Archive for November, 2009

  • Yoga in Singapore

    Monday, November 30th, 2009

    Traveling in another country with fitness and health in mind can be a wonderful way to learn about another culture.  There are many old techniques and traditions that can be discovered, and many of these have been practiced continually for thousands of years, and learning new techniques in a new place is just one way to really internalize the lessons.  When you are in new surroundings, the usual habits of mind are usually much more in the background, and you’re more prone to giving yourself over to the new experience in a total way, and that in itself can be of enormous benefit to your health, because learning how to let go of preconceived notions is a secret to health.

    When visiting Singapore, spa resorts are a wonderful alternative to the usual hotels, because they don’t just offer a luxurious place to rest at the end of the day, but offer a program for physical and emotional health that is the focus of the waking hours as well.  It’s a precious way to truly pamper yourself, because the entire time is devoted to your own well-being, and there’s no need for worrying about how to fill your itinerary with new and exciting things.  In a place like Singapore, there is so much to see and do here if you are visiting the city state, that it can be too much for one trip, but taking a spa treatment can introduce you to the place in a beautifully relaxing way.

    There is a great culture for health in Singapore already, with many different yoga studios that help to keep the local population in touch with their essence.  This is a system for finding the mind and body connection so that real healing can take place.  It might even be a good idea to incorporate some of the local practices by taking in a few classes at studios like True Yoga, in order to supplement your spa resort holiday.

  • Creating the Perfect Property Management Team

    Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

    One of the most essential aspects of any team, is that there is openness and honesty running throughout the organization, from upper management and through the ranks of the staff.  This is the way in which the TransGlobe Property Management Company creates a sense of community, which is the most effective way to not only create a team, but to manage a business as well.  The company shares in the success of not only each other, but that of their client’s as well.

    And should a challenge arise, the team comes to challenge much in the way a family will rally around a member in need.  Obstacles are confronted by a group of people working together to reach a positive outcome.  I once lived in a residential rental apartment building, and the managers where incredible.  After one of the most dramatic monsoon storms the landscaping was a mess.  The next day many of the residents came out to lend a hand with the cleanup.  This is what a community does for each other, this is the kind of inspiration to care that TransGlobe Property Management inspires in their tenants.  This requires the input and the participation of everyone involved.

    As people become more interested, they too become more invested.  This is simply human nature.  Everyone’s ideas contribute to the reaching of a final decision, a final solution.  This not only creates a positive environment to work in, but a positive environment for prospective residents.  When a company has the reputation for this kind of care, for the tenants and for the property, there will never be an issue when it comes time to fill an empty unit, or when it comes time for taking on more properties.  The best way to run a business, is by running it fairly and justly, and open.  This will not only make one’s job easier, but it will just fell good knowing that you are taking care of and for the property under your care.

  • Jackson Mississippi Named After President Andrew Jackson

    Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

    Jackson is not only the largest city in the state of Mississippi, it is also huge in social significance and historical relevance. It is commonly referred to as the city with soul, which is also its current official slogan. This is reflective of its namesake, President Andrew Jackson, and his battle of New Orleans for which the city was named. Jackson was the seventh president of the United States and served for two terms. He held the office from March of 1829 through March of 1837. He had two Vice Presidents, John C. Calhoun, who had also served under the previous office of President John Quincy Adams, and also Martin Van Buren who go on to become the next President. His portrait appears on the US twenty dollar bill.

    Jackson was born on March 15, 1767, the ides of March, two parents who had immigrated from Northern Ireland just two years prior. When he was thirteen he joined the local regiment of the Revolutionary War and served as a courier. Both he and his brother Robert Jackson became captured and were held by the British as prisoners of war. He later became the final US president who had served in the Revolutionary War.

    The Battle of New Orleans, for which Jackson became a national hero, occurred in January of 1815. On the eighth of the month British troops invaded New Orleans and Jackson’s five thousand soldiers were up against the seven thousand five hundred British soldiers. The odds were against Jackson and his troops, though through his leadership they were able to overcome the deficit and ultimately beat the British and regain New Orleans. It was during this conflict that Jackson earned his nickname Old Hickory, because it was said he was as tough as old hickory. After this conflict Jackson became a national hero. Tourists who visit the city and stay in one of the hotels Jackson should be interested in its famous namesake and may also be interested in making a comparison between this somewhat controversial historic figure and the current state of this city with soul.

  • Cape Town Supernature

    Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

    There are always so many spectacular attractions in South Africa, any time of year, and you can see some of the liveliest festivals and street fairs anywhere.  There’s also fantastic shopping opportunities, where elegant and intriguing new items of great personal interest can draw your attention, and you might find yourself suddenly charmed by the objects you’re seeing, and the place begins to speak to you in a way you don’t even recognize.  But it’s still lovely, and somehow feels more profound than it did a moment ago.  And even though you’re shopping, even though it’s only shopping, there’s something else coming through, and it’s making you feel simultaneously fascinated and fascinating, and you’re part of the scene you’ve been observing. It can be a very heady experience, and Cape Town is one of the most appealing cities in the country, with beaches that are probably ranked on nearly everyone’s list at the top.  Cape Town hotels can offer a splendid sense of luxury here, a place away from the place, as it were.  There’s a spectacular effort to make things perfect for your relaxation, so that you can unwind and really enjoy the rhythms of another place.  The rhythms of this place are old and new all at once, drawing from some of the original rhythms that turned the human heartbeat into the sound of a drum. These rhythms have evolved over the centuries into something entirely other, with multiple rhythms playing simultaneously in some of the most advanced musical forms.  Interestingly enough, the polyrhythm is still as complex and sophisticated as it was 300 years ago, suggesting that culture reached a certain peak, and is still waiting for the next movement forward into the next beyond.  It’s still connected to the heartbeat, however, and some of the most sacred rhythms connect the heart to the rhythms of nature, and in the liveliest of festivals, the line between human energies and rhythm becomes inseparable from natural rhythm, and these moments are utterly transcendent, and though they come from nature, are given the word supernatural, although no one can remember exactly why.

  • What to Do When Your Car Won’t Start

    Monday, November 23rd, 2009

    What happens the moment you climb into your car, turn the ignition, and nothing happens.  If you are like me, your heart drops.  We take for granted most of the time, that are cars will just start when we need them to do so.  And if you know that you did not leave the lights on, or the interior light on, then this may be a very confusing and frustrating time.  There are a number of different reasons that your car will not start, and knowing a few things to check may solve your problem with ease.  In a Chevrolet Cavalier repair manual, hints and suggestion will help, so be sure to keep your manuals in your cars at all times.  If your vehicle is completely quiet when you turn the key, it may just be corroded battery cables.  If you scrape a bit of the corrosion off and your car starts, it is best to later thoroughly clean the cables with the proper cleaning solution and a wire brush.  You may notice that it just might be time to change the cables out.

    If the engine makes a clicking sound when you try to start it, this is an indication that the battery may be dead or that the cables leading to the starter may be loose.  If your vehicle does turn over, but still won’s start you may need more help than what you will find in your Ford Bronco repair manual, unless you are familiar with how to check the supply of fuel to your engine and the electrical systems of your car.  If you can get the car started, but then it stalls out right away, this too may require professional help.  This has to do with either the carburetor or the fuel injection.  Many times though, it is relatively simple to diagnosis the reasons your car will not start.  Last time my truck did not start, it was just the simple corrosion built up on the battery cables, I was lucky.  Keeping your car properly maintained may give you an indication that problems may exist, and will help prevent this surprise inconvenience from occurring.

  • Damien Rice Performs on Austin City Limits

    Thursday, November 19th, 2009

    The popular PBS television series Austin City Limits is well known for showcasing some of the brightest new talent on the music scene as well featuring some of the biggest stars from all musical genres. It is also the longest running musical television series and just like a true rock and roll star, it shows no signs of slowing down. And while the series was developed primarily to support and showcase Texas musicians, it has grown to include performers and bands from across the globe. A large annual music festival has taken the name and occurs in Austin every year. Many people visit the city during festival days and the best Austin hotels fill up during this time.

    Damien Rice is just one of multitudes of musicians to perform on the Austin City Limits stage. He’s an excellent example of the large pool of musicians that are featured on the program and demonstrates its open ended genre support. Rice is from Ireland and plays a unique folk rock style of music. He was born in December of 1973 in Celbridge, Ireland. He is an incredibly talented singer, musician and song writer and plays multiple instruments. Among them are the guitar, which is his standard performance partner, though he also plays the piano, drums, violin and cello. He has had a dynamic career and life and has spent time working as a farmer in the Tuscan fields of Italy.

    After his stint as a farmer in Italy, Rice managed to busk his way around Europe. Busking is a common term for the practice of performing in streets and other public places. Musicians are a standard element of buskers though any form of performance is also included in the genre. There are also psychics, artists and magicians who make their living or at least part of it by presenting their skills and services in public markets and major open city street areas. This is more common in large cities than small towns. Rice was successful in this type of performing and it also gave him plenty of experience for various stage work. He is one of the most engaging singer/musicians working today and has a strong loyal fan base.

  • Rajasthani Folk

    Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

    With tourism as one of the main focuses of the state, Rajasthan is a travelers dream.  With fantastic and mysterious deserts, old temples, and spectacular palaces that are so delightfully constructed that they are often featured in international cinema, there is a luscious array of possibilities to quench the traveler’s urge to see something different.  It is also one of the most romantic places in the world to get cozy and get away from the rest of the world.  There is also an incredible array of luxury hotels.  Rajasthan offers many unique opportunities to follow your bliss, and at times, to find it.  There is a certain magic to the place that tends to rub off on the visitors, where you can truly enjoy yourself, and sometimes in spite of yourself.

    There are few places in the world that can live up to its reputation, but here, you can tour a royal palace, enjoy a spa in your own hotel, and visit a wildlife refuge, all in the same day.  There is certainly plenty to do while you’re here, but if you’ve come to enjoy each other’s company, and follow the days as they unfold, that’s also certainly possible here.  There is a wealth of splendid distractions to fill out the lazy days, and you’ll certainly enjoy the many different culinary treasures offered here.  The local food is extremely diverse, and the best chefs will combine the best of the traditional recipes and add some innovation to the mix, and you’ll see why Indian food is considered to be some of the finest in the world.  You may also find yourselves distracted by the local folk music, and that’s another adventure in itself.

    Rajasthani folk songs are spectacularly simple, drawing on a number of traditions to make songs that comment on current situations or relate stories from the history and traditions of the region.  The best songs are about love, like they usually are.  Ragas are some of the most common types of songs you’re likely to hear, and there are many practitioners and scholars of this famous music.  The Rajasthani folk tradition is based on some simple melodies, and sometimes takes in the more complex classical forms to round out the sound, making for a lively improvisational music that is a pleasure to listen to, and one of the many things here that can make life sweet.

  • Sydney Class

    Monday, November 16th, 2009

    Sydney is in a class of its own as far as cities go. This is truly a modern city at it’s best. Everyone is welcome and flock here from all over the world to vacation in this wonderful city. Sydney is ranked very high in the Pacific for its quality of life. There are plenty of jobs here and the education is world class. Health care is available to all in this cosmopolitan city.  Sydney has a great blend of superior businesses and educational facilities with luxurious leisure and play.

    Australia’s largest and oldest city is famous for its Sydney Opera House. The main photo used on the millions of post cards mailed from the area. The City is placed on an absolutely breath taking harbor that is coupled with easy to get to white sandy beaches. The harbor separates the city in to two, north and south. Each side has a bustling village with beach side homes and inner city shopping and eating. Each village being distinctly different from the other.

    The Sydney area has a moderate climate which appeals to the beach goers and the great outdoors men. Around the city there are five major national parks leaving almost 5000 miles of open space to play and roam. Travelers can feel comfortable knowing that this city is a secure place for families, with all the facilities and transportation needed to enjoy this modern metropolis. They often start their journey from one of the five star hotels in Sydney.

    People can find any style of restaurant to dine in this multicultural city. Each dish is enhanced by the local fresh fish, produce and of course world class wines. Visitor and locals have the opportunity to get out in the night and see so many performing art shows. From the Opera and the Symphony to the Dance company and the Theatre company there is a impressive show going on every night. The talent is the best in the world as this city draws the most distinctive performers, directors, and writer to its sought after scene.

  • Menorca’s beautiful beaches

    Monday, November 16th, 2009

    How about traveling to a climate so moderate that natives went about most of their daily life in the nude, and only learned to wear clothes from sea traders?  A place where once the inhabitants preferred to be paid for their labors with wine instead of coins?  How about Menorca?  The island is also known as Minorca, and its name derives from Minorica (“minor island”), one of the Spanish Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, taking its name because of its proximity to its larger neighboring island, Majorca.

    Many people believe they’ve found their own personal Shangri-La,  after checking into one of the luxury hotels menorca offers its visitors.  The island boasts a population today of around 88,000.  Over the centuries, it’s changed hands many times, from the Phoenicians to the Romans, and, eventually, to Spain.

    If you’re not a beach lover, you have the option to explore the historical remains of many past cultures: tombs, ancient monuments, castles, old forts.  The island has plenty of these things — hundreds of sites from different eras.  Just outside Mahon, for instance, you’ll find Fort Marlborough, a British fort overseeing the harbor, containing mazes of caves and tunnels.

    If you do like beaches, there’s everything from lengthy sandy ones at Son Bou to the more rugged beaches of Tortugas and Morella.  You can reach most of them in tourist areas; however, a good many, smaller pristine ones are hidden.  You’ll need a car for that.  One island favorite is Cala Mitjaneta.  Some beaches are harder to reach than others, because there aren’t any roads to them.  That means long, hard walks, sometimes climbing very steep terrains.  You have to be in shape for these trips!  For some, going to Menorca can be a life-changing experience, where they find their own personal paradise.

    A word of caution, though: Today, the islanders keep their clothes on, even though the temperature remains moderate enough to go without.   It’s actually illegal to go naked as the ancient ancestors once did, although a few beaches still cater to the naturalist impulse, but you may have to search to find them!

  • Zappa Ibiza

    Thursday, November 12th, 2009

    There are enough attractions in Ibiza to keep visitors of all ages very content for many weeks, and one visit here is invariably too short, but it will demonstrate to you that the hype about the island is true.  It’s one of the most exciting places in the world at night time, and there are many opportunities during the day to find new adventures that can be both educational and fun.  The history of Ibiza is amazingly vast, with prehistories, invasions, and even Visigoths in the whole mix.  For pure beach heaven, this is it.  When you’re looking for any excuse to relax in the sun, you can find many people here who are having the same idea as you, and you can confer about whether or not it’s a good idea while you’re soaking in the rays on some of the world’s most magnificent coastlines.

    There are, as you expect in a city with so many tourists, a lot of choices for accommodation in Ibiza.  Town hotel lodgings are a great choice if you’re looking for luxury with difference.  These are splendid locations to set up your base here, and consider your own legacy in Ibiza.  There have been many famous people here who have passed through here enough times that they started to become a little famous to the locals as well.  You might want to join this club, because chances are very high that once here, you’ll be coming back.  You might decide to hang out at the Cafe Del Mar as often as Frank Zappa did.

    He was one of the most influential people of his day, and continues to inspire generations of people with creative minds and urges.  He was one of the famous celebrities of the 1970s and 1980s that gave Ibiza its reputation as a pre-eminent place for the glamorous to have an escape.  Given Frank Zappa‘s consistently ironic presence, it’s either mildly humorous or close to hysterically funny that he would be in the same league as Kate Moss, but it’s somehow perfectly fitting as well.

  • Menorca Easter Parade

    Thursday, November 12th, 2009

    The Menorcans speak Castellan as well as Catalan, but thank goodness most people we ran into spoke English. We were here in Menorca for a long Easter weekend, my friend and I picked this least known of the Balearic Islands, which is located off the west coast of Spain. Compared to Ibiza and Mallorca, this island is small and unassuming. This is exactly what we were looking for, because we really needed to unwind and de-stress. Menorca is a perfect island getaway.

    We rented a car and spent four days getting to know this tiny isle. It has beach hamlets that are cute and we visited the two biggest towns, Ciutadella and Port Mao. This island is great for a long weekend, but not for a much longer stay, say like two weeks. There was just enough to keep us interested and occupied, but not so much that we felt pressured to hit another museum at the expense of an all important afternoon siesta. This island allowed us to soak up the unique, local take on Spanish island culture. Simple, relaxed and great finding a table at one of the many seaside restaurants, or downing the fresh catch of the day topped off with a nice bottle of Catalan rose’ wine.

    The days leading up to Easter has given us an extra treat, the Good Friday procession in downtown Mao was delightful. The whole town participates, or watches the parade. We were staying at one of the best Menorca hotels, which was just brief walk down to the parade and thoroughly enjoyed the parade that was a mix between a Halloween parade and a Neo white supremacist revival. Really! There were hundreds of men and boys dressed in these long robes with pointed hoods parading through town. Each group was dressed in the colors of one of the confraternities and carrying passion-themed floats and banging on drums and tooting on horns. Very surreal. Very intriguing. Not your usual American Main Street parade. Worth every minute.

  • Our Weekend in NY Will be Filled With Great Broadway Plays

    Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

    My fiance tells me all the time she wants to see a Broadway play on Broadway. It is something she has dreamed of for a long time. We have seen several touring Broadway productions like Phantom, Choirs Line and Le Miserable she has enjoyed them all.

    So if surprised her the other morning and told her we would be going to New York City for a weekend in early December. She was so excited, I was happy to see that. I said for her to go to New York Broadway tickets and get tickets to a couple of shows that she wanted to see that weekend. Of course I didn’t have to say that twice. She grabbed her cup of coffee and off to the computer she went.

    After a bit of deliberation she made her decision and we will be going to three plays. Wicked, Spamalot and Phantom of the Opera. Even though she has seen Phantom before she said she wanted to see it on Broadway. Who am I to say, so we are going to see Phantom again.

    We will be arriving in New York City on Thursday afternoon and be catching Wicked on Friday evening. Saturday we see Spamalot and the Sunday matinee of Phantom.

    In between we will be going to see the Museum of Modern Art’s, ‘What Was Good Design’ exhibition. A showing of pieces from the Moderns collection of everyday objects, many piece are from the Mid Century Modern Collection and there is a showing of contemporary drawings from the Rothschild Foundation Collection called ‘Compass in Hand’. These shows will be for me more than my fiance but I know she will be happy to make the sacrifice since we are going to three plays.

    She has never been to the City before and I like to sow her a good time and fit in as much as ewe can. Sunday night we’ll take the carriage ride around Central Park and if time permits we’ll sail on the Circle Line, circling Manhattan in a tour boat. Something I haven’t done since I was a kid. Well whether we make it or not we will have a very full weekend.

  • Discovering the Culture of Mumbai

    Monday, November 2nd, 2009

    Of the cities of India, Mumbai is one of the most progressive, cosmopolitan and liberal.  The people of Mumbai call themselves the Mumbaiker.  However, the people of Mumbai are now the people of the world, as more than half of the people living in the city, are from other places around the world.  This is becoming, like many of the cities around the globe, a melting pot of cultural and ethnic diversity.  And as well, like many of the fast growing cosmopolitan cities of the world, the pace of day to day life, is fast.

    One of the aspects of the city itself that serves to create the ability to be so fast paced, is the train system.  Mumbai has one of the largest and most efficient public transit systems in the world.  When people decide where to live, one of the first things they consider is the proximity to the train stations, when building hotels in India, Mumbai companies consider that proximity as well.

    Getting around to the markets and the cultural activities, to the theater and to the night clubs, is very easy as a result. The Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market is on such destination.  The murals on the walls surrounding the market tell the tale of the history of the market itself, and of the city of Mumbai.

    This was once a market that offered just fresh produce, but now there are any different stalls and vendors offering the produce as well as arts and crafts and traditional restaurants where the food is tasty and affordable.  This is one of the ways to experience the diversity of the city, by heading out to the restaurants.  Mumbai restaurants offer up everything from traditional Indian cuisine such as the Bhel Puri and Vada Pavs, to Chinese, Mexican, Lebanese and Mughlai.  Traveling through the city in such a manner, visiting the local merchants, artists and restaurant owners will give you a sense not only of the city, but of the people of the city.

  • Kuala Lumpur is Best Served by Street Vendor

    Monday, November 2nd, 2009

    It was my first day in Kuala Lumpur and it was starting to get hot. I was sworn by my travelling buddy Marcia to never say ‘It’s really hot!’, unless I had permission, if I didn’t Marcia would punch me in the arm, hard. If any of you know Marcia, then you know just how much that can hurt. But, really, I’m coming from the freezing Chicago suburbs! It’s really hot here! (Ouch). Example, standing by the train, 5am  and it’s 20 degrees! My face and my feet were soaked in sweat, but I’m sworn to keep quiet.

    Kuala Lumpur isn’t so easy to navigate, the streets are all jumbled and turn this way and that way, basically there are no straight roads here. Marci, fortunately, has a great sense of direction. Me, I can’t find my feet to put shoes on. We found one of the luxury hotels Kuala lumpur that had some decent rates and had rooms available. Yes, that’s right, we didn’t make reservations anywhere, and yes, we were lucky.

    We found the local people here in Malaysia to be so very nice. We only have run into one American so far, and all the rest of the tourist are mostly from Southeast Asia. There’s a variety of food here, lots of Indian, which we both love, and lots of Kopi coffee, it comes already sweetened with milk. Actually, that’s the way all coffees and teas come, pre-sweetened. Our first meal was at a local street vendor, and man was that so tasty! After that, we only ate from the street vendors and skipped the restaurants.

    Marcia had a tough day, for some reason the therapeutic massages we got didn’t help her feel any better, so we called it an early evening. Tomorrow, we’ll fly up to and island called Langkawai. It’s known for where they filmed ‘The King and I’ with Jodie Foster. We hear it’s even more spectacular than what we saw in the movie, but we were told to stay out of the ocean, too many jellyfish, really tiny weenie jellyfish that is one stings you, you’d barely feel it, but there are thousands and thousands. So, we’ll stay away from swimming. At least we’ll eat!