Sexy Savanah

posted by Savanah on Nov 19

As is sometimes common for couples who are having difficulties with their relationship, Tom and Denise thought that getting out of town on a private vacation was just what they needed. The two had been dealing with various economic struggles and also great scheduling conflicts and outside commitment complications. They rarely saw each other and generally when they did both of them immediately began complaining about issues and making demands on the other. This was about a one hundred and eighty degree turn around from two years ago when they were loving and supportive of each as well as thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company. If only they could get back to where they were.

The couple checked into their room at one of the best Tampa hotels and it was almost as if the stress of the last two years immediately started to drift away. They loved the amenities the resort provided and almost felt like kids as they broke right into their refrigerator and enjoyed a glass of wine with cheese, crackers and nuts. They also enjoyed the beautiful views of the bay and after settling in decided to take a quick dip in the hot tub. After relaxing for an hour or so they got ready and headed out onto the town.

The following morning they took a trip over to Sarasota and spent some time on one of the beautiful sandy beaches. Later they took a tour of the Ca’ d’Zan, which was the former residence of John Ringling, the famous circus owner. They next day they were back in Tampa and enjoyed a leisurely tour of Ybor City. They were both fascinated by many of the historical buildings and particularly loved the early 1900s social clubs. Just as they were hoping, everything about this trip brought them back to a place of excitement for life and each other.

posted by Savanah on Nov 18

South Africa is an amazing place, with a fantastic, complex history that has seen the beginning of many different civilizations.  There are many local cultures, and even the street fairs can attest that there is nothing singular about South Africa, except perhaps its singular uniqueness. One of the places that culture performs itself in a way that’s readily accessible is through its cuisine.  The culinary traditions here are on display in the many local restaurants, offering a spectacular variety of foods.  There is a tendency toward international cuisine in the many of the top restaurants, where the chefs are well-schooled in world cooking techniques, taking the best of the traditional and applying contemporary twists.  There are also many local restaurants that offer varieties of local dishes, and all of these are worth sampling.

A place with this much to offer has to have a great variety in luxury hotels.  South Africa can certainly provide splendid accommodations, appealing to any taste and particularity.  There is a magnificent sense of hospitality here, and you’ll likely find yourself well-rested, and ready to explore the city.  Wherever you go in South Africa, there are lively and energetic music scenes.  The birth of all the rhythms in the world happened on this continent, and there are new evolutions in music every day.  South Africa has a particularly rich musical history, and today continues to attract the world’s most ingenious musicians, coming to take part in this legacy.

Some are here by accident of birth, and some travel here.  Dmitri Voudouris was born in Athens, Greece, and his parents moved here, and he grew up in Johannesburg.  His complex electronic music is based on studies of human cognitive behavior in relation to changes in the environment.  He is also interested in how new media affects the composer, and is looking at how music will survive in the new century.  He is also a practicing pharmacist.  He has also studied cultural anthropology.  He is also interested in wine.  You probably get the idea.  South Africa has an enormous number of terribly interesting people, and Voudouris’ music is even more complicated and varied than his own biography, and worth hearing while you’re here, at festivals, or in conjunction with other art and media projects.

posted by Savanah on Nov 17

One of the most vibrant cities in the world, Kuala Lumpur is a splendid place to stay, for business or for pleasure, offering a feast of attractions all around the calendar year.  There are plenty of museums and performance spaces to get lost in the creative culture in Malaysia, and there are also wonderful festivals celebrating the local culture.  There are plenty of things to make guests feel right at home in Kuala Lumpur.  Hotels are plentiful, and there are some spectacular choices here.  Surely there is something to fit every budget, and to please every taste and sensibility.  With a generous hospitality that speaks of old world manners and customs, as well as a keen sense of the contemporary, Kuala Lumpur is always on the cutting edge, while maintaining a magnificent sense of the best of the old.

History and culture intertwine here in dizzying ways, and there is always something new to see, and something new to discover.  It’s difficult to see the city all at once, and impossible to see in one trip, because it is always changing, always in flux.  This is very much visible in the art that’s on display here, and the galleries generally have an extremely cosmopolitan sensibility with a focus on the local, and these qualities certainly come together in the work of Simryn Gill.

This visual artist was born in Singapore, and grew up in Malaysia.  She now works and lives in Sydney, Australia, and her work is widely exhibited there, but it also has a fairly visible presence here in Kuala Lumpur.  The work of Gill has many different possibilities for classification, which is itself an interesting comment on her work, which involves classifications of a different kind.  She’s a photographer with an eye for installation work, and her exhibitions are other worlds, a place where the viewer can enter and get lost.  But in getting lost, one finds many parallels to this world, especially when it comes to themes of history and identity, and her playfulness with words, with literal text, makes for subtle and overt commentaries.  After a little bit of time in her worlds, one finds a new writing of history, and it creates the possibilities for re-writing a present moment in terms of the great themes of unstable identities, and the construction of self within new paradigms of memory.

posted by Savanah on Nov 16

Arrived in Bangkok early last night and this city is a huge, massive city. Plus at midnight the temperature was 30 degrees Celsius. I’m not sure why I even bothered taking a jacket or a pullover, I could have use the luggage room for other clothes instead.

I’ll be here for a month, and I have no idea that one of the five star hotels Bangkok where I’ve booked only for 2 nights, will give me a deal if I book the rest of my stay here. I really like this hotel, I’d hate to leave it for some lousy hostel. Before I arrived at my hotel, I took one crazy taxi ride. The driver was doing 140 plus nearly the whole way here. It was so surreal, kind of like an adventure all on it own. Even waiting at the traffic lights, where they have the digital clocks counting down the time before the light turns green, my driver would turn each green light into a drag race. It took me a few days before I’d step inside another taxi, I took public transportation instead.

All the research I did on the plane, yes, I didn’t research before hand, suggested that the best accommodations were to be found on Soi Rambuttri, but my driver took me to Sathon Nuea street. I’m kinda glad him did, I found out that those hotels on Soi Rambuttri, where not as accommodating as the hotel I’m in now.

So far, I got to watch soccer alongside a few Germans. I dined out and feasted on deep fried grasshoppers, really crunchy and delicious. Took snake blood shots with this French bloke, because French won the soccer match. Tomorrow, well it’s a huge day. I booked a day excursion to the ancient capital of Thailand and then when I get back, I’m off to do a ‘low boat’ six hour ferry ride to Ko Samui. The low boat will involve being in the hull of the ferry in an area that’s 80 centimeters high. I won’t be able to sit up. Now why am I doing that? It’s the only way to get to Ko Samui.

posted by Savanah on Nov 3

I know Dayton, OH may not sound like an exciting place but I have a fondness for Dayton and had many wonderful experiences and a lot of fun there. I went to Dayton University and graduated from there in the early 1980’s. Those years were full of fun and games, oh yeah and some learning. My friends and I would get together and explore the area in our spare time to avoid doing homework and working on projects.

We had a real fascination for the Woodland Cemetery that is adjacent to the university campus. On warm spring days we would get a bottle of champagne or two and pack up a gourmet pick nick lunch and go over to the cemetery. We would read the names on the stones and find one that seemed to have some meaning to one of us. There we would spread out the blanket, unpack the food and pop the cork on the champagne bottle and begin to get drunk. We would hang out there all afternoon and sometimes in warmer weather well into the evening. Of course the usual scary story telling and jumping out from behind something to scare someone was all part of the fun. On some occasions we would take out tablets of onionskin paper and make rubbings of some of the older and more interesting head stones in the cemetery. I still have one rubbing that I did and particularly liked in a frame to this day.

This spring there are going to be several of us that hung out together back then coming together for a reunion of sorts in Dayton. We have rooms reserved at Dayton hotels near the university and are looking forward to reminiscing on the old days, see the campus today, and relive the memories of those bygone years and yes we are planning a graveyard pick nick for old time sake.

posted by Savanah on Nov 3

Nick could eat a lot of food. His mother loved to cook and he developed this skill from her, which made him a real catch for many women. And being a good Italian boy he loved to cook for others. Another thing Nick loved to do was go out to eat. This was his third favorite activity following eating his mothers cooking and cooking food himself. However, sometimes it was just nice to go in and sit down and have someone else do all of the work and all of the clean up. That was his least favorite activity, though his mother firmly instilled the philosophy that every mess must be cleaned, whether it was in the kitchen or life. Nick’s mother also believed in the value of the lessons that could be learned from messes, though she insisted that the learning came through the cleaning up process. So, she reasoned that if you never cleaned your messes you would walk through life being completely ignorant. And she would not stand for her little Nicky to walk through life being ignorant.

And Nick learned well, he always cleaned up his messy and he always made quite a few. He actually reasoned that this was a positive thing and must meant that he was pretty wise for all the lessons he learned cleaning them up. However, on that particular Tuesday night, Nick was not in the mood for cleaning or learning so he went to one of his favorite Italian restaurants with a few buddies of his and had a nice meal. Nick’s favorite dish, or at least one of them, was shrimp scampi with a side of pasta. He loved garlic, he loved butter, he loved shrimp and he loved pasta and he especially loved them mixed together. He would often cook scampi on the grill in his backyard for small get-togethers with friends. Nick also had a policy about taking dates to restaurants. He loved to treat his date to a nice meal, but before he would he insisted on making her a candle lit dinner himself.

posted by Savanah on Nov 2

Training a staff in customer service skills can be a complicated endeavor when the basically principles of excellent service are not understood. When developing customer service guidelines for any business it is a good idea to first consult with other companies in your field or genre. Secondly it is important to understand your basic consumer demographic so that some general customer approaches and expectations can be expected. However, this does not mitigate the value and need for cultural awareness understanding and respect for diversity and others. Successful and ethical businesspeople such as Steve Barbarich understand the sometimes intricate dynamics of excellent customer service, which is why their businesses tend to thrive even in difficult economic settings.

Regardless of the type of business or demographic of the target audience, excellent customer service will begin with an un-compromised respect and attention priority for the consumer. And while it does not mean that a staff person must change the rules or even bend them in response to an irate and inappropriate behaving customer, it means that the consumer’s behavior should not direct the course of the staff person’s behavior. It is possible and important to remain respectful even if the staff person believes the customer is not doing the same.

Engaging in a power struggle or attitude competition with a customer can only spell disaster for the encounter. Chances of a purchase being made or continued relationship being established are zero at best and the odds of a complaint getting filed against the staff person escalate. This can affect their job security and the financial stability of the company. However, if a staff person can remain calm and respectful they can often times redirect an irate customer into a positive mood and create a fruitful exchange for both parties. In the worse caser situation where the customer is actually behaving in a threatening or verbally abusive manner proper behavior and response guidelines should be in place for the staff person. This is an extremely rare occurrence, however, and staff people should always intend to rectify and unpleasant situation or interaction.

posted by Savanah on Nov 2

Jaipur is, by any account, a beautiful city.  Its central grid, based on the principles of a mandala, and designed so that the citizens here would be blessed with health and luck, there is a sense of the fantastic here that permeates everything.  It has a lively nightlife, but also offers plenty of quieter diversions, and travelers looking for fun or relaxation will probably find a whole lot of both.  There are plenty of attractions for the young ones, so that they will have plenty to see while they’re here, and there are also plenty of things to do that can take you late into the evening.  There are many things to see and do in Jaipur.  Hotels are plentiful, and there are some magnificent accommodations.

You can find something that will suit every taste, and every budget.  It’s a spectacular feeling to wake up when you’re on vacation, and realize that the day has to offer whatever you might put into it.  Beginning with a splendid local breakfast is a delightful experience, introducing you to some of the finest foods in the region, and it’s always nice to spend time in a local cafe, watching the local culture wake up and begin its daily bustle of activity.  If you’re here in the Spring, you might want to arrange your visit to coincide with the Jaipur Festival.  This is an annual event celebrating the cultural heritage of Jaipur, and is a fantastic thing for visitors of all ages.

It’s sponsored by the Jaipur Virasat Foundation, a non-profit devoted to preserving the cultural diversity in Jaipur.  It is very refreshingly artists-oriented, focusing on those who are working in any of the local traditional arts.  You can see some stunning work in dance, music, and folk theatre traditions come to life, and get to know the local culture from a point of view not generally accessible to outsiders, and see what the artists who work in traditional forms are doing right here at this very moment.

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 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 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 Sep 21

Beautiful crisp clear dry and blue sky, it must be fall in New York. After the damp and humid summer the clear crispness is so very welcomed. I like to visit New York in the fall for the fall foliage, a spectacular temporary display of color going on as far as the eye can see. The rolling hills of the Hudson Valley to the Adarondack mountains to the north the state becomes ablaze with color after the first nights of frost.

Staying in a five star hotel New York city i am preparing for a driving trip into Connecticut along the Long Island Sound up to Darrian Ct. to visit friends today. It is a beautiful day and should remain clear and nice till evening. Driving to Ct is always enjoyable, seeing the only colonial homes and villages that dot the area. Some of the earliest European history on this continent occurred here and near here. Spending the day in CT will be a nice change of pace from New York City.

Latter in the week we will be driving up north to the city of Poughkeepsie, New York. Poughkepsie has an interesting history as it housed the colonial capitol for a period of time. When colonists got word the British were going to began a battle for New York city the capitol was moved 90 miles north up the Hudson River to Poughkeepsie. The British began to sail north up the Hudson when they found out the capitol had been moved to Poughkeepsie. The British were surprised at the lack of resistance as the passed through New York harbor and up the river. When sailing near West Point they found out why there was no resistance. In the West Point area the river is at one of its narrowest points, only about a half mile wide, here the colonists had forged an iron chain that was run across the river just below the water line. The British ships hit the chain, tore holes in the bottoms of their ships and thus sunk the fleet with out firing a single shot. A beautiful and interesting place visiting New York city and state is always fascinating.

posted by Savanah on Sep 17

Brian and I arrive very early with suspicion and trepidation about what to expect, we really didn’t know what we were getting into when we booked a few days stay in Ibiza. We spent a couple of days lazing around the pool and walking the beach during the late afternoon, but then we explored the nightlife of Ibiza. We had no idea that we were in club heaven. We did not research whatsoever before we came here. I know that sounds silly, but that’s just how we do it, we close our eyes with a map in-front of us and place a finger down and where ever it lands that’s where we go, so far, our fingers have never disappointed us.

One Ibiza night club was one of the most craziest parties we’ve ever seen or been too. The interior of the club was fantastic, the decorations was all decked out and everyone was dressed to the hilt. The music was great! A good mix of club music, hip hop and Chill. At one point in the party,  a look alike Yoko Ono and John Lennon were being carried around the club on a bed. Someone had to tell me the significance of this, I didn’t know the reference, but everyone else seemed to understand the symbology.

The night ended, or should I say, the party ended about 7am in the morning! I forgot my camera and Brian forgot his credit card. We had to go back that night, after we crashed for the whole day, to see if someone found my camera, and the bar returned Brian’s credit card, but no camera was found. But, we had enough rest, so we headed over to Amnesia and that place was even better than the club last night. We ended up with a group of about 9 people that were a total blast. Once again, Brian forgot his credit card at the bar, so we once again, after much sleep, went back to the club the next night to retrieve the card. I still wish I had my camera to post all the fantastic club photos.

posted by Savanah on Sep 15

Sure there is lots of glitz and glamor in Ibiza, the island where the party never stops, and the fun never stops either, but Jane and I decided to organize our trip around monuments. That is right, we were interested in the architecture of the region, and brought our large format camera to record it. Ibiza car rentals are the way to go for most freedom, plus we had a computer, camera. lenses, battery back ups, tripods, lights, and of course wine for our expedition. It would be easier to hire a car than bike it around of course set ourselves to finding an appropriate subject. We want to put together a calendar and other projects of old structures and landmarks that we found interesting, and we had heard of Ibiza’s many opportunities to find interesting archaeological monuments. We got up early and had some wonderful breakfast sausages and sour dough bread washed down with fresh squeezed orange juice and a doughnut for the road. We would scout out a location and set up, have a supper, and wait for the golden hour for the best light to take our pictures. We had heard about a cathedral in Gothic style. We had discovered Catedral de Eivissa, a big stone church built in the fourteenth century, a very imposing structure that seemed to stand out against the sky. We thought we could get some nice angles for pictures. we investigated various perspectives and possibilities for the photographic process and after much observation we found a spot where we could prepare to set up and also haze some food and drink  and enjoy the clear bright day. We had some tapas plates and some nice red wine, the tapas made of grilled fish and another of roast lamb.

posted by Savanah on Sep 14

The Phoenix Suns are an NBA franchise based in the Arizona Valley. They have a long history of support and love from the local population, which is quite large and many of the players become major area celebrities. The Suns have been a solid team, and play hard and pretty respected from other teams, though they have never won the championship title. Throughout the season, tourists staying in one of the Phoenix luxury hotels enjoy watching a game, whether it is on television or live at the US Airways Center in downtown Phoenix.

Recently an ESPN poll ranked the Suns as the 5th all time best NBA franchise. As a somewhat backhanded compliment, they have frequently been referred to as the best NBA team to never have won a championship. That’s a bit of a bittersweet comment, though it doesn’t seem to interfere with the Suns’ drive and professionalism. They also seem to have a strong penchant for bizarre and unfortunate situations or circumstances that seems to prevent them from actually achieving the championship title. The possibility of a curse has come up, but no one really believes it, right?

The Suns have also had many star players among their ranks. One of the current top players is Steve Nash who joined the team in 2004 and has become one of the crowd favorites. Charles Barkley is one of the most famous of the Suns players and he even defined an era. He was also part of an NBA finals season. Shaquille O’Neal was just recently an popular favorite and star of the team though the Suns are not likely to be his strongest career associated team. Kevin Johnson was another star player who was with the team during the Barkley era. He was also a prominent local figure, although he was from Sacramento, California, which is where he returned to live after retirement. Interestingly, he is currently the mayor of Sacramento.

posted by Savanah on Sep 14

After you’ve set foot here for just a little while, you’ll understand the mystique about Georgia, and why Atlanta is one of the world’s most lovely cities.  There is, of course, the Southern charm that is famous all over the world, but there are many hidden nooks and crannies here that reveal some of the more splendid things about the place.  There is a vibrant cultural scene here, with fantastic opportunities to see new works of art in performance or in the local galleries.  There is also an amazing music scene, with a very exciting night life.  Add to this the multitude of attractions that will appeal to visitors of all ages, with sight-seeing tours, museums, amusement parks, a zoo and an aquarium.  However you want to spend your time here, no doubt you’ll want to do it in luxury.  Atlanta hotels can offer all this and more.

Our hotels are carefully selected for their consistent track records of excellence in service and hospitality.  Style is a primary consideration here, because Southerners know that every detail matters, and the graceful little touches can add an unpredictable sparkle to any moment.  No one can make a moment sparkle like an artist.  Stan Woodard is a local artist who is making some fascinating work that speaks to the world, and from the heart of Atlanta.  His medium is primarily installation, creating visually stunning scenes that involve sense and intellect working together to arrive at new meanings through the combination of objects and their placement.

Stan Woodard also uses found objects, and they retain a central position in his art works.  Utilizing the things that are often discarded, and placing them in the limelight, is a very useful strategy to make statements about how we construct meaning.  It also points out our own mechanism for interpretation, and makes it more slippery by undermining or own assumptions about reality.  His work is very interesting and certainly very layered.  It is also very funny, injecting a healthy dose of humor into a form that often takes itself too seriously.  He is also a performer, and has done stand-up, as well as working regularly with the trip Chinese Frankenstein.

posted by Savanah on Sep 10

Where the hotel is the center of the journey, you’ll want to make sure that you’re centered in the finest lodging available.  You’ll see that when planning your trip to India, five-star hotels are the way to see the country in style.  While there are many excellent choices for accommodations here, our hotels are selected for their ability to consistently meet our high standards as well as the highest standards in the industry.  They are chosen for their consistently excellent levels of service as well as design, so that you’ll be treated to splendid hospitality in style that is truly world class. You’ll be eating spectacular meals prepared by world-class chefs who are schooled in classical and contemporary cooking, as well as sleeping in gorgeous rooms that will leave you feeling rested and replenished.

India is truly spectacular, and is one of the most fascinating countries in the world.  It is one of the longest continually-inhabited centers on earth, and has complex and mystifying layers of history in every city.  There are hosts of attractions for the entire family in each place, as well as night life that is stimulating and intriguing.  India is really much too large, with many cultures and languages and traditions, to make any kinds of general statements, but there are attempts to speak of and to a single India.  In art, there are occasionally festivals that attempt to speak to the entire nation, but more often than not the national art exhibitions speak to a plurality and a diversity, without attempting to unify all the people.  It will be interesting, then, to see how experiments such as the Jashn Osianama will fare in the coming years.

Started by Osian’s, the Osianama is a continuation of the larger organization’s program to develop ways of showing art work of multiple disciplines in India.  They’ve been very successful since beginning in 2000, with 12 exhibitions and several organizational arms devoted to visual art, film, and publishing, among other ventures.  The Jashn Osianama attempts to show all the various media under one umbrella exhibition.  The idea is to present work that will appeal to all of India, drawing on the example of the Mahabharata, showing work that is simultaneously entertaining and intellectual, political and spiritual.  It’s an extremely ambitious project, and it’s happening in Delhi, and well worth investigating.

posted by Savanah on Sep 10

After I found the Renaissance release of Ibiza sounds, which I had been searching for everywhere I went, I happily walked back to the Ibiza night club where things were starting to heat up. People were dancing as far as my eyes could see. Other promoters were handing out wristbands for another party, which word was the it should be ‘the’ closing party of the year. I wasn’t to sure about going there because I needed to kick it around here to watch my favorite DJ play until 4am in the morning. I only had a few hours to spare before I had to leave port. I decided that paying 50 dollars for just one hour at ‘the’ closing party of the year wasn’t worth it, besides I was tired.

My favorite DJ played disco and I got lucky enough to be with him in the DJ booth when he played. I cheered people on when he was at the decks and took pictures. My DJ was a bit nervous, but I guess for him being a new up and coming DJ, to be playing anywhere in Ibiza is a huge thing. There weren’t as many people as he was hoping there would be, but with ‘the’ closing party going on at the same time what could one expect?

After the club closed, I drove around looking for a bite to eat with my favorite DJ. I must have eaten one of the worst tasting baguettes I’d ever eaten as my favorite DJ’s mood sank and he was becoming quiet grumpy. He ended up driving me to port and bid me farewell, promising that when we hook back up in London, he’ll show me around and be in a better mood.  I boarded the ferry and took a seat, not paying any attention, I was so tired, broke and drained, but all in all, Ibiza was an astonishing place to party.

posted by Savanah on Sep 9

The day is getting away from me again, what is new. I always seem to have more to do than I can get to in a reasonable amount of time any way. Why do I do this to myself repeatedly? Would seem I just cannot learn ha ha. The pressure to do more make more produce more are ever present and seem to take over my life over and over again. Each time I get organized and feel like everything is in control and doable there seems to be another project that comes in and upsets the apple cart. Sometimes i think I need to hire an assistant then things get under control. I debate the benefit of the assistant and what they could do for me as opposed to the extra work of managing an employee and delegating the work. I suppose I would have to be more organized to hire an assistant and get the maximum benefit. But I sure could use one now to book my lodgings for my upcoming trip to Dubai.  But I will have to squeeze a little time in for me to do that myself! Booking travel and other appointments are what could be delegated, I have a hard time deciding what else as I like to keep my hands in everything and not loose focus on what is going on. I have to prepare for a meeting shortly and that is something else I could delegate the printing of the materials, drawing up the agenda and booking a meeting place and refreshments. When I give it some thought I guess there is plenty I can delegate off to an assistant, I need to learn how to let go of the control and let someone else take on some of this work so I can have time to relax once in a while!

posted by Savanah on Sep 8

I needed to find a new modality of healing to offer my clients. The modalities that I already employ, like Reiki and Healing touch massage, is doing wonders for my clients, but I would like to be able to expand my horizons. I heard about Su Jok, which is Korean meaning hand and foot, being taught in Jaipur. What I’ve read about this modality is a Professor has a belief the the blueprints of the entire body is in our hands and feet, which enable the body to be treated. I was fortunate enough to have a friend staying in Jaipur, so I managed to stay in one of the five star Jaipur hotels where he has been staying and he didn’t ask me to help with the expense of the room. I’ll have to pay him back with plenty of healing massages.

During my classes, learning Su Jok, I got to understand more of this Professors theories. Through different methods of stimulation to the corresponding areas on the hand and foot, waves of energy travel back to the affected part of the body, which brings an element of fast pain relief energizing organs and tissues to return to a normal healthy state. I learned this means, even though it’s simple stimulation between corresponding areas, my clients body will be able to heal itself without the use of drugs or invasive surgery.

I was shown that within the fingers, there are three joints, which is the same to the arms where there are also three joints: wrist, elbow and shoulder. The legs also have three joints: ankles, knees and hips. So, looking at the body, one can see from the anterior that our legs are positioned between our arms and the legs are longer than our arms, which again is similar to the hands. It was shown to me that the two shorter fingers occupy the outer position and the two longer fingers are positioned between them. The Professor sited that this is not a coincidence, we were born into this world with an innate system of healing with the use of our hands and feet. They are the manuals to access his created system, which he calls Su Jok.

When I finished with my classes, I was very pleased and ready to offer more modalities of healing to my clients.

posted by Savanah on Sep 8

One of the best summer experiences a family, couple or even an individual could have is to plan to vacation Singapore. This continually developing and culturally expanding urban center offers entertainment and cultural attractions that entice numerous guests throughout the year. And visiting Singapore is not limited to summer, though that is definitely the seasonal choice of most Western vacationers. However, it is popular and visited by people from around the world throughout most of the year.

Dining options and world cuisine are an essential aspect for many tourists’ pleasurable vacation experience. Singapore offers great food from international kitchens and is definitely one of the great places to eat. One of the local favorites that has also become extremely popular with tourists is Han’s Café and Cake House. It was originally opened in 1980 as a small counter café and food service, however, it has grown into a 17 chain business that only seems to continue in popularity growth and tourist interest. One of the attractive features of this chain is its quick service and affordability. This makes it a popular option for business workers on a quick lunch, or tourists in a hurry to get to their next entertainment or shopping extravagance. It remains family owned and operated, and the Hainansese family is intent on its mission to provide good quality and tasty food at an affordable price.

Pepper Lunch is another popular chain restaurant in Singapore, though it originated in Japan. This is another great example of a local favorite that is enormously popular with tourists. This eater is well known for its DIY steaks, which is served half grilled on hotplates. Diners flip and cook the rest to their desire and while vegetables also grill. This makes it a unique encounter and is almost as fun to experience the preparation of the food as it is to eat it.

posted by Savanah on Sep 3

I’m a huge American history buff, so when I was offered the opportunity to take the 1862 Battle of Fredericksburg , I jumped at the chance. My dear, dear friend surprised me with airplane tickets and accommodations at one of the Virginia luxury hotels. When I arrived, my friend picked me up at the airport and drove me to my hotel. He could tell I was all excited, and when he told me the tour takes place over a few days, I was besides myself. He said, he managed to arrange for us to be tag alongs, he told me that apparently the tour is given by a different hotel where meals along with rooms were provided, but that he knows the people who put on the tour personally and arranged for us to just tag along.

The tour began the next morning, we met up with the other tourist after they all ate breakfast together. Ambrose Burnside was finally convinced to take the command of an army, which admittedly, he said that he was not qualified to lead. Nonetheless, he accepted the command to prevent it from being given to the all ambitious Joseph Hooker. Burnside understood Lincoln’s desire for a quick strike and a constant mode of combat. Burnside intended to meet all those expectations.

We first travelled to Warrenton where Burnside assumed command. We then followed his path to Falmouth and on to Port Royal, which was where the failure of the logistics train took place. We ended our first day at Lee Hill, where we got to survey the terrain that attracted Lee to deploy here.

The next day, after all the other tourist had breakfast, we went back to dealing with Ambrose Burnside and his initiatives. We got to see Franklin’s crossing where all the fighting on the south side was done on the battlefield. This is the primary Meade’s attack, Pelham’s artillery and Jackson’s defense of Prospect Hill happened. We then got to see the Slaughter Pen, it’s the site of the largest private preservation purchase in history, and Bernard’s Cabin. This was a full day exploring the open fields and on preserved battlefield land. We ended day two considering if Jackson could have countered an attack and why he didn’t attempt to drive Franklin back into the river. Very exciting stuff.

The final day, we were taken to where Burnside forced a crossing, starting at Chatham we looked at the upper crossings that were reported as being so contested by Barksdale’s Mississippians. We then crossed the river and examined the middle crossing, seeing homes that witnessed the drama. We got to understand just why assaults were so difficult to mount and why they failed. Wave after wave of Federal troops thrown in a senseless and futile slaughter against a well defended stone wall.  When the tour was over, I felt as if I actually lived the 1862 Battle of Fredrickburg.

posted by Savanah on Sep 3

I didn’t have enough time to do all the hiking I wanted to do in Australia. So, I limited my choices down to doing all Aboriginal hikes and only do three, this way, I would still have time to enjoy Sydney where I’ve booked a room in one of the Sydney five star hotels for when I get back from my hikes. I want to discover Australia the same way the Aboriginals have. Not only by hiking, but experiencing their art, myths, dance, music and of course the land itself. I want to understand this ancient land and its spirituality and pure wonder. My first hike was to Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park, located in the Northern Territory. This land has a huge spiritual significance for the Anangu Aboriginal people. Their creation stories tell about ancestral spirits formed Uluru, which lies in Australia’s red center like an enormous heart. I had an Aboriginal guide share the ancient tales as we walked around the rock’s base. About 30 kilometers away is another sacred site, the Kata Tjuta. I was awestruck by the steep, rounded russet domes, which were over 3,500 hectares. My second hike was the Gippsland, Victoria. It’s a rugged coastline where I could wander the fern gullies, the eucalyptus forests and the beautiful sandy beaches. This is the sacred land known as Wilsons Promontory National Park. I could trace Aboriginal trading routes that were 18,000 years old! I got to participate in making Aboriginal spears, and I watched them make baskets and canoes in the traditional way. That night, I learned where the Dreamtime touched the rugged gorges, gullies and rainforest of Woolshed Creek. My final hike was The Daintree, Queensland. It’s more than 135 million years old. It’s a stunning rainforest and the oldest rainforest in the world. I traverse the canopy of green with the traditional owners, the Wujal Wujal people. I learned about bush tucker and I got to fish for barramundi while fresh water crocs sunned themselves on the mangrove lined banks of the river. I really wished I had more time to explore all the other sacred Aboriginal sites, but the three that I did manage were splendid.