TRAVEL PAGE:
Countries I travel to
- my impressions: Europe, Asia
& middle East, USA, Cultural differences, reviews of
visits
-Languages I speak or have learned Last Update: 17/02/01
TRAVEL LINKS:
Accomodation Guide
USA:
http://www.miamicity.net/reservations
http://www.hoteldiscounts.com with Price comparisons, maps.
USA LINKS
Rental,Car: (see Car,rental)
Car,rental http://www.avis.com
City entertainment guide Time Out - Worldwide City Guides - what's on in the world's major cities, including London, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Registration (free) required.
Country Domains: "Domain name registries around the world": Find out what .com .uk .org, Did you know .bs is the country domain for Bahamas?
Credit Card Information: MasterCard/Cirrus ATM Locator - find MasterCard cash dispensers worldwide.
Domains: country - see Country Domains above
Eurostar: passenger train between London via the famous EUROTUNNEl to Paris,Amsterdam, and Bruges.
Visa ATM Locator - Find Visa Atms/Cashpoint Machines around the world
Distance between 500 Cities worldwide How far is it? - and very basic information about each location.
Exchange Rates: Foreign Exchange Rates - daily currency exchange rates for 36 major currencies.
Flights: Bargain Flights around Europe:
Cheap Flights 1 Introduction to UK low cast airlines, 2Tips for the best fare & city breaks (the Sunday Times, 10/9/00)Easyjet Owned by Greek entrepreneur Stellios. Innovative marketing by promoting sales on the web, and also by advertising in conjunction with national newspapers (collect some coupons,etc)
British Midland Many destinations around Europe, around 28 destinations. Prices have fallen to compete with other European carriers.
GO Airlines (owned by British Airways) often seen as the rival to Easyjet, Easyjet chairman saw Go as a copy of his no frills(no extras) cheap European flights, but with the "unfair advantage that is is subsidised by British Airways"
Ryan Air( Good fairs to Ireland and Europe] The owner is another fast growing millionaire like Easyjet's Stellios.
Virgin Express owned by Virgin, Richard Branson. All flights however, stop through Brussels.
Belgium: Brussels(Ryan Air,Virgin-Express)
Denmark copenhagen(Go,Virgin-Express)
France: Biarritz,( Ryan Air ) Dinard,( Ryan Air ) Brittany,( Ryan Air )NICE( Virgin-Express); Paris( Ryan Air ),St. etienne( Ryan Air )
Germany: Frankfurt( Ryan Air ) ,Munich( Go)
Greece Athens(easyjet),
Ireland Kerry( Ryan Air ), cork( Ryan Air ), Dublin( Ryan Air ), knock : ( Ryan Air ) Shannon ( Virgin-Express)
Italy: Venice( Go)( Ryan Air ), Carcassone( Ryan Air ),Genoa( Ryan Air ),milanVirgin-Express,Rome, ( Virgin-ExpressGo)Turin( Ryan Air ), Rimini( Ryan Air ), Ancoma( Ryan Air )
Netherlands Amsterdam(easyjet),, Rotterdam (Virgin-Express),
Scotland ,Edinburgh( Go)(easyjet),Inverness(easyjet),
Spain:bilbao Barcelona(easyjet) Virgin-Express), madrid( Go,Virgin-Express), Malaga( Go)
Sweden:kristianstad( Ryan Air ) Oslo( Ryan Air ),Stockholm( Ryan Air ), Scotland Glasgow( Ryan Air )
Switzerland: Geneva,Zurich(easyjet),
Portugal Faro Lisbon Go
TRAVEL GUIDES
Travel Guides General
France: Paris SWITZERLAND Guide to Geneva
UK:
http://www.uktravel.com UK Travel Guide, send a postcard, find out more about the Royal Family, Various castles in England, Customs, food, Information Centre locations.
USA: Insider's Guide: A well researched travel guide covering all aspects(accomodation,local transport, attractions) to particular regions and cities in th U.S.A., particularly good for non major cities. Covers: Phoenix Portland, Santa Barbara, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, etc... and many more.
Atlanta http://atlanta.areaguides.com one stop information for all areas of interest (almost all aspects) A great one stop for information in Atlanta: travel, local news,safety, local schools & jobs, etc.
Want to know all about the various neighbourhoods in Atlanta, midtown Atlanta, also the local post office locations, zip codes and libraries.
San Francisco Neighbourhoods Also zip codes, nearest post offices, hospitals and metro station.
Washington D.C.'s neighbourhood and area insight Guide Also zipcodes, nearest post offices, hospitals and metro station.
CANADA
Information about northwest Canada
Latin America: LatinWorld First stop to learn more about any Central or South American Country
Maps Microsoft Expedia Maps - PlaceFinder World Atlas
Time Zones: What time is it in London?? Local Times Around the World
Travel Shops Expedia (USA) Good Packages to Las Vegas,Texas,New Mexico: Southwest Airlines: http://www.southwest.com
(within UK) Expedia Travel: Flights, Holidays, and Blacklisted special discount fairs listed. Flightbookers(UK), http://www.deckchair.com (Deck Chair is a new Site by Bob Geldof 4/99) http://www.travelocity.co.uk http://www.statravel.co.uk
UK Travel: UK Public Transport Information Travelling in the UK?
note bene: the information expressed below are my thoughts and opinions. The web is great because you can express yourself, say anything you want(pretty much) etc! Hail freedom of speech! :)
English. My native language.
Cantonese. My family Language. Funny thing didn't really start improving Cantonese till I came to England and started taking formal lessons. I can understand alot since I was small but speaking was a problem. As you know pronunciation is difficult with about 8 tones or so!. Cantonese has 8 tones, and is spoken throughout the world. Notably in Chinese communities in Canada, USA, Uk, Australia, Hong Kong,Malaysia, etc.
Mandarin. My alternate language. Learned in University. I found this easier to learn than Cantonese, easier to pronounce. Learning mandarin actually helped me improve my Cantonese pronunciation.
Spanish: My other alternate language. Learned from age 9-18. A member of the Spanish Honour Society: In this society I tutored high school students in my secondary school. I took the Advanced Placement Test for Spanish.
Tourist: German, French. Have previously taken brief classes in Japanese, Russian, Taiwanese,French, German.
Language Links
Foreign Languages for Travelers
- includes sound files for pronunciation and translates words and phrases.Royal Mail Calculator: how much it costs to send nationally, internationally with options of recorded mail, swift air, from the u.k., you will need to know how heavy in grams(grammes) it weighs.
Traveling
Travelling is a great experience. Not only do you learn about another Country's history, culture and way of living, but you actually gain insight into your own Country. You'll appreciate the things you didn't realise before about your own country and also the reverse. It helps put things into perspective. As you know many people live their entire lives in the same country, even the same state!
Beijing Article (Times 9/00) about Mao's spirit in Beijing, tourist sites, and a few practicalities
Hong Kong: My ancestors were in Hong Kong since the 1850s. Part of an ethnic group called Hakka. The Hakka people are famed for being the spirit of China. For example the following are hakka people: Dr. Sun Yat Sen,(who gained independence over the Qing dynasty), Deng Xiao Ping, and also the leader of the Tai Ping Rebellion(the Hakka who thought he was Jesus.) The official name now is HKSAR, or Hong Kong, Special Administrative Zone.
http://www.uktravel.com UK Travel Guide, send a postcard, find out more about the Royal Family, Various castles in England, Customs, food, Information Centre locations.
Basingstoke/Cheddar/Cornwall Trip This weekend August 23rd-25th,1997 I'll be taking a road trip with some friends. On the itenary:Cheddar (cheese), where also Cheddar Gorge(large natural cavern)which we plan to explore. Cornwall, also known as the " English Riviera". Land's end-Britain's western most point,Penzance-anyone seen the opera?(pirates of penzance) And on the way back, a visit to Basingstoker, historic town during the English civil war and checking out my brother's computer company which happens to be there. Basingstoke also happens to be the town where Liz Hurley is From.
Peak District: A late evening start to the bank holiday trip. We set off around 8-10pm, depending on whose car you were in . Traffic was horrendous leaving London, as the fellow Bank Holiday traffic indicated. I, one of the lucky ones not driving, made my comfort within the confines of Ling's Volkswagen Golf' passenger lounge + bed. After an exhausting months,Using Ling's fluffy Jacket as a nice pillow, I laid down and dreamt of Asha. En route, a stop at a quick meal. Some coffee for the drivers. Reached leek around midnight or so. At the cottage we were not the first, yet the fellow adventurers making themselves comfortable with wine, t.v., and a jigsaw puzzle. An early morning and the resourceful, iniates among us prepared a breakfast feast. This meal consisted of the finities of British breakfast: baked beans, bacon, toast, oj and toast. The cottage atmosphere was seclusive, with fresh air lack of the motoring haze of smoky London.
Cows lined the country roads, which had to be shooed, in the fashion of Jim Poon,(Arms waving) and screaming: "WOO WOO" We rendezvoused at leek, experienced Andes trekker Michael checked the map, and adjusted his gps (global positioning system). While our fearless leader prepared, the rest of us, in tourism spirit took pictures, applied sunscreen, and chatted. The 5/10 mile hike began fairly low intensity, and the scenic view was breathtaking:Fairy tale Green hills and clear running streams. After 5 miles, lunch break=ice cream and home made sandwiches were in order. As Robert Frost said, Two roads diverged and I chose the one less traveled. One group went on the 10 mile hike, and the other returned to the cottage. Sunday, the paths diverged once again, and instead of a 20 mile hike,
The true London urbanites went on an urban adventure: finding our way in unfamiliar territory, getting lost and lost again, but the result: old Tratford: Manchester United's stadium, dinner in Manchester Chinatown(service standards not as great as London - (one waitress actually counted the change and said "I'm not finished counting" when we started to leave), and a movie: Chow Yun Fat's "Corruptor" in Manchester. finally on Monday, dim sum in our old familiar London Chinatown!
HAMPTON COURT PALACE (Former Residence of King Henry VIII- Near London)
An
A-maze-ing day at Hampton Court Palace
Some people see history as a boring parade of names and dates.
There is another view: history
as the story of how people in the past lived, what they valued, and what they
ate. What is a a meal “fit for a king”? The Chinese Link trip to Hampton Court Palace was a
perfect opportunity to see how interesting experiencing history could be.
Once at the Palace, we decided to don headsets which would let us wander
around and listen to information when we entered the numbers from various signs
dotted around the Palace. Wearing
headsets also let us proceed at our own pace.
The headsets were not just narration.
They let us hear some 16th century music, anecdotes, diary entries, and
sound effects to help us imagine what it was like in King Henry VIII's time.
We started in King Henry VIII's State Apartments in Hampton Court.
The Great Hall was designed to impress, and it certainly does.
It has a magnificent wooden roof with carved beams and
6 gigantic tapestries woven with real silver and gold thread.
The tapestries depict scenes from the Bible.
I was so fascinated by the tapestries that I stayed behind and became
separated from the group. From the
Great Hall, I went into the Great Watching Chamber.
In this room, yeoman guards would stand outside the door leading to King
Henry VIII's private chambers. There
were more tapestries here. They
depicted scenes from mythology.
There is also a ghost in the State Apartments in the Haunted Gallery.
Catherine Howard escaped from her rooms to try and plead with King Henry
VIII for mercy after she had been convicted of adultery and placed under house
arrest. She was caught before she
could reach the King, and the guards dragged her off, screaming, down the
Gallery. It is said that you can
still hear her screaming now. I
certainly heard screaming, but it was just part of the audio tour.
I next went into the Queen's State Apartments.
Unfortunately, there was no audio tour for this section of the Palace.
There were a lot of paintings to look at, mostly portraits.
Impressive carved ceilings, long hallways filled with statues and
paintings, fancy tableware, tapestries, four-poster beds, gigantic paintings,
and marble cisterns all combined to show the luxury that surrounded royalty.
Behind the scenes, armies of cooks, pages, footmen, and huntsmen worked
to support the court. The Tudor Kitchens had several large rooms each dedicated to
a particular type of food. Large
tables, fireplaces, and stoves enabled the cooks to prepare food for around six
hundred people. This was obviously
the best quality food. The Palace
would have salt, sugar, spices, and saffron--in the 16th century, some of these
were very rare and a bag would have cost as much as the crew of a warship.
It’s good to be the King. There
were also special pots to make smooth custard, a feature of the kitchens we
found especially appealing as we were getting hungry.
The Palace Gardens are planted in geometrical patterns and provide a good
view. I did not go into the formal
gardens as I wanted to try the outdoor maze.
I met up with the rest of the group.
San and I rushed through the maze as it was near closing time.
The walls of the maze were not as tall as I thought they would be.
The maze still managed to stump us for a while, leading me to believe
that we might be there for a very long time.
By following the sound of some Americans, we found the centre of the
maze. Now, we had to leave.
We did find the exit quite quickly, thanks to a combination of luck, the
Force, and female intuition.
We ended the day by heading over to Stockpot for dinner. We were very disappointed to learn that they had run out of
custard, but nobody lost his head over it.
This is London: Guide to London sites, news, culture,theatres,museums.
London Dining
London boasts a cosmopolitan selection of cuisine. As Londoners are avid travelers, their knowledge of food is sophisticated, demanding authenticity in taste and flavour. There are neighborhoods all over London featuring great dining: portuguese(Stockwell), Bengalli(BrickLane), Italian(Soho), Chinese(Soho-Chinatown), Jamaican(Brixton), Lebanese (Edgware Road).
FAMOUS LONDONERS and LONDON RESIDENTS
London has appeal to many hollywood movie stars. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman: Tom cruise have a house in London live here from time to time. Nicole actually performed in a London theatre play called the Blue Room which premiered in London and has taken New York by storm.
Madonna, Sylvester Stallone, Joan Rivers, all have houses in London.
Hugh Grant and Liz Hurley also live in London. My friend saw the pair in a restaurant in 1998.
Sigmeund Freud moved to London. And lived here till he died. His house is now a musuem in London. His famous couch is here. His Grandaughter: Bella Freud is a fashion designer in London. Freud was also an egyptologist.
Terms: London Fog: See weather section.
Scarborough/Lancashire trip: The following weekend, 29-31/8/97 I went up to Scarborough and near Manchester. I was in Lancashire which is also known as the famous Bronte sister country.
Eating:
Takeaways: the word takeaway is synonymous with the American way of eating: "To go." Ehnic eating is certainly in. Perhaps one of the great appreciations of the British people are the various different takeaways to choose from. Indian "Curry House" is the most favourite , in fact, on one of the news shows they referred to it an institution of British society: so popular they are. Chinese follows a Close 2nd, Over here when one says "Chinese" they are often referring to the food. I.E. Do you fancy "Chinese"? doesn't mean do you like Chinese people, but do you feel like eating Chinese takeaway.
Fish and Chips Chips are thicker than American fries. You know the term "French Fries"? Hmm I think it may actually originate in its name sake. To truly appreciate the chips: drown it in vinegar. Yum! When I was in France, the frites, equivalent are long thin strips. Often served with mayonnaise. As for fish, you can have Haddock, Plaice, and Cod in most places, fried in deep crunchy batter. YUM!
GMT
Greenwich Mean Time, or where Time starts. I think it's also called the International Date Line. This is 0 degrees longitude, the Millennium will start here. This is where that famous Millennium Dome (which Disney wants to make a huge leisure theme park is.) We've got Millennium Bugs, a Millennium Commission, the tv show Millennium.
Weather:
London Weather: and other major UK cities
An all time favourite topic of conversation and complaint the British. British can often be heard muttering how gloomy and dismal the weather is. British complain when it rains constantly, how cloudy it is, how cold it is (sometimes -2C in Winter). When the sun comes out and the temperature rises (around 90F) they complain its too hot!! -which I think is quite funny. When the sun shines, everyone suddenly is happier, and wants to be outside in the sunshine. Perhaps some observable evidence that the body requires sunlight, to produce, is it Vitamin D? and some other minerals. Like plants, sunlight acts as a catalyst for chemical reactions. Unpredictable is the weather here, and it's getting even more unpredictable with the global warming. In the summer of 1995, Britain experienced a heat wave with temperatures reaching up to 100 F! Some part of the UK are famous for the weather, for example it rains alot in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
"London Fog". Does this mean it gets foggy in London all the time? No. Occasionally it does get misty, and foggy. This term is historical relating back to the time of the Industrial Revolution, where factories constantly puffed out the smoke and powder of burning coal.
Height
physical appearance. When I was growing up in the U.S., I heard women describing their ideal man as " Tall, dark, and handsome." Often the ideal height was 6' or 6'2". Men wanted to be 6'2", I think not 6' because more people are 6' then are 6'2". In many sports events in the U.S., height is mentioned very often in terms of describing athletes. Look at baseball cards for example, they probably contain information such as height, and weight. Sports are very big in the United States, I noticed more participation in the US than in the U.K. I played basketball, and my mother encouraged me, saying it would help me grow taller. That's the common thought about basketball in the U.S.A, the constant jumping and stretching of your spine makes you grow taller.
The fitness trend is slowly becoming popular here in the U.K. More and more young professionals are going to the gym. As you know, I grew up in the USA during my growing years pre teen and teenage years. When I was younger, I wanted so much to be 6'1". I would measure my height so frequently, I'm sure my family got sick of measuring me. I'm surprised even at age 24 my height is still changing. I think I'm a little taller than last year. I estimate I'm about 5'10"
Dress
In the U.S., I believe due to heavy bombardment from media: advertisements, "commercials", movie stars, success and glamour of sports stars. There is enormous pressure to conform to a certain image. Image is very important and in the school environment, those who looked a certain way were labeled, stereotyped and grouped. I noticed obvious differences as my behaviour started to change as I started to live in the U.K. I began to wear my glasses rather than contact lenses more often, put less thought and attention into choosing my daily clothes. Although I do currently, make sure my clothes for the day have some sort of basic colour coordination. Of course, the work environment and nature of the job plays a large role in determining dress. Over in the U.K. professional work dress is very conformative. Usually dark, conservative colours greys, dark blues, black, are standard. Expressing your individuality in clothing as is more prevalent in the USA is not valued, if you wear something abnormal, or different, you're sure to get alot of stares. Having said that, I'm about to contradict myself.
EMPIRE Great Britain as it was called earlier this century, had the largest empire the world had ever seen. The phrase the sun never set in the English empire was quite true. Think of the following former colonies: Hong Kong, Nigeria, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Canada(territory), and Egypt to name a few. The testament to the former glory of Great Britain, just have a look at the British Museum while in town.
A frequent comment by my friends from America is how bad the customer service in the U.K. is compared to the United States. This is partially true, but in the present environment things are improving. Here are a few explanations: in many restaurants in the UK as in most of Europe, service charge is often added to the bill. Uusally 10% is standard. However, this is not exclusive as some restaurants may differ in practise. Some large corporations, successful ones such as Marks and Spencer,started by a Jewish Briton have excellent customer service. British companies are learning that customer satisfaction means repeat business, and therefore service is improving. In Westminster libraries, customer care is one of our considerations in the service we provide.
Recently, 2/Dec. 1998, I went to change some money near Victoria Station, London. This bureau de Change is famed: no commission and favorable rates. I was exchanging roughly 800 dollars, 550 pounds worth of exchange for myself and my travel companions. I asked if I should give the money separately for Greek Drachmas and Us Dollars respectively. Then he said to me, "Give it all to me now, otherwise we'll be here all day. " I did not like his comment, it seemed as if he was having a bad day(as I've been there before several times and he wasn't rude before) I wanted to say, "Look buddy, I'm doing you big business, so shut up! ," but as I go there often, I don't want to rock the boat. This example illustrates the lack of competitiveness in the U.K. which I think is the cause for lower standards of customer service. Because this bureau de change has competitive rates: No commission - he has no need to get customers as they will go there anyway because of the no commission. He therefore thinks he can treat his customers how he wants. As mentioned earlier, it may be an isolated incident as he was ok the previous times I went there.
A lack of competition in some areas has resulted in a few companies dominating certain markets. In such cases, these large businesses don't really care about your custom, since they'll get it anyway. I am pleased though that in the recent environment (as of 1998, Dec.) competition has increased: leading to better prices, customer service, and value for the customer. The mobile phone market and travel flight markets are two mere examples, in which competition has taken hold in the U.K. In flights, domestic European flights are so competitive, thanks to entrepreneur Greek British owner of EasyJet with his no frills(no extras) flight service. He cut flights to cities such as Rome to roughly 100pounds, that's 160 dollars return from the U.K.! As a result, other flight carriers such as Virgin Express, Go(british airways) have similarly cut fares, adding to value for the customer! Well done :)
> Still, though Soldiers carry handguns, which they don't carry> in England.> I drank a famous beer here called a Guiness, and I also saw the Armagh Cathedral,and a castle Fergus.
> I met up with about 22 relatives over there. They're all Chinese/northern Irish British) and some of them are Dutch-they used to live in the Netherlands.> I haven't seen them, my cousins, in over 10 years. I just recently learned that my 82 Grandma was born in Jamaica.
> I saw this place called the Giant's Causeaway, a naturally formed giant hexagonal steps formed from volcanic lava many years ago. It in the last 10 years has been named one of the wonders of the world,there's nothing like it in the world.
Greece: Athens.Athens has great shopping areas known as the touristy Plaka. I was amazed at the variety of good you could buy at the Plaka area. heavy traffic, and famed for pollution from cars, but when we went, perhaps since it was Winter with less people, it didn't seem so bad.
Food: Pistacio nuts are great quality here, Olive oil is used frequently in cooking
Greek Civilisation: Greece is a great country with a wondrous history and culture. It's civilisation ranks up there with the great Arabic,Persian, Chinese, civilisations. It's impact on Western civilisation is so tremendous that as a citizen of modern European or European influenced nations(USA). Architecture, mathematics, philosophy, medicine, and cool greek Myths are just some examples. As my guide pointed out, Greek is the language of science, for example "data,ology" are all Greek origin.
Shopping buys: Leather jackets, good quality sheepskin. Leather handbags, shoes and boots are good value here. Fur jackets and goods are common here, I read that Greeks see bears and other such animals as pests and have no qualms about hunting them. The guide also said that some of the fur jackets are made from pelts of various small animals.
SWEDEN
BIRTHDAY
In
your Consciousness
Sweden
is a land which lives in your subconscious. Even if you have not visited Svenska,
you may be familiar with some of its more famous exports.
Nokia
and Erickson phones, Volvo and Saab cars, film legends Ingmar Bergman and other non
mainstream film genre; sports legends Wimbledon Champions Borg and perhaps
most famous, the music: Roxette,Ace of Base and Abba.
Language
To
prepare for my trip, I read up on the book Culture Shock! Sweden: A series of
informative travel writing by insiders living in the country on customs and
areas of culture. I did attempt also to learn some tourist phrases in Swedish,
and the tones pronunciation of Swedish did prove a challenge. Surprising is the
Similarity
of words in the languages French, English, and German: of which influences have
been drawn and in my experience given to English (As major parts of England
–York, in particular, were Viking settlements).
Swedes
learn English in school as the first foreign language. My host said
that
in Europe, Swedes after Holland, have the highest level of English.
Many
Swedes speak with American accents, and some speak so flawlessly that
they
could indeed pass for one.
During
my birthday celebrations, all local Swedes in attendance were asked
to
converse in English because of my inability to speak Swedish!
When
the attendants would slide back into natural tongue, my hosts would
shout
out from the kitchen, "ENGLISH" for my benefit. I appreciated this
gesture
immensely!
Vikings
Additionally,
I also read a children’s series called Horrible Histories: The Vikings. The
first part of the title may be misleading, by horrible histories, this series
seeks to inform young minds the realities of History and illustrate the finer
points, that are omitted in history books or from teachers’ lessons.
For
example: The Vikings ate Polar Bears and Wales, and the Swedish word for
“cheers” – Scholl, Skoll actually means “Skull” in English because in
Valhalla (Viking’ legendary heaven for warriors) Warriors in the afterlife
drank wine from the skulls of their enemies on this ephemeral plane. The word
still exists today.
In
Sweden, there are 10-15 different words for snow. This claim was
familiar
as also the Eskimo Indians also
have perhaps double that amount of words
for
snow. I asked my hosts why was it
important to have so many different
descriptions
for snow. One reason being, is that
for
safety, it is important to distinguish between the different conditions
of
snow and ice. With one you could be having a nice bobsleigh ride like
Santa
Claus, and with the other you could have a Russian or Finnish style
ice
bath as you fall through the snow. Swedish children in school are
taught
the differences, and also learn how
to rescue if someone falls through on a
lake
(perhaps while ice skating).
Apparently
there are safety ropes along lakes for this eventuality.
As
you might expect from such a northern country, the weather can get, shall
we
say chilly. As the temperature drops all movement slows down on the
atomic
level and goes into stasis. This includes waking humans.
As
I journeyed around Stockholm and Linkoping, I experienced a the opposite
of
a heat wave, a cold wave. Temperatures reached subfreezing temperatures:
-17C
which is (0 Fahrenheit). The importance of gloves my host recommended
was
made apparent as my hands started to freeze. It was so cold, my motor
coordination
seemed similar to the night before when I consumed my limit and
then
some of wine, and poured water on the table while aiming for the small
glass,
it entered but it was too much water and soaked the table. As I tried
to
reload the film, I dropped it not once but three times outside in the -17
temperature.
I felt the cold mainly on my face, and I tried in every event
to
cover my ears. As I was walking back to the house, I felt my ears go
numb,
with no feeling. It's somewhat frightening as you have images in films
of
parts freezing and breaking off (just like in the Terminator 2 film when
frozen
with liquid nitrogen).
Sweden
excels in sports such as tennis, skiing and shooting (to my
correction
of knowledge they ski then shoot, not ski AND shoot.) Two of the
top
ski-shooters, if that's the correct name, are Swedish: one called
Magdalena.
Magdalena might be a popular Scandinavian name, the famous
circus
performer Elvira Magdalena (not her
real name) was, if I remember correctly
on
my flight to Copenhagen in October whilst reading the in-flight magazine,
was
Danish.
Sweden
was the World Champion at handball. I didn't know this until I saw
it
championships,
France has emerged the victor for this sport this year
closely
beating Sweden. This sport is not well known in Britain, perhaps
because
the Britain do not participate in the sport. Also Britain have
their
favourites of sports: rowing, cricket, football, rugby, tennis
(Wimbledon)
The
Swedish Royal family, like many royal families is related to most of
the
other European families. One queen
was a descendent of Queen Victoria, the
present
queen is half-Brazilian. And the eldest child
eldest
daughter, who spent a year
Interestingly enough the current royal family
a
Field Marshall in Napoleon's army.
Reindeer
are one of the local animals indigenous to Sweden. There used to
be
more Polar Bears also. Both animals, Vikings ate. The Sami indigenous
people
of Sweden farm the Reindeer, Santa's Helpers. At the airport, one
can
buy Reindeer skins for 600 Kroner
or 55 dollars. (wink)
I
had a wonderful birthday, and during the dinner banquet we had, the
opportunity
drink and be merry: Swedish Snaps and a songbook (for myself).
The
song book had more than 100 songs; songs also in French, English as
well.
Some were dirty songs, clean songs, a whole variety.
First
you prepare some food on your fork, sing a song, and at the end make
a toast saying "skoll". Then drink.
The
snaps was fairly strong, as my throat expressed in
small
coughing, and to my
SWITZERLAND:
Geneva: Home of the International Red Cross & Crescent
Guide to Geneva Geneva: sites, accommodation.
CERN is nearby, centre for nuclear research, which is where the first experiment that proved the existence of anti-matter was carried out.
Montreux. The Swiss Riviera
Lausanne: Headquarters of the International Olympic Committee.
LINKS
Insider's Guide: A
well researched travel guide covering all aspects(accomodation,local transport,
attractions) to particular regions and cities in th U.S.A., particularly good for non
major cities. Covers: Phoenix Portland, Santa Barbara, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, etc... and many
more.
USA: STATE GUIDE
I apologise if any information contained here is erroneous. This will be due to memory!
Alabama Forrest Gump was set here. Been to the capital, Mobile.
Alaska: It does get very cold up here. Native Eskimos live here. Glaciers, great salmon, and polar bears, not to mention reindeer! I remember being here around 10pm and it was still shinning with Sun! Hmm also Alaska used to be called Alyaska, a former Russian territory. The Alaska pipeline starts here bringing Oil all the way down to the rest of the USA. Unfortunately I saw a few Eskimos in the streets. A couple were drunk, as in Native Americans, alcoholism might be higher due to sociological reasons. Eskimos on the whole from observation tend to be short and quat in stature. Alaska seems to be a popular destination from Japan, perhaps due to the proximity.
California
The Pedestrian has the right of way. Tough anti smoking laws. Smoking banned in most public places including restaurants. Also known as the Golden state. Home to Silicon Valley, Hollywood, Disneyland. Gilroy: some great factory outlets here, many discounted prices on shops from Nike, Wedgwood,Eddie Bauer, Calvin Klein.
Georgia:
Atlanta http://atlanta.areaguides.com one stop information for all areas of interest (almost all aspects) A great one stop for information in Atlanta: travel, local news,safety, local schools & jobs, etc.
Want to know all about the various neighbourhoods in Atlanta, midtown Atlanta, also the local post office locations, zipcodes and libraries.
Gilroy: Factory outlets, garlic growing centre. In and Out Burger, have restaurants in L.A., Gilroy, and Las Vegas. They are famed for making their own burgers fresh.
Hawaii: great to see the volcanic rock, one on the Big Island, Hawaii. Go to a Luau, where a Pig is roasted in the ground, sand. Pearl Harbour is another highlight, and the USS Arizona. The first Asian American senator: Matsui was Senator of this state
Kentucky: Home to the Kentucky Derby, Jim Bean Bourbon..
Nevada: Las Vegas, Reno " The biggest little city in the world" , Hoover Dam, Lake Tahoe (Partly in Nevada/California) Gambling, prostitution is legalised in this state.
Washington State: One of the wettest parts of the country. Microsoft Bill Gates got started here in Seattle. Microsoft University is in the state. Seattle has a small Chinatown, and the famous monuments are Space Needle. Mount Tacoma, a volcano which erupted in the 80s.
USA: CITY GUIDE
Chicago: Also known as "The Windy City." Airport: O'Hare. Chicago has a polish town area. And home to the Sears Tower, once the tallest building in the world (now eclipsed by the Malaysia Towers)
Las Vegas
:An impressive airport when you enter, I guess first impressions are important for overseas customers arriving in. Glitzy neon bright large lights LAS VEGAS, noticeable as you enter the airport, with the slot machines in plain view, you know you're in Las Vegas.
DAYTRIPS: You can book a daytrip to the grand canyon, see Lake Mead, or the Hoover Dam. Next time I plan to go to Mt. Zion national park or Bryce canyon, with some awesome rock formations.
MOVIES: It never ceases to amaze me how quickly this city changes. Started by Busy Malone. Movies: Bugsy, Casino, Leaving Las Vegas, Mars Attacks, Indecent Proposal
.TIPS: Las Vegas is tip city! And you'll get some angry or annoyed looks from some of the staff at hotels if they feel you're not tipping well enough!!
New York City:
5 Times. Empire State Building, (remember king Kong?) (N.Y.) Chinatown here is huge. I remember driving and driving for 15-20 minutes and was still in Chinatown. It's growing rapidly. I really think this is the biggest Chinatown in America, although opinion may differ.
San Francisco: A very beautiful city. Palace of Fine arts, built for the Great Exhibition/World's fair(?) looks absolutely great when I saw it again lately. A very impressive yet beautiful building.
Earthquake territory, I was here during the big earthquake of 1989. We had just crossed the San Francisco Bay Bridge, had I been on the bridge 40 minutes earlier, I would have witnessed the a top section of the bridge collapsing into the lower section. My high school was turned into a emergency shelter. Has a Japan Town, Chinatown, North Beach (Italian Area). Movies: Basic Instinct, Metro.
While I was staying at my grandma's place in McCallister(near City Hall), I noticed how safe the neighborhood looks from before. Around city hall as I recall several years ago I saw countless homes sleeping there in front with their gear. It used to be an area I would be careful to walk through, but not from my current impression. The area was completely clear of homeless. My friend James remarked how gentrified parts of San Francisco is becoming.
San Francisco Links
San Francisco Neighbourhoods Also zipcodes, nearest post offices, hospitals and metro station.
Washington D.C.
Washington D.C.'s neighbourhood and area insight Guide Also zipcodes, nearest post offices, hospitals and metro station.
USA: MONUMENTS AND SUBJECT LOG
Grand Canyon(Arizona) Breathtaking and makes you appreciate the beauty of the earth. Been here about 6 times! In 1998, went to the Grand Canyon in February and December 1998. There's a souvenir shop in Williams, Arizona, which has great deals on souvenirs, mainly native American gear.
Monuments
Mount Rushmore
Gateway to the West: St. Louis, Missouri
Statue of Liberty(New York)
Theme Parks: Disneyland (10 times) Disney world Florida: (5 times), Dollywood -Dolly Parton has her own theme park. Great America(changed its name), near San Jose.
Parks
Yellowstone National Park Yosemite Park
Links: LatinWorld for Central and South America
MEXICO CITY: A city of 20 million people. I was surprised that the traffic wasn't as bad as I'd thought it would be. The metro system is clean,efficient, and extensive. I was told that cars are only allowed to drive 6 days a week and one day during the week they must not drive in. How they control this is a mystery. Security is tight in most places, in one record shop, I was surprised and alarmed to see a guard in plain view holding a shotgun. This reminded me of Puerto Rico, but in Puerto Rico, even the restaurants had guards as well! I saw armed guards in restaurants in Mexico, in front of all the main banks, where there were several guards, or police with submachine guns and bullet proof jackets.
The Mexican people: the peoples of Mexico are Indians,Spanish Descendent, or mixed.
Museums: http://www.papalote.org.mx/ I went to this museum, it's very much like the Exploratorium.
Food: many foods originated in Mexico, or the Americas. These include: peppers,avocado,pumpkins, corn, mangos,tomatos,tobacco,cocoa, and even chewing gum as well.
Fruit: Papayas, mangos, and advocados are plentiful and inexpensive.
Cactus: called napoli, looks like a string bean and a pepper, which also is what it tastes like as well.
Mayan Palace found in Jungle of Guatemala: 9/00 + other archaeology finds around the world this century
CANADA
Information about northwest Canada
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AUSTRALIA
Sydney by water