Americanization I don't know if Calgary is quite there yet...not enough schoolyard shootings. However, the Oasis Trailer Park off 52nd St and 17th Ave SE sure screams 'American urban decay'.
Other events What about the Gavel Throw and Juror Toss? You'd think your hefty Calgarian counterparts would perform well. But I think the 'Escape from custody: Bailiff weave and dodge' could have a weak showing.
my apologies for the error over Turkey being a third-world country. I suppose the correct term would be Developing nation with "an economy consistency and fairly strongly developing over a longer period" courtesy of Wikipedia.org (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developing_countries).
Tuscany.PodTravels.TV When I miss tuscany I travel to it virtually with http://tuscany.podtravels.tv (tptv). They have lots of nice home-made videos of tuscany.
Emergency! Please Read Laura:
Stay away from any kind-looking Thai men who introduce themselves to you and tell you about a gem factory. Did you not hear about how Gil got majorly scammed when he was there and caused some serious misery for his life and my parents for several weeks. I'm afraid when you read this that it might already be too late but I hope not.
Also, stay away from people who introduce themselves to you out of nowhere, befriend you, and offer to take you to another cool looking temple "just down the road". Just politely decline. They might con you for just $20 but it still doesn't feel very good. They might even look like clean cut college students. Simple travel agent operations in street level units of busy places are fine though. Many families contract themselves out to tour operators. They WILL come and pick you up in a mini-van and take you for a whole day tour.
Other than that, it sounds like you're staying in or near Banglampu if you said the Golden Palace is down the road. Stick with the street vendors that sell BBQ drumsticks and fresh fruit. The bugs ain't worth the protein.
Albert - Albert Ngai
Having Fun? Laura, thank you for all the interesting blogs. You've really been on an adventure. I'm glad you've finaly started writing about food, my favourite part of travelling. I certainly know what you mean by wanting to be adventurous and yet stay cheap at the same time. I had my share with the one day of constant toilet trips in Bangkok the first time. But it's never happened since then all on all the other trips.
Sachi just had a trip to Delhi a week or more ago. She was just there for one day though. But she brought back a nice meditation bowl and some nice pashmirs.
Hey, our birthday is coming up again. Can you believe it?
Continue to take care of yourself and have fun with the rest of your trip.
Albert
mosques Any mosque in the world would have separate prayer areas for males/females. It is not permissible for a female to pray in the same saf(row) as their male counterparts. Also to respect the decency of females especially those yet to be married they are blocked from view in most occasions. Strictly speaking males should not mingle with females without obvious reasons. Therefore in formal places such as mosques, it makes sense to have areas such as what you have observed. - melayu
The Next Stop Laura, It's fantastic that you're having the esxperience of your life traveling in exotic corners of the world. I'm jealous to be reading about it while I'm sitting here with -17 degree weather outside. You logs have been really interesting. At the same time though, I'd really like to know more about which part of India you're in now, if you have a chance, could you give us a bit more detail on which part of India the Karnataka is?
Albert
KL Hey, at least the drinks in economy are free, right?
Wow! What a bit of nostalgia. Sachi and I liked KL-the markets, the food, the Starbucks. Okay, at that time in '99, it was pretty novel to find a Starbucks in Asia, especially after being away from it for 4.5 years.
So, are you near Chinatown? - Albert Ngai
New Year's Eve How was New Year's Eve in L.A.? Was it as wild as they show on TV for New York?
We spent our New Year's Eve on the plane unfortunately. That was just the way Sachi's schedule worked out. However, we couldn't complain since we got to spend a week in Santiago. And when it was about to hit Toronto's midnight, Sachi and the crew really tried to do it up by donning party hats and noise makers and handing out bubbly wine. There was confetti, too. The passengers were happy. Then in the galley, I got to join the crew for our own private brief celebration with cake and real champagne. What a trip!
Albert - Albert Ngai
I'm intrigued as to what the world has to offer. The bizarre, cheesy, breathtaking and absolutely tourist oriented sights are worth pursuing. I don't think I'll ever stop exploring... or travelling. The blog is a quirky take on what unfolds around me. Some entries are factually accurate and others are simply my impressions at the time. I do appreciate comments, corrections and feedback but please do not post a link to your web blog as a correct example of how I should interpret/understand a particular place along my travels.
Travelling next to: Egypt?
... full info
The Sushi Cowboy
Camille & Denise
Americanization
I don't know if Calgary is quite there yet...not enough schoolyard shootings. However, the Oasis Trailer Park off 52nd St and 17th Ave SE sure screams 'American urban decay'.