightfully good here.

It might also have something to do with its geography, with a constant supply of fresh and excellent seafood.  The culinary traditions here are extremely diverse, and the influx of excellent ingredients from all over the world make it a chef’s, as well as a diner’s, paradise.  There are many connections between Italy and Singapore besides the food, and one area where these connections are very prominent is in the art.  Art has a way of bringing collaborators from diverse backgrounds together, and projects are often a way of finding a common language.  Or perhaps it’s a matter of finding different languages that somehow communicate something anyway.  Lucy Davis, artist and professor at the School of Art, Design and Media at NTU has an impressive body of work that bears witness to this in many spectacular ways.

This artist, whose work crosses between visual art and cultural studies, grew up here, and spent a significant amount of time in the U.K. and in Copenhagen, where she studied art and developed her own art practice.  She has done a number of works in performance, installation, photography, and sculpture, and lately has been working with an interest in animality.  Her work does indeed intersect between high art and political engagement, and one of her recent works, The Tree Project, involved the planting of Hibaku trees around the world.  Hibaku trees are trees grown from seeds that were present at the bombing of Hiroshima, so the project is an enormously powerful statement, expressed in a beautiful form.

Derek had never been much of a seafood eater, though his wife Joann absolutely was. This required a sort of compromise when dining out as Joann had a preference for pure seafood establishments and Derek couldn’t find anything off the menu there. So, generally they would opt for a combination steak and seafood restaurant when Joann was in her nearly uncompromising mood. And she rarely was able to enjoy sushi because Derek would have nothing to do with it so they couldn’t go to a sushi place. All of this changed however, two months ago when Derek had to fly to Singapore for a business meeting.

He had spent so much time in the past year traveling that he felt like he lived more in hotels than in his own home. He was away a lot and he missed his wife and his house. So, he managed to talk Joann into going with him on his business trip. This actually didn’t require any convincing. Joann was happy to go though she pretended it was a problem because she knew it would benefit her for Derek to think he was doing her a favor. It worked and when Joann finally agreed and said yes, Derek was incredibly grateful and would spend as much time as possible making her happy while they were there.

As it turned out this was incredibly easy to do. Both Derek and Joann loved Singapore and she spent her days in the parks, both Fort Canning and Pasir Ris while Derek was in his meetings. She loved the bird watching tower in Pasir Ris and also rented a bicycle one day and rode around the pond. She enjoyed watching the children play and the parks were always full of activities. The one thing she asked Derek to do was go with her to a sushi place while they were there. He reluctantly agreed, though he knew he owed it to her. Oddly, he was so happy in Singapore that he was inspired to try a bit of Joann’s roll. And to Derek’s utter and unbelievable, by both of them, amazement, he actually loved it. This was the beginning of a new food obsession for Derek and great new transition for Joann who would be able to eat sushi regularly from then on. And she always had sushi Singapore to thank.

All of her life Cathy felt that there was just nothing like a great musical being preformed life onstage in front of her. She loved the theatre and was particularly found of musical comedies. She also loved a good rock opera like Jesus Christ Superstar but for Cathy there was just nothing like a Gilbert And Sullivan show. That is, there used to be nothing like one, however Cathy recently visited New York, which was something she tried to do at least twice a year, and her friend Maya had two New York Broadway tickets for Superior Donuts.

At first Cathy wasn’t sure how she felt about this, they always went to musicals when she visited. And it wasn’t purely selfish on Cathy’s part, Maya also liked them and would save the ones she wanted to see for when Cathy was visiting. However, she received tickets to the Music Box Theatre at work and since Cathy was going to be in town she thought they could go together. To demonstrate her appreciation for being thought about and also to be a good sport Cathy agreed to go.

The play was written by Tracy Letts who is the Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning author of August Osage County. Well, at least the play has a good pedigree thought Cathy as she waited for it to begin. And when it did, right from the start she didn’t stop laughing even when she felt she shouldn’t and didn’t know quite why she was. It was an incredible play with fabulous performances and even the die hard musical theatre lover Cathy could not help but to walk out of the theatre asking Gilbert and Sullivan who? She was kidding of course and would always remain a musical comedy fan, but she had definitely broadened her horizons and loved Superior Donuts and was willing to explore the world of straight theatre.

After leaving Gascar, which to tell you the truth, was bittersweet. I’m not in Cape Town and so far, Cape Town is sweet, entertaining and delicious. I’m only here for a couple of days and I can already tell that’s not enough. There’s so many things to do. The city is modern, hip and very international; an amazing combination. I would like to take a safari, but I’ll save that for another day, when I have the money to do it and do it right.
I did, however, have an experience that could not been saved for another day. The reason being is that it’s International Refugee Day, and the Desmond Tutu Peace Center is currently being built in Cape Town. I got the opportunity to hear the man himself give a very stunning and inspirational message of hope, peace and accepting all people of the world. I really don’t know how to explain just how cool it was to be so close to a man who’s done such tremendous work and just how well he can express himself with eloquence and charisma. It was also great to see all the refugee children who also read their poems and sang songs about their experiences. I really couldn’t hear them well, but it was still heartening to witness such young folk who are aware and hopeful about things getting better.

This only happened a few hours ago for me, so I’m still riding the good energy wave. Even after 3 hours, I’m still radiating like the sun. I could gush some more, but I think you get the drift. I’m on a prepaid Internet cafe service, so I’ll rap this up now before I get cut off. I’m looking forward to being home soon and find employment. Since hearing Desmond Tutu’s speech, I’m going to look for jobs where I make a difference. Time to call it a day and head for my Cape Town hotel.

With evidence of the existence of at least seven cities beneath modern Delhi, there is a palpable history here that speaks of unknowable events, lives, and incidents of lives that made up strings of memories that still hold a power and a presence here.  It’s an amazing place, with a long history of human habitation, and a sense of the beyond and the mysterious lurking on every street corner, as evocative and as precise as memory can be cloudy and clear in the space of one afternoon.  It’s a fantastic place, with an ability to continually reference and cross-reference itself according to the very same unknowable memories, weaving a text and a textile as long and complicated as a sentence written in one afternoon where art began to breathe.  For tourists, there is more to offer than meets the eye, and it’s difficult to travel to India without being affected significantly.

A heady place such as this might speak to the need for travel in great luxury, and everything is possible in modern Delhi.  5-star hotels are plentiful, and can offer a splendid respite for the weary, and allow the afternoon memories to settle in until they become more viable, almost like traveling companions.  This is the place where the characters in the Mahabarata came to encounter the notion of fate, in its immutable contexts, along with the illustration of the illusion governing all things.  It’s also the place where Mumbai-based artist Shipla Gupta recently spoke, and also where she received the Sankriti Prathisthan Award for her excellent work in weaving the present back into the fabric of the present.

Artists have an uncanny ability to never be at home, and always reveal the things that lie on the surface of things, forcing us to examine the forces beneath the surface of things.  Shilpa Gupta is breaking through the illusion of things to reveal a reality that is much more complex and humbling than we, the viewer, could have ever imagined.  There are hidden things here that are disguised and in plain sight, and her ability to make words mean by forcing them to not mean is one way of short-circuiting perceptions so that we become aware of how we make things mean.  And how we participate in ways that suggest we are not victims of the forces of history only, but are also actors, with an emphasis on the active, and we play roles in a present that speak to the footprints of those who came before, and also hold responsibility toward those not yet here.

Phuket is exciting, there’s no doubting that, and it’s also one of the most interesting places in the world.  You can have a vacation where you’re writing home constantly about an array of new and exotic experiences, and some of them decidedly not family-friendly, and enjoy all there is to see here.  Or you can have an exquisite time spending your hours in solitude at the beach, and enjoying the local culture and getting to know the history of the place, and also enjoy all there is to see here.  The fact of the matter is that there are many Phukets, and as long as you keep some common sense, it’s possible to have the vacation you want, and chances are, you’ll find it much more splendid than you ever imagined.

It’s also very likely that whichever Phuket you’ve come to see, you’ll be pleasantly surprised, and enjoy the lovely experience of being on an island, away from all the responsibilities that you thankfully have left behind.  Or if you haven’t left them behind, the place will remind you to forget.  There are superb choices for excellent restaurants, as well as some of the world’s best hotels.  Phuket offers many spectacular choices for the discerning traveler, and you’ll find things that suit your tastes and budget while you’re here.  And if the wild nightclubs, or the soft call of the sea starts to get to you, and you want to see some local culture, but don’t want to get too deep into the wild side, but still taste it, pay a visit to Siamese 5 Tattoo.

The artist Tu has been working and living here for a long time.  Born in Thailand in 1975, she started working on skin in 1999, and has spent 18 months in Sweden studying.  Her studio was a casualty of the tsunami in 2004, and she re-opened in her current location in 2005.  It’s a delightful place to get some work done, with a cool and friendly atmosphere, and it does feel more like visiting an artist studio than a typical tattoo parlor.  It’s a good idea, by the way, to have something in mind before even setting out across the sea and getting something inked in, and it’s also a good thing to come here in a clear frame of mind, as unstable people make terrible canvases.  But here you’ll see some splendid work indeed.

Well, the stage was set. Calvin was finally going to propose to Denise and he had selected the perfect evening and location to do so. It would be the fourth anniversary of the first time that he had laid eyes on Denise. This is a moment that he had never told her about so he was sure it would be a surprise. Denise was a food server at the Spaghetti Factory in Seattle at the time and he had come in with his friends for some pasta. He was immediately struck by the waitress who was serving the tables in the trolley and could not take his eyes off of her. He even went so far as to ask his own server what her name was. However, he didn’t have the nerve to speak to her and when he finally gathered the courage to come back in and do so a month later he learned that she had quit.

Calvin was a student at the University of Washington at the time and spent the final two weeks of his summer regretting his lack of courage and lamenting the loss of what he considered to be the love of his life. Needless to say that the first day of class he almost fell out of his chair when she walked into his astronomy lab and sat down three chairs away from him. He was certain it was the same person and was careful to listen for her name when role was called. Sure even, this was Denise. And from there Calvin figured out how to manipulate the lab partners so that he could be hers. As far as Denise is concerned, that class was the first time either of them saw the other. It was also where they fell in love.

As Calvin and Denise enjoyed their salads and wine at the SkyCity restaurant at the top of the Space Needle, Calvin confessed the Spaghetti Factory story to Denise. As was expected she was surprised and also flattered. They talked about the early days and that chance sighting that led to his initiating the lab partnership while they ate their meals and when the Lunar Orbiter dessert arrived, Calvin slid out of his chair and bent down on one knee. He presented the ring and Denise cried as he asked her to marry him. This was the exact seen he imagined four years ago while he watched her putting down plates in the trolley. This time Calvin’s fantasy relates to the day the return to Seattle for an anniversary and stay in one of the luxury Seattle hotels.

Dubai has taken it’s strategic location, centered off the Indian Ocean,  nestled in the Persian Gulf and built a desirable vacation destination spot. They hope to lure in the big play money of the rich and famous. Pick one of the best five star hotel Dubai has built and you will be in a land of luxury. Go ahead I dare you to take the time off from your busy schedule and take the journey to put your feet in the sands of the white beaches of Dubai. There are so many buildings to see, modern and ancient attractions and plentiful shopping to see and do in this bustling town.

Being a coastal desert town, it is best to visit Dubai between December and March. The summers there are brutal with heat gaining as high as 115 degrees and 11 hours of non-stop sunlight. This is one desert however that has an the added relief of the ocean shores. Visitors can take a break from the rolling sand dunes and head out into the sea for some deep water fishing. The view of the city from the water is breath taking as you come and go from the harbor. After a day at the beach or sea fishing, visitors may want to take their next daily stroll to the Mall.

The Mall of the Emirates is more than just a shopping mall. It is destination entertainment. You can find it in the Al Barsha district of Dubai. What a great way to get some exercises on you visit to UAE. The mall offers about 2,400,000 square feet of shops alone. The whole mall runs about 6.5 million square feet all together. This makes it the worlds second largest mall next to the South China Mall. It is a truly exquisite, luxurious mall with its movie theatre and places to eat. If you really need a change from the harsh desert sun, go for a day of snow skiing located where else, in the mall.

Your mind is made up, you have definitely decided you are going to New York City, New York. You have dreamed about it long enough. The time is right. This is a major vacation site. So, now you really get down to business and make some serious plans. You know when you want to go and you have the time off, now you make your travel arrangements and arrange for someone to take you to the airport. The house-pet sitter has been arranged. Your mail and newspaper will be stopped. New clothes have been purchased. You have brochures of all the different sights you want to see, tickets have been purchased for that long running Broadway play you never thought you would get to see. And the restaurants, the awesome food you are so anxious to try.

What else? Yes! The hotel!! Hotels New York USA! And wow! There are so many, they are fabulous, they are beautiful, they are waiting for you. They are filled with friendly, well-trained staff anxious to make your stay perfect. The amenities, those unbelievable extras hotels offer to complete your time of rest and relaxation. There are swimming pools, spas, massage rooms, exercise rooms, salons to tend to your hair, hands and feet, gift shops, room service, laundry service, exquisite dining rooms, coffee shops, and the list goes on and on. Many offer packages containing free tickets to various tourist attractions such as the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty. Or perhaps you might want to enjoy a sightseeing tour. There are numerous four and five star hotels right in the middle of all the action, right in the middle of Manhattan. Step inside the hotel of your choice and be in awe of all the opulence and elegance surrounding you. You deserve this wonderful experience, make the most of it and remember and treasure it forever.

A beautiful island with a fantastic history, Ibiza is a place to visit again and again.  There are many sides to the island, not limited to the north-south divide, where the north has more preservation, and the south has more discos.  And it’s not simply the day and night distinction, where daylight sees sunbathers, and night sees still more discos.   There are local communities, tourist cultures, and many variations.  It’s a constantly shifting atmosphere, too, where the influx of visitors always brings in new energies and even ideas.  Ibiza has been occupied by many different civilizations for thousands of years, and grew very adaptable to other customs, traditions, and languages, and it still shifts today with the cultural mix that comes through here.  This is, in fact, one of the most exciting things about Ibiza, and it certainly helps to inspire the local artists to continue to do new work.

There are many options for accommodations here.  If you are looking for informal lodgings, cheap and in the center of the action, there are certainly choices here, but of course cautionary measures should be taken.  If you are looking to see the best of the island, looking for only the height of luxury in Ibiza, town hotel options are probably right for you.  It’s a fantastic vantage point from which to see Ibiza.  This is the perfect place if you want to party like the rich and famous, enjoying sumptuous surroundings wherever you go, and it’s also the perfect place if your desires are to avoid the clubs altogether and get some time away from all the busy tasks that fill up the days.

It’s a great place to get away, no matter what the pretense.  It’s not just a summer place, either.  Ibiza has some spectacular things all year long, whether you’re looking for interesting tours, or solitude, or even a social event.  If your plans happen to coincide with Halloween, well, you’re also in luck.  Chances are, any holiday is a good time to be in Ibiza, but Halloween is particularly lively.  It’s the official end of summer here, and there are parties everywhere to say goodbye to parties.  There are spectacular blow-outs at all the big clubs, and there are also a few places where kids are welcome, so they can also enjoy the spookiest night of the year in Mediterranean style.

I’m on a boat. Well, not anymore, but my body still feels like I am. I spent the whole day boating the waters around Phuket. I saw several beautiful islands and snorkeled everywhere I could. I saw some amazing fish life in and around some amazing coral reefs. The water was clear and warm. The white sand up against the blue water was to beautiful for words.

The one day excursion included a round trip transfer. I toured Phi Phi Islands, was served lunch, banana pancakes, and all the snorkeling equipment. The crew was very entertaining to whole time. The boat was slow, but pleasant. I think if they travelled any faster I would’ve been seasick and tossed up all those wonderful banana pancakes. The weather was perfect. The boy sitting across from me was cute. It was a perfect day, a perfect excursion. I didn’t want it to end.

I learned, during my excursion, there are two Islands, Phi Phi Leh and Phi Phi Don. Phi Phi Don, which is the larger of the two, is inhabited and attracts tons of visitors wanted to sun on the marvellous beaches. Phi Phi Leh is uninhabited and has a little damage from the Tsunami. It’s also the island that was featured in ‘The Beach’ film starring DiCaprio.

I was staying at one of the 5 star hotels Phuket when I found out about this one day excursion. I could have made the excursion last by staying at another hotel on Phi Phi Don, so too bad, I didn’t know about this wonderful Island before. But, at least I’m thoroughly happy with my Phuket hotel. Totally. I at least managed to have dinner at the restaurant on the island before the excursion ended. That topped off what was already a prefect day. Man, Phuket really knows how to treat a visitor.

Bob and Troy were American history buffs and also happened to be best friends. They both achieved degrees in history from the same state university and while they have different jobs, they frequently get together for festivals and plan excursions and visitations to historic landmarks and sites. One of their resent adventures was a weeklong trip, that they had been wanting to take for years, to visit Williamsburg, Virginia. They were both fascinated by the historical relevance of this city that embraces and preserves its colonial past. Colonial Williamsburg is the restored historic area of the city and provides a definite feeling of stepping back in time for its visitors.

Williamsburg and the surrounding historical centers near it are one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country and the hotels Williamsburg are frequently full of visitors who are interested in exploring the country’s history. Bob and Troy were well aware that Colonial Williamsburg was the key location in political discussions and events that led to the Revolutionary War, which makes this historic city one of the most significant in relationship to the establishment of the United States as an independent country.

Many of the buildings located in Colonial Williamsburg date from 1699 to 1780, which represents an important era in the country’s early history and initial establishment. Some of the more prominent buildings that Troy and Bill were interested in visiting include the Bruton Parish Church, the Raleigh Tavern and the Capital building. The Raleigh Tavern as with most buildings of the time had a political element in being one of the meeting centers of the Burgesses after their official dissolving by the Royal Governors. It is also popularly famous for hosting some of its patrons such as Thomas Jefferson. Troy and Bob had a great time touring these buildings and other landmarks and park areas. They will return here after traveling further up the eastern coast.

The Balearic Islands located off the coast of Spain in the Mediterranean Sea offer a diverse assortment of attractions, cultural elements and above all tremendous geographic beauty and amazing views. The largest of the Balearic Islands is Majorca, which is also the most populous. In addition it receives the largest number of tourists every year. The capital of Majorca is Palma. It is an historic city and many of the buildings and neighborhoods demonstrate its significance and transitions throughout various eras and historic periods. With incredible historic landmarks and attractions like the Bellver Castle, which was all of Europe’s first circle castle, tourists visit Majorca by the millions.

Menorca is the second largest of the four major islands and is Majorca’s slightly smaller neighbor, which accounts for its name. Menorca is a much quieter and laid back island with its main tourist attractions being the summer music festival and the series of fiestas that occur throughout the island. It is a beautiful island paradise and has some incredible beaches. The next largest and one of the most famous islands in the world is Ibiza. Ibiza is internationally infamous for its club scene, though that should not detract from the great historic and cultural elements that are also located on it. San Antonio and Ibiza Town are the primary towns of Ibiza Island.

Formentera is the smallest of the four major Balearic islands and is truly a quiet island paradise. It is known for its seclusion and peaceful atmosphere as well as for some of its nude beaches. Each of the largest four Balearic islands has a personality and offerings unique to itself, though they also have some common elements that are associated with their location in the Mediterranean. Whichever island or islands a tourist wishes to visit they are guaranteed to have an incredible experience at any one of the 5 star hotels Balearics.

There are many activities one may decide on pursuing when visiting, be it restaurants, or the nightlife or a night at the Opera, or be it 5 star hotels, Shanghai has got it all, there are a lot of options.  For the tourist who has a particular fondness for finding bargains and spending the days in the market places looking for treasures, then this is the place.  One of the best places to go for a shopping extravaganza is Nanjing Road.  These is a very long street, which is most famous for the stalls and the shops on the eastern end near the Bund.  The shops are targeted for the Asian tourists, so to find yourself here means you will be finding good deals.

The locals of Shanghai however see this as a place that is a bit too touristy, kind of look down on it.  So if you are looking to not only find those bargains in the market places but to also experience a little more of a traditional and authentic adventure, then head over to Huaihai Road.  This is also a very busy street, filled with people.  The shops here tend to be more upscale than those on Nanjing Road.  If one is looking for shops that are little more funky or individual in nature, the boutique kinds of stores, the French Concession Streets are the place to go.  These are An Fu Lu Road, Chang Le Lu Road and Xin Le Road.

In this area the streets are lined with trees, the buildings are low rise and quaint, and there are many unique stores to find accessories and fashionable clothing.  This is where the young of Shanghai shop to find the latest fashion trends.  Many of the owners of the shops here, are the designers and for those wanting more than a good deal on Western brand knock offs, this is there they will find the real deal, straight from the hands that created it.  In all, there are so many places to shop, such as the malls and the flea markets, so whatever ones taste and whatever one is looking for, they will be able to find it along the streets of Shanghai.

With its splendid offerings for delightful island living in one of the most idyllic settings in the world, Formentera is a true paradise on earth.  The beaches are absolutely glorious, white and pristine, and the call of the sea has been bringing tourists here for some time.  It hasn’t always been easy to get to, being the smallest of the Balearic islands, and only accessible through Ibiza, but in recent years there have been more places of access, giving it a huge boost in the world of travel.  It attracts celebrities and world travelers from all over, drawn to its excellent sunlight attractions and fantastic night life.  It’s quieter than the other islands, too, offering a sense of solitude for those looking to get away from it all in a serene setting.  There are superb restaurants as well as hotels.  Formentera can offer many things to visitors looking for something a little different.

Any vacation spent in the Spanish Mediterranean has instant appeal to the daydreamer in all of us, and Formentera has all the expected luxuries and delights, along with an amazing history.  It has been occupied by the Carthaginians, the Romans, the Visigoths, and the Vandals, as well as the Arab nations, who have all left their cultural marks on the island.  For a place that’s so hard to get to, it has seen an amazing share of cultures passing through.  This gives the island an amazingly complex sensibility, and today is a very international place for a hideaway.  If you hide away far enough, you might catch sight of a very rare and endangered bird, the Eleanora Falcon.

This bird is a very important species, and mostly known in Greece.  It’s endangered there as well, making it a very important bird to protect.  It’s here between April and November, and it might catch your attention with its very dark appearance, and its exceptional ability to fly with grace.  Like everything in Spain, even the birds do it with style and finesse.  The Falco D’Or is the prize given at the Ibiza International Film Festival, because of its similarity to Houston’s Maltese Falcon, and its ability to represent the Balearics.