"The future is an opaque mirror. Anyone who tries to look into it sees nothing but the dim outlines of an old and worried face." --Jim Bishop The morning of September 11, 2001, as a Peace Corps trainer I'd scarcely opened an HIV/AIDS seminar in a shabby hotel two hours north of Port-au-Prince, when the Haiti health program manager pulled me aside. "The World Trade Center and the Pentagon have been attacked by planes," she whispered. "It's … [Read more...]
Encore!
A spiny lobster crawled on top of the other, lifeless sea creatures displayed on the table. Chef Paul Bartolotta easily picked it up with a gloved hand. The olive skin in his slightly round face glowed as he spoke knowledgably and enthusiastically about the dishes he loves to create-fresh seafood from the waters surrounding Italy, made more savory by his blends of herbs and spices and his techniques. Bartolotta clearly takes the work he … [Read more...]
Romancing the Past
Mid-afternoon in the Apollo Room, Alexander Purdie stands before its brownish brick, marble-mantled fireplace and laments the loss of happier days. Mr. Purdie and the fireplace are flanked by two doors of the same teal-green as the rectangular room's wainscoting and window frames; they stand out against the cream-colored upper walls. The golden slats of the wooden floor give slightly underfoot. I love this room. Restored in the 1930s, the … [Read more...]
Night at the Museum
I stood in front of the Galleria Borghese, my eyes darting between three lines that seemed to snake for equally infinite distances through the elaborate Baroque gardens before the villa, trying to decide which to join. It was Museum Night in Rome: the single night of the year when all of its fabled attractions are open to the public, and at 8:00 P.M., when the evening began, the most famous sights were mobbed. It was also my first night in Rome, … [Read more...]
Hanging out in China
Nice to be back in China and on Asia time - was in Beijing last year, this time around I've already re-visited Hong Kong and now in Shenzhen on way to Shanghai in a few days. Hong Kong is crazy with all its traffic and hundreds of high rise apartment buildings but so is Shenzhen! Last night was just mesmerized by all the lights driving by what seemed like never ending row after row of high rises. Cities you've hardly heard of in China have … [Read more...]
The origin of Spanish stereotypes
When people hear the term "stereotype" it has somewhat of a bitter taste to it and one immediately assumes it is something negative and it slips into the meaning of "prejudice." However, if we are being accurate a stereotype is merely a popular belief about a specific group based on assumptions and conceptions. Curious about it, however, is that whether we condone them or not, we often use them as a point of orientation, when we don't know much … [Read more...]
Chatting with the Captain
"It is more a mission or a passion. Much more than just a job or a profession." With those words Captain Vito Giacalone of Carnival Cruise Lines began our interview recently while aboard the "Imagination" sailing in the blue Caribbean waters. "Having a tuna fisherman for a father and living by the sea all of my life, it was a very natural fit for me to want to become a captain of a ship," he continued. "But how does it all come about? … [Read more...]
To Hellholes & Back
To Hellholes & Back by Chuck Thompson This is one of the most humorous travel reads that has come across our desk in a long time. Chuck Thompson decides to visit what he perceives to be four scary "hellholes": Congo, India, Mexico City and as he says, "perhaps most terrifying of all", Disney World in Florida. The book is chock full of memorable witty quotes that will leave you hunched over laughing especially the chapters on India and even more … [Read more...]
660 Curries
660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer When one person has compiled 660 curry recipes as indicated in the title of this book, that person has conducted years of research. This person is Raghavan Iyer, a native of India who is a former chef with a degree in hotel & restaurant management. In depth sections on the components of curries, follows with 9 different curry chapters, finishing with a chapter about curry accompaniments dishes. This is a must … [Read more...]
Oakley Headquarters, Orange County CA
We recently had a chance to re-visit the Oakley Headquarters in Orange County California - it had been 12 years since I was here and this time I had a formalized tour by one of their employees. For something different and probably out of the way, make a trip up the "bunker" or Oakley Headquarters located at 1 Icon Parkway in Foothill Ranch (Orange County, South East of Irvine). Visitor parking is available across from the entrance - lots of … [Read more...]
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