posted by Savanah on Oct 28
Two events are happening in the next couple of days at the Portland Art Museum. One is an art exhibit and the other is a lecture on architecture. I am a painter and my brother is an architect so we have planned to take trip, book a room in one of the best Portland hotels, and head to museum for a few days in a row. “My” exhibit consists of just one painting that will be seen for the first time ever in Portland as the painting rarely makes it out of Italy.
This is a rare opportunity to see this masterpiece of the Renaissance time period by none other than Raphael, “The Woman with the Veil”. Bring the piece to Portland took over a year’s worth of negotiations between the Portland Art Museum and the Palatine Gallery in Florence, Italy. Raphael was known for his portraits and his still lifes, his balance and his composition. Raphael used a technique similar to Da Vinci in applying layers of thin paint over a long period of time, which created richness of color and luminosity. The subject of the portrait is believed to be a woman named Margherita Luti, a model in depicted in many of his works, and also believed to be his long time companion. The painting will be in the Museum for just over three months, opening night is the 24th of October and she will leave the museum on January 3rd.
The architect to speak is Yung Ho Chang. This will happen at 7 o’clock on Thursday night. Yung was born in Beijing, China and studied design and environmental architecture at the University of California @ Berkeley. In 1993 he moved back to Beijing and began the first independent firm ever in the country of China. He is not only one of the most influential and innovative architects in his country, but is fast becoming known so throughout the world. He goes from designing homes to museums and factories. The firm constructs installation art pieces and builds furniture which combined the contemporary ideas of global harmony and practice with the traditional designs of country. Both my brother and I are excited as these two men from different times, affect our times so much.
posted by Savanah on Oct 27
The city of San Antonio is set along the banks of the river of the same name. That River Walk draws many tourists and locals alike year round, for the activities and the festivals in the summer, to celebrations and the festivities that occur throughout the holiday season. The River Walk extends along the banks of the river for three miles, and offers many different activities from night clubs to restaurants and unique shops. This river was once intended to be filled and covered with cement, however the city developed it in accordance with strict policies regarding the preservation of the environment, and now the River Walk has become one of the models for urban development and renewal.
The Alamo, is not only the landmark of the city, but a symbol for the country signifying freedom. This is one of just a few of the cities of Texas that was founded before the state had gained control from Mexico. Missionaries arrived in 1691 and built a settlement surrounding the Mission San Antonio de Valero. The city is a mix of cultures, of those that came before Texas was a state, such as the Mexican, the Spanish and the Native American population, added with those who have immigrated in the last hundred years such as the Germans and those from the states of the US.
This mix affects everything from the cuisine found in the restaurants and in San Antonio’s best hotels, as well as the various dialects, art, architecture and music. There are many other things to see and do in this vibrant city, such as the Market Square farmers market, with vendors selling everything from produce to arts and crafts. Or for those architecture buffs, a walk through the King William District will give one a look at the brilliant mansions in the Victorian style. For those traveling with children the Museum of Art and SeaWorld offer interest and fun for both children and adults alike. The city offers a myriad of historical sites, entertainment opportunities and has become one of the preferred destinations in teh State of Texas.
posted by Savanah on Oct 26
Last summer my, well now ex, boyfriend surprised me with a romantic trip to Bali. And while right now I would have to admit that I would like to look back on this gift of his with some anger and ridicule, I also have to admit that the island was incredibly beautiful and we actually had an exceptionally great time in our beach hotel Bali. There is actually a lot more to do on this island than I ever imagined, though I guess I really didn’t think about it all that much or even now that much about Bali until, fine I’ll say his name, Joshua took me there.
Based on some of the major landmarks and cultural icons of the island it is not surprise to learn that the majority of its residents are Hindu. This was an interesting discovery for me and I got to learn a great deal about the religion just because I was so captivated by the beauty of much of the buildings, temples and architecture. It is also extremely rich in the arts, which I was pleased to discover. We saw some incredible dance performances and the local markets all seemed more like arts and crafts festivals. Everyday presented an interesting adventure of discovery. Which reminds me, our return home also presented quite a journey of discovery when Jan, the woman Joshua had secretly been seeing behind my back suddenly showed up at my place looking for him. It turns out that he had only booked this surprise romantic get away to keep me from finding out about her. I don’t know what the jerk was thinking, obviously we had to return at some point, which we did.
That’s enough about Joshua though. The truth came out and he was thrown out, basically. I still have the beautiful memories of Bali, and he has, well he doesn’t even have Jan anymore, or so I hear. Oh one last thing, the local music scene on Bali was absolutely incredible. Almost everywhere we went we encountered live music and really just seemed to be somewhat of a cultural staple. I could certainly adjust to that, and all complaints about Joshua aside, I definitely recommend it as a vacation spot to anyone.
posted by Savanah on Oct 26
If your house is anything like mine, you probably have an extensive collection of map gifts lying around various rooms and stuffed in closets that you just do not know what to do. Before you throw them in a box for the Goodwill or toss them into the attic, consider these alternatives.
A world globe may seem like another big bulky decoration that you don’t really have space for, especially if it is on a stand, but it can really give your home a rich, classy feel. If you have a home office or library, consider using it as a sophisticated decoration piece on top of a bookshelf or next to the desk. It will also come in handy when your children begin to study geography because globes present the position and size of each continent more accurately than world map. It will also help them better understand concepts such as longitude and latitude and where the equator and prime meridian are located. Nice framed maps of the world or specific countries provide nice decoration as well. Everyone loves to share their travel experiences, so you could frame maps of countries and cities that you have, or want to, visit as a conversation starter.
If you really can’t find space to keep it in your home, consider donating it to a local school. Most teachers have a little to no budget when it comes to classroom decoration, so they would be very grateful for any contribution you are able to make.
As our society becomes more and more globalized, it is becoming increasingly important to know and understand geography. Having world maps in your home will not only help you maintain familiarity with each country and their location, but also relay to your children that importance as well.
posted by Savanah on Oct 22
With a fantastic five-year forecast for its economic future, Oklahoma City is in a wonderful place to begin new initiatives, and to push the existing ones even further. Civic life here is something that continues to improve, and the citizens are community minded by nature. Since the city was founded over 100 years ago, there have been many changes, and it’s embraced the future in spectacular ways. It also takes in the valuable lessons of the past, and Mary Myrick’s Public Strategies is based on the fundamental idea that when we work for the common good, good things result.
It’s a very community-minded organization, and is moving the vision outwardly, with offices in DC, Texas, and Colorado. The team of 150 culturally diverse experts is working hard to help bring some of the vision of Mary Myrick to the public and private sectors. There is a concentrated effort, with every project, to determine the vision and highest ideals of every client, so that the work is geared toward fulfilling these intentions. Whether the need is for public relations, project development, training sessions, or organizational communication, there are team members here who can help make a dream into a reality.
One of the best examples of the commitment to the public good is Bev. Mary Myrick drives a sour green apple colored Smart car, nicknamed for Beverly Hills where she bought it, and she drives this around town to do the work she’s committed to. Thinking green, with an eye toward a sustainable future for our children, is a major commitment of hers. It doesn’t hurt that the car is a delight to the eyes, and often brings a smile to the faces of the people on the streets. It’s a dash of personal style that helps to make the everyday experience of going to work a little more colorful, and suggests that small changes can bring great rewards.
posted by Savanah on Oct 21
My new husband and I woke up right at 4am. We had some coffee and a few pastries, which was brought up by room service. This was our last meal in New Zealand and we were really going to miss what we considered the most friendliest country we have ever visited. We checked out of our hotel and drove to drop our rental off. We anticipated a bus would then take us to the airport. Unfortunately, about 10 minutes later, we were waiting outside the car return drop off gate, but they were locked! We noticed there was a someone in the car on the other side of the gate trying to get out, and there was no one around. My husband circled around the return center several times, finally we asked this guy just strolling by where we might be able to drop off this car. He told us to go back up to the gate an honk our horn, he said that the security guard usually falls asleep in one of the cars.
So, we went back and honked our horn, but the only people that turned up were the other cars behind us also wanting to return their cars. One of them came up and asked us why we were honking our horn at a closed gate. He obviously wasn’t too bright. Eventually, the security guard did wake up and we got to return the car.
We flew to Durban and connected to Mauritius with out any further incident. We cleared customs in Mauritius around 5pm. We caught a ride to one of the best hotels Mauritius has and we were greeted by a very friendly staff and offered some cold scented towels to refresh ourselves. After we got to our room, we unpacked and headed to the pool! We then ate a great dinner at the hotels restaurant and we straight to our room afterwards, honeymoon still in process.
posted by Savanah on Oct 20
Vincent was the lead guitarist and back up singer for his alternative rock band called Wondering Jones. They had just replaced their drummer and this was the third instillation of a band that was originally created by Vincent and his friend Al. They had some minor success in their last band in the local region and had also been booked as backup on some tours. This happened last year and provided them the opportunity to visit Spain and England. This was really the beginning of what Vincent considered to be the fulfillment of his life dream, which was to play music for a living and become somewhat known for his work. However, shortly after the tour, the problems with the drummer became too much to work with and the band had to break up.
However, based on the strength of their last performance, Vincent, Al, their bassist and a new drummer were being asked to return with the same band they had toured with before. Vincent fell proud and confident with the line up for Wondering Jones and was also determined that it would be the band that finally stayed together and made something of themselves. When they reached their hotel Malaga Spain they all went to bed feeling inspired and excited about their show. The next night they went onstage and Vincent couldn’t have been happier. He even received tremendous applause for the acoustic ballad he had written and sang himself. Vincent was so comfortable with the band set up, that he had time to visit some of the local landmarks and Malaga’s cultural attractions. He particularly enjoyed some of the city’s architecture and thought the Cathedral was amazing. He also had a great time visiting the shops and cafes along Calle Larios, and couldn’t help but to hand out flyers to his show when the opportunity arose.
posted by Savanah on Oct 15
Singapore has a wide mix of cultures and traditions, but the three that influence the life of the city-state the most are Malay, Chinese, and Indian. You can see the influence here in the cultural practices, in the arts, and indeed, in the foods. These three culinary traditions are some of the world’s most delightful tastes, and when you’re visiting Singapore, it’s a fantastic idea to check out the Indian restaurants. There is great variety within Indian cooking, including many regional variations. A highly trained chef is always an artist, and will have a splendid sense for balancing tradition with invention, adding new twists to classical treasures to make delightful surprises. So whether your tastes might be for Northern India or Southern variation, the results here will be stunning as well as surprising.
An evening out at an authentic Indian restaurant in Singapore just sings of romantic connotations, and the meal can take up the majority of the evening, or you might want to see it as the beginning of a night on the town. There are a host of things you can do in Singapore after a magnificent meal. There are a fantastic number of performances you can see in Singapore’s Little India, if you have any inklings to make it a theme evening. Check with the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society for concerts and other performances that might be happening while you’re visiting. You can see splendid events like Dr. Balamuralikrishna and Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarti playing a jugalbhandi concert, where two styles come together to make stunning new combinations.
You also may want to check out the schedule for the Singapore Indian Orchestra who play throughout the year. There are many other options for hearing live musical events, and there’s a long tradition of Indian dance and theatre as well. There are many options, and limitless opportunities, to enjoy the confluence of cultures here. It’s a fascinating way to gain insights into many cultures at once, and to sample new live art works in a pretty magnificent setting.
posted by Savanah on Oct 13
When most people think of Miami, luxury hotels on South Beach may be what comes to mind. I myself, do like luxury hotels, but South Beach is just not my cup of tea. Last summer I drove to Orlando for a two week visit with an old friend. I had read a Florida travel book, and so when he suggested we take a few days and head to Miami I was up for it. I told him though, that if I agreed to sport a bikini on South Beach, he must agree to take me to the Miami Metro Zoo. The climate and the weather of the city, is such that they are able to house various species from countries such as Africa, Australia, and Asia. Many animals that I had never seen live and up close before.
The Miami Metro Zoo is notable for many other reasons as well. It was one of the country’s first open/free-range zoos. All of the animals in every exhibit remain cage-free. The curators of the zoo have animals of various species living together, just as they would be doing were they in their homelands. The various sections are separated not by fences but by moats. The landscaping is designed to resemble the Australian Outback or the jungles of Africa, and looking across the exhibits one gets the feel that they are actually on a safari in an exotic land.
Another section of the zoo is the “Wings of Asia” Aviary. This is an open air exhibit as well, the largest in the United States. More than three hundred rare and exotic birds are housed in the aviary. This is a great place for those who do love bird watching, and it is as informative as it is exquisite. The focus has been on the link between dinosaurs and birds, and how birds are closely related to the now extinct beasts of that era. So in one weekend, my friend was able to enjoy the wild life of South Beach, and true to his word he took me to the zoo so that I was able to enjoy the wildlife of the Miami Metro Zoo.
posted by Savanah on Oct 12
Mallorca is an amazingly beautiful island with just as amazing views of the Mediterranean Sea. My parents first took my brother and me to its shores five years ago as one of our family vacations. We took a trip every year, though this was definitely my favorite location, which makes it my top choice for honeymoon spots following my wedding next year.
Fortunately, my fiancée is pretty open to most places and doesn’t have an absolute destination in mind. He is perfectly willing to go to Mallorca as long as a couple of nights on another Balearic Island, Ibiza, is included in the package. I’m absolutely willing and happy to comply because I’ve never been to Ibiza and I’ve heard that it has an incredible club scene, which is also one of the reasons Bill, my fiancée insists on going. When I was here years ago with my family, we took a ferry tour around the island, and saw the distant shores of the neighboring island of Minorca. Well, it looked distant but it really wasn’t. I believe that getting there would have taken about an hour, but we didn’t go.
I already know which one of the luxury Mallorca hotels I want us to get reservations in. It’s in Palma, and though we didn’t stay there when I was young, we drove by it a few times and it stands out in mind. Even then I wanted to stay there someday when I was older. And now I am definitely old enough and couldn’t think of a more romantic location to spend wedding night. I also know I want us to go scuba diving while we’re there and to visit the old quarters of Palma. I remember the Cathedral there and the small crooked streets we walked along. It was busy with people and little shops, though it had an incredibly peaceful atmosphere.
posted by Savanah on Oct 12
The slow housing market has many people thinking twice before putting their house up for sale. Instead, many people are choosing to remodel or update their current home rather than relocate. Before you begin any project, it is important to contact a contractor. It may seem unnecessary for products such as blinds (http://www.nextdayblinds.com), but it will be worth it in the long run. Even if you are a “do-it-yourselfer”, most companies prefer to install their own products. Not only are they more familiar and extensively trained on the installation of their product but it is often a stipulation in the warranty. Although it may cost a little more, you don’t want to have to call Next Day Blinds customer service department because you accidently damaged your new Next Day Blinds trying to install them yourself.
Although many companies will provide installation services for their products, what about the larger projects? How do you choose a contractor for the move in-depth work? Often you can stop by your local home improvements store. They may have contractors that could do the job or else provide recommendations on where to find a contractor who can. Also websites such as the Better Business Bureau can provide a list of contractors in your area.
It is a good idea, once you have found a few potential contractors, to get estimates from each. There are also a few questions and things to watch before deciding who you are going to hire. One of the first things to check when considering a contractor is if they are properly licensed for the work you want to have done. Secondly, obtain and check references. Don’t be afraid to ask questions of the both the contractor and their references. Third, carefully read all paperwork. All projects should be priced individually, as well as the materials list. Last, be sure that they have all the proper insurance. Regardless of what type of work you are having done, paying attention to all of these things will help ensure that all the work gets completed in a timely manner and it is of the quality you paid for.
posted by Savanah on Oct 8
Valencia is a city that has a fascinating mix of the old and the new. My husband and I were thrilled with all it had to offer. One thrill was when we arrived at one of the luxury hotels Valencia has to offer, one where we’d be spending the next three nights. Our hotel turned out to be a real gem. It was nice, for a change, to leave behind our little, tiny private rooms of the hostels we stayed in to save some money. This hotel room had a lot of space, a mini bar and a bath! It didn’t take us long to use the bath, we filled it full of bubbles and soaked for at least an hour. That was so, so nice.
We oriented ourselves in this big city, we made use of the hop-on-hop-off buses. We eventually found out, after one loop of the city, that this wasn’t the best way to get around. We could just walk to most of the major sights. That exactly what we did the next day. But, we didn’t waste our time today on the buses, because we took notes of the sights we wanted to see.
Our first thing to do was checking out some interesting looking tapas restaurants and bars.When we were introduced to tapas in Barcelona, we became hooked. We wanted to know if Valencia tapas were just as good. Our first tapas bar was right across the street from our hotel. It was jammed packed and most of the people were standing around the serving counter where plate after plate after plate of tapas were being offered. There was every topping we could think of, and the trick was to push our way to the front, fill our plates and just stand around and eat away. All of the tapas restaurants we visited all worked on the ‘trust’ principle. You eat what you like and then tell them what you had when you’re ready to pay. That was one of the better thrills we experience.
posted by Savanah on Oct 6
Travelling with my brother Bob from California to Dubai on the Emirates airline. The plane was the humongous A380 Airbus. We travelled in economy and both of us were shocked at the price for economy seats, what was worse, though, was we sat next to an inoperative emergency door. It was a long flight, so all the movies they played were a welcome relief, plus we watched T.V. and listened to music. The food was better than my brother and I though it would be, that kinda of made up for the price of economy seats. I stayed up the entire 16 hour flight to beat the jet-lag, and my brother took little catnaps. I occupied myself, when not watching a movie, with learning my new Nikon D3 camera.
We arrived and checked in at one of the Dubai UAE luxury hotels and where stunned with the sheer opulence of the lobby. We actually arrived about an hour ahead of schedule, which was great, because that gave us more time to relax before our Arabian Adventure started. The view from our balcony looked over the ocean, it was absolutely spectacular. Dubai is an amazing sight. So, modern and alive. We found out that all the rooms here face the beach, no wonder why the staff just looked at us quizzically when we wanted to make sure our room faced the ocean. After we unpacked, we had time to grab a quick bite to eat, before our tour bus came by to pick us up. My brother and I decided to start our vacation off with a nice bottle of champagne.
I can’t think of a nicer way to spend time with my brother, we’re so busy all the time back in the States that we never have time to hang out together. When he suggested this trip, at first I thought about the expense, but what is money compared to being with my most favorite person in the whole world.
posted by Savanah on Oct 1
Wendy and her mother Anne had an interesting experience last week when they were shopping at the local hardware and home improvement store. The two had been working together on a major backyard renovation and were planning to install a timed watering system. They arrived at the store and realized they also needed to pick up some garden decoration stones. They asked the first sales associate they could find, and it should be noted that they found one quickly, where to find the garden stones. His response was to begin giving directions before quickly changing his mind and telling them it would be easier to walk with them and guide them to the location. Wendy and Anne accepted the offer and appreciated the associate’s, who’s name they soon learned to be Jim, willingness to do so. Responsible business owners like Steven Barbarich would immediately recognize that this was the beginning of an excellent customer service encounter.
Jim guided Wendy and Anne to the section where they kept their garden rocks and stepping stones. Interestingly, it was the stepping stone that the two were more interested in, which was actually around the corner from the decorative rocks. Had Jim not taken the time to guide the two, they would have ended up in the wrong area, due to no fault of his, though they may have blamed him for it. As it turned out, they were grateful for discovering the distinction and also chose some of the decorative stones to accentuate the area. Because they had already found their stepping stones and were relaxed and pleased when looking at the decorative rocks, Wendy mentioned to Jim that they had always wanted to put a small pond in the backyard and he was happy to mention that the store currently had some great deals on pond units and accessories.
After further conversation Anne and Wendy decided they would look at the ponds and Jim went with them. They ended up buying a pond system and quite a bit more rock than they had originally intended. Interestingly, they decided to wait until the following week to install the watering system that they had come in for. What is important to realize is that the extent of customer service offered by Jim not only made the customer’s experience more thorough and much easier, it also greatly increased the store’s sales and created a repeat customer.