Empty Voices

Phuket is a dream come true for many people.  It’s the perfect island getaway, offering a taste of the sea that is absolutely splendid.  The rhythms of the surf are truly the stuff of legend, inspiring poets and lovers for as long as human beings have walked on the earth, offering the perfect music for any occasion.  The sun is pretty spectacular, too.  All the natural elements are here, providing a rejuvenation for the body and the mind.  The local culture is extremely rich and fascinating, and has a long and complicated history that speaks to many cultures mixing and negotiating complex relationships.  Today, it has the splendor of timeless beauty, and some entirely modern twists that make it attractive for visitors of all ages.

Hospitality is exceptional here, and those looking for some time in luxury can certainly find it at a five-star hotel.  Phuket offers a particular view of place for those who have a lifestyle that embraces this kind of comfort, and it can live up to all your island life expectations.  There is also an amazing night life, and that, too, is the stuff of legends, and can offer something to suit every taste and sensibility.  For those who are looking for upscale social adventures, Bed Supper Club is one of the clubs of choice.  Their decor is chic and extremely elegant, and pushes the edges of contemporary modern with some fantastic retro touches.

The same people who created Bed also offer Sound Phuket, another club geared for the high society set.  The decor is similarly exquisite, but moves away from the retro and into the space age.  The DJs are schooled in the latest electronica, and have international reputations.  They’re both difficult to get into, which makes them all the more desirable for the urban vacationers looking to go somewhere they can be seen.  The sights are always gorgeous, with spectacular lights and in-house dancers who sometimes move in a way that challenges the beauty of the sea.  The ocean always wins.

There are places where luxury seems like a break from the intensity of the place, in the large and heavily congested urban areas where life is lived at a very fast pace, and visiting can be illuminating, but also extremely exhausting.  There are also places where luxury is almost too much, in places where there are only beaches and more beaches, and the idea of having to decompress at the end of a day at the beach just seems somehow too much.  Then there are places like Singapore.  Luxury hotels here seem like a splendid idea, because the pace is fast but never too much, and the setting is lovely, but never too far away from urban excitements, and the city state just seems to take to luxury very well.

It’s nice to see it in the accommodations when it’s in the fantastic restaurants here, and the extremely high quality of entertainments makes Singapore where luxury is a natural compliment to a place with exquisite taste in fashion and urban design.  This is a place where the Tea Dance was once all the rage, and there are certainly traces of it today again, too.  It would be somehow logical for it to come back now, when all the cool and hip things of the 60s are returning with their neon smiles.  The Tea Dance finds its origins in British culture, and it was in fine fashion here and in Hong Kong when these were still colonies.

In the 60s, young people would gather on Sunday afternoons and listen to records together, or sometimes poets would give their beatnit poems a read for a listening public.  There was not always tea, that part was not essential, and sometimes, in fact, wine and beer were the drink of choice.  Today, Philipino culture here will do Tea Dances, which usually involve time at the mall, and the idea is similar, and perhaps similar enough that it will become a new phenomenon once again.  It is a splendid way to make a lazy day into one that’s filled with luxury, and sometimes a little romance too.

Valencia is a wonderful place to find your favorite daydreams, enjoying the view of the sea while contemplating the great ghosts of history.  The city has seen an enormous amount of changes and evolutions over the years, as well as many spectacular historic events, like the life of El Cid, the beginning for Columbus, as well as the last victim of the inquisition.  The printing press first hit the Iberian peninsula in Valencia, and there’s a number of good authorities who will tell you that the Pope’s mass here in 2006 used the original Holy Grail, the Santo Caliz.  This would be the Holy Grail of holy grails.  There are many other important events that happened here, and still happen, and when it seems overwhelming, there’s no better escape than to Valencia hotels.

With the Spanish sensibility that embraces the innovative as well as honoring the lessons of the past, accommodations here are most pleasant, and have something splendid for travelers of all ages.  There is a magnificent sense of hospitality here that speaks to the heart, and offers a real respite from the city, allowing you the chance to get your bearings and enjoy your time sleeping and eating fine meals before having more adventures in this exquisite city.  There are some splendid sounds coming from the local musicians here, and you might come across some fandango or jota players, to get a taste of the traditional in Valencia.  But there are many young people who are moving in radically new directions, and some of these experiments have fantastic results.

One of the most exciting acts in town would have to be the alternative rock group, Daze of Dawn.  With four albums to their name already, and more to come based on their busy schedules, along with the sense that these guys are not in the least bit tired of each other, many more to come.  They started in 2001 when Klyde came from Canada to join Carlos Sanchez and Gonzo to start a band based on an obvious love of 70s arena rock, as well as the sophisticated and rugged styles of 90s grunge.  Combine a bit of jazz to the mix, and you have their spectacular sounds that are stunning local audiences, as well as music fans all over the world.

Back in 1926, the developing city of Sydney decided they needed a bridge to get across the bay. There are many inlets inside this complex bay and it is hard to get to all the areas on land. I made the area a much stronger support both for industry and safety. So in December of 1926, the building of this grand bridge began. The Sydney Harbour Bridge ,also known as the coat hanger, was finally opened for use in 1932. Six years of developing the tallest bridge in the world. It still keeps its standing as the tallest bridge, however, it is not the longest bridge. Jack Lang, did the opening honors.

The bridge is held together with 6 million rivets that were hand driven to lots of steel. The painting of this surface was quite the undertaking because it would be like painting 60 sports arenas. This massive bridge was the original landmark of Sydney and gave many travelers emotional misty eyes when they finally saw it in their sights. So many displaced people, mainly from Europe, came in on large ships looking for a new life. The Opera House has become the modern day landmark for new comers now, but the bridge is still well visited.

Visitors can get a close look at the bridge but it is only for the fit. The willing will have to take a long walk out to the bas of the Pylon. From there they will have to walk up 200 steps to the top. Make sure you spend extra time on the stair master before you take on this sightseeing tour. Once you get up there the views are amazing and you can see the display that shows how it was built. Tourists can spend some time just soaking up the environment and feeling good about the accomplishment of getting there. When it’s time to climb back down, visitors can look forward to their stay at one of the best five star hotels Sydney has ready for them.

One of Baltimore’s oldest running market is the Cross Street Market.  For many years, families and residents have been finding what they need for their own kitchens, groceries and produce.  And they have been finding what they need to culturally feed their souls, art and music.  And they have been finding relaxation and entertainment, a break from the many blue collar jobs, from the hard day’s work of the those in employed at the plumbing companies in Baltimore, at the docks and in the shipyards.

The market takes up two of the major thorough fares in the historic neighborhood of Federal Hill. In fact, the market is located in the exact center of the neighborhood and has been a focal meeting point for many years for the residents living along Light Street and Saint Charles Street.  Here, one kind find not only produce, but wine, cigars, fresh flowers, seafood and meat.  The food stalls include everything from fried food to fresh oysters on the half shell.  And during the happy hour times, this is where they all come to enjoy a few cocktails or cold beer and to socialize and catch up on the neighborhood news.  This is a neighborhood that is easily accessible, on foot as it is placed in the middle of it all.

The atmosphere, though lacking fancy design and decorations, is amazing.  The vendors, the restaurants and the customers are as diverse as the products and the items you will find.  And although it is always a crowded and lively area, it is one that is safe, clean, and comfortable as well.   The spaces are always being used for various events, from food exhibitions and demonstrations in cooking by the local chefs, to art and music festivals.  This is one of those tourist attractions, which also attracts the locals.  Once people discover this market on a vacation or holiday, this is the first stop they make upon returning to the city.  The vibe is eccentric, lively and welcoming.  The customers and the vendors are friendly and warm, just another example of the spirit of Baltimore, Maryland.

Tom and Ray, the two brilliant hosts of Car Talk, take calls each weekend from people trying to figure out the problems with their vehicles.  I was listening to their show last week, and they were just giving all around advice on how to go about fixing your car at home.  Home automotive repair is an attractive option for many people, as they learn a bit more about their own car, and save a bit of money in the process.  The first thing the two said was that for novice home car repair person, they should not have the goal of fixing their car, that their goal should be to walk away unharmed, with all their fingers in the right places, to not accidentally blow anything up and to not break something that was not broken at the same time you fix what is.  They are hilarious in the way they phrase their common sense.  But this is an issue to take care with, as the parts of a car engine can be dangerous if you are unaware of just how they operate.

If you are working any car, such as a Ford Mustang or Ford Explorer, repair manual should always be close at hand.  This will outline the engine and show you how to do the simple maintenance and fix it jobs.  Tom and Ray also advice the new mechanic to start with the simple things.  By doing all of the simple repairs first you will gain the eventual understanding of the engine and the tools, which will one day allow you to do those more intensive repairs.  But to start with the tougher repairs first is setting yourself up for frustration, and puts you and your car at risk.  Some of the repairs they suggest to begin with, are exactly the ones that I began with, such as switching out my windshield wipers, changing a head light, a tail light and my car battery.  Now for me personally, this is really all I want to do on my car by myself, but for many people this is just the beginning of a life long endeavor.

Madrid is simply magnificent.  It’s a splendid city, in the center of Spain, offering the best of all possible worlds.  It’s incredible history is not only palpable in an ethereal way, but is physically visible in the architecture, and you can find plenty of traces in the museums.  There is a spectacular sensibility for the artistic flourish here, and a great attention to detail.  This is especially visible in the lodgings, where the Madrid best hotels will offer a sumptuous sense of the luxurious, where historical greatness meets with contemporary comforts, adding up to a splendor that is out of this world.  It is a remarkably pleasant feeling to wake up refreshed, and in Spain.  Madrid is a city of adventure, and there is always something new waiting for you here.  The rhythm of the city is contagious, and seems to inspire everyone who visits here.

It’s always staggering to learn about the incredible array of talented artists who have passed through the city’s border’s at one time or another, and this is certainly something that continues to this day.  It continues to act as a magnet for the inspired, and some of the great minds in the world come here to add something new to the cultural mix, and to create new visions of a world in flux.  One of the most anticipated events every year is ARCO Madrid, Arte Contemporaneo, a two-day exhibition.

In these two days, some of the most exciting new works can be seen here.  It’s a fairly large entrance fee, up to 50 euros a person, but no one can dispute that it’s worth it.  There are works from hundreds and hundreds of artists from all around the world, and the curatorial committees are simply amazing.  You can see work from the avant-gardes of the early 20th century all the way up to yesterday.  There are works of visual art, solo shows and group shows, and public panels and discussions, covering many topics of concern to the art world right now.  There are also works of performance art, and installations, and, well, you get the idea.  It’s amazing.

I do not know how to be around children.  I was embarking on a 2 week vacation, a holiday travel to Oahu with my boyfriend and his ten year old daughter, Elli and I was nervous.  I had never been on an island, a small island or a big island.  Vacations are meant to be enjoyed and I was intent on this one, being a good one.  And I had never spent 2 solid weeks with a ten year old girl to entertain.

So there are beaches.  I remember myself at ten years old, and so I found a bit of relief knowing that Elli too, may just simply love going to the beach.  But once we got there, I found so much more for us to do.  We spent an entire afternoon at the Hawaii Children Discovery Center, and the best part was that there was no need to say, “Don’t touch”.  This is an interactive museum, and not only did we touch, we climbed on the exhibits and played the day away.

The next day we found another hands-on museum, the Bishop, which again had a very relaxed vibe and provided the perfect environment not only for fun, but for learning about the rich cultural heritage of the islands and the residents, Hawaiian and Polynesian alike.  We studied volcanoes in the science center and shared a latte in the cafe.  I was beginning to the hang, of hanging out with a young girl.

We decided to rent a moped the next day and head down the Pali Highway for our own self guided tour.  We weren’t sure where we would end up, but we were on an island after-all, and didn’t think we would get too far off track.  So the next day we left Elli’s dad, still sleeping in our room and rode our moped along the cliffs at Makapuu.

We stopped at the Pali Lookout and took a lot of pictures and then stopped for lunch at Waimea Bay.  It was a great day, and we brought back our cameras loaded with photos, and a seafood lunch for her dad.  We also picked up a pamphlet for Maui vacation packages, already planning our next trip.  Hawaii with kids, what a great adventure, what a very, very good vacation.

Corporate team building programs are most effective when the activities or the exercises are coordinated with actual work issues and goals.  This integration, when focused, systematic and followed up on, will ensure that the topics to be discussed will remain with everyone once the meeting is over.  The leaders of the programs must have a clear idea of what will be happening, an organized plan, before the meeting starts.

Without the attention to detail and to integrations these training sessions may serve to boost the morale and the enthusiasm of the employees for a short while, but they will not have the long lasting effects that are so desirable.  The planning of this kind of business training, should leave people feeling good, about themselves, their jobs, and their fellow employees.  Everyone will have a chance to know one another just a bit more, and give them common experiences to draw upon later.  What will result will be a true team of people that trust each other and care about one another.  It is much better to work in the team environment, than to not.  That is just an obvious fact.

These team building meetings must always focus on the staff as a whole unit, and should not be in anyway focused on the efforts or the goals of the individual, other than how they relate to the team.  Criticism from management, or employees that are unhappy can take all the energy, all of the momentum away from the goals of the company.  This will serve to lower productivity, which is exactly the result one is not hoping for.  Follow up meetings or activities are important because they serve to continue the good, the good of the employee and the good of the company.  They reinforce trust and reinforce the goals of the company as one successful team.

I used to be quite a traveler, from London to Moscow, but I hadn’t considered India, until some friends of mine returned from a trip where they stayed in one of the many five star hotels in Bangalore.  Their raves about the good time they had made me fire up the computer and take a look at satellite maps of the area, and reviewing all the material I could about the area they just left.  Bangalore certainly seemed a fascinating place, filled with history and amazing architecture, including the Bangalore Palace and the Nandi Temple.

Hard to believe that about 472 years ago, Bangalore was a mud built fort, and today it’s India’s third largest city, and it’s still growing!  As of 2009, it has a population of about 5.8 million.  People call this place the Garden City of India, and you certainly tell from satellite photos that it’s true because of so many public parks like Cubbon Park.

Bangalore Palace caught my attention because it’s modeled after Windsor Castle just outside London.  Get this: It was started by a high school principal, and took eighty-two years to build!

Then there’s Nandi Temple, built five hundred years ago.  The story behind the temple also begins five hundred years ago.  At that time, villagers harvested ground nuts and every day there was a full Moon, the nuts vanished.  The villagers decided to stake out the area and discovered a huge golden bull with jewel-like eyes eating their crop!  Afterwards, the bull no longer came to their farm.  But, later, they found a huge idol of a bull appear on the hill, and the idol kept growing.  They hit the idol with a nail to stop its growth.  Soon after, Kempe Gowda, the ruler who laid out the foundation for Bangalore City, had a dream, in which a Nandi appeared and asked that a temple be built on the hill.  That’s Nandi Temple, which contains a huge Nandi idol (fifteen feet high and twenty feet long).  At the foot of hill there’s another temple for Dodda Ganapathy (another huge idol, ten feet high by fifteen feet wide), and another temple for Lord Siva above that temple.

I began reading about the temple in November, and as it happens, the ground nut fair, known as the Kadalekay Parishe, is celebrated each year on the last Monday of the Kaarthigai month, and this usually happens in November!  I saw an article say that farmers believe they’ll enjoy a good harvest if they pray to Nandi on this day.  It suggested that those who can’t visit the festival eat a few ground nuts that day.  I wasn’t sure exactly what day the festival fell on, and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to get there this year, but just the same, I went to the kitchen to see if I had some walnuts or almonds to eat.