The Success Chain

So, the other day I was telling my friend Joshua how cool it would have been to be going to school at the University of Washington twenty years ago, you know, back when grunge was just breaking out into the world and the whole cultural scene of Seattle was beginning to explode. He wasn’t really impressed with the idea, but dang, how cool would it have been to see Pearl Jam play in a local club, like before they were famous and stuff. Or Nirvana, I mean it’s hard to imagine Dave Grohl as the drummer for Nirvana, but how cool would it have been to see them perform?

I don’t know, I’m kind of obsessed with the idea of the history that happens before the history happens, you know? I mean, I love the idea of what the city of Seattle was like when all these guys who were about to be major rock stars were walking around the streets and stuff. And I love to think about them too, when they were young and before they hit it big, or even started to become famous. I’m that way with everything really. I’m as interested in the situation and people that were part of any major event or time period or band or whatever before that actual fame or event happened.

I was this way when I arrived her with my parents two years ago when we came to visit the campus. I was making like a mental documentary of our hotel room and everything we did while we were here. I kind of do that a lot in life, not because I think I’m going to be famous or anything, it’s just part of my obsession with the history before the history perspective. I’ve been doing it a lot lately. My girlfriend Tina and I have been getting kind of serious and so I’m just noting like the small stuff more and making a mental notebook of moments I can look back on later if we’re like married and have kids and stuff. It’s really kind of cool, you should do it.

I was in town to audition for an open seat in the cello section of the Orlando Philharmonic and while I was there I discovered what an incredibly fun city it would be to live in. It’s true that I am a classical musician and there is a strong stereotypical association to classical musicians being extremely conservative and reserved though for the most part that is a false belief. It’s true that a lot of our breed is bent toward political conservatism but it’s not a blanket or all encompassing reality and there are even a few liberals who play for the major symphonies in this country and abroad. Of course that means that there are democrats as well as the expected republican population and I happen to be one of the middle of the road moderates.

Meanwhile, that probably has little to do with my fascination with Orlando. What’s really the point of why I began that is because my behavior is not typical to the classical musician reserved status. I love to get out and do whatever exciting and adventurous activity comes up and Orlando is full of these opportunities. I first noticed the possibility for this while I was getting ready to unpack my suitcase in my hotel room. I accidentally dropped my bag and all of the brochures that contained information on the various attractions, theme parks etc. fell out. Also being somewhat of a procrastinator, I ignored my suitcase and started to look through the brochures. Let’s see, there’s Sea World, Disney Land, Golf Courses and tons of great restaurants and major cultural events. I mean, come on as if having two major theme parks in one city isn’t enough there are tons of other things to keep residents and tourists and auditioning cellists busy. In fact, that reminds me, I need to warm up a bit.

Okay, so I went on a date in Singapore and it was one of the most pleasurable and satisfying encounters of my life. Okay, and before you believe that this is going to be a romantic story, I have to declare that the cause of all of my enjoyment and even surprise pleasure was not due to the company but rather the quality of food I had and the great menu of the place we ate. So far as the actual date itself, well, I wouldn’t even remember that it happened saved for the great meal, well and the fact that it occurred in Singapore, oh and probably the fact that I see my date from that night nearly everyday.

I think the place was simply called Fifty Three. Isn’t that funny, it was the high light of my date and now I’m having difficulty remembering its name, though Pete’s name is firmly in my mind. So, anyway, the menu was incredible and while I had given up on the idea of a romantic evening before we even arrived, I was immediately inspired and pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere and aroma inside the restaurant. It’s not that I was expecting poor quality or anything, it’s just that Fifty Three was amazingly enticing from the moment we walked in the door.

We both loved our meals and the food seemed to be made with extremely fresh ingredients. They even used edible flowers as part of the plate decoration and entrée accompaniment. Pete and I even enjoyed our conversation during dinner and I believe this was due to the great restaurant we were in. And before I sound like I’m too judgmental, I should acknowledge that Pete didn’t really want to be there with me either. It’s just that the two of us happened to be the only two from our department that were asked to go on this business trip. So, we didn’t know a single other person in Singapore and we both really wanted to explore the restaurant scene. We get along okay at work, though our personalities couldn’t be different. Thanks to Fifty Three we were able to enjoy our evening together. Of all the restaurants in Singapore that I’ve eaten at, I’d have to say this was my favorite.

Just to the North of the Central Park main Zoo, sits the Tisch Children’s Zoo.  Of many wonderful experiences for kids to have in Central Park, this is one of them.  And what better way to kick off the Year of the Tiger, than to spend the day in the outdoors at the zoo.  Any paid admission to the main zoo, includes a trip to the children’s soo, a place that offers not only a variety of species, many available for the petting, but fun and educational activities as well.  This section was made possible by the generous donation of Laurence A Tisch, well known throughout the city for his philanthropic gestures and support.

The Children’s Zoo opened just over ten years ago in 1997, and it offers of course–child friendly designs and exhibits, meant to intrigue and delight the minds of the young ones.  It is a magical experience that families can share together, including a theatre, The Acorn Theatre..a company who produces children’s plays that are a combination of entertainment, and the messages delivered about the need for the care and the protection of the environment and of the wildlife on the planet.  In the zoo, one will find magpies and mandarins, doves, storks and peacocks as well as pigs, sheep, cows and goats.

In the the middle of the zoo, is the Enchanted Forest, a section that is a covered aviary filled with many different species of beautiful and colorful birds.  One of the best places to catch glimpses and perhaps even a photograph or two, is by any of the feeding dishes located throughout.  With many of the other animals, the petting zoo is a great way to get up close views of the tiny creatures.  And although it may seem that New York is a grown-up kind of city there are many options for kid friendly hotels throughout the city, many located close to Central Park…and therefore close to the lovely little section, just for kids, at the Tisch Zoo.

Tire safety is relatively easy to ensure. To many people, consistently checking the tires of their vehicle may seem at the time, to be a bit of a nuisance, in the long run it will solve many problems. Financial problems, inconvenient blow outs or flat tires, or even worse–collisions which could have been avoided it the tires had simply been looked over before hitting road. Even the higher quality, extremely well made tires such as the Hankook tires, must be cared for not only for the safety issues, but proper maintenance will ensure that life of your tires will be long lasting.

One way to make sure that the tires wear evenly throughout their lifetime is to have them rotated occasionally. Most mechanics will recommend that you have this done each time you get the oil changed, once every five thousand miles. This is not only recommended for the mileage considerations on the tires, but it is a great way to remember when to do it, to schedule both procedures at the same time. This will also be the time for the balancing of the tires. If a tire is out of balance, the wheels will wobble, not only putting uneven wear on them but also making it very difficult to handle your vehicle. Other small elements that make for big problems are the brakes or shocks that are not operating properly, worn out bushings, and wheels that are bent. When checking the air pressure, just look to see what is recommended for your particular make and model of vehicle.

You can find this on the sticker that is attached to either the post of the car door, the door to the gas tank, the glove compartment or the edge of the door. If you cannot locate it in one of these places, you can always check the owners manual. When checking the pressure, be certain to use an accurate tire gauge. This should be done once a month, and every time you leave for a long road trip. Tires are expensive, whether they are those for a sports car, an SUV, or the vintage wheels used on the older roadsters, and simple maintenance will ensure that those tires provide you with the long term safety that is important, either driving day to day, or while on longer trips.

It’s sometimes easy to imagine what this city was like in the mid-80s.  It’s not like it was that long ago, after all, and whatever scene was happening at the time, most of the key players are still around somewhere.  London right after punk seemed like an unlikely combination of edginess and vapidity, and sometimes it was both of these at once.  Today, it’s still a spectacularly interesting place to visit, and a rather nice place to live, too.  There are plenty of local scenes going on, and for young people with a lot of frustrated energy, it’s still a great place to find out what to do with it.

Visiting is easy enough, and once you navigate the airport, it’s a matter of finding transportation to your hotel.  London is one of the top cities in the world for accommodation, and it’s reputation is very-well deserved.  While you’re out checking out the town, you might see some remnants of the 80s, in the way people dress or the music you might hear, and maybe, if you’re lucky, you might be able to catch one of Howard Jones’ acoustic concerts.

After his short-sighted record company let him go in the 90s, he went off on his own, making his own tours, and starting his own record company.  It turns out to have been a very good move, because there’s been a lot of interesting new work generated from then to now, along with some extremely memorable shows.  But he’s most widely known as the Howard Jones who was one of the main figures in synth pop in the 1980s.  Songs like “What is Love,” and “No One is to Blame,” brought him lots of attention in the MTV circuit, and his interesting hair helped flesh out his image.  The music is as potent and catchy as ever.

This holiday is like none other, being a testament to a saint that we really don’t know anything about.  Chances are very high that he had nothing to do with romantic love, and it’s only through a series of mistranslations or inventions that it’s even connected.  But it’s stuck, and Valentine’s Day is here for awhile.  It’s probably a good thing, because it reminds us that this is what makes life worth living, after all, unless we’re saints, and fortunately, we are not.  In Singapore, it’s still a big day.  This is a great time to book a fine meal out, and plan to have an evening celebrating with the rest of this island city-state.

Valentine’s Day nearly and neatly coincides with the Chinese New Year, so there is certainly a feeling of festivity in the air.  During the New Year’s celebration, women will throw mandarin oranges into the river to ask for their soul mate to come to them.  This is significantly related to Valentine’s Day for one very good reason.  It points out the idea that there are many people who are not in a couple on this day, and it can be absolutely maddening to see so many people celebrating happiness.  There are also plenty of statistics that suggest that romantic happiness does not visit very many, nor for very long.

This might seem to be suggesting that the holiday not be celebrated at all, and Valentine’s Day in Singapore be overthrown and let the New Year have it all.  On the contrary, couples who can make it through another year and still claim happiness do deserve all the rewards that the world’s cultures can offer them.  It may be a perfect night for whispering carelessly sweet nothings, or to act impulsively, and let Cupid’s arrow strike you for a chance to dance with the prettiest and the handsomeist, but it’s also the time when the spirits of the old year have left, and the new ones are gathered, and renewal is, indeed, in the air.

Most of the films set in New York City, see the main characters return to their favorite restaurant, and boy did we find ours; it’s a small corner store that sells the best BLT’s we’ve ever eaten. We ate two in one sitting! Another time, we ordered them to go, so we could eat the BLT as we made our way to Central Park, where we were going to meet-up with the New York Movie tour, where we’d be taken all over New York City and shown where all these famous places are, like Ghostbusters or Spiderman, etc.

As we made our way to the park, eating our delightful sandwiches, we noticed the park was filled with rollerbladers, cyclists, walkers, runners, sightseers and even a game of Cricket. Through our extensive studying up on Central Park, we knew the general history, like the park opened up in 1859 and attracts over 25 million visitors annually and the park is landscaped by man rather than being natural. There are several lakes, ponds, bridle paths, walking tracks, a swimming pool, which turns into an ice-skating rink in the winter, a zoo, a conservatory garden, a billion gallon reservoir with a running track encircling it, a wildlife sanctuary, an outdoor amphitheater where ‘Shakespeare in the Park’ is performed, and the park itself is appraised at well over 500 billion dollars (land value).

After our wonderful New York Movie tour, we headed back to our hotel, which we found on this US New York hotel website: http://www.hotelsnewyorkusa.com, when we were in Europe. It was it to watch a bit of television, shower and then head back out to take the subway to Brooklyn. We timed it so the sun was setting behind the Financial District, that was we could take some excellent pictures of the Brooklyn Bridge with Manhattan in the background at sunset! We found a pizza restaurant nearby the bridge and that was the best wedge of pizza we’d ever had! We devoured two whole slices each, then downed an American beer. See, now we really feel like true American’s: pizza and beer.