TravelCent

Tampa and the In Laws for Christmas

This year it is going to be Tampa, Florida for Christmas. With the in laws retiring to Tampa, Florida this year we will be going to Tampa for Christmas this year and I am certain for a number of years to come. I got us reservations at a luxury Tampa hotels, I am not going to be staying with the in laws for a week, and especially with the additional stress of the holidays on top of it I just don’t think I can stand to be in there place for a week.

My mother in law is crazy, a sweet lady but also very high stress and high strung. She seems to always be on edge and on the go go go. Tat behavior gets on my nerves very quickly and makes me tense. And with it being the holidays she will be especially on edge. Is this right or wrong, how to do this or that, your not doing it right, not over there, over here. She can go on and on about stuff i didn’t even think it was possible to talk about for a few minutes. It is crazy and I don’t understand at all how my father in law puts up with it. He just seems to ignore her, I suppose that is really the only way to deal with it.

My wife is upset I made hotel reservations and is not sure how she will tell her mother we are staying at a hotel. I am of the mind she (my wife) needs to make the excuse up, because if left up to me I will tell my mother in law that staying in her house for a week would drive me nuts and why. Then she will be really mad at me, I won’t care, but it will upset my wife. In all reality my mother in law drives my wife nuts too, although she won’t admit it, and I can’t believe she would really want to stay with her parents for a week anyway. I am thinking staying in a hotel near the beach we will get some time to unwind on the beach daily before getting another dose of the craziness.

Fresh Seafood Restaurant in San Francisco

I recently visited my friend Bill in San Francisco, California. I try and get out there once a year and he tries to come to my place in Phoenix, Arizona once a year as well. Conveniently we have it scheduled out that I visit him around August and he visits me in January or February. He jokingly refers to his visit as his summer vacation because Phoenix in February is frequently warmer than San Francisco in August. So, last month I was there in his little apartment on telegraph hill and we were talking about where we wanted to have dinner that night. He had mentioned a seafood restaurant earlier in the day, though I really wasn’t interest. Well, as I suspected might happen, he brought it up again when we were making dinner plans.

Well, I had the impression that it was going to be a sushi place, which I just don’t have a taste for. I realized that this was a silly misunderstanding when he started to describe the place. He said it was a seafood restaurant down by the pier and that it was the freshest salmon and most delicious seafood I could find anywhere. Well, logically I wasn’t going to try and argue that point as most of the entrees were probably caught that afternoon. So, finally I agreed that this place sounded good and we headed out to get a cab.

Ultimately I can’t tell you exactly how delicious that dinner was. Bill had the fresh salmon in a light lemon caper sauce and I had the shrimp scampi with pasta. We both had salads with the house mango vinaigrette, which was also delicious. The slivered almonds in the salad added the perfect balance to the light sweetness of the dressing. In addition to the great meal we had a beautiful view of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. While we were eating I jokingly told Bill I would have to take him to my favorite restaurant in Phoenix that served the freshest cactus jelly he would ever have. On the non-joking side however, cactus jelly actually is very tasty.

Lively Characters in Valencia

After our trip to Barcelona, we headed down to Valencia, which was another huge city! We met some very interesting people here. The first street we walked down, this woman, who seemed homeless, threw a bottle at us, she didn’t hit us, but aimed right at our feet. We took it as a ‘welcome’ to Valencia and it was this woman’s way of blessing our journey. We ended up staying at one of the best Valencia hotels and thoroughly enjoyed all the amenities.

Our highlight of Valencia was when I accidentally pulled out a pair of pink panties when I reached into my travel bag to get my cell phone. We were on the tram heading to the beach. I didn’t realize that they were laying on the trams floor for the whole duration of the trip. So there they were, my pink panties staring at everyone on the tram, but what was even more embarrassing was there was a yellow g-string hanging from the end of my cell phone. I think we need to go back to that woman on the streets and have her re-bless us!

After an overnight bus from Valencia took us to Granada, we decided to walk into town. This place is so much smaller than Barcelona and Valencia, it has a real Spanish feel to it. This is what we were hoping for, a real Spanish town. But, we also ran into a interesting character here too. We walked up to a popular viewing platform for the Alhambra and we saw a drunken, fiery domestic dispute. After the couple screamed all the while staggering about one another, a crowd began to form. The male raised his hand and began to chase after the woman. Fortunately for the woman, a tourist stepped in front of the man and stopped him. We found out, a little later that they were brother and sister. Sibling rivalry gone too far I think.

Spain’s been so much fun and I’ll miss all the lively characters. But, we bet they’ll be more in Morocco!

Making Happy Neighborhoods

Canada is one of the more remarkable places in the world.  Those who live here understand that there are splendid things here that are difficult to find in other places.  Our neighborhoods reflect the commitment and dedication of the generations that came before us, working to make sustainable places for our children to grow up in.  They had a sense of civic responsibility that is inspiring to us.  We at TransGlobe Property Management are working toward that level of commitment to the neighborhoods where you work and live.  Our record for excellent customer service is an indicator for us that we’re on the right track.

Our relationship with you, then, is one that we consider to be ongoing.  We have made it very easy, and even fun, to select possibilities for living and working on our user-friendly database, so you can start daydreaming about your new space right away.  We realize that moving can be a big hassle, and is one of the biggest stresses people have in their lives, and we like to do our part to make it easier.  We also know that there is a certain thrill about moving, when you start to think about the place you’ll soon be, how to decorate, where your belongings will go, and what the neighborhood will be like.

At TransGlobe Property Management, we’ve been working in the neighborhoods you’ll live, and doing our part to make changes for the lives of community members.  We like to participate in charitable functions, because it helps us to bring our team together, and it also gets us out there, and more connected to life as it’s really lived.  We love the neighborhoods here, and think it’s a truly special place.  For this generation, and the memory of those who lived here before us, along with the safety and health of the generation to follow, we’re working together to make happy neighborhoods.

Kaloisha, Animating Udaipur

There is a particularly fascinating sensation that comes to guests when they visit Udaipur.  The spectacular visions of city and temple in various combinations is a blend of new and old world styles and sensibilities that is so familiar, and like no other place on earth.  Udaipur is one of the most amazing tourist cities for the discerning world traveler, and when you book your hotel in Udaipur, you’ll be on your way to discovering why it has attracted to many famous visitors, and why it is selected as the shooting location for so many films.  There are things to see and do here to attract guests of all ages, and it is constantly revealing more sides of itself, adding to the lure and mystery.

Its peculiarly stunning location makes it a spot for temples, and there are a stunning number of these here.  The fantastic sights combine with the stunning beauty of the lakes and sky, to make for a physical and constructed beauty that is simply amazing.  There is a magic, too, to the tropical weather that is constantly contributing to the magic of the experience, and you’ll soon be reminded that there are lovely adventures to be found here.  You can see some of the local culture up close and reflected back through the fantastic art work of the local artists.

One painter whose work you might come across while you’re here, and it’s certainly worth looking out for, is Manoj Kumar Kaloisha.  He was born in Amjer, but trained, and has an MA, from the university in Udaipur, where he’s now also living.  He teaches art and paints, and also has a foot in the animation arts.  The work of Kaloisha reflects a desire to cross into the arena of collectable art, with its bold colors and deceptively simple forms, that bear repeated viewings to understand the craft, and cracks, and expertise of the hand that painted them.

In Limbo in Kuala Lumpur

I’m so in limbo here. I’ve spent the last few days in steamy, hot Kuala Lumpur and my ordeal isn’t over yet! I need to wait another 3 days until I can go back to the Indonesian embassy and (I hope) claim my 60 day visa. It would be so much better to be going on a memorable trip to Indonesia, but I’m having way too many hassles. My whole life has been pretty easy up to now, I’ve never run into any problems, or issues, especially bureaucratic hassles. I’ve had it easy here in Kuala Lumpur for the past few months. Easy food, tooling around with great friends, then WAM! My life is all upside down.

Lonely Planet’s information is out dated, because I found it impossible to get a 60 day visa upon arrival in Indonesia. It would’ve been easy to request a visa in Singapore, but I did not have a second ID, all I had was my passport, which they I needed to turn in along with my papers. Plus, I needed an invitation letter from an Indonesian sponsor and a return ticket out of Indonesia, but I’m travelling overland, so I didn’t even have that!

This all happened the weekend before Chinese New Year, so the embassy was closed for the holidays. Not that it mattered cause I didn’t have anything they would accept for my 60 day visa! Man, the only thing I found good was the bar in one of the luxury hotels Kuala Lumpur has; a bar in which helped me forget my problems for at least a day. My friends joined me in my time of need, that helped too. What didn’t help was all their idiotic suggestions. I’ll just have to wait until Singapore’s embassy opens and throw myself on their mercy and hope for the best. I will never, ever trust Lonely Planet again.

Maritime and Railroad History in Duluth

On the banks of the beautiful and majestic shores of Lake Superior is the city of Duluth. A port city on the Great Lakes once the connecting point of east and west with the railroad connections to the west and the navigable water ways all the way to the Atlantic. Once a boom town in its mining and lumbering hay days, Duluth’s growth rivaled that of Chicago then. Today Duluth is a quiet city with an interesting history and some really cool museums to see.

We went to Duluth to see two museums in particular. The Lake Superior Marine Museum and the Lake Superior Railroad Museum. Being ship and railroad buffs these museums were a natural draw for us. The railroad museum was fascinating. I am always intrigued with the history of the railroads and how they interweave into the story of the country as a whole.

I first became interested in railroads from the stories my great uncle told of being a switch-man and turn table operator in a railroad yard in Hopewell Junction, NY. He told of the noise and steam of the giant engines pulling onto the turn table then the turn table was pulled around by horses turning the around to head back in the direction from which it came. I an always interested in how the railroads were the same and the differences from one area of the country to another.

We got to our hotels Duluth and were pleased to discover it was near the museum thus saving us the trouble of finding it. We spent the majority of the day at the museum and tomorrow plan on taking one of the train rides they offer along the north shore of Lake Superior.

Our final day in Duluth will be spent on the Lake taking site seeing tours and visiting the Lake Superior Maritime museum. Filled with information and site seeing out trip to Duluth is shaping up to be a winner!

Gallery Wren in Sydney

Australia is a wonderful place for visitors.  With stunning natural beauty, the outback, beaches, and a rich, urban scene in the bigger cities, there’s really something for everyone to love here. Sydney is one of Australia’s most fascinating cultural centers, and there are just hosts of attractions that will appeal to guests of all ages.  There are spectacular art galleries, great clubs that play some of the world’s most forward-looking music, and it’s also a fantastic place for a hotel.  Sydney, Australia is wonderful and magical, and there are memories here, just waiting for you to come and create them.

Treat yourself to a lovely meal after a splendid rest, and you’ll be ready to start having a unique adventure in this unique place.  The cuisine reflects all the cultural influences here, and it’s a very heady mix of local indigenous culture, and European and Asian influences.  This cosmopolitan mix has helped Sydney to become a major player in the art world.  It attracts some of the most creative minds in the world, coming to take part in the evolving scene here.  One of the city’s edgiest and most established galleries, ironically, is Gallery Wren , which has a terrific history of presenting provocative new art by emerging and established artists.

They’ve presented works by the likes of Arnie Arnold, one of Sydney’s bad boy artists, who follows in the footsteps of some of his British near-contemporaries.  His work is a mix of styles and media, and he’s been moving from painting to more experimental forms, including digital media, as well as working on a series of collages of late.  Not that there’s anything traditional about his paintings, either, which speak to a contemporary sensibility that embraces his unique combination of surrealism and pop culture, and help to define an art sensibility that is uniquely Sydney, and simultaneously located in a larger international arena.

Combining Business with Pleasure in Delhi

Patrick found out that he was going to have to take a business trip out of the country. While this was intriguing to him, he was also concerned about it, due mostly to the fact that it was business oriented and most of his time would be consumed by meetings, yet all of the necessary planning and arrangements that go along with travel would have to be made. His wife Sandy pointed out to him that he was taking a rather immature attitude perspective to this and that he should look at it as a great opportunity. After a couple of days of thinking, Patrick had always been known as a great ponderer, he realized that Sandy was right, and it was shortly after he decided to look forward to the trip that he found out he would be going to Delhi, India.

This was particularly exciting because India had always been one of the places that Sandy most wanted to visit. When Patrick found out he would be staying in one of the Delhi hotels he knew that would mean that Sandy would want to go with him. This was exciting to Patrick because usually he had to take these trips alone, and he and Sandy were so close that it just created a lonely and vacant aspect to most of his work related trips.

Sandy was overjoyed at the idea of going to India with Patrick and they immediately made plans. And while Patrick still had to spend a great deal of his time in business meetings and work related projects, they still were able to visit many great landmarks together. And during the day when Patrick was at work, Sandy was able to tour the places she had always wanted to. They were both amazed by the historic architecture and Sandy’s favorite monument was India Gate. Compared to some of the temples they had been to, like the Lotus Temple, Patrick thought this was a somewhat simple landmark to be such an icon. Sandy, however, appreciated its history and cultural significance, which contributed to making it her favorite.

First Trip to New York City

The first time I made to New York City was in August of 1996.  I went with the Unlikely Theater Company, and we had three shows lined up for the “99 Plays in 99 Days” schedule, to be performed off-off Broadway on 42nd Street.  I stayed for a few nights with my friend who lived at the time in Alphabet City.  It had been a long trip, as budget travels usually entail, and then in the humidity of the August afternoon, we had walked–towing our wheely suitcases, me with a bald head–as I played the role of a French woman accused of treason during WWII, and with Robert rollerblading along with us in a neon pink tank top, from the Algonquin Hotel to my friend’s flat.

We would have been quite a sight in any other American city, but in New York, we were normal.  We got to his place on Avenue C and went up the eight flights of stairs, by the 5th flight I almost started to cry as I was just so hot and tired.  And although I later choose to grab a room at a boutique hotel in New York close by because Robert’s place was so tiny and I felt as though I was imposing, the first few nights I spent in Manhattan are forever in my memory banks and in my heart.  It seemed to me when I was younger, that cliches were boring, a sign that one is not moving on, a kind of generalization I just wasn’t comfortable with, however, my first 2 hours in Manhattan changed that for me forever.

I took a shower, grabbed a Rolling Rock beer and a smoke, and crawled out Robert’s kitchen window to sit on the fire escape.  I’d always wanted to that since seeing Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, playing Moon River on her ukulele.  While I was out there, taking in the feeling of one of the most loved cities in the country, far off in the distance someone started playing a jazz tune on the saxophone.  I was an actress at the time, so drama was my middle name…I started to get tears in my eyes.  It was one of the loveliest events of my life.  It was a love-at-first-sight event.  It was my first trip, but it definitely wasn’t my last.