India is a fantastic place to visit, with some of the most exquisite vistas in the world.  There are natural areas that are simply stunning, and endlessly elegantly marvelous.  There are plenty of ancient temples, and temples still in use today, where the local population will gather on special days to worship.  There are also plenty of street festivals, with elegant dancers making interesting new creations in front of your very eyes, as if there were a new artistic movement in the works, and there usually is.  India does not stop, and wouldn’t think of stopping.  The motion is very splendid.  Delhi is all of this, it’s almost like a condensed version of the entire country, with an enormously dense population, and many cultures mixing and living in the same time and place.

It has everything, like any big city, but there’s something rather unique about Delhi.  Or perhaps there are many unique things about Delhi, and too many to mention, surely, but it is unlike anywhere else on the planet.  If you’re coming, hoping to taste the offerings from some of the world’s best restaurants, Delhi may very well have these.  There is certainly a fantastic selection here, and some of the finest chefs in the world are preparing some of the world’s finest cuisine.  And some of the best artists are cooking up some new and fantastic worlds to explore on canvas.

Delhi’s Tanmoy Samanta is certainly an artist to watch.  He’s had a good beginning as an artist, and is reaching a phase where the maturer works are starting to make their way into the world, and it’s a splendid thing to see.  Especially when the style and execution produce such stunning results.  His Eye of the Needle show brings together some of the most interesting things to give life to gallery walls in awhile, and with spectacular energy and focus in each painting.  They are very bare and very spare, and could be best described as deconstructions of objects, and mediating on these brings enormous sized-worlds into focus, and it’s often stunning and often distubring.

Making sure that the tires on your vehicle are correctly balanced will provide you with a smoother ride.  When a car’s tires and wheels are out of balance and alignment the car not only rides rough, but becomes hard to handle, creating situations that could affect the safety of you and your passengers.  Many people are learning how to fix their vehicle’s smaller problems at home, this saves money and is a great way to learn just a bit more about your own vehicle and cars in general.

An unbalanced cooper tire must work harder for you to get where you are going, must work harder to keep you on the road, and therefore may wear unevenly as a result.  Evidence of this wear can be seen by the naked eye, so inspect your tires for signs such as flat or bald spots on the tread of each tire.  Weights are installed at the same time your tires are mounted and if you notice that some of those weight are missing you may experience balance issues.  While driving your vehicle, some indications that the balance is out of whack, is what happens when you put on the brakes.

If your car pulls in one direction or the other, this may mean the tires not in balance, but it may also just mean that the air pressure is low.  A good way to keep this in check, aside from your own inspections, is to have the rotated about every three thousands miles and this is cheap.  Tires will benefit from this inexpensive practice, and when you think of the expense of replacing your tires, or the expense of being involved in an accident as a result, the cost of rotated the tires becomes relative.  When you do have your tires replaced, check them frequently for signs of wear, as if you catch those signs earlier enough, your tire retailer will take care of the expense of fixing them for you and properly balancing them in the process.

Phil had loved baseball for as long as he could remember. He grew up in Southern California, though his parents had moved from New York City shortly before he was born. So naturally they had strong East Coast and New Yorker personality aspects and a loyalty to their home city. Phil’s father would watch baseball every Saturday afternoon and from these early games Phil became extremely familiar with the history of the New York Jets. However, having been born in Southern California, Phil himself was something of a San Diego Padres fan. This caused him to develop a bit of personal conflict, which he tried to keep to himself. He would demonstrate his loyalty to the Padres at school and with his friends, meanwhile at home he would root for the Yankees. He knew this would eventually lead to trouble, but it seemed to be the best idea at the time.

Then there was Phil’s grandfather, also named Phil, who would visit the family at least twice a year. This die hard New Yorker would never dream of moving from his beloved city though he was close to his family and tried to visit often. Little Phil only remembered having visited his grandfather once when he was boy. This was because his father believed he should visit the city at least once but was afraid his son would turn into a New Yorker himself if he visited too often. After all it was in his blood and his genes. And that being the case, it was only a matter of time before Phil came to his father and announced that he wanted to visit his grandfather over the summer. Coincidentally, he received notice from his own father that he was commanded to bring his wife and son to New York that summer. Little Phil had the right to visit his grandfather in his own setting. So, against Phil’s father’s better judgment the family booked a room in a five star hotel New York City and headed out to visit Big Phil. And as it turns out Big Phil had plans to take Little Phil to Yankee Stadium for a ballgame. And that experience was all it took. Little Phil was an uncompromising Yankee fan for the rest of his life.

When are in Maryland, and you are out to eat at a one of the best Baltimore restaurants, do you ever wonder where they get their seafood?  Well, chances are they go where most of the city goes for the best of the best, and that is the Lexington Market.  The entire city is steeped in history, and the market is no different.  The market has been in business since 1782, the largest market in continual operation in the world.  Recently the market made it to the CNN list of the top ten seafood markets in the country.  They are  still at their original location between Greene and Eutaw Streets on Lexington.  They know what they are doing.

Along with the variety and the quality of the seafood, the market also sells fresh meat, poultry, specialty items and groceries.  There are many stalls that sell prepared food, for eat in or take away.  More than one hundred and forty merchants have stalls in the market, and many events and festivals are scheduled here throughout the year.  Two favorites are the The Chocolate Festival and Lunch with the Elephants.  An ongoing event is the “Fresh Music at the Market” in which live musicians set up and play every day at noon during lunch time.

School children throughout Baltimore are introduced to the market at a young age, for if their parents don’t shop there, their schools will bring them there.  Staff of the market lead field trips and teach children about the foods at the market and topics such as the environment and organic farming.  The market has seen the city change, and will be there to see it change again.  The Urban Village project is underway.  It is a project in adaptive re-use and green development.  The market too will be renovated, with upgrades on the facilities–an overall face lift for this structure more than two hundred years old.  The project will also include the construction of reasonably prices apartments, bringing more life on a day to day basis into this already lively and wonderful area of Baltimore, Maryland.

Madrid is pretty close to being the center of Spain, physically speaking, and certainly feels like it in many other ways.  It is the capital of the country, and the largest city, and some will say it feels like the center of the universe.  It has been the center of many fascinating historical moments, and has been a creative capital for many generations.  Today it is one of the world’s great financial hubs, and there is a tremendous creative output from the people who live here.  There is a constant sense of things happening , with an infectious energy that is very appealing to travelers from all walks of life.  The Madrid best hotels are those that can offer that perfect combination of classical sensibility with contemporary taste.

It’s very difficult to avoid good taste and splendid style anywhere in Spain, being one of the most fantastically cultured places in the world, and Madrid again rises up as a center for gracious sensibility, and is never shy to display its magnificent flair.  Hotels and restaurants will showcase this sense of style, and it’s also visible in the local fashions.  It seems to be a city designed to blur the boundaries between art and life, just as so many of its artists have done.  One artist to watch in this regard is Chris Sugrue.

She works here and in New York, and her work is seen all over the world, in places like Portugal, Japan, Brazil, Austria and Turkey.  Her works are fascinating interrogations into how human life and digital life intersect, and it’s a very fine line in these times.  Her art projects have been all over the map, from solo shows to massive collaborations, and they are all equally marked with a spark of genius.  The question of life and art has been asked for generations, and is always a concern of the avant-garde, and the technological focus of Sugrue‘s works puts this into a new direction for a whole new generation that is still in the process of defining itself.

So, now I know how this happens, when you show up expecting to stay 5 to 6 days in India, expect that to stretch into a whole week, then the next thing you know, you’ve signed up for another week. That’s just how India pulls you in, slowly and unexpectedly. Luckily, I picked one of the best luxury hotels Goa that could keep booking the same room for me.

Motorcycles, will become less expensive as it’s becoming the end of the season here in Arumbol. There’s so many make to choose from, like a 2 stroke 100 by Yamaha, or scooters, but the one I’m hoping for is the Royal Enfield. This baby hasn’t changed for over 50 years and there are only two models, the 350 and the 500. Both are one-lung and kind of a mini-triumph with a loud exhaust. They have a classic style and enough power to travel long distances while on the Indian highways.

It’s that motorcycles with which I am seeking, well at least dreaming about. I see myself on an Enfield touring all of India and all for a fraction of the cost. I like seeing myself travelling that way instead of riding the rails. I could really get the feeling for the country riding on an Enfield. I learned that motorcycles are registered for a lifetime in India, so the registered passes from one owner to the next. I could buy one for about 500 dollars (20,000 rupees). There is a drawback, Enfields tend to be moody and break down suddenly and often. Luckily for me, the mechanics are easy to fix and the parts are sold everywhere in this county. I’ve put out a few feeler around, so I’ll see if I get a bite.

I’m somewhat free from obligations, at least compared to most people, so I can conceivably lengthen by tour for even one full month, even two. It’s cheap to live here and I’ve found it gets cheaper as I head into the hinterlands. I’m keeping all my possibilities open. I want to take full advantage of the freedom I’m offered at this very moment of this life.

Klye was in the mood for a steak. And when he said steak, he only meant the best steak available and for Kyle, that meant taking a trip across the bridge to Brooklyn and enjoying a great meal at Peter Luger Steakhouse. He swears that any restaurant that can last a hundred years has got to be one of the best restaurants New York City and beyond. And that night, Kyle was hungry and wanted the best.

However, and unfortunately for urgent appetites, Kyle’s wife Velma was adamantly in the mood for her favorite Chinese food. And her hunger demanded that they take a trip to the Chinatown Brasserie. She simply had to have some sea bass with black bean sauce and would not take no for an answer. This was an unusual predicament for the two of them to find themselves in as both of them were rather easy going about choices and were usually easy to please. Granted, they both had their favorites as was just demonstrated and occasionally they would find themselves unwilling to compromise when the need struck them though it rarely happened to both of them on the same night.

So, to rectify the situation, one they can’t recall ever having dealt with before Velma called her mother to gain support. That was all Kyle needed and with his hunger growing he sulked into the other room to grab his coat. Well, Velma wasn’t pleased with her mother’s first suggestion, which was to go for the steak because she preferred that herself. So, when pressed the mother came up with a different solution, which was to go to separate restaurants for the night so that each could enjoy their own choice. That was an odd suggestion, but Velma was attracted to it. She mentioned this to Kyle, who did not like to eat alone. But seeing that they were both unwilling to compromise they decided it would be the best thing for that evening. And while they both had the dinner they wanted, and enjoyed their meals, they decided that in the future they should make their plans earlier in the day before their appetites could get the better of them and leave them eating alone.

This is my first writing about my trip to India. Many of you know about my travel, and many of you do not. So, here is my plan for India.

I arrived a few days ago and I will be taking an Italian cooking class. Yes, really! Here in India. Upon arrival, I was overwhelmed with the amount of people waiting for me, just for me, well not really, all the drivers here act like they know you personally, act like you’re a long lost friend in order to get you to ride with them. I really enjoyed just how hard they try, they are real experts at what they do, one convinced me enough, that I hired him. He almost had me believe that I was his long lost relative.

I learned my lesson well though, he charged me an arm and a leg by the time we reached one of the four star hotels Chennai offers to all its visitors. I had to go to an ATM machine to make up the difference of what I didn’t have in my wallet. I didn’t mind though, I actually enjoyed giving him a hard time, I told him that I was his long lost relative, and that he shouldn’t charge a relative so much, or at least offer to invite me over for dinner so I can meet with the rest of my long lost family. He enjoyed my response so much that he took me up on the dinner idea! I laughed and told him that I already had plans for the evening, but he insisted! I asked if I could come by after I finished a few cooking classes and that I’d cook him up an Italian dish he’ll never forget. He laughed and agreed! He gave me is address and phone number and told me to call him anytime.  What was even more remarkable was that he gave me back half of what he charged me! So, I ask you, who was the professional here? Me or him?

I have to say that I’ve never seen so many people in one place! The city is busting with cars, buses, people, so much traffic, so much noise and life! I can’t imagine where they all came from! I walked about a bit and asked a shop owner just how many people live here, he said about 6 million! No wonder, I thought, that with this many people, there’s so much pollution, but also so much to do and see! I hope that I’ll be able to experience more of Chennai in between my cooking classes. As for now, it’s time to get cracking and learn some fancy Italian dishes so I can keep my promise to that taxi driver.

Ciao!

After checking into one of the five star hotels in Delhi, get out your walking shoes and hit the streets. There are many wonderful attractions to inspire visitors to learn more about the area. One of these great attractions is the Lal Qila.  Lal Qila means Red Fort in the local language. This Fort was built by one of the greatest rulers of India. Shah Jahan was a great leader and well respected by his country. He was also known for his great architectural creations. He came to Delhi in 1638 from Agra and created this new royal palace which was completed in 1648.

This amazing Fort was built with massive 110 feet high walls made of red sandstone that surround the gorgeous Mughal architecture. When you walk through the Lahore gate you start to feel the grandeur and history of this amazing palace. As you begin to peak in side you start to see that this Fort is actually made up of a number of pavilions. Each pavilion has it’s own purpose. The most decorated pavilion is the Khas Mahal which served as the private space of the emperor. Made up of white marble and decorated with precious stones and gold leaf.

Another of the pavilions is the Hammam which is a bathing room. But is not really just one room, it actually has three areas separated by hallways. These rooms are of course built with marble floors that have multicolored stone inlays with floral patterns.

The Moti-Masjid is the Pearl Mosque. This  Mosque was built by Aurangzeb for himself. When you walk into the prayer hall you see the Musallas which are small prayer carpets placed across the black marble floor. When you see the Mosque from a distance it stands taller than the courtyard. Walking this property is walking in a garden and is truly a peaceful walk to take on your visit to Delhi.

Great beaches and great nightclubs were all Tony could think about when he planned a get away to Miami, Florida with his best friend Joey. Joey on the other hand was looking forward to visiting the Miami Art Museum and attending a performance by the Florida Grand Opera at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts though neither of them mentioned their interests or realized the discretion before they left. They had been best friends since Joey’s family moved in next door to Tony’s when he was five and Tony was five and a half.

When they met for their complimentary breakfast the first morning of their stay in one of the fine hotels Miami Florida Joey mentioned the current exhibit at the Miami Art Museum. Tony didn’t give it much thought and had actually never heard of Guillermo Kuitca. However, when Joey mentioned they could grab a bite at one of the seafood restaurants after their trip to the museum, Tony realized his friend’s intention. He warned him about turning their leisure vacation into some kind of cultural exploration trip and Joey had to laugh. That was Tony’s response every time he wanted to do something that wouldn’t require getting his clothes dirty.

After spending their first breakfast making compromises and discussing what they knew they should have before they left, both Tony and Joey were satisfied with their mutual and independent agendas. They did go to the museum that day and Tony actually enjoyed the Kuitca exhibit. He was particularly impressed with and intrigued by the spatial abstract association works and thought maybe he had found his favorite artist. Of course it was also one of the few artistic names he knew. After the museum the friends grabbed a bite to eat and spent the rest of the afternoon on the beach. Joey was not opposed to beaches and clubs and he and his friend had a great time, he just didn’t want to make an entire vacation out of them. The two friends ended up enjoying their vacation, which is what they usually do after realizing they had different intentions with it.

Nothing like a good nights sleep; does wonders for the mind and body. When I woke up, I was feeling so much better than the day before. Even in a strange bed, I was surprised just how comfy it was1 I know it’s one of the best four star Dubai hotels, but all the same, the bed was unexpectedly comfy.

I’ve only been here a few days and this new country was calling for me to check it out. I decided to do the ‘touristy’ things. But before that, I just had to take in a few laps in the swimming pool and kick around the football with some local kids in the courtyard of the hotel and then take one more swim. I then went outside of my hotel to catch a bus. I ended up meeting a great couple, they were trying to catch the same bus that I was. We had tremendous fun trying to wave down a bus for almost three-quarters of an hour! Each bus continued to ignore us, and we had to ignore the taxis wanting to give us a lift. Eventually, we all decided to split the taxi fare, which was great because we were also headed to the same park! Za’abeel Park.

When we arrived, we went our separate ways. My first day here, I managed only a moment here, but now I can investigate the park all day. I was hoping to find a mini golf course, but that hasn’t been built yet. The park itself is very relaxing and very beautiful, so green and it insulates one from all the hubbub of the city. I made it from one end to the other and I crossed path with so many strange statues, like a koala monument and a surfing Kangaroo, very weird indeed. I then headed back out of the oasis to the concrete jungle of gigantic tall buildings. It was a very hot afternoon and walking around was wiping me out. I hailed a taxi to take me back to my hotel so I can hang around the pool for the rest of the day.

Every year it is a struggle for me to figure out what to get my wife for Christmas! I guess it is something I am just not all that good at. There is a miserable track record to prove it.

Being a particle type person I think things like blenders, food processors, vacuums are good gifts. Well over the years I have learned my wife and I see this from very different points of view.

So after this realization I tried going the clothing, perfume and jewelry gift-giving route. Well my taste is terrible; I have to say it myself. I’d buy her a necklace that in the store I thought was beautiful, only to find myself wondering what was I thinking when I saw it on her. I would insult her by buying clothing that was too large or too small. I’d get something for the house she really wasn’t crazy about and on. It is not like she is ungrateful she appreciates my efforts; it just doesn’t seem to be something I am very good at.  So after much frustration and returned gifts I don’t want to travel down that road again. There are always gift certificates but they seem so impersonal.

So this year I asked her best friend, what should I do? I think she came up with an excellent suggestion. She said why don’t I take my wife to Florida for a winter vacation and surprise her with it on the holiday. I thought that was brilliant! I got right on line and booking our luxury Tampa hotels cause, well if it’s a gift it should be luxury. As an added surprise I am also giving her a spa package for a complete make over including facial, aromatherapy and a message. I am figuring that day is a gift to me too; I have scheduled a morning tee time and will be on the golf course that day!

With plane tickets printed and rooms booked, spa package paid for and a card purchased to slip it all into I think I am ready for Christmas. Once the decision was made it all came together rather easily. I really hope she likes this, if not I am just going to write her a check in the years to come.

Companies and Business Professionals such as Steven Barbarich are well aware that they would not remain in business long if they did not have the strong focus on respect and concern for customer satisfaction and approval that they insist on maintaining. This is partly due to the continually expanding nature of most business markets and when in house live companies are competing with Internet based businesses that provide the same product, survival can become tricky.

Online businesses are often able to greatly reduce overhead costs and frequently operate of homes and small offices. Meanwhile they have a tremendous supply of products stored in large warehouses that the consumer never enters. This is enormously cost saving when compared to the in house business that must pay for staff persons to be in the store at all open hours and they must keep a large portion of their product in the store. Electricity costs also sore when a store is active versus when items are stored in a warehouse. They can also take some of their overhead cost savings and apply that to larger stocks of products in huge warehouses. This then allows them to offer lower prices and potentially drive other companies out of business. And these are just a few of the cost savings elements that benefit online only businesses.

And while there are other benefits that relate to in house businesses, the ones mentioned here that work for the online businesses can be devastating if they are not countered by the live in house company. This is where the importance of providing excellent customer service can be essential. Personalized attention, respect and genuine concern for customer satisfaction cannot be replaced by an email. And many consumers have a natural preference for shopping in stores, which businesses should capitalize on. Meanwhile for the online company, it is essential to maintain their own orientation toward excellent customer service or they may very well lose any overhead cost benefits they received by operating online.

Cape Town and the surrounding cities of the Western Cape have been known as some of the most spectacular places in the world.  The regions are so distinct and so different that not only area rich in contrast, the cultures of each vary as well.  From places in the Winelands to the Overberg, the beaches on the western coast and the Klein Karoo, one will be overwhelmed by the choices for adventure and activities they are presented with in Cape Town.  Luxury hotel accommodations are just as plentiful, but no matter which you choose you we not be disappointed.

One of the most intriguing destinations for an excursion outside the city is Table Mountain.  Much as with Ayers Rock in Australia, this mountain seems to pull people in, it is powerful and seemingly spiritual, said to put people under a kind of peaceful spell.  Many people have ventured to clime to the top of it over the years, but this is no easy trek and for hundreds of years only a few people have actually completed the hike successfully.  There is a way to the top however.  The idea to build a cable car was conceived conceived during the years of the WWI, but were not undertaken until 1926.  Trygve Stromsoe was the engineer from Norway who presented his plans to a group of businessmen.  Once they had invested the project was completely relatively quickly.

The cable car to the top of Table Mountain opened in 1929 and since then more than twenty million people have taken the car.  Many tourists as well as some of the most famous people in the world have traveled to Cape Town with the express purpose of taking the cable car.  Table Mountain has gone over many renovations and updates over the years and now along with the ride up the mountain, there are many restaurants that have been added on the waterfront.  New cars would put in, which have transparent floors offer some the most incredible views of the landscapes.  This is a trip that must be taken, to the top of Table Mountain, before leaving the country of South Africa.

It was only a few days ago that I saw my friend Mark in Bangkok. He mentioned that I should maybe do make some money working for the Australian Army Reserve. I’ve since looked into it and what I’ve found so far is I have about a month work booked with the Reserve starting in January and some work booked in Canberra Grammar, that will be white water kayaking during February and in March. Later, I’m hoping to book a few more months and work in Australia from April to mid May. Then come back to Thailand. I’m pretty sure that by then, I will have saved enough money to pay for an entire year of living in Thailand. Mark was staying at one of the Thailand luxury hotels, I really enjoyed visiting him there. His accommodations were really very nice.

I’m hoping to book work each year and save money to pay off some debts. My plan should give me a lot more free time to get in shape and to explore more of Thailand, plus do all the other things I would like to do also. So far, my new plan seems very doable.

I informed my agency that I will be leaving soon, and they told me they already had another teacher waiting to take my place. So, things will be happening faster than I thought! Last week, which was my last week in the Bilingual school, a very good job by-the-way, but my new plan seemed so much better, the school’s administration and my own teaching schedule was finally getting more organized. Especially on my very last day! I said goodbye to all the children and their parents and said goodbye to some teachers with who I’ve made good friendships with. I was stunned about all the cards and gifts I received, which made me wonder if my new plan was worth it, that doubt only lasted a minute! When I get back to Thailand, I’m definitely going to stop by and see all of them again.