2009: Lucky and Looking Ahead

The Chinese calendar rules 2009 the year of the Ox, but this year I'm taking a few pointers from the elephant, too.

Elephants are signs of luck and longevity in India and China cultures. Many elephant statues are made of jade, thought to have its own luck providing powers, and a stone I hold near to my heart. Elephants are known to be "large and powerful, intelligent, useful, and long-lived" thus leading the pack as a symbol of strength, wisdom, happiness, and longevity. Elephants are religious symbols in the Hindu faith; in Sri Lanka, crawling under an elephant's belly is said to protect you from the evil eye and drive away your protects you from the evil eye while driving away fears.



There is a wide-spread belief that a lucky elephant holds its trunk pointed up. I plan to follow the elephant's luck and always walk with my head held high and looking ahead in 2009.

2008: Year in Review

In approximately 12 hours, we'll be celebrating the start of a new year and saying goodbye to a forgettable 2008.

I would spend time reviewing the year and personally saying goodbye to the bullshit that I survived, but instead of recapping it's best to look forward. There were some positives, which I'll gladly highlight:

Travel: Rome, Nantucket, London, New York, San Francisco, Washington, DC and more...
Job: I'm fortunate to have a dream job
Career: I'm fortunate that my dream job is aligned with my career goals, and there is more coming...
Family and Friends: The best.
America: President-elect Barack Obama

I can say I'm eager to enter 2009 - I'm excited about the possibilities and the adventures that lie ahead. I'm entering the new year making one promise to myself: To say "yes" a little more and take advantage of all of life's possibilities.

Tickets for the Day of Atonement

Today is Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement, and the day where Jews congregate at temple for a day of fasting and forgiveness. I don't attend temple on the high holidays because I have a fundamental issue with paying to pray. However, I honor my Jewish heritage and religion throughout the year and I feel good about what I do, so if I don't pay $200-ish to attend high holiday services, I'm quite certain G-d will forgive me.

Of course, if I could get a deal on high holiday tickets I might consider making an appearance...

(warning... adult content)



Video courtesy of HBO Productions

The Great Depression, or the Great New Year?

Today marks the start of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. It's the day we remember the year gone by - the mistakes and the proud moments - and we look ahead to a new year with new possibilities. I spent this New Year with my parents in their new home, in a new city, in a new temple. I wasn't overly moved by the temple, but I appreciate the generosity it showed the citizens of the area by not charging for high holiday services (one seat usually goes for $100) and offering free meals and snacks to the community. 

The rabbi seemed to be a nice man with a heart for the seniors in his community, which seemed odd since my parents are nowhere near senior, but also warming since the rabbi's elderly parents live in the area. He spoke slowly and calmly, and everyone joined in the prayers at their own pace. When it came to his sermon he spoke of a prediction he made about six months ago. "America will wake up from the bad dream it's currently having," he said. And today, I believe it did. The Dow sank 777 points and America was officially in a financial crisis. 

But the rabbi offered a piece of advice: Stop and think about what matters to you.

How many of us were raised to believe that a good job, a big house and a large retirement fund were the measures of success? Maybe today - as we watched our money disappear at the click of a mouse and the pound of a gavel - is the day we rethink what matters to us.

L'shana Tova (for a good year) 

Birthday Insight - The Power of Numbers

Dinner at Om on Friday night was wonderful - my friend The Missus, her Husband, Bail and her husband treated me to a birthday dinner complete with lavender-infused cocktails and bold Pinot Noirs. The atmosphere was perfect - after we all paid our respects to Buddah (who sat across the table from us) we dined on beets, goat cheese, tuna tartar, duck, steak and lamb. For dessert, a chocolate-something-or-other and a creme brulee. Then the bill came. I reached for my wallet and was promptly told "no", but then laughter ensued among my dinner guests... Rude, I thought, to laugh at me. But it turns out they weren't laughing at me. They were laughing at the bill, not because it was high (although I can't be certain) but because, as Bail, said, "It is rather poetic."

I don't know the exact amount of the bill, but MFTM wrote up something about it on her blog...

"Since Frogger reads this blog, I won't write what the bill total was... But I will interpret for her the meaning of these numbers. Now, the numbers listed are numbers that I am going to divide up into two sets.

And, the first set of numbers, in numerology, means:
You are being loved, guided and protected in every way.

The second set of numbers means:
Money is taking care of itself. Focus on giving to others, and you will always have enough to spare and share.

I think this is a message for Frogger on her birthday that she really shouldn't worry and stress out as much as she might do."

Fascinating interpretation... I'm going to buy a lottery ticket, and then not stress about it.

Subtle (Secret) Sexiness

This was the best email of my day.

Subject: 12 hot hotels for a secret tryst

Body: GET A ROOM! World's Top 12 Hotels for an Affair.

(You know I clicked.)

Nice work, Concierge.com, for coming up with a truly salacious travel story. Here are a few tasty tidbits:

Hotel Sezz, Paris: There's a fair amount of shiny chrome and leather, which is hotel-speak for sex.

Lafayette House, New York City: Built in 1845, it's the kind of house you duck into, wearing a hat and maybe those short little gloves, to rush into your lover's arms and plot your spouse's untimely death.

Ivy Hotel, San Diego: Take the king-size bunk beds, which we glean are for a multiple-partner soiree... the bed frames made of shag carpeting so no one gets hurt.

Read on for more of Best Hotels for an Affair.

(photo courtesy of Concierge.com)

J.K. Rowling Speaks to Harvard Grads

The woman is simply superb. If you need a little bit of inspiration, look to the wisdom and magic of Harry Potter's creator. Take some time to read J.K. Rowling's Harvard Commencement Address, “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination.”

You just might be inspired to fail, and subsequently reap the benefits.

A George-less Dollar

Today I exchanged more money. The US Dollar to the Euro isn't as bad as the dollar to the pound, but it still plays a good game on your bank account.

Today's exchange rate: 1.58. That means that my $700 quickly dwindled down to 440 Euros. In essence, I just lost $260. Now before you get all "then don't travel" on me, I realize I am the one who chooses to travel and spend this money. I'm not complaining about spending the money, I'm complaining about the diminishing value of my money. I will still earn, I will still spend, but I have to admit, it's the saving that is hard. Yes, of course, if I didn't travel I could save that money. There are both sides to the story, but at the end of the day I blame George.

For years I worked multiple jobs while I put myself through grad school, and subsequently paid back the grad school loans. That meant for years there was no travel. Up until a few years ago, my passport was pretty bare. Then I started coming into my own and my career took a turn. I took my cash and traded it in for plane tickets around the world. So it's ironic as soon as I had the means and ways to do this, the economy started tanking. I could get all political on you (and I covered politics in Washington DC so yes, I can debate this argument) but instead I'll just voice my opinion. It's my blog, after all.

I blame the president. Thank you, George Bush, for completely crushing my hard-earned money. I blame you, but I will not let you stop me. As far as I'm concerned, you're one George whose face will never end up on a dollar.

And that said, I'm taking my Euros and I'm going to Italy, baby!

The Constant: Change

My father always says, "The only thing constant in life is change."
But change ain't easy.

New jobs, new managers, new doctors, new diagnosis', new weight gain, new weight loss, new outlooks on life - all things that ignite change. How you adapt to that change is what makes the difference. That's one of the reasons I find travel to be sacred - you learn to embrace new cultures and new ideologies, and by adapting to another person's way of life you soon discover ways you can change in your own life.

While enjoying my lychee martini last night at MKT in Boston, I had a realization: everyone in this bar is escaping from something that happened today. Doesn't that make us all connected? Do we fear the change before it even happens and if so, do we try to mask that change with martinis?

A new website called First30Days.com offers tips, guides and mantras for helping get through the big change -- whatever it may be. The site is in beta, but it's worth a visit to see what words of wisdom and inspiration you can gather. Ariane de Bonvoisin is the host of the site and a certified life coach.

She says, "Change has been an integral part of my life, and while things have not always been easy, there are ways of making change a bit simpler..."

The featured tip for today: Always wear clean underwear.
(This is not just a good rule of thumb to live by, but if you actually click on the tip - hosted by First30Days.com - you will land on a blog post about donating to charity, which is a great way to help change the lives of others.)

Virgin Thanks, Thoughts, and Prayers

Pope Benedict thanked consecrated women virgins who gathered today at the Vatican for their "total gift" to Christ. These virgins, said the pope, are going straight to heaven where they are "betrothed mystically" to Christ.

I am going straight to hell.

By the time hell is ready for me I'll have accrued enough points for a first class ticket, baby. In the meantime, I'm going to Rome. Home of the Pope. Who doesn't much care for "sinners" or have much faith in non-Catholics. He noted, as he thanked the virgins, that their "gift" was difficult for some non-Catholics to understand.

Let me step back from one moment and say that, as an adult, I firmly believe in preaching abstinence and/or chastity to young children. Anyone with young nieces or nephews, or those who have kids of their own, will agree with me. As kids get older and can comprehend emotions, I don't see anything wrong with explaining the realities of sex and the importance of protection - but physically and emotionally. But let's be real... the only reason we as adults can preach that lifestyle now is because we've already indulged in the dark side.

Like everything in life this is all very ironic, of course, because this morning I booked a 5 1/2-hour of the Vatican for Monday, June 9. The pope is going to be so excited to see me.

Quote of the Day (Maybe the Year)

I treated myself the Tina Fey/Amy Poehler movie, "Baby Mama" this weekend. A great simple pleasure: dark room, big tub of popcorn, good movie.

If you haven't seen the flick, it's worth the price of a movie. Tina Fey is a comic genius and the on-screen chemistry between Fey and Poehler is obvious and hilarious. But what's most compelling about this film is its reality. It's funny, no doubt, but it also tells the story of a very real woman:



She's in her 30s, she's focused on her career, she's more likely to get a promotion than a boyfriend, and she's looking for love.

But the quote of day belongs to Holland Taylor, who plays Kate's (Tina Fey) mother in the movie.

The scene:

Family dinner. Single Kate, married sister Caroline (played by Maura Tierney) and her husband and kids in toe. Kate starts talking about the problems she's having conceiving in-vitro, and both Mom and sister try convincing her that a successful career might just be the "baby" in Kate's life. Kate refuses to hear it and discusses the idea of hiring a surrogate. Aghast at the idea and not one to have to explain the situation to her friends, Mom (Taylor) replies,

"We've all been very supportive of your alternative lifestyle, Kate." And Kate replies (QUOTE OF THE DAY), "Being single is not an alternative lifestyle, Mom!"

Amen, Tina Fey!

Impeach Bush (from the UK)

This is great...even in the U.K., the president is a sham. This picture says it all, and what's more awesome is that this sticker is placed on a bus booth outside the Cabinet War Rooms. Coincidence?

The Most Offensive Tourist Traits

This is a very serious conversation. Pay attention.

When touring another country, state or city, it's proper etiquette to play by that destination's culture, rules and regulations. Yes, that means try and learn a few essential pieces of the language, read up on tipping manners, buy a map before you go, and above all, have a plan. I fully support the person who wants to backpack through Europe and explore the scenery -- but even that person has a plan. Pack one. It will be useful.

It's also a good idea to know the basic "vibe" of the place you're visiting. For example:

Savannah, GA, is a lovely little Southern town that is full of charm and charisma. The people are nice (some are a little strange) and everywhere you go in Savannah you'll be greeted with a smile.

In Tangier, Morocco, tourists are fresh bait. This is a poor country that thrives off the tourist dollar. It's to be expected that street peddlers and beggars will approach you. Please be kind - it's their way of life. You're a visitor - adjust.

If you're from the south and you're planning a vacation to the east coast, be prepared for a quick shift in pace. Cities like New York and Boston are fast, fast, fast and if you don't keep up you'll get lost in the crowd.

Today I was walking in the beautiful 80 degree weather to exchange some articles of clothing at lunch before heading back to the white walls of the office. On my way back to the office, I encountered many tourists. Most of whom, I believe, had no idea what city they were even in let alone what to do now that they're here. About an hour ago, my friend Heather called to tell me about a tourist group she was stuck behind -- they were all wearing animal balloon hats. That's so unfortunate. But it got me thinking - maybe it would be valuable to put together a list of the most offensive things tourists do so that readers can avoid doing these things on their next trip.

Here we go:

• Do not wear animal balloon hats. It's embarrassing. You look like a fool. And no one who lives in the area thinks you're cool.
• If you have a map of the area you're visiting, please review it before leaving the hotel. Standing on a street corner staring at a huge map is slightly distracting. Especially for the cab driver who is barreling down the street and can't see around the corner because your big map is blocking his view.
• Walk with the crowd, not against the crowd. If everyone is walking clockwise, it's safe to assume there is a good reason for this.
  
• When following the crowd, please do not stop dead in your tracks and have a debate with your travel buddy about who is the most famous person buried in the graveyard you're about to visit. The other people on the sidewalk likely have somewhere to be. If you're in a tougher city, like New York City, Boston, Washington, DC, etc., residents will have no problem walking right over you. Should that happen, it's your own fault for stopping. I warned you.
• When traveling to a foreign country where a language other than your first language is spoken, please be patient. Once the person you're trying to communicate with realizes that you're a tourist, they will likely slow down and help you. However, that does not mean you should slow down and speak in long syllables. "Wah-air is the baaath-roooom" is better understand when it's said properly. Rule of thumb: Better to make yourself out to look like a fool rather than the person you're requesting help from. You don't want to piss off a native of the area -- you don't know where you'll wind up.
• There is no excuse for couples to wear matching outfits when on vacation. Ever.
• If you're in a fast-paced city, pick up the pace! And vice-versa. If you're used to a fast-paced lifestyle and you're heading down south or to the Caribbean, relax...you'll have a better time and less people will try to offer you drugs to keep you calm.

That's it for now. I'm sure I'll encounter more tourist faux-paus on my walk home tonight. Let me know what I've missed and remember... if you're heading somewhere new, plan ahead!

Happy Travels

Airport Diversions

Deep thought...
If you get to the airport early, find a window seat and watch the airplanes take off from the runway. It's a great way to clear your mind (especially if you're a nervous traveler) and pass the time. So many seats, so many options...

Another family event where Aunt Rose will likely hand out quarters and offer the advice to "save up"
A romantic getaway for first-time lovers looking to escape the confines of their small city apartment
A business trip to present the board with a new investment opportunity that just might save the company during this economic downfall
A well-planned "vacation of a lifetime" with your best girlfriends
A last-minute getaway with just you.

A Delta 767 just took off... someone sitting in a tiny coach seat is off to someplace wonderful...

Numerology: The Year of 1

While celebrating The Missus' birthday dinner on Friday night, our table of four got to talking about our years.

"25 was my worst," I said. "I'm working on my 30s."

"She's a sophisticated 25-year-old," we said about our youngest companion.

"I'm officially 'in' my 30s," announced The Missus, having turned 31 today.

"I embrace this decade," said Bail, who outranks me by two years.

We spoke about the psycho-boyfriends of past lives, current mistakes of boyfriends/husbands present, and what may be of our careers and our year ahead. Then the Missus said to me, "This is a great year for you - you're in the year of one."

Great. Another year of just me. Awesome. Thanks. Looking forward to that. My mother will be thrilled to hear this. But then she explained...

"The year of one is about new beginnings and new adventures, and it's also about prosperity." So I thought about that, and she's right. Here's what "firsts" I've experienced during my year of 1:

• A new job - the first I've loved in many years
• The first of many new friends
• My first blog
• The first time there's been cash in my 401k
• The first year I can travel with ease (and not have to take out a loan)
• The first year caring for a newly diagnosed heart condition
• The first year I got a tax refund
• The first chapter of my book complete

There are many more firsts in my year of one to come...

Venting Frustrations: Breakups and Bad Flights

The Annual Airline Quality rating survey was released earlier this week and it got me thinking - with so many complaints about the airline industry, what happens to all the complaint letters? Do the airlines ever read the letters? Do they care? Maybe there is a person who is hired specifically to read complaint letters from travelers and post the best ones on a cork board in the community kitchen. Every month the airline holds a company meeting and they read the best complaint letter from that month. Maybe that lucky person gets a note back from the airline with coupon for a bag of free peanuts.

The recent quality report says, "The annual Airline Quality Rating survey found that more bags were lost, more passengers were bumped, more consumers complained and fewer flights arrived on-time than in the previous year." So, by all reasonable accounts, we can assume that nothing gets done when someone complains, at least not from the airline. But writing the letter does help the traveler.

Take, for example, a recent break-up. There are so many things you want to say to your ex but you didn't get the chance. When he says, "I just want to have my cake and eat it, too," you could have something witty like, "Not in this bakery, pal!" and thrown a pie in his face. Instead you just stand there with your mouth open in wonderment at the fact that he really just said that. So you missed your chance and instead, you sit down to pen a letter. Maybe you're bold enough to send it, but even if you don't you feel better after writing it.

So it stands to reason that writing the airlines a complaint letter would do the same thing. You didn't get a chance to tell them off at the airport because you were too damn tired from getting bumped off flights and waiting for your luggage to arrive. I felt that way after my Air France fiasco. I wrote a letter telling off the airline, but alas, I never sent it. I did feel better, however, after telling off the bitch (in my letter) at the Air France counter when she closed the doors to our connecting flight, which was still at the gate.

It's only right at this time to post the ultimate airline complaint letter. This little ditty was written by a Continental Airline's passenger seated in Seat 29E.

Mr. Demille, I'm Ready For My Close Up

It's possible this could be my big break. Just like George Costanza, I too was asked to be a hand model.

Yesterday we had a production crew come through the office to shoot some footage for a "B-roll" (industry term). The roll is to send to media outlets for interview pitches and coverage. I digress...

I was asked to be the model, thank you very much, and sit pretty in front of a computer for almost an hour while the camera crew filmed my hands maneuvering the Internet. The purpose: find cheap flights and travel reviews. The only thing I was missing was a wedding ring -- which apparently the crew wanted as prop to appeal to the audience. But as I pointed out, single people travel, too. They kind of shut up and moved on with taping.

So watch out, folks! My manicured hands might be discovered and I'm off to the big time with all the other George Costanza's. Meanwhile, while I wait for the phone to ring, I'm off to Nantucket in eight hours.

ゲーム過剰 (Game Over)

I'm a big fan of learning new languages. It can only help you when you're traveling, and it certainly helps the career track when you're fluent in a few dialects. But unless you're absolutely sure what you're saying, be careful about what you put in print.

It's baseball season and in Boston, Red Sox fever is hot. But the Sox are in Japan playing their season openers and we're stuck rooting for them on the other side of the world (and getting up at 3 a.m. to watch the games). Boston.com posted a new logo alongside Japanese text which we're told means "Go Red Sox," but how can you be so sure?

I have a friend, who has a friend, who went to China on vacation. During his trip he went to a tattoo parlor and asked to have "Spirit of the Dragon" inscribed permanently in Chinese on his body. The poor lad didn't know Chinese. The real translation of his tattoo means "Egg Roll $1"

Moral of the story: As my good friend Jane points out, "If you are an English-speaking person, your cultural heritage provides many attractive symbols and phrases that you can read. Use them."

Golden Coronas in the South Pacific

Two of my girlfriends departed at 7 a.m. for a 10-day vacation in the South Pacific. The trip leaves Boston and lands in Los Angeles where the girls have a few hours layover before making their connecting flight to Tahiti. They'll spend a night in Tahiti before grabbing their diving gear, underwater cameras and yes, Coronas, and sailing out to sea. Suz and Sandy are no strangers traveling in style so it was no surprise when they made sure their 40-foot chartered boat was stocked with Corona.

I received a text message letting me know they arrived in Los Angeles and were enjoying a Corona at the airport. Apparently the U.S. dollar is good for something right now -- beer. The two cases of Corona they purchased for the yacht cost $160. I'd be looking for gold in the bottom of that beer bottle!

Only in America, March 2008

Only in America can you pick up a prescription and a Lean Cuisine meal in one location.

Only in America would you pay a valet $10 to park your car in the open spot two steps from the front door of the restaurant.

Only in America would two women engrossed in conversation ignore you if trip and fall while walking in front of them, and not stop to make sure that person was OK. (Admittedly, I had a couple cocktails, but I blame the loose brick on the sidewalk for my slip). By the way ladies, I'm fine.

Only in America would U.S. State Department employees search the passport files of hopeful presidential candidates.