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All posts for the month November, 2014

Flying Facts, Only!

Posted by golfkat on November 29, 2014
Posted in: Action, Travel. Leave a comment
This is from Chris at Flightright.com on a website called Boarding Area.  Essentially useless information that will break up your Black Friday just in time.  Though not as powerful as a glass of wine or champagne, it will nonetheless tickle your fancy!

1.  The shortest flight in the world is 27 seconds, from Westray to Papa Westray, Scotland.  Why?

2.  The lowest airport in the world is Schiphol, Amsterdam at 9.8 feet below sea level.

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport entrance.jpg

3.  If you think American airport are back, would you believe on 6 airports out of 39 in Germany are profitable?

4.  If you have been to Gibraltar, would you believe airport runway crosses a public road.  Rest at ease knowing they block the road when the airport runway is being used.

5.  The highest airport is not Denver, but Daocheng Yading airport in China.  No word on whether they have decriminalized marijuana.

6.  The longest flight in the world, at least right now, is from Dallas, TX to Sydney, Australia, a whopping 8574 miles, and a short 15 hours and 35 minutes.  I have ben on some flights that seem that long!

7.  There is really an airport in Turkey, called Batman airport.  No word on whether the Batmobile has been spotted there.

A view of city center in Batman. Batman, Turkey

8.  Leave it to those crazy and creative Aussies, who named their airport, Wagga Wagga.

9.  But there is a better one yet, called SEX, the airport code for Sembach military airport in Germany.  It must be one of their more profitable ones!

The Center of Sembach Would you believe I was in Kaiserslautern, Rhineland back in 1971?

10.  Have you ever seen the numbers,  13, 17, or 666 on a gate, or flight number?  They are considered unlucky in the airline world.

11.  Boeing is not what it seems, an American aircraft manufacturer.  More than 6 million items, produced in 33 different countries, are required to build a single 747-400 plane.

12.  The smallest airplane in the world has a wing span of only 16 feet.  Compare that to the largest bird, the wandering albatross, has a wing span of up to 12.46 feet.

13.  The famous “black box” the flight recorder on all planes, is actually red.  It is easier to find, though it might be a conspiracy by either the old Russians or Standfurd.

14.  The largest plane in the world is probably a Russian Antonov AN-225, with a wing span of 290 feet.  It was used to transport their space shuttle, the “Buran”.

15.  At any one time in Europe, there are 70,000 people in the air.  I wonder how many in the U.S. are in the air at one time?

16.  About half of the world’s population flew in 2012, about 3 billion people worldwide.  In the U.S., 677 million flew during that same year.

17.  Only 30 million pieces of lost luggage each year covers 10,252 miles.  And most lost luggage is claimed or reunited with their owners, within 42 hours.

 Ha Ha Ha!!!

18.  Five million international flights were delayed in 2013.  And 30 minutes is the average delay at European airports.

19.  Did you know that you have 4 years to file your claim for flight delay compensation?

20.  And 3 hour or more delay can provide you with up to $820 compensation, if the flight is 2174 miles or more.  Only 2% of us ever fie a claim even though we qualify.

If you have any god stories about flight delays or interesting airports/airplanes, please send them along.  I think I have told you about all of mine.  They are getting too numerous to remember!!!


Thanksgiving USA, Defined

Posted by golfkat on November 26, 2014
Posted in: Cultures, Food, Stories. Leave a comment

Many readers are located outside of the United States.  They may or may not understand the great American tradition of Thanksgiving.  Almost everyone knows that Americans are famous for having a large family feast of turkey, mashed potatoes, vegetable, stuffing, cranberry and pumpkin pie.  But there are some nuances that may not be readily apparent to the outsider, the foreigner, who see us only as gluttons on this day of thanks.

Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, since 1863.  It was originally a religious observation to give thanks to God.  The American version is celebrated to give thanks to God for helping the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony survive a cold and brutal winter in New England.  The very first Thanksgiving lasted three days and fed ninety Native Americans, and 53 pilgrims.  Their food was astonishingly similar to ours, and included:  turkey, pumpkin, berries, fruit, fish, clams, fowl, venison, and lobster.  My guess is that someone baked some bread.

The modern day Thanksgiving menu is similar, containing roast or baked turkey as the centerpiece.  Increasingly, baked ham, prime rib, and roast pork are included or substituted.  Hence, the use of the name, “Turkey Day” to describe this holiday.  The side dishes most commonly used are:  mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet corn, other fall vegetables, and topped with pumpkin pie.  One of our traditions is to add some steamed white rice to the menu, as it tastes great with turkey gravy smothered over it. Likewise, it has become an American custom to provide this dinner at soup kitchens and shelters for those less fortunate.  In fact, we participate in a program on Christmas Day that provides a bountiful spread as described above.

But the Thanksgiving weekend, a four day long weekend, also involves travel, time away from work, family reunions, and vacation.  In fact, it is the busiest holiday travel weekend of the year.  Most government offices are closed, mail is not delivered, and schools are out as well.  In New York City, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade is an institution, and signals the beginning of the Christmas season.  Airlines are packed full of people going home, to loved ones, to the very meal I described above.

Another big American tradition that goes with turkey is football.  Since 1934, the Detroit Lions professional football team, has hosted a Thanksgiving Day game.  Many college games are also played on this day or during the four day weekend.  A few big ones are the Army-Navy football game, and the USC Notre Dame football game.  In fact, that was the very first collegiate game I attended.  Notre Dame had All American and Heisman winner, Paul Hornung, and USC had Jaguar Jon Arnett.  In recent years, professional basketball has also gotten into the act, with a star studded game, with the likes of Kobe, Michael, Magic, Larry, or Lebron playing.  The golfers get their share of air time with the famous Skins Game from Hawaii or Palm Springs.

I always enjoyed Thanksgiving because my relatives from Los Angeles would drive up to Fresno for the holiday.  Truth be known, they also used this trip to deliver our Christmas presents.  We also got our Uncles to play football and basketball with us.  In some years, we also went striped bass fishing with my Grandfather up on the Delta for the day.  The Aunts went shopping, long before Friday became Black Friday.  And we observed the age old tradition of eating leftovers for the next day or so.

In my teenage years, we actually had two neighboring Hispanic families bring home made tamales over to our home.  Most of the time, we preferred eating the tamales to having our traditional turkey dinner.  Then, the highlight of the day would come.  The dinner table would be cleared, and my brother and I would be asked to play poker, with real money, with the adults.  We thought it was the greatest thing!  I still remember playing once when the pot got really big.  My Aunt and Uncles were “warning” me not to get carried away with my betting.  But, I had four queens, and I knew I could not lose.  I began to get nervous, but hung in there.  I won the biggest pot of money, in my life, up to then.  What a thrill!

As we got older, went away to college, we still looked forward to this special weekend.  Perhaps more than Christmas, it was a time of family togetherness.  All the relatives would ask us about school, or work, or play.  And we would enjoy their attention.  Of course, about this time, they pulled our Christmas gifts out of their car trunks and into the house.  We then replaced the empty space in their trunk with oranges that we had picked earlier in the day.  Pretty fair trade back in those days.

When people first started visiting from Japan, back in the Fifties and Sixties, many had never seen a turkey.  They thought it was a big chicken!  What a hoot, or cackle.  Most impressive was the turkey leg.  They would fight over the leg, thinking that it would bring them good health and vitality.  They could never figure out why they needed a nap after eating dinner.  And of course, pumpkin pie was a totally foreign notion to Japanese visitors.

One Thanksgiving in my adulthood, I was assigned to cook Thanksgiving dinner, having been accused of never helping to make dinner.  I was charged with not only making a turkey, but also a prime rib, and a ham.  The ham was no problem.  The prime rib was done in the barbecue.  But the turkey was a real issue, since I had never done it before.  Most challenging was the fact that nobody brought ingredients for the stuffing.  But I found some old bread in the freezer, and found an onion and celery in the produce bin.  But how would I flavor the stuffing?  And I had to use needle and thread to sew up the carcass.

As you might guess, my stuffing did turn out fantastically.  Everyone loved it and could not figure out what I did.  I found an old dried up stick of salami in the refrigerator.  I cut it up into small cubes and added it to the stuffing.  Hey Martha and Rachel!  The secret is out.

Other Thanksgiving memories tend to fade.  These are the ones I best remember.  In recent years, we have been traveling.  We have ventured out for Thanksgiving dinner in places like Scottsdale, Coronado, Seattle, Pebble Beach, Santa Fe, and San Francisco.  In earlier years, I volunteered to work since it was a double time and a half payday. But, I still enjoy turkey dinner, football, poker, and a nap.

 My poker heroine

The opportunities to volunteer on Thanksgiving are numerous.  I was headed into the City to help with the annual Turkey Trot 5K race, formerly the Run to the Far Side.  I also have a sister who volunteers at St. Anthony’s Dining Room.  My personal favorite is Glide Memorial Church.  One of the former ministers, Lloyd Wake,  is from a town near my hometown.  He, along with Reverend Cecil Williams, were instrumental in making Glide what it is today. Glide opened in 1929, and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.  In the 1960s, it became a magnet of counter culture, and has become perhaps the most liberal church in the United States, if not the world.  Among its many contributors have been:  Bill Clinton, Warren Buffet, Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey, and me.

Glide serves three meals a day, and about 750,000 meals a year.  The church also does HIV testing, mental and primary health care, women’s programs, crisis intervention, after school programs, literacy programs, computer training, job skills training, drug and alcohol recovery programs, legal services, and housing with case management.  Visitors come from all over the world.

Glide Memorial Church

Glide is located at 330 Ellis Street in San Francisco, in the heart of the Tenderloin District.  It has become a beacon of hope for the poor, homeless, prostitutes, runaways, alcohol and drug dependents, and any other disenfranchised individuals.  Of course, over the years, Emeritus Reverend Cecil Williams has hob-knobbed with the Kennedys, Wilie Brown, Jerry Brown, Bill Clinton, and the Grateful Dead.  This has helped keep donations pouring in, despite a dismal economy, and the ever increasing need of the community it serves.  If you have never been, I strongly suggest a visit, on a Sunday for a sermon, or any other day, to observe, volunteer, and perhaps donate a few dollars.

Take the Turkey Quiz to test your knowledge:   http://home.aristotle.net/Thanksgiving/trivia.asp

Scary Stories at Checkpoint Charlie, A MUST READ!!!

Posted by golfkat on November 24, 2014
Posted in: Action, Cultures, Stories, Travel. Leave a comment

Scary Story, Part 2, from another friend: 

I have a very funny story about Checkpoint Charlie.   My father was born and raised in Berlin, and left in 1939.    He moved to the U.S and became involved in highly secretive defense industry that sometimes crossed into CIA.   I recorded albums in Berlin from 1987 – 2002 and used to maintain an apartment on a small street that was until the Berlin wall came down a deadend street.   I often went to Hannover, where I was working with some other bands, and therefore had to travel back and forth by car, and would enter Berlin through Checkpoint Charlie.

    I would always be harassed, and they would question me intensely, claim that I was really a German and threaten me with arrest.  Going through the crossing would often take me between 4 to 8 hours before they finally stopped and admitted that my father was from Braun Strasse in the Schoenberg and that they I was not an East German citizen and was traveling legally under an American passport.
    The very last day Checkpoint Charlie was being used, the wall had fallen already, I went through, and a female East German Border Guard started the usual hassle me routine.  She was about three minutes into her spiel when her partner, came over, and said in German “Trudy, what the f*** are you doing, we are unemployed in four hours and our country doesn’t exist.  You should be looking for a job not hassling this guy!”  Then he turned around to me, and with a smile asked me if I wanted to see why they were hassling me all the time.  He invited me behind his desk and showed me my father’s Stassi file and my own!  It was amazing all the stuff they had – they had every record I ever produced (with one mistake – they claimed I worked on one album I hadn’t done!) and the most interesting thing was it showed me some answers to my father’s activities that I had never known about!
You have read my account of crossing Checkpoint Charlie into East Berlin back in 1971.  Well, I have several friends who had similar experiences, and one whose trip was much worse. Here is her story:
It was a cold and dark October. We were quite naive but had read that the Soviets seized cameras so we decided not to bring any.

We went through Check Point Charlie. It was very intimidating. People were pulled out of line at random. Some were searched; some led away. We did not know why. (The females were strip-searched) A fellow behind us kept making nasty remarks about the East Germans. He was from Yugoslavia and they had the most freedom at that time. I was worried the East German officials would think we were with him.

A very nasty looking matron was pulling women aside. I remember her X-raying a hairbrush. They were suspicious of everyone.

We had to “exchange money.” There was a minimum. I recall the coins were so light that I wondered what they were made of. We were informed of a curfew and would have to return to the west. (No curfew when I went, though 24 hours was the limit before American soldiers would come looking for you).

The east was a stark contrast from the west. The first thing I noticed was that there weren’t any people on the streets. It was as if everyone was carried off. (The few people on the streets were old or homeless).  Police were present in what looked to be phone booths but they were heated cubicles.

We saw stores but there was little in them. (Not the case when I went, just nothing you would want to buy).  There were propaganda posters showing families looking into the camera and smiling on their group vacations.

The Soviet police were ubiquitous along with the East Germans. We wanted to go into a museum of sorts but were put off by all the Russians who were not looking very welcoming.

We soon found out that the money we exchanged was worthless. (Not true for me, we bought food and beer).  No one would take it. They wanted “western money.” (A few people on the street wanted to buy/exchange west German marks).  We were turned away at a restaurant. Later, we learned from a French friend that one discretely slips western currency to the head waiter and one could be seated. (We had the pretty hippie gal with us, so no problem!!)  We did not know this.

We walked around dismal buildings. It was very grey. (Very Soviet in appearance).  No people were evident. We found a cafeteria. It was a working class place. We went in and were allowed to purchase a disgusting meal with horrid beer. (I thought the beer was okay).

It was odd because we noticed we were the only people talking. It was dead silent. This is because every fourth person was employed by the Stasi as a spy. No one talked in public. (Remember this is where Putin worked for the KGB).

We had more money than we could spend. Curfew was approaching. We caught the U-Baun back to the border. The only person riding it was a policeman.

During this time the East Germans were broadcasting 24/7 across The Wall. Constant propaganda flowed and there were lights sweeping the area.

It was a scene right out of a spy movie. We walked down a long path with high concrete walls.  Lights and guards were on top of the walls watching us. It was eerie.

When we went to cross, we were asked what we did. Well, not much. We were asked if we had any money. We did. You couldn’t spend it. Then things became difficult.

We were told we couldn’t cross back with the money. B-man told the official to “keep it.” The official accused us of trying to bribe him. This was serious. The curfew was approaching and being caught in the east was a very bad idea.

I intervened and asked the man what he suggested we do with the money. He wasn’t going to take it, we couldn’t have it and curfew was approaching. There had to be a way out of this mess.

He told me I could  “buy coffee.” I replied I couldn’t possibly drink that much coffee. I asked for another suggestion. It was 23:30 and we had to be over the border by midnight.

 I want to stress that the Stasi and the East Berlin police were quite intimidating….
He told me I could open a bank account. A bank account? At that hour? Sure enough, there was a bank open near Checkpoint Charlie. I went and opened by East German bank account and returned with the receipt. The guard eyed us, studied the paper and finally let us go….walking down another long lane of concrete, guards and bright lights.
(I had no such problem, we bought beer for the few Germans that we saw, just before Checkpoint Charlie on the Soviet side).

Later, we learned that one leaves the money for someone to find. It’s all a game. You “pay” to get over to the east. No one wants the money. I wish we’d left it on the street for some poor soul to find. (I spent all of mine).

I am glad we crossed as it can not be done today. Berlin was a lively city, full of spies and intrigue and the west was open 24/7. (West Berlin was fun, lots of night clubs for young people, interesting places to hang out and meet people).

Gerry:  For me, the experience was much different, traveling with two other Americans, both hippies.  She was quite attractive, her boyfriend quite unkept, me somewhere in the middle.  We did attract attention most everywhere, mostly because she was so pretty.  We did not have any problems.  But there was not much to do or see.  We actually knew that from taking the guided bus tour a few days before.  But we wanted to see East Berlin on our own!
We drove their hippie van to a place where a wooden lookout tower was built.  We could see over the wall into East Berlin.  We saw an pen field, probably full of land mines.  A few machine gun nets were visible.  Every minute, on the minute, a motorcycle drove by along the wall, with a shooter riding on the back of the moto.  I know I have photos somewhere in my archives.  When I find them, you will get to see what I saw.
Another friend was born in Berlin.  The wall tore apart her family.  She will never forget the grief, and the contrast between the east and west.  I also met a lady in Montana who was in Berlin at about the same time as me.  We might have even seen each other at a Berlin nightclub.  The club had phones on the table, to ask a girl to dance, without having to walk across the floor!
It is also important to remember that the Berlin Wall was built to keep people IN, not to keep Berliners and other Germans, OUT!  I cannot even imagine living there, even though I visited twice.  But it is still a very sobering experience.   It made me feel fortunate to be an American, to be free to go where I want.  Until that freedom is taken away, most people would not even think about that.
It remains one of the best, most interesting, and adventurous things I have ever experienced.  I would not trade it for a month on the Orient Express, or a hole in one at Pebble Beach!!!

PS:  Thank you to my friend, “D” and “R” who shared the bulk of their stories with me.


Worst Airport for Delays

Posted by golfkat on November 13, 2014
Posted in: Action, Travel. Leave a comment
Of the ten worst airports for delays, I have the distinction of having to regularly use many of them.  These include my former home airport, San Francisco (SFO), as well as Dulles Airport (IAD) in Washington, DC,  McCarran Airport (LVA) in Las Vegas, O’Hare Airport (ORD) in Chicago, and Denver International (DEN).  Fortunately, I do not use tiny, little Midway Airport in Chicago, which has the worst flight delays at 37.5% of the time.

However, during the winter, O’Hare Airport also in Chicago, can have delays of 42%.  Denver and Fort Lauderdale also have flight delays of at least one third.  Alternatively, Hawaii is the best for on time travel since the weather is generally good year round.   Florida ranks poorly since the flights often originate in cold weather locations.  Yet the cold weather airports like Minneapolis, Detroit, and Boston have fairly good on time statistics.  The list of best on time arrivals and departures is topped by Salt Lake City (a Delta hub) of all places!

World wide, the winner for most delays is Beijing.  Back here in the U.S., we had 3809 flight delays on average, and 392 cancellations. And Denver edged out ORD 121 to 116. Beijing had only 66.  Some airports with no delays were:  Warsaw (Poland), Chippewa, Kodiak, Laramie, Great Falls, and Dar Es’ Salaam.  Of course, some of these places only had one or two flights today!

Looking at this a little differently, Southworst Airlines here in the U.S. had 286 delayed flights, Skywest had 238 delays, followed by United with 156 delays, and American with 148 delays.  The winner internationally was China Southern with 248 delays, followed by China Eastern with 174 delays, and Air India with 98 delays.

Logic should tell you that non stops will have potentially fewer problems, since hubs like ORD and DEN have the worst weather.  Often times, when booking, making a stop (aka direct flight), or a plane change (transfer) will result in a lower fare.  It will also result in a greater chance of delays.  Or in my case, missing the connecting flight altogether.

Imagine if you combine a bad airport with a bad airline.  That is a recipe to create THE TIP FROM H*LL!  That would be Southworst with a plane change at ORD or DEN.
The moral of the story is to keep your eye on your goal.  If getting somewhere on time is important, for a meeting or party, choose wisely!!!  My guidelines are:  Do not let price be the determining factor unless there is a big disparity.  Avoid hubs like Denver and Chicago in winter months.  Choose non stops over one or two stops.  Stay away from Southworst, except for in state travel.  Or just stay in Hawaii.

Berlin Wall Anniversary Today

Posted by golfkat on November 9, 2014
Posted in: Action, Cultures, Travel. Leave a comment
During my first trip to Europe in 1971, the highlight of the trip may have been visiting East Berlin, Communist at the time, twice.  Once, on a tour bus, and the second, with a hippie couple from the U.S.  It remains firmly ensconced in my memory, despite 43 intervening years.  At the time, I never thought the Cold War would end, and the Berlin Wall would come thundering down.
Little did I know that pieces of the Berlin Wall would become so famous.  A big chunk resides now in the Newseum in Washington, DC, a private museum.  Another sizeable piece sits in the men’s room at the Main Street Station hotel and casino in old downtown Las Vegas.  And remnants of the wall now serve as both a memorial and an art gallery in Berlin.
This year celebrates 25 years since the Berlin Wall was torn down.  Here is a great article about the Wall for today’s visitors:


WHERE THE WALL STILL STANDS
The Wall’s longest surviving stretch is the East Side Gallery, stretching for 1.3 kilometres along the Spree river. Artists covered it in colorful murals after the border opened, adorning it with images such as a boxy East German Trabant car that appears to burst through the wall and a fraternal communist kiss between Honecker and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. They repainted the murals in 2009.
At the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse, a stretch of the barrier stands at the end of a 1.4-kilometre section of the former border strip, which gives a good impression of how deep a scar the Wall cut through the city. An open-air exhibition is spread along the strip, while an indoor museum will reopen after renovation on the Nov. 9 anniversary of the Wall’s fall. The viewing platform above offers a panorama of the site and downtown Berlin.
LAYERS OF HISTORY
A third remaining stretch of the Wall runs along the edge of the Topography of Terror memorial site, which includes the ruins of buildings where the Gestapo secret police, the SS and the Reich Security Main Office ran Adolf Hitler’s police state from 1933 to 1945.
A few small Wall fragments survive at other sites, as do a handful of the 302 watch towers that once dotted the border’s so-called “death strip.”

WHERE SPIES WERE SWAPPED
The Glienicke Bridge, on Berlin’s forested southwestern edge, was the setting for a few of the Cold War’s most spectacular spy swaps. In 1962, US spy-plane pilot Francis Gary Powers was exchanged there for a Soviet spy known as Rudolf Abel. In 1986, prominent Soviet dissident Anatoly Shcharansky walked across the bridge to freedom and later, as Natan Sharansky, to start a new life as an Israeli politician. The border was in the middle of the bridge, still painted different shades of green on the two sides of the divide.
The scenically located bridge spans the channel between two lakes. From the bridge, you can walk or cycle along the Berlin Wall Trail, which largely follows the course of the Wall for 160 kilometres around the former West Berlin. Follow the gray-and-white signs marked “Berliner Mauerweg.”

WESTERN AND EASTERN ALLIES
The Allied Museum, in the western Dahlem district, focuses on the history of the Western allies’ role in Berlin from 1945 until their last troops withdrew in 1994. West Berlin was made up of the post-World War II American, British and French sectors. Its status as a capitalist exclave deep inside the Soviet occupation zone was secured by the 1948-1949 Berlin Airlift. The original Checkpoint Charlie border guardhouse from the time of the Wall’s fall, from the famous crossing in downtown Berlin, stands outside the museum.
Across town in the Karlshorst district, the recently renovated German-Russian Museum concentrates on the history and consequences of Nazi Germany’s war against the Soviet Union, which started in 1941 and ended with the Red Army taking Berlin in 1945. The building includes the room where Germany’s surrender was signed on May 8, 1945.

SOVIET WAR MEMORIALS
World War II left 26.6 million Soviet soldiers and civilians dead, by the official Russian count, and the Soviet Union built three memorials in post-war Berlin. During the Cold War, the best-known to Westerners was the smallest, which is flanked by two Soviet tanks and stands a few minutes’ walk west of the Brandenburg Gate in former West Berlin.
The biggest and most spectacular memorial stands in Treptow, in former East Berlin. Memorial slabs depicting the course of the war, adorned with quotes from Soviet leader Josef Stalin, lead up to a mausoleum topped by the figure of a soldier standing on a shattered swastika.

 Here is the latest news on the old Wall:

BERLIN (AP) — Germany on Sunday celebrates the 25th anniversary of the night the Berlin Wall fell, a pivotal moment in the collapse of communism and the start of the country’s emergence as the major power at the heart of Europe.

A 15-kilometer (nine-mile) chain of lighted balloons along the former border will be released into the air early Sunday evening — around the time on Nov. 9, 1989 when a garbled announcement by a senior communist official set off the chain of events that brought down the Cold War’s most potent symbol.

The opening of East Germany’s fortified frontier capped months of ferment that had already ushered in Poland’s first post-communist prime minister and prompted Hungary to cut open its border fence. The hard-line leadership in East Berlin faced mounting pressure from huge protests and an exodus of citizens via other communist countries.

Chancellor Angela Merkel, who grew up in East Germany, is opening an overhauled museum Sunday at the site — home to one of the few surviving sections of the Wall.  Merkel, 60, who was then a physicist and entered politics as communism crumbled, recalls the feeling of being stuck behind East Germany’s border.  “Even today when I walk through the Brandenburg Gate, there’s a residual feeling that this wasn’t possible for many years of my life, and that I had to wait 35 years to have this feeling of freedom,” Merkel said last week. “That changed my life.”

Much has changed beyond recognition, though some inequalities persist.  Wages and pensions remain lower, and unemployment higher, in the east than the west. Many eastern areas saw their population drop as people headed west for jobs, something that is only now showing signs of turning around.

There are cultural differences too: a higher proportion of children are in daycare in the east, a legacy of communist times, and the opposition Left Party — partly descended from East Germany’s communist rulers — remains strongest in the east.  But the progress toward true unity is seen in Germany’s top leadership: Not only is Merkel from the east, but so is the nation’s president, Joachim Gauck, a former Protestant pastor and pro-democracy activist.  Germans today can be grateful to have lives and opportunities, Gauck said, “that endless numbers of people in the world can only desire and dream of.”

Some of you (Webb, Renie, Paulette) went through Checkpoint Charlie in the Sixties and Seventies as I did.  It is an experience I will never forget.  Having a machine gun pointed at us from about 25 to 30 yards away, a young lady stripped searched at the Checkpoint, forced to buy East German marks upon entry, and the totally depressing architecture of the city, I shall always remember!

Delightful, Surprising Vancouver

Posted by golfkat on November 6, 2014
Posted in: Cultures, Entertainment, Food, Shopping, Travel. Leave a comment

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One of my first (2009) trips to Vancouver:

Since we just finished the Summer Olympics in Beijing, our thoughts turn to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver in 2010.  We would like to attend, since we have been to the summer games.  Vancouver is a great city, with lots to do, great food, excellent shopping, and friendly Canadians everywhere.  It is a busy, vibrant, and active city, catering to the young, the young at heart, and the tourists.

We have been to Vancouver several times now.  Each time, we seem to find more and more to bring us back.  Of course, we go in the summer, when the weather is just outstanding.  It will be cold, and snowy for the Winter Olympics.  Of course, many of the venues will be north of Vancouver, like Whistler, and parts north.

For those of you overseas, you know the story.  When Hong Kong reverted back to China, a lot of people and money flowed out, mostly to Vancouver.  A huge bulding boom followed.  It is quite a cosmopolitan city, as if it was not already.  It has a great old Chinatown, and a new Chinatown in the making.  Most of my Chinese friends tell me that Vancouver has the best Chinese food in the world.  And I humbly agree.

Vancouver is the largest city in British Columbia.  Named after British explorer, George Vancouver, it has a population of 620,000, and 2.2 million in the metro area.  Plus it is always ranked as one of the three most livable cities in the world.  It contains only 44 sqaure miles, but has one of the largest urban parks in 1000 acre Stanley Park.  Average rainfall is 48 inches, so its weather is similar to Seattle.

We found out that Vancouver has strict rent control in place.  Each year, there is a lottery for apartments, many of which have great views of the water and city skyline.  Most places rent for under $1000 US per month.  It is tempting to think about spending a portion of the year here.  Since it is considered a city of neighborhoods, I am sure we could find something to keep us happy.

This is a very walkable city, although slightly hilly in some places.  Each of the neighborhoods has a strong identity.  The best way to see it all first is to take the Trolley Tour around the city, alllowing us to jump on and off as much as we want from 9am to 7pm.  It covers each of the major neighborhoods, Stanley Park, Granville Island, Yaletown, Gastown, Chinatown, Olympic venues, and the coastal and river areas of the city.  The drivers are very informative, and very patient, compared to our tour buses here.

We always stay on Robson Street, the main street, is a vibrant, young and noisy street.  We never rent a car, as we take a cab or limo from the airport each time. The Listel Hotel, where we stay, is an art lover’s dream, with a great location, within walking distance to lots of shopping and restaurants.  Much like Montreal, it is hard to find a bad place to eat.  We found a coffee shop (Zin) just down the street, that can work for any meal of the day, plus it has a bar.  It is Canada’s second most expensive city, but that does not seem to stop the young people from eating, shopping and drinking their way home each night from work.  Weekends are a madhouse on the sidewalks.  And there are some homeless on the streets that may pose a problem for the Olympics.

Our favorite place to dine is CinCin, also on Robson. CinCin excels in Italian inspired wood-fired cuisine, award-winning wines, and true hospitality. From the open wood-fired kitchen, an ingredient-driven menu sets the tone with distinctive dishes embracing the sensibilities of the Mediterranean, while outstanding desserts demonstrate the Michelin star-studded pedigree of acclaimed Chef Patissier Thierry Busset.

Vancouver also has their own verson of the Fringe Festival, much like Edinburgh, Scotland.  It is not nearly as varied or as large.  But it is the best one in North America, or should we say, the New World?  Music of all types fluorishes here as well.  Pearl Jam could just as easily been born here as in Seattle.  Most of the big name entertainers make a stop here as well.

The Fish House, located in Stanley Park, is a good place to get your fill of Canadian seafood and vegetables.  The chef, Karen Barnaby, is an author, and has won numerous awards.  Even if you decide not to eat here, the view is great and the drinks are intoxicating.  Or is it the other way around?

Hon’s Downtown at 1339 Robson, is the place for lunch or snacks.  They must have a hundred wait staff, cooks, and busboys.  Every noodle dish has been fantastic, and cheap.  My friend, Ray Lee, who is Chinese, said it is the best noodles he has ever had.  I second that.  In Chinatown, Harbour Pacific, and Ridge Garden always have a complete menu, lots of fresh fish, and a few chalk board suprises.

Our favorite Korean is almost across the street as well.  It is called Dae Bak Bon Ga, which is a mouthful in Korean.  But you will enjoy the mouthful of great kalbi and chicken, grilled right at your table.  An assortment of condiments and pickled vegetables complement your meat dishes, along with a few cold beers to cool off the heat you just consumed.  Spice Alley is another place nearby, a little more casual, great tasting food, but VERY noisy and crowded.

In the Pacific Palisades Hotel, we like their coffee shop called Zin.  It is hard to go wrong with their big breakfasts or their hearty lunches.  It is always crowded, so don’t shy away.  The food is worth the wait.  Though dining is available outside, Vancouver just has too many smokers, both wlaking by and dining here.

Another good place to graze, and shop is the Granville Island Public Market.  Here, not only do we find fresh fruit and veggies, but the best of other Vancouver food and drink.  It is a pleasant place to stroll, have a latte, and buy a few souvenirs for the folks back home.  Some of the bakeries are very French, and very good.  Again, I dare you to leave there without eating something.  Ice cream is another BC treat, as the countryside has many dairies and farms nearby.

Grouse Mountain is only 15 minutes away and the Grouse Mountain Skyride as you embark on a one-mile journey to the mountaintop. Grouse Mountain comes alive in the summertime. Discover the World Famous Lumberjack Show, The Refuge for Endangered Wildlife, Birds in Motion Demonstrations and an array of mountain top nature trails. Grouse Mountain also offers a winter wonderland of adventure including 25 ski and snowboard runs, 10km of snowshoe trails, sleighrides, an 8,000 sq. ft. outdoor skating rink and much more! The dining options available at Grouse Mountain are as endless and as stunning as the views.

Other attractions are not far away.  Victoria Island and Butchart Gardens are just a short boat or ferry ride away.  The Canadian Rockies and Whistler Mountain are a couple hours away.  We have enjoyed our drives outside of the city, especially to the Okanagan Valley and its growing wine country.  It will be very interesting to see how Vancouver will compare to other Olympics, especially the one just completed in Beijing.  One common element is that both areas have a lot of Chinese residents.

Canada has always been a great place to vacation.  It is close enough to drive,or cheap enough to fly.  Our dollar, while not as strong as a few years ago, is still a good value.  The food is oustanding and fresh.  The people are friendly.  Sounds pretty good to me!

Note:  I will try to give you an accurate assessment and update of Vancouver while we are visiting.

Naked Sushi Comes to Vancouver

Posted by golfkat on November 5, 2014
Posted in: Cultures, Entertainment, Food, Travel. Leave a comment

Naked sushi has come to Vancouver.

The Japanese practice of nyotaimori – serving sushi on a naked body – is said to have its origins in the samurai period in Japan.  Of late, it’s spread to North America, with restaurants and caterers from Toronto to Las Vegas offering diners the chance to pluck their maki and sashimi off of models.

Well, I never saw this in Japan, or in any Japanese restaurant stateside.  According to the Vancouver Sun newspaper:

In traditional nyotaimori, the model is generally expected to lie still at all times and not talk with guests.  The sushi itself is placed on sanitized leaves on the model’s body, so there’s no skin-to-fish contact.  Apparently, the challenge is finding sufficiently flat areas of the body so the sushi doesn’t just roll off.  (In case you’re wondering, the Vancouver company’s models are, in fact, “nearly naked,” with flowers and leaves taped in strategic places.)


Furthermore, they add:   True to Vancouver’s reputation for cheap sushi, prices seem to be relatively reasonable, starting as low as $20 per person with a minimum of 12 guests. (Bento boxes, apparently, cost extra, with prices rising as high as $85/person.)  So, perhaps this is the perfect cheap date?  If you do not make a connection with your date, perhaps the sushi model might be interested.

Food writers also tell us that pizza is very good, and cheap here.  On the eastern side of Canada, it is apparently still a challenge.  Maybe the colder weather messes with the pizza dough?
Wise travelers I know, mostly of Chinese-American ethnicity, always tell me that the BEST Chinese food in the world is found in Vancouver.
So, we will stick to traditional dinners, like the fabulous Coast restaurant on Alberni Street.  The lobster and oysters are always the best.  I will have to work up to the naked sushi adventure.
 

What Is a Japadog?

Posted by golfkat on November 4, 2014
Posted in: Cultures, Food, Travel. Leave a comment

 What is a JapaDog?  And where can I get one?  What is so special about it?

history1.jpgJapaDog started in 2005 by a Japanese couple from Japan with limited funds.

In 2007, they started adding employees.  Up to then, the couple with their newborn staffed it alone.

In 2008, Japadog was awarded “Best of Vancouver”.

In 2009, a second stand was added, and a total of 15 employees added.

With the Olympics, Japadog often had 100 people in line for a dog.

In 2011, the first Japadog trailer style opened.  The Japadog empire is now four stands and a store.  And a store in NYC!

Here is the menu:



It looks very interesting, as well as creative.

Japadog

The fusion of Japanese flavors with hot dogs is unique to Japadog.  A place in Honolulu, called Puka Dog, is a similar, but less creative hot dog place.  Some of the toppings include yakisoba, shaved radish or bonito flakes.  Other toppings include:  Japanese mayonnaise (obviously with soy sauce or teriyaki sauce), seaweed, and the almost ubiquitous kimchi.

Japadog

The most popular dog is the Terimayo, an all beef dog, topped with fried onions, teriyaki sauce, Japanese mayo, and seaweed.  The Okonomi dog has fried cabbage, bonito flakes, Japanese mayo, and a special soy sauce. The Oroshi dog is made with a pork bratwurst, daikon, green onions, and special sauce.  The Love Meat dog with homemade beef and pork meat sauce, and flambéed cheese.  The Hot and Spicy dog has jalapeno hot sauce and lettuce.  The Yakisoba dog is topped with yakisoba noodles, and slivers of pickled ginger.

The price right now is $5.  All of the sausages are made by a local distributor, who Tamura likes to keep secret.   Just for variety, he has a veggie dog and a chicken sausage.  They plan to add French fries and ice cream.  The latest new location is the Santa Monica Pier in Southern California.

This sounds so interesting, I must try it.

Actually, I had to have lobster, so I skipped the dog!

Granville Island, Vancouver

Posted by golfkat on November 3, 2014
Posted in: Action, Cultures, Entertainment, Food, Travel. Leave a comment
So, how often do you find an island in the middle of a great city?  Granville Island in the middle of Vancouver is such a place.  It is almost a destination in itself.  Perhaps we should examine its offerings in greater detail.

Yes, it is an urban oasis in a big city, not that Vancouver even requires an urban oasis.  It is vibrant and diverse, mush like the rest of Vancouver.  The top of the list is the Public Market.  It is the best such inner city market I have ever seen, anywhere in the world.  Is it cheap? No. Is it diverse?  Yes. Is it fun?  Most definitely!!!

The second best thing to do here is to grab a bite.  It does not matter if it is coffee and a sweet roll, or a nice seafood cocktail.  The variety and freshness are abundant, as is the enthusiasm of the vendors.  They treat you well, the experience is totally enjoyable.

Grab a beer or a cup of coffee.  Check your watch.  If it before 11am, have the coffee.  Anything after 11am is fair game for beer, or booze.  Personally, I go for a coffee and some of their great baked goods, as the French influence on their pastry is significant.  It is a touch of Paris without the BS.

Then, sit back and watch the artists of Granville take over.  it is the Greenwich Village of Canada.  While it is not cheap, it is certainly diverse, and of high quality.  I just am not a big fan of Canadian art.  They seem to have a very basic or Bohemian approach to their work which just does not appeal to me.  But that’s me.  Perhaps you will uncover the greatest artistic find of the century.  Now speaking of art, I am told the music up here is quite avant-garde.  I cannot say one way or the other, but perhaps I will find out.

Granville Island is located across False Creek from downtown Vancouver.  You may have viewed the spectacular scene during the Olympics when Bob Costas and Al Michaels did a piece on False Creek and its environs.  It was once an industrial area, and has transformed into a tourist, entertainment, and  shopping venue.  In fact, the city of Vancouver was once called Granville.  Granville today has the public market, marina, boutique hotel, art institute, design center, improve, and numerous art galleries.  In other words, perfect for both locals and tourists.

We stay on busy Robson Street, in the heart of the vibrant downtown shopping and dining area.  The streets are filled with young people throughout the day and night.  The streets remind me a little of NYC, without the edginess.  Shoes seem to be the retail focus, particularly women’s shoes.  Several shopping malls are within walking distance of Robson as well.
Foodies will also see plenty to their liking on Robson.  Ice cream, dogs, and noodle shops abound.  Too many places, too little time!!!!  It appears that Asians, mostly Hong Kong Chinese, aka Hongkies, own this city.  This is reflected in the types of food, and retail that dominate the affluent areas.

Chinatown, Canadian Style

Posted by golfkat on November 2, 2014
Posted in: Cultures, Food, Shopping, Travel. Leave a comment

Chinatown in Vancouver is Canada’s largest Chinatown.  It is a popular tourist attraction and in one of the largest historic Chinatowns in North America.  With the influx of Chinese immigrants from Hong Kong, downtown Chinatown has become overshadowed by the newer Chinatown in Richmond, called “The Golden Village”.  Many affluent Chinese immigrants from Hong Kong and Taiwan came to Vancouver.

One question is have centers on why Chinese people still tend to cluster in the same geographic area.  Yes, there are Asian enclaves in large cities, like Koreatown in Los Angeles, and relatively small Japantowns in San Jose, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.  But Chinese immigrants tend to stick together for some unknown reason.  Even in San Francisco, Chinese have spread their wings to the Sunset and Richmond districts.

And a rather derogatory term has evolved, with Vancouver getting the nickname of Hongcouver.  My feelings are neutral, since people who decide to live in the same area, and mingle only with their own, will run the risk of being labeled in some fashion.  Vancouver has four Chinese daily newspapers.

Yet housing and economic development are issues for Chinese, much as they are for the population at large.  But there are numerous Chinese businesses scattered throughout the city, notably restaurants, convenience stores, and noddle shops.  In fact, we enjoy a noodle palace directly across the street on busy Robson Street, the main shopping and entertainment thoroughfare of downtown Vancouver.

But most interesting is the Chinese food here in Vancouver.  My dear Chinese friends all tell me, after traveling the world, that Vancouver has the best Chinese food in all the world.  Let’s find out!!!!