Meanwhile in the Hamptons: Few things suck more
than the...

post from Gridskipper on 18 July 2008 02:57:00 PM. © Gridskipper

Few things suck more than the long drive up the 495 to your weekend beach escape… except for maybe the route’s less than appealing culinary options. Fortunately, there are a handful of stops – like steaks at Bryant & Cooper or Tuscan food at Stresa – where you’ll find food with just enough flavor to hold you over until the Hamptons. Also worth a stop: Benihanas: ‘”think of it as your chance for local culture,” or just go to raise a glass in honor of the late, great, Rocky Aoki. [BB]

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Prada Outlet, Montevarchi, Tuscany, Italy

post from GUIDEBOOK.SE on 18 July 2008 02:38:00 PM. © GUIDEBOOK.SE

You know me. I’m certainly not an outlet guy.The mere existence of a ’shopping’[...]

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Bye Bye Room With No View

post from Ferroever on 18 July 2008 02:13:00 PM. © Ferroever

I just want to say thank you to my 'Blog Family' [gah, I sound like Grinch Paltrow] for getting me through these past few months. Thanks to the music I've been sent - which I am listening to now - thanks for the knitting project; thanks for the books; thanks for the poncho; thanks for all the comments that have kept me afloat; thanks for just popping in.
It would have been so hard without this blog.
So really, thank you.
This room will be far from my mind for 7 weeks.
Far from my mind.
And when I come back, there will be no more misery because I will be planning my next big moves.
I am open to anything and everywhere.
Wanna do a m'bike trip? I'll do it.
Sail? I'll do it.
I'll be open to so many adventures.
Just lead the way.

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http://ihaveaboat.blogspot.com/2008/07/bye-bye-room-with-no-view.html

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Sydney Beer Cafes

post from Gridskipper on 18 July 2008 12:55:00 PM. © Gridskipper

Beyond the Aussie pub lies the European beer café (as distinguished from the beer garden). Whether you're after boutique Belgians, colonial brews, Bavarian bottles, or Czech imports, Sydney has a variety of beer cafés to suit any connoisseur's palate. Some are homegrown, while others cash in on the reputation of Old World producers. But all offer a good guzzle and a hearty feed.

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Friday Photo: Bridge, People and Temple

post from India Travel Blog on 18 July 2008 12:27:00 PM. © India Travel Blog

Laxman Jhula, Rishikesh.[...]

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eople-and-temple.html

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Day Six: Gulu

post from Andria in Uganda on 18 July 2008 12:21:00 PM. © Andria in Uganda

Gulu is the second largest town by population in Uganda. It houses a sizeable military base, which used primarily for operations against the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). The last 21 years here have been war-ridden, with several attacks by the LRA. During the times of conflict, tens of thousands of children would flee from their neighbouring villages into Gulu each night for safety. Millions of people in the district were displaced by the war -though the LRA is not operating in Uganda today, probably about one million people are still living in displacement camps around Gulu, trying to earn enough to restart their lives.

I have learned a lot about this conflict before coming here, and my heart goes out to these people. I am dying to visit a camp, to talk to the people I've learned so much about. (You can watch a great documentary called Invisible Children: Rough Cut, about the LRA conflict here for free; and in fact, you should.)

Unfortunately, our time in Gulu is actually very short lived and kind of disappointing; we are running behind (ah, Africa time) if we are going to catch our scheduled ferry to Murchison Falls. Instead of making our stop at an IDP camp as we thought, our van pulls up at House of Hope orphanage, a home for children orphaned by either HIV/AIDS, or the war in Northern Uganda. Thirty three children live here, many of whom, we are told, have personally witnessed the deaths of their parents at the hands of the LRA. I can't even imagine.

The orphanage is run by an evangelical grey haired white lady from Texas, and feels a bit like a child brainwashing centre. The children are well taken care of, for sure; they're just also being indoctrinated with the word of Christ from a very, very young age, which is something pretty foreign to me, personally. (And, it's true that I'm disappointed that we're not going to an IDP camp, which is the whole reason I wanted to come to Gulu in the first place, so this is definitely skewing my perception.) Of course, in addition to the Bible, the orphanage staff are teaching the kids other things too: life skills (especially in farming and agriculture), and good values. The children are happy and healthy. They have clothes; they eat well; they go school; they know love. I'm quite sure they get a ton of funding and support from American churches.

We have four hockey bags full of donations we have brought to Gulu, hoping to leave in a camp. Since there is no time, we spread them out on the floor at the orphanage instead, and Dean gives a touching speech that makes the best of what we are all feeling. We show the kids some examples of what is in the bags. They stare, and look almost expressionless. I don't see many even crack much of a smile. Next we hand out toothbrushes, which we realize they probably already have. One of the supervisors says something in Acholi to the kids, and they all smile and clap. We feel a bit uneasy knowing there are others who clearly need this stuff more than these kids, but aren't sure what to do about it.

The orphanage feeds us - yes, an orphanage feeds us! It's actually one of the better Ugandan meals we've had so far, too. We ask that they review the donations and give what they don't need to the IDPs, and they understand, and assure us that they will. We pray with them about four times. The children say "Hallelujah" and "Amen" about fifty times.

We pass some IDP camps on the road. It sucks that we don't get to see one up close, but at least some of the victims of a conflict I've learned so much about over the last few months are the recipients of Softchoice's donations. I wish it were minus the evangelical Christianity, but I know their hearts are in the right place, and what really matters is that someone cares enough about these children to help them.

I am reminded today that roughly 50% of the population of the entire country of Uganda is under 15 years old - this is mind blowing to me. There is such need here. What is going to happen to these kids?

En route to Murchison Falls National Park now - we'll have missed our ferry by the time we'd arrive at the docking area, so we are taking the long route into the park on some of the worst roads ever. We've almost been in 3 accidents already, have passed a couple of wrecks so far on the roadside shoulders, and we are bouncing all over the road. My tailbone is numb, my knees are throbbing, and as usual, I have a lot on my mind. As it turns out, I might be ready for this cushy lodge after all.

Read The Full Article:
http://andriainuganda.blogspot.com/2008/07/gulu.html

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Meanwhile in Atlantic City: “Two of
Atlantic City’s newest hotels...

post from Gridskipper on 18 July 2008 11:52:00 AM. © Gridskipper

“Two of Atlantic City’s newest hotels are wagering customers will flock to this seaside resort with gambling all around them and stay for something other than the tumbling dice.” Or in other words, A.C. is looking to channel a bit more Vegas and a bit less Mohegan Sun. The two hotels in question are the not-yet-opened Chelsea and the Borgata’s recently debuted Water Club. Both are banking on celeb chefs and spectacles courtesy of Elton John and The Eagles to jump-start Atlantic City’s non-gambling economy. [AP]

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Luang Prabang - Close to the Heavens

post from Eye in the Sky on 18 July 2008 11:47:00 AM. © Eye in the Sky

Ancient royal city. Laos? foremost tourist destination. UNESCO World Heritage City.
Population: 26,000
Main water way: the Mekong and the Nam Kham (Kham River)
Elevation: 700 m above sea level

THE ROAD TO HEAVEN

Arriving in Luang Prabang in the early morning was like riding into a dream. The moment I opened my eyes on the bus, I knew I made the right decision to travel on a night bus. It was past 6 AM and the vehicle was making its steady ascent into a zigzag to the heavens. Fluffy clouds hang low, their feathery tufts covering most of the green mountains surrounding us. They were like angels welcoming us.

It was hard not to be moved by such beauty. As the other passengers gradually awoke in the midst of such unfathomable beauty, everyone fell silent. I was wide-eyed, smiling for myself. The only sound that you could hear was the occasional clicking of cameras. It has been more than 36 hours of bus rides from Saigon. My only regret so far is my failure to capture the beauty of the scenery before me ? in all its splendor. Is this the road to heaven? The view before me is probably not for cameras to capture, but solely for the human eye to appreciate.

SISA WHO?

We reached an almost deserted bus garage. It was drizzling by the time our bus found its parking. There was a small office at the center of the station lot. I retrieved my backpack, took shelter and considered my options. I went to one of the waiting sangthaews (which literally means 2 rows). I asked how much he?s charging for Sisavangvong Road, the main street at the center of the city. Whoever thought of that name is a genius. It has a tongue-twisting playful quality. Sisa-vang-vong! Sisa-vang-vong! Saying it is like summoning the spirits of heaven! Sisa-vang-vong! Can I have a smoke machine?

One of the tourists kept saying, ?Sisa-VONG!? as though he was trying to correct me. The cretin! Go check your crumpled Lonely Planet and relearn your street names! From behind me, a goo goo eyed Danish girl, in her high-pitched nasal voice, kept gushing, ?It?s so beautiful!? I looked around and saw the dusty grounds of the bus station. There were other sangthaews waiting for customers. There was nothing particularly beautiful surroundings us. Unless she was referring to the tall Italian guy she was tightly holding on to. Alright, I?m being a dickhead! LOL

The sangthaew driver I approached was asking for 15,000 kip (almost $2) from each of his 3 passengers, myself included. Cheap. But if you really think about it, it was like a tricycle ride from any of the side streets of Boni Avenue going to Cherry?s Foodarama in Shaw Boulevard, which charges PhP30 ($0.65 ). Buti sana kung airconditioned taxi service ?to, eh motorbike lang naman na may backride. Tapos may mga kasama ka pa! Off we went to Sisavangvong. The driver earned 45,000 kip from us. That?s $5.60 (PhP255) for his non-aircon luxury vehicle.

Looks like a "thumbs up"as the Mekong flows to the North then turns south and eastward. X marks the Chomsy Hill aka Phou Si.

Sisavangvong was a pleasant surprise. The street is lined by quaint little shops and rows of restaurants. A large hill called Phou Si stands proud along this street. Phou Si is also called Chomsy Hill mainly because Chompasak (Kalachuchi) grows around the whole area. Phou Si is a helpful beacon in orienting yourself around LP. From the peak, you see the spectacular view of the whole city including the confluence of the two rivers ? the great Mekong and the Kham River. The town itself is easily navigated on foot. If you are the fun and adventurous ?walker?, you can see most of the city in a day or two, although most tourists extend their stay to soak up the atmosphere.

SWEET AS A SACKARINTH

I had two guesthouses on my list to check out. I had to narrow down my prospective choices. The first one on my list was Sackarinth Guesthouse located off Sisavangvong. There is a signpost from the main street which I readily saw from my drop off. For some reason, the rate was lower than what Lonely Planet mentioned. Must be the low season. I met Somsak from the lobby. He showed me room 7 located on the 2nd floor, at the back of the front building. Though dimly lit, my room was big - with airconditioning, a cable television, and a clean bathroom. True enough, as per literature, a koala bear graces the door mat. LOL. Not bad for a S12. The two other backpackers from the bus station got the room next to mine, which was another $12. This meant they get to pay $6 (48,000 kip or PhP273) each for their room. I?ll be damned! LOL. It wasn?t until later in the day that Somsak informed me that ?your friends? transferred to a much smaller fan room in the front building. The room rate: $6. My so-called friends shelled out $3 each (Php136.50)! Ohmygod! So, if you have plans of seeing Luang Prabang and are on a tight budget, a $3 room wouldn?t be a bad choice. One thing?s for sure. You have to share a communal bathroom with others. If you are claustrophobic, I wouldn?t recommend it either. As Somsak said, ?Is very small room??

CONVERSATION WITH A FORMER MONK

Somsak couldn?t be over 20. I sat up with him for a friendly chat. He pointed to his mop of dark hair, ?I?m not so used to having a lot of hair.? He was a monk until 2 months ago. He left his temple to pursue college and to work. He felt he needed to help his family who lives in a rice farming community some 30 minutes from Luang. Most families send their children to temples to avail of their free elementary and secondary education. Having a monk in the family renders a sense of respectability to a Lao family, much like a Filipino family whose sons enter the seminary or a religious order. Somsak tried to convince me to offer food or bread at the early morning ceremony. ?You should give?? he said. After 4 years of being a monk, he misses his temple life. It?s their temple stay that makes Lao men gentle people, almost passive with laidback demeanor. Later in the day, we would discuss about the places that I visited. Then he offered me his email address, which surprised me. I didn?t envision locals to be checking their mails at the end of the day. It was interesting how he wrote his note which read: ?My name is Somsak. My email is...? Everything was written in complete sentences. He spoke slow, in fractured English and he would smile whenever he mispronounced words. It was nice to meet a friendly soul in a far off land.

When I finally got inside my room, I charged everything that needed charging, especially my camera. My mobile phone?s roaming was working properly. There were no annoying spam messages like those coming from Vietnam?s Viettel Telecom. Warm shower felt good. I imagined scrubbing away 3 days worth of border-crossing debris. I felt like a civilized human being again. I set my phone?s alarm, and then forced myself to sleep for an hour. I didn?t feel tired or sleepy, but I knew I?d need to rest before taking on the rest of the day. There will be a LOT of walking involved later ? and I couldn?t wait.

POSTCARD HABIT

Once I was ready to gallivant, I got my stuff ready. Camera, pen and notebook, Laos Lonely Planet. Sisavangvong looked very relaxed. There were hardly touts offering their trade and following you as you walk the streets. I bought some postcards and mailed a couple for my mother (who loves receiving them). It has become a habit sending them from different cities. I like the ?production number? involved in locating post offices. It has become a part of my travels. Postcards and stamps don?t come cheap but they give me reassurance of being rooted somewhere. And that somewhere is the Philippines. Wala lang. Sniff!

TRANSPORTATION

The city has few cars or taxis. The main mode of transportation for tourists are the sangthaew which are also called ?jumbos?, these are 3 wheeled motorized vehicles bigger than the tuktuks of Thailand. The local police does not allow privately rented bicycles unless you are part of a group tour. These jumbos charge between 10,000 to 15,000 kip for destinations within the city center. An unscrupulous driver asked 50,000 kip (instead of 15,000 kip) from me after taking me to Wat Xieng Thong, the city?s ?oldest?. He obviously forgot that I made him write the 15,000 ON MY notebook during our negotiation. I simply showed him his very own handwriting. Lolokohin pa ako ng gago!

THE CHECKLIST

Once upon a time, I used to hate doing a checklist of must-see places. It seems too corny, too unhip. However, I end up missing important places and regretting big time. Not anymore. I make a checklist, an itinerary, and I try to follow it religiously, unless better opportunities present themselves. In Luang, this list is an enumeration of temple names; the ones that the books and guides find interesting: the oldest, the biggest, the most beautiful, the holiest, the most visited ? then my favorite, those off the beaten track, barely discovered temples. In the succeeding posts, I shall post some of these temples.

NIGHT MARKET AND CURFEW

At 5PM, a good stretch of Sisavangvong is closed to traffic. Colorful tents gather on the street near Chomsy Hill (Phou Si). Vendors start displaying different products ranging from souvenir shirts to blouses, lanterns, paintings, blankets, pillowcases, brass wares, bags, etc. I bought a painting and some Luang Prabang shirts. I leisurely walked through the stalls until I reached the stair leading to the hill. I climbed the steps of Chomsy Hill. Midway to the top, it got really dark. I?d have wanted to see the night view from the top, but it didn?t feel safe. I sat on the steps and enjoyed the multicolored tents of the Night Market down below. After 15 minutes, I went down and started looking for a suitable restaurant for my dinner. It wasn?t until 9PM that the tents were slowly being dismantled. The locals were heading home in time for the curfew at 10. There is a reason why curfew is being observed in Luang Prabang. This is a country run by a military regime after all. But more importantly, the city has early morning rituals; one of the main reasons why tourists come to Luang Prabang!

Should I wait and observe how the curfew is going to be enforced? No thank you.

The picturesque Haw Kham (others spell it as Ho Kham) is the former royal palace, This has been turned into the Luang Prabang National Museum, the official name written in front of the complex. Lonely Planet calls it the Royal Palace Museum. It sits on a compound that has a temple to its right, the Phralak Phralam Theatre and a little pond beside it. The museum closes between 11:30AM and 1:30 PM.

This museum houses the Pha Bang, its most prized Buddha ? cast in gold, silver and bronze alloy, weighing 53kg. This was cast in Sri Lanka during the first century and presented to the Luang King. The Buddha sits in the center of a small hall. Visitors can only view it 5 feet from a deck. I couldn?t steal some photographs coz an old man was watching over the visitors, namely ME! LOL. Just across the street from the Museum is the Chomsy Hill (aka Phou Si). My jumbo driver wasn?t aware of it being called Haw Kham.

The Phralak Theatre

Hmong Market. Hmongs refer to an ethnic minority in Laos.

The Tourist Information Center. Located along Sisavangvong, this office is perfectly situated in the heart of the city. Unfortunately, they were close the two times that I visited them. They are said to give out complementary maps of the city.

Prabang?s Service Ophthalmology Clinic. Can you believe it? A specialty service in Luang Prabang. I found this clinic east of the hill.

Dara Market. Also located in the eastern area of the city, Dara Market is a small center divided into stalls. There are some posh cafes, some DVD shops, as well as stalls selling cell phones and accessories. I was looking for Lao movies and I was greeted with perplexed stares everywhere. It turns out, the Lao Movie industry is non-existent. They have a thriving television industry churning out local telenovelas and TV series, but no Lao movies.

Sackarinth Guest House (left) and my $12 room 7 (right)

Colurful tents make the Night Market along Sisavangvong.

Random Expenditures:

· Sangthaew ride from the bus station to Sisavangvong Road - $1.88 or 15,000 kip or PhP85
· Sackarinth Guesthouse: aircon room with bathroom - $12 or 96,000 kip or PhP546
· Sackarinth Guesthouse fan rooms without bathrooms - $6/room/night good for 2-3 persons
· Postcards ? $0.25 or 2,000 kip/piece or PhP11.40. I was able to buy 1,500 kip/piece somewhere far from the center (Sisavangvong)
· Postcard stamps within Asia - $0.88 or 7,000 kip or PhP40
· Dragon fruit, I piece ? $0.63 or 5,000 kip or PhP28 (a sliced piece at the Robinson?s Grocery is PhP55)
· Pineapple Pie, 1 piece ? $0.63 or 5,000 kip or PhP28
· Coke in can - $1 or 8,000 kip or PhP45 (clearly more than double the price compared to Philippine equivalent)
· Souvenir tshirts (Laos shirts) at the Night Market along Sisavangvong ? $2.50 or 20,000 kip (price before haggling: 30,000 kip) or PhP113.75
· Luang Prabang national Museum aka Royal Palace Museum aka Haw Kham admission: $2 or 16,000 kip

Read The Full Article:
http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2008/07/luang-prabang-close-to-heavens.ht
ml

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It's Just Not Right

Life.
It is precious.
It only comes around once.
In this life.
Right now.

You know, the one we've all got now.
You don't get any second chances with it.
And this is why I am where I am today. Nearly free at a relatively young age.

Because, well, because I don't want to have to work until I am 60 years old.
That's why.
From a young age I used to think,

'What's the point of making your dreams come true towards the end of your life, when your body is on the wane, and you're on the way out, when you can instead make it happen during the peak years of your life?'

Hallso, from a very young age, I thought,

'What's the point of staying in the UK when the world is a big place and I want to see as much of it before I die as possible. Ergo, I'm going to live and work abroad.'

Which I did.
And I did it well.
A lot better than many of my friends did, when they lived abroad; in that I went for the cushy jobs even though I was wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy underqualified. And got them. Confidence can take you far in life sometimes.

I mean, I have friends who, when I've offered them the chance to work for my company up in Tokyo, who place teachers in cushy private school jobs across Japan, well, I've had them say,

'I couldn't teach high school. It would be too difficult.'
or

'I couldn't work in a real school. It would be too difficult'.

I'd look at them with raised eyebrows and beer breath and say,

'Okay. Stick with the shit language school jobs then. Your choice but I think you are a fool for doing so. I mean, if I can get these jobs, then you, with your TEFL and your real educational quals, can definateillleee get them!'

And yes, a lot of these friends were actually qualified teachers back in their own countries.
And I'm not.

On the other side of the coin, there have been many times when I have found jobs with my company for friends over the years, and they are still there. Cos the jobs are cushy. And not as difficult as they sound. Then again, teaching has never been difficult for me. I just do it and do it well.

Yeah, shoot me for being straight up but fuck this modest shit. If you are good at something, say it outloud.

Things I'm Good At

Typing
Travelling
Humor
Smiling
Marathon shag sessions
Dropping an anchor stern to [Ha! Bet you didn't know that!]
Cooking

Uh, that's it.
Not much I suppose but in my natural free state, I am a very happy, positive, life-loving, life-appreciating person. Which is enough, quite possibly.

I have tigressed beyond tigression.
The point of this post was:
Thank fcuk I am not a Japanese teacher.
How do they do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All this work work work work work.
WORK.

Today is the last day of classes.
Today is the 18th July.
The next semester begins on the 1st of September.

Wanna know how many days off my co-teachers are getting?
Six! In the middle of August during Japan's longest 'national holiday', Obon.
When every other person is travelling and well, you are gonna be paying big bucks to be going anywhere. Even domestically.

6 days.
Oh, and some weekends.
And possibly once or twice each week when they don't have to come into school for special classes for the kids; who also don't know what it's like to experience a true summer vacation.
I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo glad I wasn't born in Japan.

I would never ever ever ever ever ever ever, if I was a foreigner who got married to a Japanese person, I would never ever ever ever send my child to school in this country.
Never. Ever.
It is too cruel.

It's like becoming a salaryman at age 7.
Taught to sacrifice your free time for the sake of what????
What!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!
These poor kids.

I was once asked to give up my summer vacation to come and teach some lame English classes.

My answer was a resounding no.
No.
Never.

You will have to fire me before I will ever sell my soul to a job.

They never asked again.

So whose class is more interesting?

That of a person like me who has an anecdote or story for any topic that comes up.
Or somebody who has only ever known the World of Work?

I say ME.

And I'm not being patronising here. It's not that there's this group of people out there saying, 'OMG, I love overwork!'

My co-teachers are suffering.
They are fucking exhausted.
They just don't realise that things can change if the numbers are big enough and the voices are big enough.
I mean, come on, 6 days off in a row out of 7 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is unhealthy.
Very unhealthy.
And yet they do it.
I have NO idea how they do it.

I feel sorry for all my students if their future is gonna be like the teachers who teach them. And this is why I try to be as personal as possible in class to show them that there's a whole lot of opportunities out there in life.
Like this afternoon, I was giving a special class to the kids going to NZ soon and I was secretly amazed that I was coming up with all these fun stories and I thought to myself,

'Fuck, I love my life. I love all the experiences I have had. I am sooooooooooo lucky'.

And the 8 kids I was teaching?
Well, they were shining by the end of the class.

They'd enjoyed the candidity with which I told my little yarns, they saw the possibilities open to them, they realised that you don't have to go through life being a martyr for your job.

I may have changed the outlook of 8 kids today.
I can only live in hope.

Fuck. I have massively tigressed again.
I wanted to write about all the teachers from my past who have appeared shocked at my blatant get-the-fuck-out-of-school-as-soon-as-classes-finish antics.

I've had some say,
'Why do you travel so much?'
others say,
uh, well, not much. They don't quite know how to deal with it cos in one summer, I use up their lifetime of vacation, or so it seems.

So yah, in the past I have had teachers say in response to my, 'Why don't you travel?'
'I'm waiting for retirement'

And guess what, a lot of them, or their spouses, got sick or kicked the bucket before reaching 60.
And most probably because of overwork.
Fuck. What a waste.

Fuck. I've lived a good life. Especially when you consider that all the photos used for this blog post were drawn from a mere two months of my life.
I will never give up on life and living it to the full.
And tomorrow here I come!!!

Read The Full Article:
http://ihaveaboat.blogspot.com/2008/07/its-just-not-right.html