DJ Trava

Archive for February, 2010

Traveling with children takes a bit of planning.  From finding kid friendly restaurants that also appeal to the adults, to locating kid friendly hotels, there are just some things that need to be considered.  In Boston, this is not a problem.  There are many restaurants in the various neighborhoods that cater to the palates of the younger ones as well as the adults, and to find a listing of wonderful options for hotel accommodations, check here.

Once in the city, there are fun things to do such as the New England Aquarium, Aqua World and believe it or not, the Museum of Massachusetts Institute of Technology has quite a few programs.  The children enjoy the experience while they learn about the scientific world.  The mission of MIT’s Museum has always been to bring the public in, to make them aware of the technology and the sciences that many of the brightest minds study at the university.  Through their programs, children will find about about the world in which we live in today, as well as the discoveries made in the past and throughout history.  There is the history itself, and there is the history of the pursuit of those discoveries.

One of the annual events that takes place each April is the Cambridge Science Festival. The festival runs for nine days and includes more than two hundred events in which to take part.  Last year was the anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, as well as the fortieth anniversary of the Apollo’s Mission to the Moon.  Programs during the year cater to various age groups.  One such program available for older children is the Robotics Program.  Another program is titled “Why Towers Stand Up and Bridges Don’t Fall Down”.  This is a workshop in the wonders of technology and engineering and is interesting and informing even for the adults.  In all, one of the greatest places to visit when in the city of Boston is the MIT Museum.  One never knows what one may discover there.

This is a story I want to try to tell without using brand names, and it should be pretty easy, at least the way that I’ve been thinking it in my head.  This is a story about shoes, and generations, and how material things sometimes do make a difference.  The differences they make, however, are usually radically different than the value one originally puts on them, perhaps.  When I was a kid, I loved red shoes.  I suspect it has its origins not somewhere in hiphop culture or punk culture at all, but in Bugs Bunny.

This character, Gossamer, was the one who had the red hair all over its body, and big tennis shoes.  It was a monster, too, and was involved in some kind of plot to make the rabbit into dinner, ultimately settling for sending him, sleeping, down the moat and back home.  I loved that monster, and I wanted to be that monster, but I was turning into a very tall and skinny kid.  If I’d known about the Ramones then, maybe that would have been an outlet, but for now, this was it.  I always wore a lot of white clothes, because my mom had some interesting beliefs that included white clothes, so in my mind I pictured that with my white clothes and big red tennis shoes, I’d be like the monster in a reverse color kind of situation.  It wasn’t as successful as my 7th grade dreams promised, and I wasn’t the cool guy, but it worked out all right.

I had forgotten about that until one night, thinking about a trip to New York.  The top hotels look interesting.  I showed a site with a picture of a room to my daughter, who was ten, and all she could say was, “When can I have red high tops?”  I guess my wife was showing her my childhood photos, and she saw the big shoes on my big feet, which was easy when contrasted to my skinny body in white cloth.  That’s all that she talks about these days, so I’m not going to try to make New York important to her.  Maybe we’ll pick up some new shoes at the airport.

Three days here, and after all the talk about how we were going to find out how the rest of the world thinks about music, all we’ve talked about is curry.  My friends are convinced that the best Indian restaurant in Singapore is this one, and it’s because of their curries.  I am arguing that it could be any one of the dozens of Indian restaurants here, but we just happened to stop at this one first.  Chau, the other big ego in the band, is arguing that this isn’t coincidence.  He feels that since we’ve woken up in a pure state of touristic consciousness, our path is unfolding in ways that are already predetermined.  All we have to do, he argues, is keep doing what we’re doing.

This is an old argument between us.  I can tell that the other band members are as irritated as me, although they certainly do a good job of pretending that they’re enjoying every moment of the food.  It keeps popping into my head that we’re actually eating Chau’s car.  He sold his ‘73 Impala so we could have room and board while we’re here.  This baigan choka, then, I imagine, is the dashboard mat.  He’s busy eating his rear-view mirror while we’re deciding what we should do for the rest of the day. So far, the only good idea is to eat more curry.

We’ve been playing together for only two years, but we argue like bands that have a history that lasts at least a decade.  I think this might be a testament to our staying power, but I also know that my thinking is delusional.  It doesn’t seem to matter all that much.  Later on this afternoon, we have a meeting with a band we met last night, because we want to see how we sound if we mix.  It’s a good day.  This is a very good day.  Whether or not free will will win out over determinism is an issue that might not be resolved this time around, but there’s little doubt that we’re living a dream we always had.

The Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Central Park — these iconic sights of New York City are well worth a visit for any traveler; however, if you want to go a bit deeper, see a little more, then there’s some pretty great places that most tourists know about only because they’ve stumbled across them.  How many people have booked hotels in New York without knowing about the casinos nearby (some places even have the casinos in them).  Who needs Atlantic City or Las Vegas, when you really can have it all in the Big Apple?  Since gambling doesn’t take up a full day or night, there’s plenty of other sights in the city.  Here’s a sampling:

There’s Joe, the Art of Coffee .  With two locations, this independent coffee shop is a terrific place to sit and contemplate the city, and some people insist its the best coffee in New York.  If you prefer tea to coffee, try Lady Mendl’s Tea Salon over at 56 Irving Place.  You can reserve a place at the salon and have a luxurious five-course afternoon tea.   At 108 Orchard Street, you’ll find the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, where you can take a guided tour that examines the history of immigration in the United States.  You may find the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum also interesting.  It’s over on Pier 86 on West 46th Street and 12th Avenue.

Be sure to check out, too, Scott’s Pizza Tour.  Scott Wiener, who runs the tours, is a well traveled young man who is constantly on the search for the world’s great pizzas.  He kept note of the best and worst pies in his Pizza Journals, and his obsession turned into this tour, where he tells you fun facts about New York Pizza as well as provides a goodie bag.  He’ll take you to pizzerias in Manhattan and then on to another borough (maybe Brooklyn or Bronx or Queens), to have your taste buds tested at at least two more pizzerias.  The tours are on Sundays from eleven in the morning to three thirty in the afternoon.  In order to keep giving pizza tours on the weekends, during the week he offers walking tours, perhaps to offset the calories.

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past year, you are probably aware of the unstable economic future here in the United States. Although to date the government has tried various ideas and ways to pull us out of this economic crunch, including giving large sums of money to banks and large corporations, nothing has proven too successful so far. For those who own or manage a small or average size business, this could be less than encouraging news.
One way that many businesses have survived is by making severe cuts. This includes employees, services, benefits, and anything else that is not completely necessary. While this goes a long way towards cutting costs, it does not do much for employee morale. Don’t get me wrong, anyone that has a job right now should be extremely thankful. But with so many struggling to make ends meet, even going to work can be draining. Even though we a long way from being stable, the economy seems to have stabilized enough that now would be an ideal time to re-energize your employees and perhaps even increase business. After all, it is a well known fact that employees who are motivated are more productive.
One way that you can motivate your employees is by initiating a management training program or corporate team building programs. Both of these programs show your employees that you value their work and that your desire is for them to be successful. Each of these programs allows your employees to increase their training and their purpose. And in a tough time like we are going through now, that is something that we could all use.
Don’t let anymore time go by without showing your employees that they and the work they do matter. Show your appreciation for their loyalty in these tough times. And if your programs are successful, you’ll get more business out of it too.

The big universities bring many people to Bloomington each year. There are also some large companies that bring people in for work related activities. What does one do when there are no school or work events going on. You are sitting in your hotel accommodations in Bloomington wondering what to do with a day off. Well there are some things you can do in the area. The local great out doors has some really relaxing beauty and events to take part in. You can find yourself involved with just about any sort of out door sport accept maybe hiking a very large mountain.

There are some really nice golf courses in the area which is also a great place to do a little business. Catch a ride on a hot air balloon with the Balloon and Hovercraft Safaris company. You can explore the underground at the Bluesprings Caverns Park. It is boat ride under ground that will ensure a really unique experience. There is also Lake Monroe and the boating or water skiing that can happen there. If you have never tried cliff climbing than there is an indoor facility that can give you the opportunity to try it. The Hoosier Heights Indoor Climbing Facility has the right staff and equipment to help you learn something new or keep up with your normal climbing workout.

Fish, hunt, hike, mountain bike and camp in the Hoosier National Forest. There are more than 230 miles of horseback riding or picnicking that can clear your mind of unwanted stress. There is a beautiful lake were you can enjoy a bit of fly fishing or kayaking. If your traveling through with your horse there is a special place for you. The Stone Creek Ranch has some fine self guided trails you may enjoy.

Fort Wayne holds a special place in the hearts of those who’ve spent any time here.  This is one of those rare midwestern cities that’s had to live under the shadow of the Norman Rockwell image of what a town was supposed to be like.  The difficult part for most of these towns, is that they are a lot like the stereotype, or at least have elements that match the image.  Whether or not life below the surface is as calm and wholesome as the images suggest is a whole other issue, and one that can’t be answered definitively.  But it’s worth exploring, and for those who’ve been here, worth coming back.

With hotels like this, that cater to the desires for a homey getaway, along with some real cosmopolitan flair, there is a lot for the visitor here.  It’s possible to tour the city and enter into any number of interesting realities and pockets of culture, but it’s also possible to stay safely nestled in the arms of an ideal.  It doesn’t even matter that no one actually believes in that ideal, because we all know it’s still extremely potent, and sometimes even delightfully cozy.  On the other hand, it’s also a great place to go to get in touch with a thriving underground art scene.

John Commorato, Jr., co-owner of the Brass Rail, seems to have been somewhere near the center of things at certain times.  If these things can be said to have a center.  In smaller towns or unlikely cities where experimental, underground art starts to flourish, it’s usually due to the efforts of a few like-minded individuals, people who get deeply involved and then try to distance themselves so that others might step up and begin to push.  The hard and heartbreaking thing is that the push usually requires massive community efforts that are way beyond the resources of the individuals.  But it does point out a fascinating movement that’s always here, just beneath the surface, and if we look close enough, we might discover that it was always here, even when Norman Rockwell was painting it.

Two Panamas are in the world, one lies at its center, the thinnest part of the connecting land between North and South America, home of Panama City and the Panama Canal, one of the great engineering achievements of the early Twentieth Century.  The other Panama rests a bit higher on the globe, also on a narrow strip of land, a peninsula known as the state of Florida.  If you’re looking to stay in the latter, check here.  You may see a description of the former Panama, but if you click on the hotels, they’ll bring you back to places you can stay in Florida.

This second North American city, Panama Beach, contains a great deal to see and do for the entire family.  It’s a place in which you might play miniature golf one hour and swim with dolphins the next.  There’s amusement parks, waterparks, and museums.  For instance, take a look at Gulf World and Zoo World to explore marine and animal life.  In Gulf World, you can swim with dolphins, discover what it’s like to train seals, even experience a magic show.  Zoo World also provides safe encounters with everything from a parrot to a wolf.  You may dive underwater in Dive Locker and explore the waterways on the Betsy Ann River Boat or the Swamp ‘Vette and its Airboat Adventures.

The Panama at the middle of the Earth has been used as a trade route for nearly five hundred years.  When the Panama Canal was completed in 1914, ninety-six years ago, but Panama City Beach, Florida, began its history in 1936, founded only seventy-four years ago.  The slogan for this city is the “World’s Most Beautiful Beaches,” which is hard to argue once you see them and the brilliant white sands.

My parents and even some of my friends told me I was pipe dreaming when I mentioned that I might want to pursue a career in acting. And mind you, I know that this is not a common ambition, nor is it usually encouraged by parents and for obvious reasons. Heck even in Elizabethan times actors barely registered higher than vagabonds and beggars on the social status ladder. And theaters were frequently outlawed when episodes of the plague would break out and other social unrest epidemic concerns. Meanwhile, this is not the late 1500s in England, it is the early 21st century United States and circumstances and laws have changed a great deal since then. However, even though I brought it up in as casual as possible manner, my parents immediately expressed their disapproval and some of my friends even seemed to judge me.

Well, the joke is on them now. Wait, that doesn’t fit. Well, in their face or something. No, honestly I don’t really even mean any of that. I am just so completely excited! Get this, I just landed my first acting job in New York City. For real, I’m not kidding! Of course I actually got it through my local theater company that I’ve worked with for a few years. It turns out they’re taking two productions to New York this summer and they held special auditions for ensemble members as well as outsiders and I was cast in one of the plays!

It’s not Broadway or even Off Broadway, but it is in New York City and we’re gong to stay in a hotel with great rooms with great views. I’m actually going to the city to star, well at least act in a play. I think I’m even going to look for jobs and maybe a place to live while I’m there. I have such a great feeling about this and part of it feels to me like it’s time to make the move and I’ll already be there so it’s not like I have to come up with additional money or resources just to check things out. Oh, and I can’t wait to visit Times Square. I’ve always had dream to visit Times Square, which even predates my Broadway ambitions. I also want to be on the David Letterman Show, but for this trip I’ll be happy sitting in the audience. Start spreading the news, I’m headed to New York City!

I had been wanting to scuba dive for many years, for as long as I could remember and last year my sister surprised me with a trip to Miami.  Luxury hotels dot the beaches along the coast of Miami, and my sister found us the perfect one, one that was just a few steps from the beach and just a block away from the scuba diving company she had booked our excursions through.  Although my sister did not have the long standing desire for diving that I had, she had become interested in joining me when she discovered that the only state aside from Hawaii to have extensive coral formations just off shore, is Florida.  She was fascinated with the elements of the natural world, that took years to grow, or rather live plants and animals that reach very old age.

We have some of those things in our home town, such as century old desert tortoises and saguaro cactus, however the coral reefs along the shores of Miami and other Florida beach towns, are thousands of years old.  Coral is fascinating, a coexistence of plant and animal life, much of the vibrant colors provided from the plant half of the partnership.  Along with the important role that coral plays in the environment, these structures also provide shelter to numerous other marine life and they serve to protect the cities along the coast from storms.  An now, the coral reefs provide economic security as many people from all over the country travel to Florida for the very same reason my sister and I went there, to dive amongst the coral.

We had had a few great days of diving when our instructor told us of a place, just a bit of a drive from Miami, to a town called Homestead Florida.  Here is where the Coral Castle is located.  My sister was intrigued and so was I, so the next day we rented a car and took off to check out this Coral Castle.  We found hundreds of carved sculptures, all carved from coral rock.  They were constructed over a period of thirty years by Ed Leedskalnin.  Leedskalnin would not let people watch him work so during the years there were speculations that these massive sculptures were actually created via paranormal means.  My sister and I came home with a bunch of photographs, from the underwater coral reefs and marine life to the incredible works of art we found at the Coral Castle.  She is already planning our trip for next year.