It’s our first morning in Botswana, and we’re to pick up our 4X4 and drive the trail through the parks for 6 hours to arrive in the northeastern town of Kasane, where we will spend 3 nights visiting Chobe National Park and Victoria Falls 90 minutes across the border into Zimbabwe. At least…that’s the plan.
We are dropped off at the airport with our baggage to pickup our 4X4 rental, a Nissan X-trail recommended to me by Auto Europe, who I contracted with online. They in turn subcontracted with Budget, so that’s where we headed. Instead of the X-trail, Marcus had a Honda CRV that he vouched would handle the park terrain that we would encounter. He said it had just been in the parks for the past few days by the previous renter. I was slightly skeptical, but reasoning that this man had more knowledge of the area than I, was okay with it. I thought the vehicle had “on demand” 4 wheel drive, as I saw nothing from the driver’s seat that indicated manual engagement for 4 wheel drive operation (No, I didn’t bothered to look underneath). So, we load up and drive to what the map says is the office where we get permits to drive through the parks. We stop at what we think is the area where we will find the office. Radhika gets out and walks around – I wait a bit but then get out and walk in the direction she did. Finding her, we determine there’s no office here. Someone we ask says it’s further down the road, so we load up and drive on, stopping at the next location the office won’t be at! The building looks empty and is being painted and worked on. I walk around but don’t see anything close to what we are looking for. A rudimentary cardboard sign half torn off is stuck on the fence around the perimeter, indicating the office has moved. Ugh! Meanwhile…tick, tick, tick…the day is advancing and it’s now 11am. A woman sits in an official-looking jeep not far from us, so I ask her about the park office we are trying to find. She tells us where it is – luckily it’s not too far. From her clothing, paperwork, what looks like animal traps, and tools, I make out that she’s a researcher of some type. She looks at the CRV and doesn’t convey a lot of confidence – kind of like “You’re gonna take THAT into the park”? Uh-oh moment number one. We make it to the park office, where there are others getting served, as well. We tell them what we want and that we’re driving through the parks to Kasane. “It’s too late for that”. Uh-oh moment number two. “What do you mean too late”, I ask, “I understand it takes 6 hours to go from here to Kasane through the parks”. Again I hear, “It’s too late. Do you have a place to stay inside the park”? Uh-oh moment number three. “No. We have reservations for tonight in Kasane.” We’re told we need proof we are staying inside the park to enter the park. Uh-oh moment number four. Looks like we’ll have to lose our first $300 night for the lodge in Kasane and stay in the park tonight. I’m not a big fan of this idea, but Jen seemed to feel strongly about not going the alternate route, which involved a 6-hour drive on paved roads east from Maun to Nata for 3 hours and then another 3 hours north on a paved road to Kasane. So, we ask if we can get a place in the park. “Probably not at this late notice”. Uh-oh moment number five. Can you check for availability at any of the locations that would be along our route? “No”. We were told we have to drive to another place to get a place to stay. Oh, and this park office closes at 12:45, so you have a little over an hour. Jen asks if they can place a call to them to see if they have availability. “No”. Uh-oh moments 6 thru 8!!!!! By now I am irritated. All the pre-trip work and information I did to make it easier seemed to be a waste of time. It wasted my time as I was doing it and wasting even more valuable time now that we were in the moment. As we were dealing with the questions in the park office, I asked a fairly dirty-looking young guy who was with a group of tourists if he had been in the park. He said he had, and they had been in Savuti recently, which is about halfway to Kasane. He said Savuti is very sandy and tough going, doubted the 6-hour drive time, and asked what we were driving in. I pointed out the window to the CRV, and his expression was much like the female researcher, and may have even said something along the lines of “Yeah, I wouldn’t try taking that in there”. SHIT!!! I’m sick of uh-oh moments! WTF! One of the ladies from the park office looks out the window – imagine the expression of someone looking across a bottomless chasm that’s 8 feet 4 inches wide and they need to jump across that to get away from a man-eating lion, but knowing their best long jump EVER was a wind-aided 8 feet 3 inches. That’s what we kept seeing when we told anyone we were driving that CRV into Moremi. The “Yeah…right…sure you are” look. So, we go to this place to look into a place to stay inside. There’s a guy already inside ranting and raving about the backwards procedures that they are making him follow, and that they won’t take his Euros but gladly accept the lowly American dollar. I agreed with him, but man he was about to pop a vein! Why these departments were not in the same office space, or at least in the same building is a puzzle. So, we find out there’s space in one of the camps. Momentary joy, until I say, “Wait a minute. Is this a tent, lodge, or just a site where we have to provide everything”? Yep, our last uh-oh minute because from that point on I just wanted to hop in the CRV and drive the 6 hours to Kasane across the paved roads. We could still stay on schedule, but we had to leave soon because driving at night was not something I looked forward having to do! We scrambled back to the park office before it closed, getting Chobe Park tickets for the next day. A couple of stops for maps and drinks, a missed turn that quickly turned into a dirt road, a correction, and then we were finally on our way around 1pm.
It was actually nice getting on the relatively smooth road and driving. There were some things of interest along the way, villages, a couple of pissed-off ostriches, weird birds that didn’t quite get out of the way of the vehicles all the time, but mostly it was scrub and construction. Not even much vehicle traffic. The steering wheel being on the right side and driving on the left doesn’t bother me anymore, even with stick. We stopped in Nata for gas, which is ridiculously cheap in Botswana. If the US was still charging that low for gas everyone would still have their Hummers and guzzling SUV’s (remember those?). A drink, snack, and stretch and we were back on the road.
The sun was hanging low, light getting dim, and we weren’t in Kasane. You have to picture a road, and on either side no fence or barrier. We were seeing wart hogs here and there, and who knows what else was out there. During one stretch there was one to two foot tall grass right up to the asphalt edge. Anything could come zipping out and either be road kill or cause us problems. I was not willing to alter the path of the vehicle too dramatically to avoid hitting anything smaller than a medium-sized dog. I figured I would have enough warning with an elephant, zebra, and the like. I did moderately steer around a small antelope that luckily froze in its tracks on the road. I can’t recall if I steered in front or behind it. I just know I didn’t steer over it. Radhika freaked a little when the headlights illuminated it, but breathed a sigh of relief, as I did, when we successfully passed it. After that, I dropped my speed down a bit, as I was sure we were pretty close to Kubu Lodge. Of course we ended up at the Botswana-Zimbabwe border, making a u-turn realizing we were off course. It didn’t take too long to find our bearings and arrive safely at our destination. What a great feeling of relief. Our place was nice, the dinner fantastic, and the shower and bed felt so good. A day of unpleasant, unplanned for adventure, had finally come to a close. Tomorrow, the planned adventure of Chobe National Park will be the order of the day.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Africa - Part 2 (Johannesburg)
We left Amsterdam in the evening, taking the bus from Leidseplein to the airport. Of course the stop was closed at Leidseplein and temporarily moved to Overtoom, so we missed the first bus but caught the following one. It’s not uncommon or unexpected to have a “hitch” in the beginning of our trip. Jennifer was already there waiting for us. A little background – Jennifer is my second cousin who has been teaching in Amsterdam at one of the international schools for several years. One of my cousins in California told me about her being here and we met for the first time a little over a year ago. I know, small world! Anyway, we had a connection in Paris, and our flight was roughly 30% full. That allowed each of us to stretch out in the middle aisle across four seats for the long-haul portion of the journey, and grab some sleep overnight. It was one week after the World Cup final, and people were leaving Johannesburg en masse, but the numbers going were far fewer. We lucked out. This double-decker monster was practically all ours. Jennifer said she didn’t sleep much, but I was out most of the time and Radhika said she managed some shut-eye too, which is rare for her.
We landed mid-morning of the 22nd, and Nicky from Chamonix Guest Lodge was there to meet us. I always get a kick when I see my name on a sign being held at receiving once we leave customs. I even have a few tucked away somewhere. I know – such a child. Anyway, after exchanging some Euros for Rands, we made our way to the van and Nicky drove us to the lodge where we were staying. It was near the airport, as we had no plans to explore the city or area, having booked a flight out the next morning for Botswana. The place is very nice, beyond my expectations! I have learned to be optimistically cautious regarding what is viewed on my screen and what lies before me when standing there at the location. What was striking when we pulled up was the cinderblock wall that surrounded our lodge and all of the other properties in the area. On top of each wall was barbed wire, razor wire, electrified wire, or a random combination. This was curious, as we had never seen this type of “protection” before to such great lengths outside a prison. We were told it is because of “corruption”. That choice of word was puzzling. We would see this again later, and hear different reasoning. We did get settled, cleaned up a little, and then Nicky took us into Johannesburg. We went to the top of the tallest building on the continent for the view. Afterwards, Nicky went back to the lodge, leaving us to wander around and grab a bite, picking us up later that evening. The city wasn’t too inviting. A little rugged – raw. Some old buildings and churches amongst the newer construction. Fires in 50-gallon drums on dark streets keeping people warm on this chilly night. The people seemed mostly friendly. I can’t say the city and I connected, but I’m going by only a few hours. No burning desire to return. So, Radhika and Jen had some alcohol-enhanced convo at dinner, and I soberly listened. Can anyone explain to me the benefits of combining too much alcohol with anything, or where enhancement is the result? Okay, maybe parties. I’ll give you that one. We all know driving a car isn’t a bright idea. Sex and alcohol? - if you want to fumble and slobber your way through it. I’ve seen intelligent people try to hold conversations after imbibing a tad too much. It just doesn’t work. Anyway, I digress. The next morning we ate our breakfast, took our showers, settled the bill, and headed back to the airport for the flight to Botswana. I did take pictures during this period. Funny thing – I can’t find them anywhere! I have never “lost” image files before. I vaguely remember downloading a card to my Mac in the room at Chamonix, but so far I have turned up not a one. Damn! Just figured it out. I used Radhika’s Panasonic point and shoot while we were in Johannesburg. Whew. Thought maybe I had one too many beers somewhere along the way and deleted files. What I actually downloaded at the lodge were Radhika’s files from her camera. Never mind. So now I can put some images in an album for this post. Not much, but it’s what I came away with. Click on the “link to albums” found at upper right, and when you get to the site find and choose the Johannesburg album and run a slide show. I’ll have an album of images for each post from here on out. The address for the album is http://www.photoshop.com/user/johndp/?rlang=en_US&galleryid=01aefb7f75c64a3eb29782c0b5be34bb&wf=sharegrid&trackingid=BTAGC
We landed mid-morning of the 22nd, and Nicky from Chamonix Guest Lodge was there to meet us. I always get a kick when I see my name on a sign being held at receiving once we leave customs. I even have a few tucked away somewhere. I know – such a child. Anyway, after exchanging some Euros for Rands, we made our way to the van and Nicky drove us to the lodge where we were staying. It was near the airport, as we had no plans to explore the city or area, having booked a flight out the next morning for Botswana. The place is very nice, beyond my expectations! I have learned to be optimistically cautious regarding what is viewed on my screen and what lies before me when standing there at the location. What was striking when we pulled up was the cinderblock wall that surrounded our lodge and all of the other properties in the area. On top of each wall was barbed wire, razor wire, electrified wire, or a random combination. This was curious, as we had never seen this type of “protection” before to such great lengths outside a prison. We were told it is because of “corruption”. That choice of word was puzzling. We would see this again later, and hear different reasoning. We did get settled, cleaned up a little, and then Nicky took us into Johannesburg. We went to the top of the tallest building on the continent for the view. Afterwards, Nicky went back to the lodge, leaving us to wander around and grab a bite, picking us up later that evening. The city wasn’t too inviting. A little rugged – raw. Some old buildings and churches amongst the newer construction. Fires in 50-gallon drums on dark streets keeping people warm on this chilly night. The people seemed mostly friendly. I can’t say the city and I connected, but I’m going by only a few hours. No burning desire to return. So, Radhika and Jen had some alcohol-enhanced convo at dinner, and I soberly listened. Can anyone explain to me the benefits of combining too much alcohol with anything, or where enhancement is the result? Okay, maybe parties. I’ll give you that one. We all know driving a car isn’t a bright idea. Sex and alcohol? - if you want to fumble and slobber your way through it. I’ve seen intelligent people try to hold conversations after imbibing a tad too much. It just doesn’t work. Anyway, I digress. The next morning we ate our breakfast, took our showers, settled the bill, and headed back to the airport for the flight to Botswana. I did take pictures during this period. Funny thing – I can’t find them anywhere! I have never “lost” image files before. I vaguely remember downloading a card to my Mac in the room at Chamonix, but so far I have turned up not a one. Damn! Just figured it out. I used Radhika’s Panasonic point and shoot while we were in Johannesburg. Whew. Thought maybe I had one too many beers somewhere along the way and deleted files. What I actually downloaded at the lodge were Radhika’s files from her camera. Never mind. So now I can put some images in an album for this post. Not much, but it’s what I came away with. Click on the “link to albums” found at upper right, and when you get to the site find and choose the Johannesburg album and run a slide show. I’ll have an album of images for each post from here on out. The address for the album is http://www.photoshop.com/user/johndp/?rlang=en_US&galleryid=01aefb7f75c64a3eb29782c0b5be34bb&wf=sharegrid&trackingid=BTAGC
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Africa - Part 1
As many of you know, we took a trip to southern Africa over a 23 day period spanning July and August. I can say the planning rivaled the China trip we took 3 years ago in terms of difficulty! Actually, it was more difficult in several respects. One was booking places to stay. Hotel, lodge, guesthouse, bed and breakfast - it didn't matter. You had to make sure your schedule was set and wouldn't change, because there are no refunds. You cannot "reserve" accommodation at most places. Some allow for 24 hours, but after that you have to make payment or lose it. So, our schedule had to be set first, then our flights which there were 4 of within Africa, before I could commit to the places we would stay overnight. Another problem was logistics - driving from one place to another. What were the road conditions? How long does it really take? We did no driving ourselves in China, but that was not possible in Botswana, Namibia, or even South Africa due to the places we were visiting. Public transportation is not an option. Can't take a bus into Chobe National Park nor a ferry across the Okavango Delta! The trip was centered around my 2nd cousin Jennifer's week-long stint in Namibia where she was doing field work for her degree, and her return from the US before the Africa trip and her return to work teaching at the ISA in Amsterdam. We knew the beginning and ending dates, as well as where she needed to be between August 1st and the 9th. Everything else was built around this information.
So I sent requests for information from the tourist agencies of the countries we would visit. Namibia sent useful information quite quickly, but what Botswana sent was very lacking and came late. It was virtually of no use. The local sources in Amsterdam had limited information and it was all in Dutch, as well. The internet was my main source for information and tool for booking. Days and days were spent researching where to go, when to go, how to get there. I spoke to friends who had gone to Africa. Jyoti and Rajat in India had a great trip to the continent several years ago, but it turns out they went to central eastern countries, so I couldn't use their information. Right here in Amsterdam Brad and Natalia went just last year, but they went mainly east once they hit Johannesburg. I was able to use the agency they did for our time in Cape Town. Ultimately that wasn't as smooth as I had hoped for. More about that later. Justina, a friend in Amsterdam, had visited the areas we were scoping out, but it was so long ago that her memory was weak and probably so much had changed anyway. So I was basically starting from scratch.
Research, blogs, trip advisor, Google - site to site gathering and recording information day after day. Three weeks and a couple of days may sound like a lot of time fro a holiday, but there's no such thing as "enough" time for 99% of the places we have visited. Once I had a comprehensive list of places to visit, the hard task of editing that list down began. Of course many of those places that were removed from the list during the editing process due to time limitations were mentioned later once we were in the area by locals or other visitors who said you "can't miss" it. Well, we're just going to have to "miss it" as there's not enough time in 23 days to see everything you want in places such as these. Many articles I read indicated a need to book places a year in advance due to popularity and scarcity. Once I got into the "meat" of planning this adventure, I barely had a month. As a matter-of-fact, one flight (between Cape Town and Johannesburg on the back end of the trip), the last detail of the entire journey, was finalized AFTER we landed in Johannesburg! I had a hell of a time booking 4X4's. Reply after reply came back from my inquiry indicating "sold out". The 4X4 we initially had in Botswana from Budget wasn't even a 4X4, though I was told it was!! We drove a Honda CRV for 3 1/2 days before turning it in and getting a Toyota Hilux. That CRV would NEVER have handled the sand and water we would later encounter in Moremi Wildlife Game Reserve!! Namibia was the same - out of the dozen or more car hire companies I contacted only 2 came back with one vehicle left. It didn't help that we were going during their high season, so rooms and vehicles were hot property. Responses for many came slow because many don't have internet access on their premises, or services were down for 5 days I was told in one case. So I played the waiting game a couple of times trying to get the place to stay that I favored over others. Once I committed to my second choice when time was getting short only to have the first choice respond several days later when it was too late. Suffice to say it was a lot of work, many details, a little tense at times trying to make the right decision for everyone, keeping the budget low while providing nice places to stay, and keeping unpleasant surprises from ruining the experience. It's good to know that some places had no grocery stores, or that gas stations are spotty, at best, and in Namibia they only accept "gas cards" or cash. ATM's? Apparently Visa IS NOT everywhere you want to be! ATM's love the taste of plastic in Namibia. You need to go to several places in Maun to get access to Chobe or Moremi. You are told you cannot buy a pass at the gate - and then you get to the gate after jumping through hoops of fire earlier to buy passes and they tell you "Sure, you can buy passes here at the gate." WTF?!?!?!?!!!! You had to keep telling yourself "It's a developing country...relax".
So as you can tell, as much as I tried we still had surprises in store for us. Like reading time and again online that it takes 6 hours to drive through the parks (Moremi and Chobe) to go between Maun and Kasane. In reality, it's a 24 hour ordeal. Details about this later, too. I just wanted to drop a little info on the planning process. The three of us met at least twice to discuss the trip beforehand. The first time we pulled the trigger and Jen bought our round trip tickets, as the price for them was just getting higher. I'll start on the actual trip in the next post. But know that this was a trip for all trips! More different than any other trip we have ever taken in many ways. I will include an album of images that cover the area I talk about in the post. None for the planning stages (could've taken a pic of me sitting at the laptop, but really, who wants to see that?). Africa was terrific in so many ways. Not a trip for the pampered. You're going to get a little dirt under the fingernails. You have to be okay with that. You may get a little cold for a while, and sweat the next day. May get a bug bite, sleep on an uncomfortable mattress. But the experience will blow you away.
So I sent requests for information from the tourist agencies of the countries we would visit. Namibia sent useful information quite quickly, but what Botswana sent was very lacking and came late. It was virtually of no use. The local sources in Amsterdam had limited information and it was all in Dutch, as well. The internet was my main source for information and tool for booking. Days and days were spent researching where to go, when to go, how to get there. I spoke to friends who had gone to Africa. Jyoti and Rajat in India had a great trip to the continent several years ago, but it turns out they went to central eastern countries, so I couldn't use their information. Right here in Amsterdam Brad and Natalia went just last year, but they went mainly east once they hit Johannesburg. I was able to use the agency they did for our time in Cape Town. Ultimately that wasn't as smooth as I had hoped for. More about that later. Justina, a friend in Amsterdam, had visited the areas we were scoping out, but it was so long ago that her memory was weak and probably so much had changed anyway. So I was basically starting from scratch.
Research, blogs, trip advisor, Google - site to site gathering and recording information day after day. Three weeks and a couple of days may sound like a lot of time fro a holiday, but there's no such thing as "enough" time for 99% of the places we have visited. Once I had a comprehensive list of places to visit, the hard task of editing that list down began. Of course many of those places that were removed from the list during the editing process due to time limitations were mentioned later once we were in the area by locals or other visitors who said you "can't miss" it. Well, we're just going to have to "miss it" as there's not enough time in 23 days to see everything you want in places such as these. Many articles I read indicated a need to book places a year in advance due to popularity and scarcity. Once I got into the "meat" of planning this adventure, I barely had a month. As a matter-of-fact, one flight (between Cape Town and Johannesburg on the back end of the trip), the last detail of the entire journey, was finalized AFTER we landed in Johannesburg! I had a hell of a time booking 4X4's. Reply after reply came back from my inquiry indicating "sold out". The 4X4 we initially had in Botswana from Budget wasn't even a 4X4, though I was told it was!! We drove a Honda CRV for 3 1/2 days before turning it in and getting a Toyota Hilux. That CRV would NEVER have handled the sand and water we would later encounter in Moremi Wildlife Game Reserve!! Namibia was the same - out of the dozen or more car hire companies I contacted only 2 came back with one vehicle left. It didn't help that we were going during their high season, so rooms and vehicles were hot property. Responses for many came slow because many don't have internet access on their premises, or services were down for 5 days I was told in one case. So I played the waiting game a couple of times trying to get the place to stay that I favored over others. Once I committed to my second choice when time was getting short only to have the first choice respond several days later when it was too late. Suffice to say it was a lot of work, many details, a little tense at times trying to make the right decision for everyone, keeping the budget low while providing nice places to stay, and keeping unpleasant surprises from ruining the experience. It's good to know that some places had no grocery stores, or that gas stations are spotty, at best, and in Namibia they only accept "gas cards" or cash. ATM's? Apparently Visa IS NOT everywhere you want to be! ATM's love the taste of plastic in Namibia. You need to go to several places in Maun to get access to Chobe or Moremi. You are told you cannot buy a pass at the gate - and then you get to the gate after jumping through hoops of fire earlier to buy passes and they tell you "Sure, you can buy passes here at the gate." WTF?!?!?!?!!!! You had to keep telling yourself "It's a developing country...relax".
So as you can tell, as much as I tried we still had surprises in store for us. Like reading time and again online that it takes 6 hours to drive through the parks (Moremi and Chobe) to go between Maun and Kasane. In reality, it's a 24 hour ordeal. Details about this later, too. I just wanted to drop a little info on the planning process. The three of us met at least twice to discuss the trip beforehand. The first time we pulled the trigger and Jen bought our round trip tickets, as the price for them was just getting higher. I'll start on the actual trip in the next post. But know that this was a trip for all trips! More different than any other trip we have ever taken in many ways. I will include an album of images that cover the area I talk about in the post. None for the planning stages (could've taken a pic of me sitting at the laptop, but really, who wants to see that?). Africa was terrific in so many ways. Not a trip for the pampered. You're going to get a little dirt under the fingernails. You have to be okay with that. You may get a little cold for a while, and sweat the next day. May get a bug bite, sleep on an uncomfortable mattress. But the experience will blow you away.
Monday, May 3, 2010
No Birds In Belgium
So I was back in Amsterdam several weeks - getting back into the flow of things. Taught a few workshops, spent a few days at the ACCESS office, and the brutal winter weather was actually losing it's grip and allowed a couple of 60 degree days in late March. Even the Dutch men and women were breaking out their white pants that they seem to love to wear as often as they can get away with! Seriously - sometimes it looks like the streets are full of ice cream vendors.
We plan a trip to Riems, France - the heart of Champagne country, over a long weekend, and friends Elena and Justina would join us. We had not visited the area, so we all looked forward to the 4 1/2 hour drive. We hit the usual traffic on our way out of Amsterdam and passing through Brussels, but otherwise the ride was uneventful. Our hotel was quite difficult to find, as the city is installing tram lines down the streets and so construction and detours are everywhere! TomTom was confused, stress was building in the car, and night was falling. The crisis was over when we managed to follow the alternate route that got us to our destination. The hotel was clean, comfortable, and convenient. We unloaded our bags and went out to the walking street that's 5 minutes from the hotel's location. We picked an Irish Pub and with the conditions outdoors being drizzly and chilly, decided we would get some rest and get a fresh start tomorrow assaulting the champagne houses and tours.
We had a nice breakfast at the hotel and hit the streets bright and early between 11 and high noon. This version of "bright and early" is not mine. If a champagne glass wasn't approaching the front of their heads and pillow was supporting the back of it. I had three semi-hibernating, auto-narcoleptic females in this party. An area map is acquired from the front desk staff, and the ladies design a "shock and awe" strategy where champagne will be consumed and the area depleted before Pierre even knows what hit him! I swear I saw them just walk by stacks of champagne and the sweet fluid somehow mysteriously evaporated from corked bottles!! We went to several champagne houses in the area, taking tours and doing some tasting. I enjoyed the first two, but when I discovered that each place makes their champagne pretty much the same way...yeah...I'm done.
The next day, we drove to where the Moet et Chandon and Dom Perignon houses are. Quite impressive as you would expect. We took the tours and drank the champagne, and had a leisurely morning of it. We left around France bound for Amsterdam around 2pm, driving through some beautiful countryside. It started out as a typical drive, with me behind the wheel and everyone else dozing. We were passing through Belgium when Elena eased out of her coma in the backseat. I'm passing someone on their left, checking the mirrors to make sure it is clear. There was no one visible in the far left lane as far as I could see. I get over and as I am even with the car I am passing I glance into my rearview and there is a car right on my bumper with what appears to be 2 "skinhead-looking" types in the car. I speed up even more to create space and move over, and they remain attached to my back bumper. Now you must know that this type of behavior really pisses me off. Usually, I try to stay cool, knowing that I don't benefit by losing my temper. And this time, I kind of compromised with myself. I just presented the bird using my left hand as I continued to drive and look straight ahead. The passing car went past and that was that...or so I thought. Perhaps 5 or 10 minutes later this SAME CAR was somehow behind me again! - Almost in the backseat with Elena who was witnessing all of this with me, and a still snoozing Justina. They stayed on my bumper for quite some time, and then moved to my left. I didn't acknowledge them, but then they started drifting into me, getting just inches away from us as we were traveling 120kph up the motorway. They would pull a little ahead and then drift back to be equal to us. I looked over, and the passenger was making a gesture and I had no idea what his deal was. They pulled a little ahead again, and the passenger was pointing to his shoulder. By now all the hibernating in the car came to a stop, and nerves were getting a little shaky. The car pulls directly in front of me and then this sign lights up in their back window indicating "Police". Cool - - Belgian cops. This should be interesting. We follow them off to the side of the motorway, and the passenger gets out and shows his finger to me and asks "What's this?" in an agitated voice. Of course I respond "Your finger". "What does this mean?", he almost yells. "You know what it means", I reply. Both Radhika and I explain my reaction to the dangerous driving by what we determined was a civilian driver. I told him I would not knowingly give the finger to a law enforcement official. We went back and forth for a minute or two. I was asked to take (my first ever!) an alcohol breath test. Took me 3 or 4 times to use enough force to get the thing to register. By now, the passenger had calmed down and was talking to me in normal tones. The driver of the car had been dealing with another car that was pulled to the side, and once that business was finished, he came over and started a rant that was much worse than the first. He said he would take the car and leave us on the side of the road. He wanted €300 on the spot, and the matter was not open for discussion. He was "the authority". Of course I had to fight a smirk because Cartman from Southpark came into my head - "You will respect muh author-i-tay!" I pretended to look into my wallet and said we didn't have €300 in cash. He said something about taking a card, but when Radhika handed him her Mastercard, he said he couldn't take that. So, he rants and raves some more, with us telling him that we had no way of knowing they were law enforcement, with him interrupting to remind us "There's no discussion." I was being advised to apologise and pay the €300, but after being told we had broken no laws by the one cop, but the other telling us it was against the law to show your middle finger or other disrespect, I felt it was a shakedown to a degree. The other part was the driver took my gesture very personally, and being a cop I got the vibe he believed he was due ultimate respect. We were told to follow them as they went back to their car. We drove south and ended up in a small town in the parking lot of a convenience store apparently near an ATM. Radhika got out to discuss the matter with them. I believe the passenger, who appeared older than the driver, spoke some sense in the driver, who seemed at times to be quite close to a meltdown. Anyway, the discussion went on for several minutes, with Radhika being shown in some official looking booklet where the law was stated that the finger is forbidden. The pow-wow eventually broke up, apparently on a promise that I/we won't use that gesture again. And you know, that seems like a wise idea. I know...there are doubters out there. But, I know that giving the finger has NEVER made any situation better. There's no point to it as far as I am considered. It's an emotional response that I don't need to make. So, that is my newest shift. Controlling the irritation I get sometimes when behind the wheel.
Of course the true end to the story above was the email I sent to the Belgian authorities. I made a promise to wait 3 days before I did anything regarding this episode - and I did. Three days and a couple of hours after, I relayed the story to the proper authorities, who followed up with several questions and now they are investigating the incident. My concern was the reckless behavior of the driver, where the effort was way over the top for the offense committed. Property damage, injury, or death could've resulted by his dangerous driving, and for what? Because there's a law on the books stating "No Birds In Belgium"!
We plan a trip to Riems, France - the heart of Champagne country, over a long weekend, and friends Elena and Justina would join us. We had not visited the area, so we all looked forward to the 4 1/2 hour drive. We hit the usual traffic on our way out of Amsterdam and passing through Brussels, but otherwise the ride was uneventful. Our hotel was quite difficult to find, as the city is installing tram lines down the streets and so construction and detours are everywhere! TomTom was confused, stress was building in the car, and night was falling. The crisis was over when we managed to follow the alternate route that got us to our destination. The hotel was clean, comfortable, and convenient. We unloaded our bags and went out to the walking street that's 5 minutes from the hotel's location. We picked an Irish Pub and with the conditions outdoors being drizzly and chilly, decided we would get some rest and get a fresh start tomorrow assaulting the champagne houses and tours.
We had a nice breakfast at the hotel and hit the streets bright and early between 11 and high noon. This version of "bright and early" is not mine. If a champagne glass wasn't approaching the front of their heads and pillow was supporting the back of it. I had three semi-hibernating, auto-narcoleptic females in this party. An area map is acquired from the front desk staff, and the ladies design a "shock and awe" strategy where champagne will be consumed and the area depleted before Pierre even knows what hit him! I swear I saw them just walk by stacks of champagne and the sweet fluid somehow mysteriously evaporated from corked bottles!! We went to several champagne houses in the area, taking tours and doing some tasting. I enjoyed the first two, but when I discovered that each place makes their champagne pretty much the same way...yeah...I'm done.
The next day, we drove to where the Moet et Chandon and Dom Perignon houses are. Quite impressive as you would expect. We took the tours and drank the champagne, and had a leisurely morning of it. We left around France bound for Amsterdam around 2pm, driving through some beautiful countryside. It started out as a typical drive, with me behind the wheel and everyone else dozing. We were passing through Belgium when Elena eased out of her coma in the backseat. I'm passing someone on their left, checking the mirrors to make sure it is clear. There was no one visible in the far left lane as far as I could see. I get over and as I am even with the car I am passing I glance into my rearview and there is a car right on my bumper with what appears to be 2 "skinhead-looking" types in the car. I speed up even more to create space and move over, and they remain attached to my back bumper. Now you must know that this type of behavior really pisses me off. Usually, I try to stay cool, knowing that I don't benefit by losing my temper. And this time, I kind of compromised with myself. I just presented the bird using my left hand as I continued to drive and look straight ahead. The passing car went past and that was that...or so I thought. Perhaps 5 or 10 minutes later this SAME CAR was somehow behind me again! - Almost in the backseat with Elena who was witnessing all of this with me, and a still snoozing Justina. They stayed on my bumper for quite some time, and then moved to my left. I didn't acknowledge them, but then they started drifting into me, getting just inches away from us as we were traveling 120kph up the motorway. They would pull a little ahead and then drift back to be equal to us. I looked over, and the passenger was making a gesture and I had no idea what his deal was. They pulled a little ahead again, and the passenger was pointing to his shoulder. By now all the hibernating in the car came to a stop, and nerves were getting a little shaky. The car pulls directly in front of me and then this sign lights up in their back window indicating "Police". Cool - - Belgian cops. This should be interesting. We follow them off to the side of the motorway, and the passenger gets out and shows his finger to me and asks "What's this?" in an agitated voice. Of course I respond "Your finger". "What does this mean?", he almost yells. "You know what it means", I reply. Both Radhika and I explain my reaction to the dangerous driving by what we determined was a civilian driver. I told him I would not knowingly give the finger to a law enforcement official. We went back and forth for a minute or two. I was asked to take (my first ever!) an alcohol breath test. Took me 3 or 4 times to use enough force to get the thing to register. By now, the passenger had calmed down and was talking to me in normal tones. The driver of the car had been dealing with another car that was pulled to the side, and once that business was finished, he came over and started a rant that was much worse than the first. He said he would take the car and leave us on the side of the road. He wanted €300 on the spot, and the matter was not open for discussion. He was "the authority". Of course I had to fight a smirk because Cartman from Southpark came into my head - "You will respect muh author-i-tay!" I pretended to look into my wallet and said we didn't have €300 in cash. He said something about taking a card, but when Radhika handed him her Mastercard, he said he couldn't take that. So, he rants and raves some more, with us telling him that we had no way of knowing they were law enforcement, with him interrupting to remind us "There's no discussion." I was being advised to apologise and pay the €300, but after being told we had broken no laws by the one cop, but the other telling us it was against the law to show your middle finger or other disrespect, I felt it was a shakedown to a degree. The other part was the driver took my gesture very personally, and being a cop I got the vibe he believed he was due ultimate respect. We were told to follow them as they went back to their car. We drove south and ended up in a small town in the parking lot of a convenience store apparently near an ATM. Radhika got out to discuss the matter with them. I believe the passenger, who appeared older than the driver, spoke some sense in the driver, who seemed at times to be quite close to a meltdown. Anyway, the discussion went on for several minutes, with Radhika being shown in some official looking booklet where the law was stated that the finger is forbidden. The pow-wow eventually broke up, apparently on a promise that I/we won't use that gesture again. And you know, that seems like a wise idea. I know...there are doubters out there. But, I know that giving the finger has NEVER made any situation better. There's no point to it as far as I am considered. It's an emotional response that I don't need to make. So, that is my newest shift. Controlling the irritation I get sometimes when behind the wheel.
Of course the true end to the story above was the email I sent to the Belgian authorities. I made a promise to wait 3 days before I did anything regarding this episode - and I did. Three days and a couple of hours after, I relayed the story to the proper authorities, who followed up with several questions and now they are investigating the incident. My concern was the reckless behavior of the driver, where the effort was way over the top for the offense committed. Property damage, injury, or death could've resulted by his dangerous driving, and for what? Because there's a law on the books stating "No Birds In Belgium"!
Saturday, May 1, 2010
My US Visit - Part 3
I fly into Newark, with Dolly and John picking me up on their way to Edison where we'll stay long enough to drop off most of my luggage. Once again, it was a tedious exercise to make sure I didn't go over the weight limit and subject myself to airport hassles while packing in Orlando. I had to make sure I left enough room and weight to carry some of Mom's great Indian food back to A'dam. I weighed one package of what she usually makes and I take back with me. She freezes them and they arrive mostly frozen in Amsterdam from being in the cargo hold. Anyway, we hit the road to Lake George in upstate NY for 3 days of skiing and relaxation. Where we were staying was quite nice, and provided a pleasant drive to the ski area the next day. Conditions were good until late in the day when it got a little icy. But the sun was out for most of the day and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Mom got a little bored, I think. Skiing is NOT one of the many things she has wanted to try in the last couple of years (like parasailing, NASCAR races, visiting Paris, etc.). I did pretty well for my skill level. My wipe outs came later in the day as I tried to increase my speed and the icy conditions became worse. Did get dropped what seemed like 10 feet but was probably more closer to 5 when my pants "stuck" to the lift seat and I couldn't get off in time - so square on my ass I landed. I scrambled to my feet as I can't stand when the lift is stopped for me! The second time off the same lift I had trouble again, but this time I only came off backwards but managed to stay upright and turned myself around. That was the worst of the day for me. My brother-in-law is a very good skier. His friends Ed and Loretta came up from NY on the same day with their 2 kids, and he (JK) skied with them in the afternoon after he and I skied a little together in the morning. Mom stayed in the lodge for the most part, working on a gift she was knitting for someone. We walked around the town, attended a fair they were holding (much of it on a frozen lake!), drove around the area a little, dined out together with Ed and Loretta, spent time at the hotel indoor pool, hot tub, and sauna, and listened to some live music by a mediocre band. After 3 days, we headed back to NJ where John (brother-in-law/JK) and I worked on Mom's water-damaged dry wall. We didn't get it finished before I had to leave, but NJ suffered a period of rain after I left, and more damage was done. Seems that leak in the roof was NOT fixed! Anyway, I figured how much of Mom's cooking I could take back. I packed everything and took the train to the airport and was bound for A'dam, where Radhika picked me up. On the day I arrived, I had a meeting with an ACCESS board member in The Hague and conducted a workshop 3 days later. No time for jet lag!
Friday, April 23, 2010
My US Visit - Part II
So it's back to being solo at the hacienda, with everyone back in Amsterdam, Oklahoma, Tallahassee, or NY. My sights became set on finding someone wanting to rent the upstairs part of the house. Someone mentioned Craig's List. I thought that website was for buying and selling stuff, but I learned that you can advertise for roommates and such, as well. So, I posted an ad and got 4 immediate hits. I guess it was lucky #4, as the first 3 didn't work out. I met Wes, who had been living in Daytona Beach, but wanted to come to Orlando as he was finishing up is Masters soon in Business Entertainment and wants to work at Disney or Universal. Into his 30's, he seemed like the mature person we would want. Everything seemed to fall into place, and finding someone we were cool with wasn't as difficult as we expected it to be. He moved in while I still had several weeks remaining on my visit which was good. It gave me time to get comfortable with him being there, and allowed us to go over operating the pool and other household details.
I went up to Tallahassee to visit Helen and Lee a couple of weeks after they had come down to Orlando and Tampa. Ahhhhh Tallahassee...the necks get redder and redder with each visit. But we had a good time up there. Saw some movies and had some surprisingly good Mexican food in Woodville, of all places. Think Hooterville - minus the hooters! Well...that doesn't work very well, does it? Let me just say that Woodville is VERY small, with more Confederate flags per capita than the stars and stripes. I went out shooting in the area one afternoon, and Lee came along and assisted me, doing reflector duty on several shots. Helen tried her hand at making dosa's, a south Indian dish consisting of a crepe filled with potatoes, sometimes cheese, and various spices. She did pretty good. The crepes are always the tricky part.
So back in Orlando, Wes moves his stuff in after a week or so. He doesn't have nearly the amount of stuff that our previous renter had! That makes it easier for everyone. I borrow some video equipment from the photo department at (formerly) DBCC and commence to transferring VHS tapes to DVD. Man, some of that stuff goes back to '66!! Junior and senior high band performances, basketball games, piano recitals, family holidays...haven't seen some of that stuff in a long while. Would be fun to share some of the school stuff with old classmates. I'll try to get around to that sometime soon. Anyway, this is a laborious process! Now I see why businesses charge what they do. The tough ones were the early ones, where all kinds of different stuff is on the VHS tape. It's easier in the long run to stop and start when the subject matter changes, as it makes it easier to find in the future. But it is a drag and I'm glad that is behind me! I also visited some friends from far in the past that were seen for the first time in 30 years at last years high school reunion. Had lunch with Scott, who goes back to my first grade class in 66-67. Also saw him at a car show/rally in Orlando when Helen and Lee came back down from Tallahassee a week or so before I returned to Amsterdam. Another lunch with Mike, someone I first knew from 4th grade in Mrs. Elliot's class at Holly Hill Elementary. We also became reacquainted right after high school when I was in and out of a group of guys that started hanging out late into the evenings. He had never had Indian cuisine before, so I took him to Kohinoor in Altamonte Springs. He loved it, especially the butter chicken. And Susan and I were in the high school band. We had lunch one day in Daytona, and when Helen came down to Orlando, we all went to lunch on a Sunday in Port Orange. It was good conversation and some laughs catching up with people that I had either a remote or direct connection to. Look forward to seeing them on occasion on my trips back.
I got everything I wanted done with the exception of the lawn mower. Kind of overlooked that. Played a lot of tennis until my elbow became sore (not tennis elbow, however), Carla cut my hair (as usual), saw Karin and Bill's twin sons, Joe and Alexis in Daytona - visited with so many friends - kinda forget how many until I stop to think about it. A good stay in Florida, for sure. Now I was off to NJ/NY!
I went up to Tallahassee to visit Helen and Lee a couple of weeks after they had come down to Orlando and Tampa. Ahhhhh Tallahassee...the necks get redder and redder with each visit. But we had a good time up there. Saw some movies and had some surprisingly good Mexican food in Woodville, of all places. Think Hooterville - minus the hooters! Well...that doesn't work very well, does it? Let me just say that Woodville is VERY small, with more Confederate flags per capita than the stars and stripes. I went out shooting in the area one afternoon, and Lee came along and assisted me, doing reflector duty on several shots. Helen tried her hand at making dosa's, a south Indian dish consisting of a crepe filled with potatoes, sometimes cheese, and various spices. She did pretty good. The crepes are always the tricky part.
So back in Orlando, Wes moves his stuff in after a week or so. He doesn't have nearly the amount of stuff that our previous renter had! That makes it easier for everyone. I borrow some video equipment from the photo department at (formerly) DBCC and commence to transferring VHS tapes to DVD. Man, some of that stuff goes back to '66!! Junior and senior high band performances, basketball games, piano recitals, family holidays...haven't seen some of that stuff in a long while. Would be fun to share some of the school stuff with old classmates. I'll try to get around to that sometime soon. Anyway, this is a laborious process! Now I see why businesses charge what they do. The tough ones were the early ones, where all kinds of different stuff is on the VHS tape. It's easier in the long run to stop and start when the subject matter changes, as it makes it easier to find in the future. But it is a drag and I'm glad that is behind me! I also visited some friends from far in the past that were seen for the first time in 30 years at last years high school reunion. Had lunch with Scott, who goes back to my first grade class in 66-67. Also saw him at a car show/rally in Orlando when Helen and Lee came back down from Tallahassee a week or so before I returned to Amsterdam. Another lunch with Mike, someone I first knew from 4th grade in Mrs. Elliot's class at Holly Hill Elementary. We also became reacquainted right after high school when I was in and out of a group of guys that started hanging out late into the evenings. He had never had Indian cuisine before, so I took him to Kohinoor in Altamonte Springs. He loved it, especially the butter chicken. And Susan and I were in the high school band. We had lunch one day in Daytona, and when Helen came down to Orlando, we all went to lunch on a Sunday in Port Orange. It was good conversation and some laughs catching up with people that I had either a remote or direct connection to. Look forward to seeing them on occasion on my trips back.
I got everything I wanted done with the exception of the lawn mower. Kind of overlooked that. Played a lot of tennis until my elbow became sore (not tennis elbow, however), Carla cut my hair (as usual), saw Karin and Bill's twin sons, Joe and Alexis in Daytona - visited with so many friends - kinda forget how many until I stop to think about it. A good stay in Florida, for sure. Now I was off to NJ/NY!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
My US Visit
Well, it's taken me a while but better late than never. I was in the US from December 9th to February 24th, and my timing couldn't have been better. While I was away, Amsterdam had the worst winter on record during the past 30 years. Record low temperatures and snowfall started almost from the time I left. Now central Florida didn't exactly have a mild winter either, but compared to what was experienced in Amsterdam and other parts of the world, I'll take what I had in Orlando! As a matter-of-fact, the first 2 weeks were beautiful, with sunshine and warmth creating great times on the tennis court.
It was a little strange at first being home. Marc, who was renting part of the house since January 2008 had moved out in July, so the house was empty. I figured this was a good time to clean it and do some repairs. The fridge was empty, so let's tilt that over slightly and vacuum the coils and all that under there. Cleaning only the front intake area since it was purchased in '94 left many mondo-dust bunnies packed around every nook and cranny. It took a very long time and many different angles to clean. Top to bottom I cleaned for days. The car started up fine this time, so I wasn't stranded like I was last summer. I made a promise I wouldn't shop at Sam's, and it made sense that I didn't to avoid surplus food when I left. I immediately started to think about how to go about finding another person or persons to rent part of the house to. This was THE major task that had to be done while I was back. I also had things to buy to take back, clear out the garage, transfer VHS tapes to DVD, and planned to visit with family and friends.
Radhika arrived a little over a week after I came in, and worked from the Orlando office, actually occupying her same Trustreet/GE office she had before leaving in '07 for Amsterdam. We visited with friends and she got to hang a little with her "girlie-girl posse". A few days before Christmas, her Mom and my sister and nephew arrived from New Jersey and Tallahassee, respectively. We drove over to Tampa where we met up with her oldest sister Dolly and Dolly's husband, John, her other sister Poonam, husband Umesh and their boys Akshay and Abishek, and John's Mom Joanne and step-brother, Brian. We had a fun 3 1/2 days playing volleyball and ping pong, pool lounging, eating and drinking, and sailing the seas on a pirate ship. Those pictures are in an album when you clink on the link to the right. On the 26th, John and Dolly went on a short cruise, Joanne and Brian visited with friends they knew in Florida, and the rest of us went back to Orlando. Helen and Lee went back to Tallahassee, and Poonam and her family came over to Orlando from Tampa. Before everyones departure on New Years Day, there were visits to Kennedy Space Center, Gatorland, and Universal Studios. Everyone had a good time. It had been 5 years since everyone had been together at once. Dolly's plan came together nicely. But it was an adjustment for me to be back in an empty, quiet house. I continued my tasks and then got an email from Dolly and John that they were coming back from their cruise in the early morning and their flight out of Tampa wasn't until early evening. So I drove over and met them at the port of Tampa. We hung out in Ybor City, had a nice lunch, did a little shopping, and then I took them to the airport. It was a nice, sunny day for them to conclude their holiday and head back to endure the rest of an icy cold winter in New York. Again I required another adjustment back to the quiet of the house void of anyone but myself. But that was about to change. Part 2 will follow.
It was a little strange at first being home. Marc, who was renting part of the house since January 2008 had moved out in July, so the house was empty. I figured this was a good time to clean it and do some repairs. The fridge was empty, so let's tilt that over slightly and vacuum the coils and all that under there. Cleaning only the front intake area since it was purchased in '94 left many mondo-dust bunnies packed around every nook and cranny. It took a very long time and many different angles to clean. Top to bottom I cleaned for days. The car started up fine this time, so I wasn't stranded like I was last summer. I made a promise I wouldn't shop at Sam's, and it made sense that I didn't to avoid surplus food when I left. I immediately started to think about how to go about finding another person or persons to rent part of the house to. This was THE major task that had to be done while I was back. I also had things to buy to take back, clear out the garage, transfer VHS tapes to DVD, and planned to visit with family and friends.
Radhika arrived a little over a week after I came in, and worked from the Orlando office, actually occupying her same Trustreet/GE office she had before leaving in '07 for Amsterdam. We visited with friends and she got to hang a little with her "girlie-girl posse". A few days before Christmas, her Mom and my sister and nephew arrived from New Jersey and Tallahassee, respectively. We drove over to Tampa where we met up with her oldest sister Dolly and Dolly's husband, John, her other sister Poonam, husband Umesh and their boys Akshay and Abishek, and John's Mom Joanne and step-brother, Brian. We had a fun 3 1/2 days playing volleyball and ping pong, pool lounging, eating and drinking, and sailing the seas on a pirate ship. Those pictures are in an album when you clink on the link to the right. On the 26th, John and Dolly went on a short cruise, Joanne and Brian visited with friends they knew in Florida, and the rest of us went back to Orlando. Helen and Lee went back to Tallahassee, and Poonam and her family came over to Orlando from Tampa. Before everyones departure on New Years Day, there were visits to Kennedy Space Center, Gatorland, and Universal Studios. Everyone had a good time. It had been 5 years since everyone had been together at once. Dolly's plan came together nicely. But it was an adjustment for me to be back in an empty, quiet house. I continued my tasks and then got an email from Dolly and John that they were coming back from their cruise in the early morning and their flight out of Tampa wasn't until early evening. So I drove over and met them at the port of Tampa. We hung out in Ybor City, had a nice lunch, did a little shopping, and then I took them to the airport. It was a nice, sunny day for them to conclude their holiday and head back to endure the rest of an icy cold winter in New York. Again I required another adjustment back to the quiet of the house void of anyone but myself. But that was about to change. Part 2 will follow.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
New Year
Greetings! Hope everyone is doing well in 2010. Yesterday I completed a 2 1/2 month visit in the US that was varied as it was long, and it couldn't have come at a better time considering the wickedly brutal winter weather Amsterdam experienced while I was gone. Mind you Orlando wasn't a tropical paradise during this period either, but it was substantially better than sub-freezing days and nights strung together endlessly, icy sidewalks and streets, and more snowfall than they have seen in decades. Two days before my return on the 24th they finally broke into the 40's (5 degrees c)!! By the weekend we're creeping close to 50 before another dip in the temperature hits. No, I haven't seen the sun since returning. But, that could be because I slept 10 hours (to noon today) after being awake for 38 hours straight. I got to the apartment around 11 after my arrival was delayed, placed 40 of Mom's (Radhika's Mom) precious homemade paratha's in the freezer, unpacked, fell on the bed for 10 minutes before I was picked up to go to a board meeting in The Hague about an hour away. Came back to Amsterdam around 6, where I was met at the door by our new maid and Radhika preparing for her Dutch language tutor and the other 3 students who share in the class that takes place at our apartment. I finished unpacking and ate after class was over and watched some TV to relax. Fell asleep I was so relaxed, but could not duplicate that feat again until around 2am.
Today I spent organizing and finalizing the two workshops that I will conduct this Sunday and on the 21st of March. I also scheduled a meeting for the commercial shoot I will be doing soon with the tour boat company. I will be back at ACCESS soon, as the board member I was butting heads with before I left has been asked to leave and has done so. They are deciding on compensation for the editors of the magazine too, so hopefully I will be back at that soon. I will be making some photography trips of several days soon to areas close by to continue building my portfolio, and also want to set up some other commercial flavored settings with local models to bolster my book, as well. Also following the path suggested by one of my professors that I talked to on one of my trips to Daytona Beach, getting work with US based magazines and clients. So, being busy in the coming weeks and months should be good. I will keep this up as often as possible. My next entry in the coming days will cover my trip to the US, and everything that happened along with pictures. Until then....
Today I spent organizing and finalizing the two workshops that I will conduct this Sunday and on the 21st of March. I also scheduled a meeting for the commercial shoot I will be doing soon with the tour boat company. I will be back at ACCESS soon, as the board member I was butting heads with before I left has been asked to leave and has done so. They are deciding on compensation for the editors of the magazine too, so hopefully I will be back at that soon. I will be making some photography trips of several days soon to areas close by to continue building my portfolio, and also want to set up some other commercial flavored settings with local models to bolster my book, as well. Also following the path suggested by one of my professors that I talked to on one of my trips to Daytona Beach, getting work with US based magazines and clients. So, being busy in the coming weeks and months should be good. I will keep this up as often as possible. My next entry in the coming days will cover my trip to the US, and everything that happened along with pictures. Until then....
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