friendship Archives - Traveling Archive

Husband’s Recipe for a Perfect Marriage

Raoul Pascual — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 00:49:11 +0000

Raoul’s Two Cents: July 28, 2023

The Season of Friends

I am super pumped up. I organized a neighborhood “People and Pets Potluck Picnic” this Saturday and I’m expecting a lot of people. We’re having games (volleyball, badminton, bocce balls) and a Pack Walk (dog walk) around the block. It’s the first time we’re doing this. A million things can go wrong — exciting! We have a lot of kids and dogs so it’s gonna be chaos … fun chaos I hope. The neighbors will finally get to talk to one another. Our dogs will finally bark and smell each other.

Hoping for perfect weather. The gardeners have already cleaned up the place but I’m sure we’ll still have to do the same a few hours before the event because the trees are shedding their leaves. The rest of the “To Do List” is daunting so I’m thankful I’ve got a few volunteers signed up. Need to buy spoons, forks, plates, napkins, table covers, balloons, drinks and ice. Need to set up the badminton net and sound system. I will be cooking a pot of my killer adobo.

Is it obvious that I love to entertain? I was an introvert when I was younger and I couldn’t understand why some grown ups open their homes to share their time, food and money with visitors until I started doing the same. Now it makes perfect sense. We extroverts love to connect people and start beautiful friendships. It brings us joy.

I remember Dionisio, a church mate from Guatemala, who had difficulty finding a job after he got his degree. Two years he waited. Within those years he was very active in church. Every once in a while he would get temporary jobs requiring long drives but, no matter the distance, he would still attend our local events. When he finally got his dream job some 200 miles away I was surprised to see him one Sunday. He said he would still try to make it on weekends. I wondered what was going on. Then it hit me — nobody had given him permission to cut the strings and start a new life away from the church.

I had to explain the seasons of friendship. “It’s not the end of our friendship. God gives us temporary and forever friends. We are fortunate that technology (email, chat and social media) has allowed so many more forever friends. Don’t force yourself to keep coming back,” I suggested. “We were here for just a season of your life. God has opened the door to the season of the next phase of your life. Maybe the new season is where you will find your wife. Then you two will start another season with new friends. We just keep expanding our circle of friends.”

From his eyes, I knew he understood everything I said. That was the last I heard from him. A few months ago I sent him a text just to see how he was doing. He never responded. And that’s alright. I still pray for God to bless him. I like to think he’s too busy enjoying his new season.

I long for the day when we will be done with all our seasons. In a blink of an eye we will be sharing stories of how we overcame the trials and joys of this earthly life with our combined circle of friends. Oh what a picnic that will be.

“There’s nothing better than a friend … unless it’s a friend with chocolate.” — Anonymous

Blessings to you my TGIF friends!

Raoul

JOKE OF THE WEEK

Thanks to Garie of Paranaque, Philippines

Art by Raoul Pascual

Original art by Raoul Pascual.

Parting Shots

Thanks to Maling of New Manila, Philippines.

Thanks to Tom of Pasadena. CA for these two interesting Trivia.
Click on the pictures to read the background stories.

It is interesting that American ingenuity saved the world from both global health crises of Polio and Covid.

But it’s too bad that Jonas’ exemplary generosity didn’t rub off on Pfizer and its secret cohorts.

Thanks to Art of Sierra Madre. CA

I found these

The Traveling Boy

My good friend (and jokester) Terry and I came up with these.

The post Husband’s Recipe for a Perfect Marriage appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Murphy’s Law

Raoul Pascual — Sat, 26 Sep 2020 04:23:10 +0000

Raoul’s 2 Cents

Friendly Enemies

I broke the Golden Rule … I talked politics with a friend whom I knew disagreed with my worldview and it didn’t turn out so well. I sensed a dark cloud hovering above my head because I felt bad that I made my friend feel bad..

What I thought was obvious empirical evidence meant nothing to my friend. I’m sure the feeling was mutual. Was this the end of our friendship? I hope not. Could two opposites continue to be friends? I hope so. Should we just avoid talking politics? It seems that way. How sad.

The “Notorious RBG” (Ruth Bayder Ginsberg) passed away a week ago. I knew little about her other than she was a steadfast liberal. Until recently I never knew she was best friends with her fellow Supreme Court justice, Antonin Scalia, who was a hard core conservative. They genuinely enjoyed each other’s company. They went on family trips together, joked with each other, etc. We need more of them in this deeply divided America, this delightful, dichotomous duo is my inspiration of the week.

Be safe, be healthy and remember: One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood. TGIF people!

Raoul

p.s. I had some very interesting comments from last week’s TGIF email. Join the conversation on this site’s TGIF section.

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Nani of San Juan, Rizal, Philippines for sharing this joke.

Video: Crazy Hula Hoop

Thanks to Belen of Buena Park, California and Charlie of New Jersey

Video: Dog Torture

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C.

Video: Hand Fishing

Thanks to Maling of New Manila, Philippines
Interesting way to catch a fish. Hard to believe.

Don’s Puns

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C. who sent these puns.

Parting Shots

Thanks to Maling of New Manila, Philippines

Thanks to Tom of Pasadena, CA

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C.

Thanks to Mel of Washington, DC

The post Murphy’s Law appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Dylan Thomas Christmas, Brom Wikstrom

Ed Boitano — Fri, 13 Dec 2019 06:56:15 +0000

10 Mediterranean — Gifts for the Food Lover in Your Life

More than a mix of rich history, gorgeous beaches, and warm blue waters, the countries along the Mediterranean Sea and their people have a history of living longer and healthier lives and you can too! By simply following a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil, nuts, beans, fish, fruits and vegetables, even drinking wine with meals, you can prevent diseases and prolong your life.

Traveling Boy’s Brom Wikstrom on CBS Sunday Morning

Traveling Boy’s Brom Wikstrom received his 15 minutes of fame last Sunday. Of course, we’ve all known that Brom has been famous for years. The world-renowned mouth painter appeared on CBS Sunday Morning with correspondent Lee Cowan. A diving accident in 1975 left Brom a quadriplegic. During rehabilitation, he learned to use a mouth stick to turn pages when reading. Towards the end of rehabilitation, he started mouth painting; a continuation of his talent and passion for the arts. He developed an art program at Seattle Children’s Hospital and began a long association with VSA arts. In 1994, Brom became a full member artist of the International Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists. His work has been shown around the globe, including the United Kingdom, Belgium, British Columbia, Austria and Australia. Join us as we celebrate the holiday season and pay homage to Brom on this CBS Sunday Morning clip, where he has turned a negative into a positive, helping countless others with disabilities, turning their lives around. On a personal note, I recently purchased a painting from a mouth painter in rural Costa Rica, who was once a student of Mr. Wikstrom.

SEE CBS Sunday Morning clip

Random Acts of Canine Kindness

Cedric the Dog takes a well-deserved break after an ill fated attempt to shut down a white supremacist rally in Alabama.

You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog. – Harry S. Truman

MORE Dog Quotations

Martin Scorsese Speaks

Fine words by Martin Scorsese

Director Martin Scorsese poses on the red carpet of the movie “The Irishman”, at the Rome Film Fest, in Rome, Monday, Oct. 21, 2019. © AP Photo/Andrew Medichini.

Cinema is an art form that brings you the unexpected. In superhero movies, nothing is at risk, a director says.

When I was in England in early October, I gave an interview to Empire magazine. I was asked a question about Marvel movies. I answered it. I said that I’ve tried to watch a few of them and that they’re not for me, that they seem to me to be closer to theme parks than they are to movies as I’ve known and loved them throughout my life, and that in the end, I don’t think they’re cinema. Some people seem to have seized on the last part of my answer as insulting, or as evidence of hatred for Marvel on my part. If anyone is intent on characterizing my words in that light, there’s nothing I can do to stand in the way.

The “Mentor,” a vessel owned by the notorious Lord Elgin, sank in 1802 while carrying panels and sculptures looted from the Parthenon

Courtesy Jason Daley, smithsonian.com

In September 1802, the H.M.S. Mentor sank off the coast of Avlemonas, Greece, sending 17 crates of antiquities tumbling to the bottom of the Mediterranean. More than 200 years later, the Greek Ministry of Culture reports, marine archaeologists tasked with exploring the wreck have recovered gold jewelry, cooking pots, chess pieces and an array of other artifacts connected with the trove.

10 Crowd-Free Alternatives to America’s Most Iconic National Parks

For every national park swarmed by visitors, dozens of state and federal preserves, parks, and monuments go relatively untraveled.

5 Easy Ways to Secure Your Hotel Room

Inexpensive, portable safety devices to take with you when you travel
Courtesy by David Dean

Are you worried about the security of your hotel room when you travel? You never really know who else has a key to your room, or how good the locks and deadbolts actually are. Luckily, there are several easy, inexpensive ways to secure the room more effectively. Here are five of the best.

Secrets the Cruise Lines Don’t Tell You

Courtesy Erika Silverstein, Cruise Critic

Kenai Fjords National Park. Photo courtesy of Deb Roskamp

Cruise ship life can be a little mysterious. Your choices aren’t always spelled out in black and white. The more you cruise, the more you pick up on the unofficial secrets the cruise lines don’t tell you — which give you more options, let you save money and generally allow you to have a better time onboard.

Protect Yourself Against Airport Checkpoint Theft

Airport theft is becoming a major problem for travelers, so make sure to get to your destination with all your items intact.

How to Renew a Passport in 24 Hours

Courtesy Shannon McMahon

By partnering with an existing service called RushMyPassport, FedEx is facilitating a nationwide solution for those who need very fast passport renewal.

7 Common Travel Crises and How to Conquer Them

Courtesy Denise Caiazzo, Travel Planners International

Travel advisors are well-equipped to handle just about anything travel-related. Give them a destination, a budget, and a few key interests, and they can whip up an entirely personalized itinerary that will make a client feel over-the-moon, as they make their travel dreams come true.

But what happens when an unforeseen travel nightmare occurs? We’re talking, “I can’t find my passport and I leave for my trip in a week!” or “Surprise, a bad storm hit, and all flights are canceled.”

Behind the Bucket List: What Americans Really Want in Travel

Courtesy Tours.com

What do Americans want when it comes to Bucket List travel? A group from Provisional Living wanted to find out not only what’s on those lists, but why and how they got there. What they found was pretty revealing.

How to Complain Effectively at a Hotel

Courtesy Charlyn Keating

Demand satisfaction when you have a valid complaint

(Click to enlarge) Photo courtesy of TripSavvy 2018

Are Airlines Tracking Your Flight Searches (and Raising Prices)?

Courtesy Caroline Morse Teel

Ms. Caroline Morse Teel, Senior Editor of SmarterTravel, investigates whether or not searching for airfare makes the price go up.

A Child’s Christmas In Wales

A poem by Dylan Thomas

One Christmas was so much like another,
in those years around the sea-town corner now and out of all sound
except the distant speaking of the voices I sometimes hear a moment before sleep,
that I can never remember whether it snowed for six days and six nights
when I was twelve or whether it snowed for twelve days and twelve nights when I was six.

All the Christmases roll down toward the two-tongued sea,
like a cold and headlong moon bundling down the sky that was our street;
and they stop at the rim of the ice-edged fish-freezing waves,
and I plunge my hands in the snow and bring out whatever I can find.
In goes my hand into that wool-white bell-tongued ball of holidays resting
at the rim of the carol-singing sea, and out come Mrs. Prothero and the firemen.

Send Deb your favorite travel poems

7 Things You Should Always Wear on a Plane

Courtesy Caroline Costellos

Be the best-dressed (and most comfortable) person in the cabin with our guide to in-flight apparel.

Question: How many Beatles’ Christmas fan-club songs were recorded?

Scroll down for the answer

Go Swimming in the Brazilian Desert in These Lagoons That Appear Like Magic Every Year

Courtesy Cailey Rizzo, Travel & Leisure

Photo courtesy of RipioTurismo

Nobody can put on an event quite like nature.

Every year, the sand dunes at Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Brazil collect rainwater from about January to June. And come July, these dunes become temporary pools full of clear, warm water.

10 Ways to Get a Better Night of Sleep

By Brandon Peters, MD

With a few simple guidelines, you can have better sleep tonight. At some point in our lives, for any number of reasons, nearly all of us will have difficulties sleeping and suffer from acute insomnia. This can lead to significant distress but have no fear. There are simple steps to take that will help you sleep better tonight.

Two Thirds Of Americans Worry About Work Whilst On Vacation

Courtesy Calum McCloskey, 10 Yetis Digital

New research has found the biggest worries that Americans have whilst on vacation, with the weather, accommodation, spending money and arguments all making the top five, with almost two thirds confessing to also worrying about work whilst away.

Traditionally, American small farmers find it difficult to take carefree vacations due to the endless four-season work on the farm. Photograph by Deb Roskamp

As well as determining the biggest worries that Americans have on vacation, with work featuring quite heavily for many, the biggest worries Americans have at the airport were also revealed, with fear of a flight being delayed or cancelled, luggage getting lost or damaged and missing the flight from being late topping the list.

6 Destinations with Sunscreen Bans, and What You Need to Know

Courtesy Shannon McMahon, SmarterTravel

The reef-rich state of Hawaii voted to ban the sale of sunscreens that contain the reef-damaging chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate beginning in 2021.

Think the plastic straws you gave up sipping from are bad for our oceans? It’s time to consider the same about the sunscreen you use. Non-biodegradable sunscreens that contain harsh chemicals like oxybenzone have been proven to be toxic to coral reefs and other sea life. But travelers haven’t been as quick to widely abandon them for a natural alternative — so now some destinations are enacting sunscreen bans themselves.

Here are some of the most popular destinations that have banned non-biodegradable sunscreens, and how you can switch to a responsible alternative.

12 Things You Can Do to Handle Flight Delays and Cancellations

Courtesy Benet Wilson, TrippSavy

Odds are if you are a regular traveler — and even if you’re not — you will eventually experience a flight delay. These delays are caused by things including weather, air traffic control issues, mechanicals, crew problems, delayed aircraft, and airport security, to name a few. DOT’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) tracks this data monthly and breaks it down by the airline, airport, and what caused the delay.

Below are 10 things you can do to help minimize the effects of delays and cancellations.

How to Disinfect Your Airplane Seat

Virtual Reality Helps Japan’s Elderly Travel the World

CNN Travel

Traveling from the canals of Venice to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, a group of elderly people in Japan is seeing the world – without even leaving their seats. It’s all thanks to virtual reality, as well as a team at the University of Tokyo led by Kenta Toshima.

Meanwhile, One in Three Workers Would Give Up Some Pay for Unlimited Vacation

Half (49 percent) of working Americans would accept a job with no vacation time if they were paid more, according to the 11th annual Vacation Confidence Index* released by Allianz Global Assistance. Millennials (63 percent, compared to 47 percent of Gen X’ers and 32 percent of Baby Boomers) and men (57 percent, versus 41 percent of women) are the most likely to sacrifice paid time off for higher salaries.

Pickpocket-Proof Clothing: 10 Garments to Protect Your Stuff

Courtesy Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon

Nothing sours a trip like having your belongings stolen by a pickpocket. But chances are, if you travel frequently — or just happen to be unlucky — a sticky-fingered stranger will one day secretly separate you from your stuff. Since traveling sans cash, credit cards, and other valuables isn’t an option for most of us, I’ve rounded up a passel of pickpocket-proof clothing and accessories that’ll make you less of a target for thieves.

The Best Navigation Tools to Keep You on Track on a Car Trip, Here or Abroad

Courtesy Catharine Hamm, L.A. Times

Choose the navigation methods that work for you. Image Credits: LA Times (latimes.com)

Beatle Beat Trivia Answers

Question: How many Beatles’ Christmas fan-club songs were recorded?

Answer: 7

Beatles’ Rare Fan-Club Christmas Recordings: A Complete Guide

The post Dylan Thomas Christmas, Brom Wikstrom appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Martin Scorsese Speaks, Handling Flight Delays

Ed Boitano — Wed, 13 Nov 2019 06:05:19 +0000

Martin Scorsese Speaks

Fine words by Martin Scorsese

Director Martin Scorsese poses on the red carpet of the movie “The Irishman”, at the Rome Film Fest, in Rome, Monday, Oct. 21, 2019. © AP Photo/Andrew Medichini.

Cinema is an art form that brings you the unexpected. In superhero movies, nothing is at risk, a director says.

Random Acts of Canine Kindness

Cedric the Dog takes a well-deserved break after an ill fated attempt to shut down a white supremacist rally in Mississippi.

You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog. – Harry S. Truman

MORE Dog Quotations

How Three Guys From Houston Are Cooking Up a Revolution in Texas Barbecue

A tiny suburban eatery is breaking all the rules to create some of the freshest-tasting grub on the horizon

By Brett Martin; Photograph by Jody Horton

I wish I could tell you that the “blood” in Blood Bros BBQ was literal. That sometime in the mid-1980s, three Asian-American friends in suburban Houston met under the bleachers of their high school football stadium and performed some kind of ritual with a drawn blade in which they swore eternal fealty in smoke and flesh. Sadly, no knife, no blood.

Photograph by Jody Horton / Smithsonian Magazine (www.smithsonianmag.com)

This is a different kind of tale: a great American story about the great American food. The brother part is real, anyway. Terry Wong and his younger-by-18-months sibling, Robin, make up two-thirds of the Blood Bros, whose year-old restaurant has made waves in the world of Texas barbecue. The third, honorary Bro is Quy Hoang, who has the distinction of being the first Vietnamese-American to work as a pit master in Houston.

The “Mentor,” a vessel owned by the notorious Lord Elgin, sank in 1802 while carrying panels and sculptures looted from the Parthenon

Courtesy Jason Daley, smithsonian.com

10 Crowd-Free Alternatives to America’s Most Iconic National Parks

For every national park swarmed by visitors, dozens of state and federal preserves, parks, and monuments go relatively untraveled.

5 Easy Ways to Secure Your Hotel Room

Inexpensive, portable safety devices to take with you when you travel
Courtesy by David Dean

Majority Believe Mattress is Less Comfortable Than at Home

As millions of Americans head out on vacation this summer looking for rest and relaxation, it’s likely that two-thirds of them won’t sleep as well as they do at home.

Secrets the Cruise Lines Don’t Tell You

Courtesy Erika Silverstein, Cruise Critic

Kenai Fjords National Park. Photo courtesy of Deb Roskamp

Protect Yourself Against Airport Checkpoint Theft

Airport theft is becoming a major problem for travelers, so make sure to get to your destination with all your items intact.

How to Renew a Passport in 24 Hours

Courtesy Shannon McMahon

By partnering with an existing service called RushMyPassport, FedEx is facilitating a nationwide solution for those who need very fast passport renewal.

7 Common Travel Crises and How to Conquer Them

Courtesy Denise Caiazzo, Travel Planners International

Behind the Bucket List: What Americans Really Want in Travel

Courtesy Tours.com

How to Complain Effectively at a Hotel

Courtesy Charlyn Keating

Demand satisfaction when you have a valid complaint

(Click to enlarge) Photo courtesy of TripSavvy 2018

Are Airlines Tracking Your Flight Searches (and Raising Prices)?

Courtesy Caroline Morse Teel

Ms. Caroline Morse Teel, Senior Editor of SmarterTravel, investigates whether or not searching for airfare makes the price go up.

The Best Navigation Tools to Keep You on Track on a Car Trip, Here or Abroad

Courtesy Catharine Hamm, L.A. Times

Choose the navigation methods that work for you. Image Credits: LA Times (latimes.com)

12 Things You Can Do to Handle Flight Delays and Cancellations

Courtesy Benet Wilson, TrippSavy

Below are 10 things you can do to help minimize the effects of delays and cancellations.

Question: Name the Beatle who was married to Maureen Cox

Scroll down for the answer

Go Swimming in the Brazilian Desert in These Lagoons That Appear Like Magic Every Year

Courtesy Cailey Rizzo, Travel & Leisure

Photo courtesy of RipioTurismo

Nobody can put on an event quite like nature.

Every year, the sand dunes at Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Brazil collect rainwater from about January to June. And come July, these dunes become temporary pools full of clear, warm water.

10 Ways to Get a Better Night of Sleep

By Brandon Peters, MD

Two Thirds Of Americans Worry About Work Whilst On Vacation

Courtesy Calum McCloskey, 10 Yetis Digital

Traditionally, American small farmers find it difficult to take carefree vacations due to the endless four-season work on the farm. Photograph by Deb Roskamp

6 Destinations with Sunscreen Bans, and What You Need to Know

Courtesy Shannon McMahon, SmarterTravel

The reef-rich state of Hawaii voted to ban the sale of sunscreens that contain the reef-damaging chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate beginning in 2021.

Here are some of the most popular destinations that have banned non-biodegradable sunscreens, and how you can switch to a responsible alternative.

On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer

By John Keats

Much have I travell’d in the realms of gold,
And many goodly states and kingdoms seen;
Round many western islands have I been
Which bards in fealty to Apollo hold.
Oft of one wide expanse had I been told
That deep-brow’d Homer ruled as his demesne;
Yet did I never breathe its pure serene
Till I heard Chapman speak out loud and bold:
Then felt I like some watcher of the skies
When a new planet swims into his ken;
Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes
He star’d at the Pacific — and all his men
Look’d at each other with a wild surmise —
Silent, upon a peak in Darien.

Send Deb your favorite travel poems

7 Things You Should Always Wear on a Plane

Courtesy Caroline Costellos

Be the best-dressed (and most comfortable) person in the cabin with our guide to in-flight apparel.

How to Disinfect Your Airplane Seat

Virtual Reality Helps Japan’s Elderly Travel the World

CNN Travel

Meanwhile, One in Three Workers Would Give Up Some Pay for Unlimited Vacation

Pickpocket-Proof Clothing: 10 Garments to Protect Your Stuff

Courtesy Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon

Beatle Beat Trivia Answers

Question: Name the Beatle who was married to Maureen Cox

Answer: Maureen “Mo” Cox was Ringo Starr’s first wife.

Born Mary Cox; (1946 – 1994). Maureen “Mo” Starkey Tigrett was a hairdresser from Liverpool, best known as the first wife of Ringo Starr. When she was a trainee hairdresser in Liverpool, she met Starr at The Cavern Club, where the Beatles were playing. After finding out that she was pregnant, 18-year-old Maureen married Starr. When the Beatles broke up in 1970, so did the Starrs’ marriage, as Ringo’s infidelities were becoming more frequent, and his alcoholism was escalating. George Harrison once confessed how much he loved Maureen, which led to an affair.

Cox died at age 48 due to complications from leukemia. Maureen’s four children (including Zak Starkey, later drummer for The Who and Oasis), her 82-year-old mother, new husband Isaac Tigrett and ex-husband Starr were all at her bedside when she died. Following her death, Paul McCartney wrote the song “Little Willow” in her memory, which appears on his 1997 album, Flaming Pie, with a dedication to her children.

The post Martin Scorsese Speaks, Handling Flight Delays appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Swimming in the Brazilian Desert, Maria Shriver

Ed Boitano — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 00:15:44 +0000

Random Acts of Canine Kindness

Cedric the Dog takes a well-deserved break after an ill fated attempt to shut down a white supremacist rally in Kansas.

You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog. – Harry S. Truman

MORE Dog Quotations

How Three Guys From Houston Are Cooking Up a Revolution in Texas Barbecue

A tiny suburban eatery is breaking all the rules to create some of the freshest-tasting grub on the horizon

By Brett Martin; Photograph by Jody Horton

Photograph by Jody Horton / Smithsonian Magazine (www.smithsonianmag.com)

The “Mentor,” a vessel owned by the notorious Lord Elgin, sank in 1802 while carrying panels and sculptures looted from the Parthenon

Courtesy Jason Daley, smithsonian.com

10 Crowd-Free Alternatives to America’s Most Iconic National Parks

For every national park swarmed by visitors, dozens of state and federal preserves, parks, and monuments go relatively untraveled.

5 Easy Ways to Secure Your Hotel Room

Inexpensive, portable safety devices to take with you when you travel
Courtesy by David Dean

Majority Believe Mattress is Less Comfortable Than at Home

As millions of Americans head out on vacation this summer looking for rest and relaxation, it’s likely that two-thirds of them won’t sleep as well as they do at home.

Secrets the Cruise Lines Don’t Tell You

Courtesy Erika Silverstein, Cruise Critic

Kenai Fjords National Park. Photo courtesy of Deb Roskamp

Protect Yourself Against Airport Checkpoint Theft

Airport theft is becoming a major problem for travelers, so make sure to get to your destination with all your items intact.

Question: Name the person who Paul recently called, ‘The REAL Fifth Beatle’

Scroll down for the answer

How to Renew a Passport in 24 Hours

Courtesy Shannon McMahon

By partnering with an existing service called RushMyPassport, FedEx is facilitating a nationwide solution for those who need very fast passport renewal.

7 Common Travel Crises and How to Conquer Them

Courtesy Denise Caiazzo, Travel Planners International

Pickpocket-Proof Clothing: 10 Garments to Protect Your Stuff

Courtesy Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon

How to Complain Effectively at a Hotel

Courtesy Charlyn Keating

Demand satisfaction when you have a valid complaint

(Click to enlarge) Photo courtesy of TripSavvy 2018

Beatle Beat Trivia Answers

Question: Name the person who Paul recently called, ‘The REAL fifth Beatle.’

Answer: The Beatles’ long time producer, George Martin.

The Best Navigation Tools to Keep You on Track on a Car Trip, Here or Abroad

Courtesy Catharine Hamm, L.A. Times

Choose the navigation methods that work for you. Image Credits: LA Times (latimes.com)

Go Swimming in the Brazilian Desert in These Lagoons That Appear Like Magic Every Year

Courtesy Cailey Rizzo, Travel & Leisure

Photo courtesy of RipioTurismo

Nobody can put on an event quite like nature.

Every year, the sand dunes at Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Brazil collect rainwater from about January to June. And come July, these dunes become temporary pools full of clear, warm water.

I’ve Been Thinking…

By Maria Shriver

At the recent Democratic debate, the final question posed to the candidates was one about friendship.

“We need leaders not in love with money, but in love with justice. Not in love with publicity, but in love with humanity.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

CNN’s Anderson Cooper asked each of them to describe a friendship they’ve had with someone who has different beliefs than them. The question came in light of what I wrote about last week, which was the uproar over comedian Ellen DeGeneres sitting next to former President George W. Bush at a Dallas Cowboys game. Lots of people seemed to be upset by the debate question, but I found it revelatory in terms of how the candidates answered it and how they didn’t.

A Farewell to Ming, the Siberian-Bengal Tiger Who Spent Three Years in a Harlem Apartment

Photo credit: Phil Long

Antoine Yates, Ming’s owner, once said that the tiger was his ‘only friend, really.’

In Apartment 5E of a housing project in Harlem, there once lived a Siberian-Bengal tiger named Ming. He had his own bedroom, and was lovingly cared for by his owner, Antoine Yates. Ming was well known to residents of the Drew Hamilton Houses — it was hard to miss his roaring and the distinct smell of his urine — but he went undetected by authorities for three years.

10 Ways to Get a Better Night of Sleep

By Brandon Peters, MD

Two Thirds Of Americans Worry About Work Whilst On Vacation

Courtesy Calum McCloskey, 10 Yetis Digital

Traditionally, American small farmers find it difficult to take carefree vacations due to the endless four-season work on the farm. Photograph by Deb Roskamp

6 Destinations with Sunscreen Bans, and What You Need to Know

Courtesy Shannon McMahon, SmarterTravel

The reef-rich state of Hawaii voted to ban the sale of sunscreens that contain the reef-damaging chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate beginning in 2021.

Here are some of the most popular destinations that have banned non-biodegradable sunscreens, and how you can switch to a responsible alternative.

On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer

By John Keats

Send Deb your favorite travel poems

7 Things You Should Always Wear on a Plane

Courtesy Caroline Costellos

Be the best-dressed (and most comfortable) person in the cabin with our guide to in-flight apparel.

How to Disinfect Your Airplane Seat

Virtual Reality Helps Japan’s Elderly Travel the World

CNN Travel

Meanwhile, One in Three Workers Would Give Up Some Pay for Unlimited Vacation

Behind the Bucket List: What Americans Really Want in Travel

Courtesy Tours.com

Are Airlines Tracking Your Flight Searches (and Raising Prices)?

Courtesy Caroline Morse Teel

Ms. Caroline Morse Teel, Senior Editor of SmarterTravel, investigates whether or not searching for airfare makes the price go up. Also: perfume on a plane, tipping when gratuities are included, who can sit in an exit row, and more.

The post Swimming in the Brazilian Desert, Maria Shriver appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Office Romance

Raoul Pascual — Sat, 27 Apr 2019 03:32:34 +0000

Raoul’s 2 Cents

Endearing Friendship

During the heyday of cigarette advertising, one of the famous slogans was “I’d walk a mile for a camel.” My question to you is: “how far would you walk for a friend?”

When I went to the East Coast for a special wedding early this month, I invited my closest friends to join me. These were my college buddies who I’ve kept in touch with over the years. We were all part of a singing group. Somehow our paths crossed during an impressionable phase of all our lives and we needed each other to make sense of the world. Our friendship was so strong that even if the world came apart it wouldn’t have mattered because we had each other. This was our “Hangover” movie in real life. Our careers came, wives came, our children came but we never forgot those special years. Three of them have passed away and just a handful of us are left.

When I was given permission to invite people to the wedding, they were the only ones who I really wanted to invite. I didn’t know the details of the wedding — when and where it was going to be held. It was only later that I discovered that it was to be at upstate New York which is about 2 hours above New York City. What that meant was that guests had to drive 2 hours from the closest commercial airport. When I knew what my friends signed up for, I gave them permission to back out. But to my surprise they were determined to go. “No one pointed a gun at us when we accepted the invitation” was what one of them said. I was speechless.

During the wedding, I was getting anxious because my daughter and I were to sing a requested song. I never heard it before. I changed the words to make it more personal and I practiced everyday for 2 months. My friends kept on staring at me during dinner. Through their eyes, I knew they were there to support me. Despite all the good intentions, I still managed to mess things up. But the crowd loved it. Here’s a video of my moment with my daughter under the spotlight. Watch the video below.

One of the things I hate most in life is driving … in fact, I am allergic to city traffic. I avoid it like the plague. To be an Uber driver would be my worst nightmare. One of my friends traveled 10 hours from Michigan to Virginia. Then they and their wives carpooled for about 7 hours from Virginia to New York City and then another 2 hours upstate New York. That’s almost 20 hours on the road. Who would do a thing like that? Thinking about it even more, I realized my buddies were not doing it for the bride and the groom but for me. For the wedding couple, every single guest had to travel at least 2 hours to get there. Many of the guests flew in from the West coast. I guess the couple also have amazing friends.

Do you have friends who would walk a mile for you? If not, maybe you should take the first step. I am blessed I have friends who would. You know what makes this doubly hard to swallow? My friends had to travel the same way back. God bless my friends.

TGIF people!

“Friendship isn’t about who you’ve known the longest. It’s about who walked into your life, said ‘I’m here for you’ and proved it.”
— Anonymous

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Peter Paul of S Pasadena, CA for sending this joke.

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SNL: What Was Silly 9 Years Ago
Sent by Tom of Pasadena, CA

WARNING: This video is political in nature. Proceed with caution.

Not really into Saturday Night Live anymore. But this clip reminded me of real life in America 2019. Do you see what I see?

WATCH VIDEO

Don’s Puns

From Don’s collection of puns

Heavy Thought of the Week

Sent by Charlie of New Jersey

Parting Shot

Thanks to Charlie of New Jersey who shared this.

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The Super Duper Extended Family

Heather Kobler — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 06:06:02 +0000

Families can be a very powerful thing and sometimes a negative one as well. But remember this, you do not have to be biologically linked to people for them to become part of your family. You just have to love them and they become a part of the family forever, if you’re lucky. Drama of any kind should never be part of a family because it belongs on the stage, not in your home.

When a family doesn’t want to invite non-related people into their lives, or doesn’t want to let its members out of the inner circle to meet others, everyone losses. Expanding your field of vision is a good thing because, we are more alike than we are different. For Pete’s sake, our parts are even interchangeable!

Staying connected to others is like tending a garden and it takes work. You must water, feed, prune and fertilize to keep things growing. And, sometimes you have to remove one of those things. But if you do the work, everything blooms and thrives.

I grew up in a three story brownstone and students from all over the country rented little sleeping rooms upstairs while they went to college in Chicago. For most tenants, it was the first time they were away from home and they were home sick. They all loved my parents and us kids because we reminded them of home. There was always room for one more at the table, lots to eat and someone to listen to their hopes, dreams, and fears. And sometimes to help wipe away their tears.

Damon Runyon invented some amazing characters in his short stories that you came to love because of their “earthiness”. You might not remember the plot of “Guys and Dolls”, but you’ll never forget its characters like; Sky Masterson, Nathan Detroit, Sorrowful Jones, Marky. Most of my parent’s friends were a lot like the characters I mentioned and they had stories to tell.

The students I met and the fictional characters I met by reading, have left an indelible impression in my mind. Besides the students that came and went for years, my parents invited many different people into our lives that still live in my memories. I know this is why I see things in panoramic vision. I’m grateful that I met all those wonderful people while I was growing up, and by reading throughout my life. I still smile when I remember all of them decades later.

I think we can all get inspiration from the characters we’ve met in life. And, reading a good book, or seeing a good movie and taking the time to savor the images conjured up in your mind from these experiences is delicious! Who could ever forget “To Kill a Mocking Bird” or “Gone with the Wind”? Both books became blockbusters movies and both of them taught us things to do and things we should never do! Your life is like a script, and you can change directions anytime you wish. You don’t even need a magic wand for that!

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Water Under the Bridge

Heather Kobler — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 06:35:06 +0000

Life is like water under a bridge when it comes to all the memories we accumulate in a lifetime. I re-connected with a childhood friend of my children on Facebook which also reunited me with his mother Chris too. Our kids met when they were in fifth grade, but life has a way of spinning people away from each other.

When I told my eldest son Jamie that I had found his childhood friend Marvin, he contacted him immediately. I arranged a dinner with my son and his wife and invited his friend Marvin to surprise him. Marvin and I met just before Jamie and his wife Julie got to the restaurant. I noticed them coming and Marvin got up to open the door for them. I watched my son look at this childhood friend and slowly his memory banks flooded with the realization that he was looking at his dearest childhood friend. It was pure serendipity!

They began flushing out all the memories that were stored in their brains and it was heavenly to watch this process happen. They told each other how much they loved and admired each other and I knew that they were truly brothers from another mother. It was delicious to hear them talk about all the things that they had done together. Simple things like buying a box of donuts and riding miles to Legg Lake to eat them and watch the world go by. They rode miles on their bikes together and talked about the times we all went to Seal Beach during the summers. It seems so idyllic to me now. Today, it seems like the world is spinning at Mach five, but the memories they made together happened in a much simpler time.

Kids used their imagination then and knew how to entertain themselves. Playing tag, kick the can, hide and seek, board games, using a yo-yo, playing marbles and having a bat and a ball was the order of the day. If you could have a Coke, a bag of chips, and some penny candy, you felt like you were the happiest kid on the planet! And, earning money to buy a Superman comic book was heaven on earth! Remember when kids made money to buy themselves a treat?

They could put bikes together using all kinds of parts, and they built ramps to jump their bikes on, and I have the movies to prove it! Evil Knievel was their hero and they imitated him all the time. They could fix or build almost anything and they still have that ability today. But the price of their toys began to increase as they grew up. Does Harley Davidson ring a bell?

I hope that our dinner together is the first of many happy gatherings in the future. All this proves my point, that love is the answer to everything. And showing it, sharing it and speaking of it is how you fill yourself up. Its soul food and good for anything that might ail you! After all – it’s your job to make you happy!

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Getting Old Isn’t For Sissies

Heather Kobler — Sat, 19 Aug 2017 10:30:48 +0000

It’s almost eight years since my amazing husband Sig passed away. I will love him for the rest of my life. He doesn’t even have to be here for me to continue to feel this way. Thankfully, I am coasting on all our shared memories we made over decades. He was my best friend, and I am fortunate enough to have had many other friends over my lifetime. But the saddest thing about the aging process is that slowly, but surely, we begin to lose the people we love and admire. They move away, change jobs and die.

I still communicate with grammar and high school friends and the many friends I’ve met throughout my life. At 76, I know how to recognize someone that I might like to invite into my life. I have given teas and lunches for my lady friends for over forty years. Those teas became the place where I and friends came to re-charge our batteries. We talked about everything from soup to nuts but never men. We laughed and cried together and taught each other how to navigate the rough patches.

When we get married, we exchange vows and say, “Till death do us part”. Of course when this as written, people only lived into what we call middle age. The longer we are together, the more we understand who we are, who are spouses are and if we’re still on the same page! After 25 years together, that’s when the love part really has to kick in. There are no illusions about one another and if you’re lucky you still remember what made you pick your mate.

If you go back five years and remember what seemed important, and go back another five years and so forth, you will come to understand that the things you felt so strongly about have diminished and no longer are part of your belief system. It’s really a good thing if you feel good in your own skin, and know how to share your space and have no expectations of the people you love and admire. I have the right to ask, and you have the right to say no and I take this right for myself. That’s my personal can’t miss system for the friendships I have. It took me a while to understand that being able to say no to anyone was a necessity.

The last luncheon I gave was for a dear friend who is moving to Texas. I used to have 12 to 14 people come for teas. The last one was attended by four people including me! So many of my friends have passed away or moved away, and some suffer from Alzheimer’s and conversations just don’t happen. And, I don’t know which is worse of those three things.

Personally, I’m going for quality of life, not quantity. I want to be around as long as I can get around and make it to the john!

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