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.

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.

I think it’s still interesting to hear about people planning their St. Patty’s Day celebrations in Phoenix.  There are the usual plans to just go to the pub and drink all day, and with places as congenial as Molly McCaffrey’s, and as hip as Casey Moore’s, there are excellent places to watch the day turn into night, but something happens here every year that makes it seem like planning should be a no-brainer.  St. Patty’s Day is as good a time as any to come to Phoenix, luxury hotels are plentiful, and they really do it up right here, and there’s also some of the most spectacular weather in the country here at this time.  In some years, it’s already a little warm, but the evenings are cool and full of hope.

But there’s also Flogging Molly.  I sure don’t know where it started, or how, but they’ve been playing this holiday here for a few years now.  Phoenix has a sizable Irish-American population by most standards, but nothing really unusual.  Who knows why this band, which has enjoyed tremendous success all over the world, has decided to love it here so much, but we shouldn’t look this gift horse in the mouth.  Or if we do, it should be from the inside of the mosh pit, so we can work it out like real gentlemen.

The truth is, this is one of the coolest bands in the world right now.  I’m just a little too young to have seen the Pogues before Shane started losing his ability to walk without scaring the children and the dogs, so this is as good as it gets.  To hear Flogging Molly play Phoenix is a cool thing for all of us.  They’re shows are extremely rowdy, and always lots of fun.  They’ve worked up quite a following, generally speaking, and fans here know what to expect on the holiday named for a man who drove out pagan snakes.  At the best moments in their playing, we can almost see the snakes come crawling back in.

As one of the largest cities in the country as well as one of the largest metropolitan areas, Dallas has an arts, entertainment and cultural scene to compliment its overall size and significance. There are many landmarks and cultural attractions that are unique and specific to the city and many of its institutions have become icons of the city. The art scene is diverse and there are multiple museums to represent all forms of art. The Nasher Sculpture Center is a great example of this. It is located in the heart of the Dallas Arts District and is directly adjacent to the Dallas Museum of Art. Both establishments provide a full day’s worth of great artistic experience for residents and guests who are staying in one of Dallas’ hotels.

The sculpture museum was established by Raymond and Patsy Nasher who had spent years amassing a large collection of great works and dreaming of a museum that was specifically designed to display sculpture. Some of the artists they had accumulated works of include Joan Miro, Auguste Rodin, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Willem de Kooning and many others. In addition, Raymond had been the original owner of NorthPark Center.

When the Nashers were finally at a point where they could realize their dream they brought in Renzo Piano, a Pritzker Prize winning architect, to design the center, which stands on a 2.4 acre lot. Piano completed the project in collaboration with Peter Walker, a landscape architect who worked on the design of the two acre sculpture garden. The Nasher collection continues to grow and the museum showcases the permanent collection as well as special exhibits from other collections and museums. There are also popular monthly events hosted by the center and they include the Target First Saturday for children and families and the NasherSalon, which hosts distinguished speakers on sculpture, architecture and other cultural elements.

If you are looking for a luxurious hotel in Duluth then click here for information on some really nice accommodations. While you are in Duluth you many be interested in the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge that is sitting out in the port. It is considered a real landmark for the city as it allows the travelers of the land and sea to cross paths harmoniously. It is the first bridge of its kind to be built in  America. The first incarnation of the bridge was built in 1905 and then it was upgraded and fortified by the end of 1930. In 1973, the bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places. While you are visiting the city you can come to the maritime museum near the bridge to learn more about this wonderful structure.

As the area was growing in the late 1800s, people were looking for their own lands to own and it spread out across to the small peninsula in the Lake. They spent some time and effort trying to figure out how people could find their way back and forth from the island to the mainland. There were always major problems with either safety and or seasonal weather that kept other ideas from working out. After all you can’t move a fairy across a canal that is frozen over with ice for the winter. In 1892, they decided to have a contest of ideas and the winner was John Alexander Low Waddell, who drew up the plans for the bridge. But the War Department turned it down and Waddell took his design to Chicago. Ideas come and went for a couple of years until they gave it another shot and now there it is. Still in major use today. It only takes 3 minutes to raise the bridge and it usually goes up around 30 times a day, depending on the ship traffic.

After you get a good rest at one of the luxurious hotels around Grand Prairie you may want to see what is going on at the Lone Star Park. This is a horse racing track that opened in 1997. It hosts a few different races such as the Thoroughbred series and the Quarter Horse series. The place is owned by Magna Entertainment Corp which is actually based out of Aurora Ontario and they lease it out for events. This park was hosted the Breeders’ Cup in 2004 where it increased its seating for the event to accommodate 50,000 people. You many want to show up on Memorial Day for the big purse. They call it the Lone Star Million Day so you guested it the purse is a little over one million dollars.

Normally, the track grandstand seats about 8,000 people. The track its self is a one mile dirt oval and also a seven furlong turf track. There is room in the stables for 1,600 horses spread through 32 barns. All of it covers about 315 acres of land. It is quite exciting to see the excitement get set off and hyped up with one of the current presenters like Dave Appleton, Rick Lee or Jon Lies. They add some spark to events such as the Lone Star Park Handicap, which are the American Thoroughbred horse race. This race is for horses that are three years and older.

The Texas Mile Stakes is also for Thoroughbred horses three years old and older. The same is true for the Lone Star Derby and the Ouija Board Handicap, they all run Thoroughbred horses three years and older but with slightly different circumstances. Then there some restricted stake races for the Texas horse which includes Stallions and Thoroughbreds. There are many events to catch and will always be exciting.

That was the night I decided that I wasn’t going to believe in faeries any more.  I don’t know how the fight started, but I remember somewhere in the middle of it I started to realize that I was in the middle of a fight, and I could not win.  She believed in faeries, and elves, and all of those things, and desperately wanted me to believe in them, too.  The really interesting part of all of this is that of course, I always did believe in them, and when I wasn’t sure, there were always signs that they believed in me.  So it was hard to understand why we were fighting.

I always go to one place in my mind, when I am in the middle of a bad situation that looks like it’s going to continue.  I go, mentally, to this luxury hotel in Georgia where I once had the best dreams of my life.  There was nothing else that was interesting about the trip, no exotic experiences, and no interesting company with me, just a splendid night of splendid dreams.  Part of the responsibility for that was the hotel’s, and part of it came from the faerie world.  I have a feeling this might sound a little crazy.  But when I was younger, I visited an island with my parents, and went off wandering by myself, and fell upon what I came to understand was a faerie ring.  Since that time, they’re been with me at important moments, and I better not say much more about that.

They hate it when you give away the details.

So, let’s just say that when I was arguing with my girlfriend-to-be about these creatures, I kind of hoped they would make an appearance, to help me win the fight.  She was arguing that these things existed for her, and helped her to do all sorts of things.  I told her that this was also true for me.  She thought that I was making fun of her.  I insisted that I saw them regularly, and that I was somehow lucky because they did not try to poke out my eye.  Faeries like to poke out people’s eyes.  That’s what they do.  She told me that they would never do that, because they love people.  They do not.  I know that for sure.  So not only was I losing a fight, but she had lost the chance to be with me, because I know she was lying.  It’s the saddest story that I know that can also make me laugh.  But the faeries did not appear that night, and they would not return until the next night, when they told me they were glad she was gone, because she was so wrong for me.

A friend of a friend of mine in Chicago, Matt Walsh, was one of the founders of the now New York based company, The Upright Citizens Brigade.  He started the company in the city of Chicago in 1996, along with Ian Roberts, Matt Besser and Amy Poehler.  They staged a show and performed for audiences in New York in 1999, and soon afterward began teaching their long-form improv techniques.  One of the philosophies of the company involves big star names, for a little bit of change…meaning that when you attend any given performance you may see on stage Conan O’Brien, Will Ferrell, Mike Meyers, or Robin Williams in the cast of players, for the cost of eight bucks.

The classes that they offer provide the means for improv students and actors to find their own creative voices and to forge their way in the career of comedy.  Their home in New York was at first, far away from the classy hotels of Manhattan, in a building that used to house a very questionable strip club.  Soon big time casting directors, journalists, and agents were members of an audience that was growing exponentially.  The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre became THE place to go to see cutting-edge and innovative comedy.

They have always kept their prices low, as on any given night you may pay six dollars, two dollars, or nothing at all, and the price never exceeds eight dollars.  And unlike most comedy clubs, not only is there no such thing as a drink minimum, all of the drinks be it wine, beer or soda, are priced extremely low.  This is a company that simply wants to make their comedy and laughter available to and affordable for the public.  This is a no-holds-barred company in every way, and should you pass by the theatre some night, take in a show.  You will have the time of your life, however, you may leave with a belly ache from laughing non-stop, but it will be well worth it.

Find a room at one of the hotels Huntsville Alabama has available and get ready to see the evolution of and industrial city. In 1805, John Hunt was the first settler of the land however he didn’t register his land properly so the area was purchased by Leroy Pope and called Twichenham first. However later on the town was named after the original claims man John Hunt and it was finally incorporated in 1811. The start of the popular needed industries began and grew quickly. Cotton and the railroad is how the city originally made its money.

The city gave some honorable men to the Civil War efforts. Col. Egbert J Jones was from Huntsville as made is name known at the Battle of Manassas which was Bull Run. The fourth Alabama Infantry had some men from this city. They were the first men from Alabama to fight in the war. They were there at Appomattox when Lee surrendered to Grant in 1865. Eight generals involved with the war were from Huntsville Alabama. Huntsville did finally become a town of interest in the war when General Ormsby M Mitchel came to cut off the confederate communications done by rail. Huntsville did finally become a operation center for the Union Army.

In modern military times, the city of Huntsville became the home of NASA. Eisenhower made a formal dedication to the Marshall Space Flight Center in 1960. This city has been an instrumental part in creating the technology that is used today in the space program. Dr. Wernher von Braun, a German scientist, was brought to the city after WWII through the program called Operation Paperclip, to develop rockets for the Army. They created the Redstone ballistic missile which was modified into Juno I and took the first U.S. satellite and astronauts up into space. So there is so much to see on your visit to Huntsville from cotton picking to rocket blasting, you can’t get bored.

As you take your cab ride to one of the hotels Hartford Connecticut has waiting for you there may be a sense of curiosity that builds. This city is very green and beautiful with land scape nestled through the tall modern and historical buildings. There is plenty of history in this town since its early Dutch settlers came to trade their furs. It got its name from a settlers original home town in England Hertford. This city had some early political pull as it inspired the U.S. Constitution.

Plenty of historical people have spent time or lived here. There were gatherings of early delegates at the Hartford Convention. Harriet Beecher Stowe author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin had a home in the Asylum Hill section of the city, Nook Farm. Visitors can visit her old home which has a museum. Mark Twain also spent time in this city. He thought it was the most beautiful city of all. His home is also a museum and can be visited the same day as you see Stowe’s home because they are in the same neighborhood.

The sites of interest seem to be endless. Bushnell Park near the State Capitol has wonderful rolling hills of grass, fountains, sculptures, an old historic carousel and the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch. This Civil War Memorial in the main entrance on the north side of the park. This triumphal Arch is the first one put up in the United States. The Connecticut State Capitol building is also a brilliant site. It is the office for the State Senate, House of Representatives, Governor, Secretary of State and the General Assembly of Connecticut. It is an incredible display of Victorian Gothic Style. There are many more splendid sites to see so if you are coming to this city you may want to keep your hotel room a few extra days. Stay and take in some of the rich history and beauty this city has waiting.

After having breakfast at our Santa Monica Hotel, we went to Perry’s bike rental place located on the Santa Monica beach and rented a couple of mountain bikes for the day. We left around 10am and followed the beach bike path all the way past the Santa Monica pier to Venice Beach where we stopped because Buddy wanted to pay his respects to the famous Muscle Beach. We also went to the large spectator area and to the handball courts and the basketball courts, which are free to the public.

We got back on our bikes and rode took the bike path to the end where it joins up with the road at Marina Del Rey. We stopped there and had lunch at this very nice bay that looked out over the marina. After lunch, we headed back to our hotel, but we once again had to pay homage to Muscle Beach by watching a group of guys playing basketball. We continued along the bike path and went past Santa Monica all the way to the end on the other side, which is at Will Rogers Beach. There’s no way to go any further, so we turned around and went back to Santa Monica and returned the bicycles.

We could see at the end of the pier that there was a mime pretending to be playing the guitar, and he was really pulling it off like he was really performing. It seemed, sadly, that no one was watching his performance. I like mimes, but I know most people don’t. The pier was all abuzz with people and it was almost 9pm. We were exhausted from our bike ride today, so we went back to our hotel and fell asleep easily.

The next morning was overcast, but that didn’t stop us from taking a free coastal walking tour with a local guide named Collin who’s a retired English gent now living in the US. He took us to the pier and then down to the beach where US military vets were installing small white crosses in the sand; one for each military person killed in the Iraq war. We found this act very moving. We walked further down the beach, then up some ‘joggers’ steps where many locals exercise by running up and down these steps. Our ‘walk’ ended in about 4 hours, were we promptly went to the nearest Starbucks of a much needed caffeine boost.

Our next stop to see the Farmer’s Market located on Fairfax in Los Angeles, but first, it was time to take a break and just relax poolside at our hotel.

Troy was headed to Modesto, California to take part in a large family reunion. He was excited to go because he wanted to see three cousins that he hadn’t seen in years. However, he was afraid he wouldn’t even know many of the people there and had considered not going at all. Naturally his mother would have none of that and while Troy was twenty two years old and could obviously make up his own mind, he still gave in to his mother’s wishes on most occasions. And this was important enough to her that he wasn’t going to mess with thinking about not going. Meanwhile, Troy had never before been to Modesto so he decided to see what all might be there that he would want to see and do.

Coincidentally, the Xclamation Festival was going to be taking place the same time that he would be in town. Troy had never heard of this before but found out that it has a sort of Mardi Gras feel to it and that it would include great music, great food and lots of cute girls- hopefully. Meanwhile, he thought this would be the perfect thing for him to do with his cousins on the Saturday before the reunion, so he got the festival information together and sent it to them.

As it turned out not only did Troy’s cousins go to the festival but so do some miscellaneous other relatives including a few that he didn’t know. They had all found out that the rooms in their hotel Modesto were all sold out and were happy that they made their reservations in advance. Continually through the eight hours of music Troy and his cousins ran into other family members, including his mother, and the event became something of a pre-reunion. He had a great time and really enjoyed the city of Modesto throughout the remainder of his stay.

There are many artists and time periods as well as art genres represented and displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. This is one of the most famous and respected art museums in the world and it is a pride of the city. The throngs of tourist that stay in a New York City five star hotel every year are frequently attracted to the museum and consider a visit an essential aspect of their stay. The permanent collection is incredible and extensive and the featured exhibits are some of the most famous and sought after across the world.

Paolo Veronese, also known as Paolo Caliari was a sixteenth century Italian painter who is included in the museum’s permanent collection. He was painting during the Italian Renaissance and most of his work is representative of this style and time period. He is well known for his amazing use of colors and much of his work deals with narrative cycles and is full of vibrant images, pageantry and glorious architecture.

He lived from 1528 to 1588 and was painting in what is considered to be the late Renaissance. He is known for having painted one of the largest canvases from the sixteenth century. This work is titled The Feast in the House of Levi and was completed in 1573. It measures an incredible 219 inches by 504 inches. It is a work done in oil on canvas and demonstrates his amazing use of color and spectacle. This painting was so powerful that it led to an official investigation by the Roman Catholic Inquisition and Veronese was questioned extensively. The response was that he was forced to change the name of the painting, which was originally titled Lord’s Last Supper. The Church considered this to be a derogatory comparison to the Bible’s story of the last supper.

If you ever saw Roger Moore as James Bond then there’s a chance you may have seen Udaipur.   If you’ve ever read Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, then you’ve seen a mention of Udaipur (a reference almost impossible to discern, though, because of its spelling: Oodeypore) as the birthplace of the fictional panther, Bagheera.  Scenes from Britain’s Jewel in the Crown television show were filmed in Udaipur.  And so were many films: Darjeeling Limited, Heat and Dust, and Octopussy (the aforementioned James Bond film).  It’s perhaps one of the most famous cities you didn’t know you knew: Udaipur, India.

Udaipur is known as the City of Lakes (also, like Singapore, it’s known as the “Venice of the East”), located in western India in the state of Rajasthan.  It was once the capital of the kingdom of Mewar and contains numerous lakes, such as Fateh Sagar Lake and Lake Pichola — some of the most beautiful vistas around.  Historic palaces line the lakes, many from the Rajput-era in the 16th Century.  Many of these palaces have been converted into Udaipur five star hotels, and provide travelers the chance to stay in monumental buildings dating back to 1559.  If you choose to stay in one of these historic places, you might wonder what there is to do in Udaipur, aside from luxury service and lakeside and palatial views.  Here’s a few sites worth taking a look:

There are several museums worth examining, including the Pretap Museum inside the City Palace.  It exhibits old inscribed sculptures, as well as paintings from the kingdom of Mewar, specifically from the artist known as Shah Jahan, who constructed the Taj Mahal.  There’s the Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal, which is a museum of folk arts, including puppet shows, which could be nice, especially if you’re traveling with your family.

On top of Pearl Hill (aka Moti Magri), you will find a memorial for Maharana Pratap — a bronze statue of the Rajput hero atop his best-liked horse.  There’s also the Monsoon Palace, known as the Sajjangarh Fort, which over looks every lake in the area.  One of the largest attractions in Udaipur is Jagdish Temple, a Hindu Temple, which was finished in 1651.  All the lanes that lead from the city wall (otherwise known as the sheharpanah) meet at the Jagdish Temple.

Or you may simply want to relax in your hotel suite, just as James Bond once did.

John Paul Sartre’s Play No Exit is currently playing in New York City. It’s at the Turtle’s Shell Theater at Time Square Arts Center on 43rd Street. Sartre was one of the most famous existentialist writers and also one of the most philosophically influential. No Exit is one of his most famous existential plays and presents four characters in a closed room. The play begins as the Valet leads a new person, Joseph Garcin, into the room. While the characters are unsure of their location the audience is soon led to believe or discover that they are in hell. The characters are all trapped in this room with only one door. Throughout the course of the play the characters begin to dissect each other and break each other down. No Exit has been referred to as the manifestation of Sartre’s famous idea that hell is other people.

Sartre was born in Paris France in June of 1905. His seminal works explore the concept of identity and individualization. Much of his early work focused on the conflict between spiritual conformity and finding an authentic manner of being. The Transcendence of Ego is the work that provides the basis of his existential thought and is a starting point for many readers. Being and Nothingness is another major philosophical work. In addition to writing about the philosophy of existentialism Sartre was a playwright, novelist and screenwriter.

Turtle’s Shell Theatre has been operating since 2003 and is devoted to producing and developing new theatre and new perspectives on established plays. Their focus is on presenting contemporary social and cultural ethics through the theatre. They perform at the Time’s Square Arts Center and tickets are $20. This easily accessed and visible establishment has parking available next door to it and features three bars. It is one of the landmark performance venues in the Broadway theatre district area. Many of the tourists who visit the city and stay in one of the New York boutique hotels plan to include at least one theatre production in their agenda.

Andalusia is one of the most exciting areas to travel, not just in contemporary times, but historically, it has always been a magnetic attraction for many civilizations.  There have been a stunning number of peoples who have traveled through the area, for conquering or for touring, and sometimes a little bit of both.  Today, it is a thriving center for art and culture, and one of the most populated cities is Seville.  Seville has a spectacular reputation for being a great place for tourists, and it still has no trouble living up to all the hype.  You can find all kinds of accommodations in Seville. Hotels are particularly suited for demonstrating the deep hospitality that makes Spain legendary.

Guests love the special attention they get from the finer hotels, where they offer a spectacular opportunity to refresh the body and mind while enjoying the magnificent attractions of Seville.  Here, the historical legacy is evident in the design and the sense of courtesy offered to all the guests, and all with a spectacular sense of style.  The sense of style makes its way into all sorts of attractions in town, and one of the most exciting annual events here, or anywhere, is Territorios Sevilla.

The 2009 edition hosted more than 30,000 spectators, who came to hear an unbelievably diverse range of musical styles from all over the world.  There are bands who play indie alternative, hiphop, and world music in this stunning 3-day event.  You can also see forums devoted to digital music, see film about world music, as well as music documentaries.  The idea of Territorios is to focus on the notion of the territory, and in splendid Sevilla style, take it apart in order to show cross-cultural currents that reflect common themes and concerns.  It’s an amazing way to get to know the city, and see how part of its identity is based on the identities of other countries and cultures.  It’s also some amazing music, and for any fan of live music, a fantastic opportunity to see some of the world’s finest new sounds.

Have you gone on an art tour to Spain. Find a cozy room in one of many quaint hotels. Malaga Spain is the birth city of Pablo Picasso and you don’t want to miss it. Right in the city of the sun you will find the Picasso Museum. Barcelona has been claiming to be the home of Picasso and he may have lived there off and on over the years but Malaga is his birth home.  Barcelona has tried to hang on and did finally build a Picasso museum as well but what it  mainly houses the works of a longtime friend of Picasso.

The Picasso Museum in Barcelona opened finally in 1966. There you can see many early works of art from they young Picasso. Childhood drawings done when he was ten to fourteen when he was in La Coruna. You can also see his blue period paintings. Also, the Las Meninas, the 44 cubist studies. Visitors can also take the walk out into the city and see the path of his life, which include the family apartments and the artists favorites places.

There is another intimate Museum of Picasso in Andalucian city of Malaga which is were Picasso was born. This museum houses the private pieces that was given to family, friends or kept for himself. The most noted painting he made for himself was of his wife who was deemed insane. He painted the Olga Kokhlova con Mantilla in 1917. Most of these pieces where give to the museum by Picasso’s Daughter-in-law and his grandson. After visiting the museum visitors can also take a tour of the artists childhood home which also has some sketches and sculptures.

Madrid is were enthusiasts can find Picasso’s most famous work, the Guernica. A black and white canvas displaying his shocking view of the German bombing of the basque Village. So if you are fortunate enough to see his whole path then try to start at the old Roman Palace in Malaga which was birthplace of such an extraordinary artist.

Seated on the east coast of Southern India, Chennai is a beautiful city with some lovely waterfront views.  It’s a great place to get to know India, enjoying a spectacular city that’s neither too large nor too small.  There are many cultural traditions that have their home here, with a fantastic music festival, and a great film industry.  It’s a very creative city, and this energy is felt everywhere, offering quiet or profoundly bold blasts of inspiration to the many artists that live and work here.  There is also a very strong industrial base in Chennai, and the sensibilities for hard work during the day are equalled by the search for fun and pleasure at night.  It’s a spectacular place to spend time, and it’s a spectacular place to find luxury hotels.  Chennai is a fantastic place to get away from it all, and find yourself deep in the heart of another world.

There are many worlds that coincide in Chennai, of course, with many cultures and languages that meet daily in the streets.  You’ll notice a lot of Tamil being spoken, and might want to take the opportunity to see some films here, as it is the heart of Kollywood.  You might be able to catch sight of one of the most popular film stars, or one of their astrologers.  There are a number of the rich and famous here, and in the entire world for that matter, who use astrologers to help them to make plans and decisions.  One of the most popular astrologers for Tamil movie stars is Vijay Swamigal, who lives in the nearby town Erode.

It’s common to see famous actors consulting him in his town, looking for advice on the upcoming year, or insights into important life events.  Some actors, like Vijay, will change their plans for the upcoming year if the outlook isn’t so good.  Astrology is a very old science, and people all over the world have been consulting the stars for insights into themselves.  It can be a way to make decisions, or to tell the future, perhaps, but it’s more of a way of understanding where you are at any given moment.  In seeing yourself in relation to larger cosmic forces, you can start to understand what energies need to be altered, or which can be altered, to make things flow more easily.

Got to Kuala Lumpur from Singapore via the overnight train. I arrived three days ago and I’m staying at one of the 5 star hotels Kuala Lumpur offers, yes! My first 5 star hotel  ever. It’s not to far from Chinatown, so that’s where I headed first.

Tons of knock-off bags and watches. I was overwhelmed with the mountains upon mountains of DVD’s. I found Kuala Lumpur to be a very cool city. It has character, even though I really didn’t get to see too much of it. My sinuses kept me down and out most of the time. But yesterday, I grabbed the metro and went to the famous Twin Towers and rode the elevator all the way up to the observation floor, but it was closed! So, I went back down to the base of the towers and did a bit of shopping. Every possible designer names were there, Gucci, Fendi and so on. I went out onto the street shops and there was O’Brien’s Sandwich bar and Monsoon and Oasis. All so very posh and beyond my wallet. I did lose my phone, I think I left it in the restroom of the overnight train, so I bought a new inexpensive phone for $20. I’ll forward you my new number in a separate email.

Previously, I had booked 7 nights in Lankkawi island, which is located North of Malaysia and closer to the border with Thailand. I’ll be catching another overnight train tomorrow and then catch a ferry. It appears to be a very quiet island and very luscious and beautiful. I really like how inexpensive Malaysia is compared to the rest of my travels, that’s why I could afford a 5 star hotel in the first place. I would like to spend more time here, but my plans are my plans and my sinus are my sinus. I just hope my sinus clear up by the time I get to Lankkawi.

It’s another perfect day in Singapore. I walked towards town until I found the quaint little local restaurant that actually serves toast with jam! Yum! Even though I absolutely love Malaysian cuisine, there’s nothing like toast and jam! After breakfast I went looking for the Arab Quarter. I wanted a little taste of Middle Eastern flare because Yemen was my next stop.

After a lot of walking and conversing, I went into a mosque and got to experience Muslim culture. I then I caught a taxi back into the city’s center. I paid for another night at one of the 5 star Singapore hotels and wrote down instructions that the receptionist gave me about how to get to the Changi Prison Museum. The way to get there was to take the MRT subway then catch a bus. So, the next morning, I headed out with my instructions in hand. The morning was already hot and as my train sped along overhead, I realized that Singapore’s population is vast. Housing stretched on forever. I got off at the right station and proceeded to catch the correct bus to Changi Prison Museum. It’s a museum dedicated to the Prisoner of War Camp. What a sobering experience. They illustrated how the Japanese tortured and killed prisoners and how they use Local Women as Comfort Women.

After that somber sight, I walked to the Jahor Guns. These are those 15 feet guns that were installed to thwart the Japanese from invading, but they were installed facing the see, which did no good as the Japanese invaded through Malaysia and not the sea. After that I catch a bus to Changi Beach. I had a nice Muslim lunch, which was very tasty and hot. Then I wandered around the beach a bit, it was very peaceful and relaxing. I spotted a plaque denoting that 66 Chinese civilians were executed here by the Japanese Forces.

I took a bus all the way back to the city center, this gave me plenty of time to reflect. All of Malaysia is so beautiful, it’s so hard to imagine a war here, or why anyone would invade. When I got back to my hotel, it was time to retire. I’m glad Singapore survived and has become one of the busiest places around the world.

This Christmas I am going to be going to New Orleans. I am not going to be going through another Christmas with this crazy family. What one would expect to be a celebration of the holidays, peace and joy usually turns into a day of stress, frustration and arguing. It is really not a fun time and I don’t want to do it again. I have realized I only have control over me in this situation and hence the decision to go to New Orleans.  I know no one is happy with my decision to be going out of town for Christmas, but really what can they expect. They may want to have another stressful holiday but my thinking is leave me out.

I made sure to book my New Orleans luxury hotels room early. I didn’t want there to be any problems in my planned holiday escape. I think I’ll drive up from Houston, TX since it won’t take that long and the drive helps clear my head.

I am thinking the French Quarter will be a festive and parting place to be over the week of Christmas. I am betting I’ll run into other refugees of home-based holidays there and am looking forward to it. They will probably have similar stories of craziness and frustration that mark their holidays. From what I have read the streets of the French Quarter and decorated to the nines with lights, streamers and decorations of all kinds. Carolers sing from nearly every street corner and Papa Noel wanders the streets bestowing blessing and greetings for the holiday on all who are present. It will be a fun and uplifting experience, something that the holidays should be whether in New Orleans or not.

I have been trying to talk my brother into going with me, but at this point he is not going to go against the family tradition and will be staying in Houston with the family. I’ll keep working on him and see if he changes his mind.

If there is another place on earth with a more stunning natural beauty than the Canary Islands, it must be hidden somewhere under a dense forest or possibly at the bottom of the sea.  The Canary Islands are magnificent, and there is a fantastic and thriving cultural scene in each of the larger cities.  Closer to Africa than Spain, there are rich blends of cultural influence, and some very complicated and interconnected histories here.  It’s a great place to find excellent restaurants, spectacular media and installation art, as well as 5 star hotels.  Tenerife is the largest island, and has some amazing things to see for the locals as well as the tourists.

You’ll probably hear a lot about Carnival while you’re here, whether it’s time or not, because it is such an important event in the island’s annual calendar.  Public gatherings such as this often give the illusion that the artistic production of the island is limited to folklore that is constructed for the tourist’s consumption, although some of the festivals are extremely important to the local cultures.  Savvy globetrotters will see that there’s more to Tenerife than meets the eye, and some respectful investigating might reveal some splendid surprises.   There is, for example, a very sizable network of digital artists working here, making some fantastic creations and magnificent connections.

Espacio Enter is a great place to begin looking for the artists doing this work here.  This is an annual meeting for anyone involved in bridging art and digital culture.  For many artists these days, the connection is very easy to make, having grown into a time where the virtual and the real are becoming difficult to distinguish, and the artists of the world are pointing to this as either a problem or a wonderful solution.  Espacio Enter showcases some of the coolest new work in experimental cinema, music, as well as a focus on artists and scientists making innovations to advance these emerging art forms.  There’s a lot to see here.

Travel to India is always a fascinating and wonderful thing, and spending time in Delhi can be one of the most delightful and exciting times in your life.  It’s a magnificent place to eat many different varieties of Indian food, see a performance of art forms that have been passed down from generation to generation, and to find glorious accommodations in an excellent five star hotel.  Delhi offers a wide array of lodging accommodations, to suit every traveler who passes through here, from the most basic rooms for the backpacking cultures, to the most splendid in luxury housing.  Our hotels are selected for their excellent track records, offering fantastic amenities to refresh the body, mind, and spirit.

Refreshed is an excellent way to see Delhi.  It is enormously complex, beautiful and baffling all at once, and offers amazing new adventures for travelers.  There are always plenty of attractions in Delhi, from the temples to the shopping malls, and something that will surely attract the attention of visitors of any age.  There are also magnificent performance traditions here, ranging from traditional variations on old art forms, to extremely contemporary new approaches to existing styles and techniques.  There is also a great porosity here between cultures, both within and outside of India.  This is especially true in the eclectic and fascinating life of theater-maker Khalid Tyabji.

He began his work in theatre at the University of Delhi, and had a good career as Administrative Director, but there was something in the Grotowski workshops that caught his attention and haunted him enough to leave his post, and travel around central India, giving workshops and working with Indian aboriginals in forms of theatre/communication without text.  This became the basis for a one-man show, General Tomfoolery, which he performed around the world.  The Polish connection never left him, and Tyabji travels back and forth to collaborate with Jolanta Cynkutis, developing new projects and working on translations of the writings of her dead husband, the great theatre director Zbigniew Cynkutis.  As if that weren’t enough, he has also appeared in several films, including Mira Nair’s Kama Sutra.  And the story continues to unfold, like a performance piece in the middle of the Polish forest.

One of the things I’ve found to be odd, or rather unexpected as I’ve reached the second half of my twenties is that the nature of vacations didn’t work out the way I anticipated as I made my early life transitions. When I was a child we took our vacations together as a family, as many people do. This continued into high school when I was allowed to go to Greece with my best friend’s family and my parents and my younger brother and sister went to St. Thomas Island in the Caribbean that year. It was fun and a turning point, though I have to admit I did miss my family a bit.

Finally, when I turned eighteen and hit college, I felt I was on my own and couldn’t wait to take a Spring Break trip with some of my friends. We did of course, and had a great time in Cabo San Lucas. In fact, it was so great that parts of it I can’t even remember. That was probably the highlight of the trips I took with friends during my college years. After I finished college and tried to settle into a career, I have taken a couple of short trips, more like getaways, with friends. And ironically, after all of these years I have come to the conclusion that I had the best vacations with my family.

There’s a possibility that this is largely due to the places we visited. But I think there’s something special and nostalgic about that time too. And everyone knows nostalgia trumps the present time any day. For instance, one year we went to Spain and stayed in the most incredible Costa Brava hotel. We spent a lot of time on the beach and went swimming almost every day. I remember a lot of other people there and I think most of them were on vacation too. This actually made it more fun and we met people from all over the world that year. We had great food at the local restaurants. And we went to some of the smaller towns that had a different and more traditional feel than the coastal resorts. We also visited the Dali Museum and I remember being somewhat disturbed but mostly impressed with his work. I’m still a huge Salvador Dali fan to this day. And I’m also a strong supporter of family vacations.

South Africa is one of the world’s great treasures.  Considered by many to be the mother country for the world, South Africa is rich in natural settings, gorgeous beaches, and lots of wild areas.  The urban centers are some of the most lively in the world, with a fantastically rich sophistication that comes from living in a place where so many cultures intersect.  South Africa has a complicated and fascinating history, and a great place to learn about the lessons of the past first hand.  It is also a magnificent place to relax, come back to your senses, and enjoy lazy days in luxury hotels.  South Africa certainly has something for everyone.

There are terrific cultural offerings here all throughout the year.  Street fairs and festivals are great places to see cultural performances demonstrating some of the best talents in the country.  There is also a stunning theatre scene here, and is one of the richest traditions for live performance anywhere.  Classical and contemporary plays can be seen in every large city, and local talents have won some of the most prestigious prizes in the world.  One of the most active performers these days is Zoleka Helesi.  She’s been doing fantastic work with the Community Arts Project, a Cape Town based initiative to teach skills in visual and performing arts to underserved communities, to open up horizons for career opportunities.

This would be enough for most people, but she is also the winner of the Naledi Theatre Award for best actress in a supporting role for her work in Karoo Moose, a presentation by the Baxter Theatre that examines violence within the family using magical realist themes and techniques.  The Naledi Awards have been in existence for 7 years now, and are considered one of the premiere, and certainly one of the most transparent, awards for the performing arts in South Africa.  Zoleka Helesi’s work is a reflection of the fantastic performance tradition here, and her fascinating background, with her difficult and important day job, gives a wonderful relief for an already dynamic life story.