So it’s true: If the sky glows red just after sunset, it
will be sunny the following day. It rained, it snowed, it hailed a few days
before, but now we are having blue skies and abundant sun. Dad used to tell me
this. He would gaze westward, point at the sky and says: It’s hot and sunny
tomorrow. The next day, it’s sunny and hot all right. He was right 100% of the time! I thought this to be true only in my country but I experienced it in LA.
Just a fluke? Or maybe the vernal equinox is responsible for it. Ahh Spring is
here.... ============================================================================================================= guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru =============================================================================================================
This is not about global warming or depletion of the ozone.
It’s about the seasons: winter, spring, summer and fall; and why there are no
seasons in some places. The Philippines for example, refers to the seasons only
as wet and dry, or rainy and summer; which is really about having more rain
(rainy season) or more sun (summer - in April, May, June) in a given period of
time. There are no falling leaves, or snowy days, or new growth in spring.
Places close to the equator have this type of climate. Further north (France
for example) or further south have the seasons. But what’s causing the seasons
to change? 23.5 degrees, that’s the answer.
Relative to the sun, the earth is tilted at a 23.5 degree
angle as it rotates unto itself. This tilting has a dramatic effect on the
amount of sunlight reaching the earth as it revolves around the sun. When
sunlight hits the equator directly, there will be equal hours of day and night.
This happens during an equinox, which literally means equal night. In a given
year, there are two equinoxes: one in March (Vernal), the other in September
(Autumnal).
Vernal equinox heralds spring. At this time, night and day
are equal in duration, but days get longer as we move toward summer. The longest
day happens during the Summer Solstice (June 21). After that, days get shorter
as we move toward the Autumnal equinox when day and night are equally long
again. After the Autumnal equinox, days get shorter and the nights get longer.
The longest night happens during the Winter Solstice (December 22). After that,
nights get shorter until it’s equal in duration again with day during the
Vernal equinox. And the cycle repeats itself. And as long as the 23.5 degree
tilt is kept, the behavior of the seasons will more or less remain the same.
Wherever you want to go in the world include the seasons in
your travel itinerary; it spices up the experience, and sometimes, the whole
experience itself revolves around it: Sweden has the Ice Hotel built around
winter and holds itself together for the duration of the season before it thaws
in spring; one of Japan’s best-loved travel destinations is visited in springtime
– the Cherry Blossoms; beach destinations are booked in summer, and fall is best
traveled by those who prefer cooler temperatures and striking colors.
23.5
degrees. The tilt - it built the seasons. ============================================================================================================= guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru =============================================================================================================
A
senseless incident happened in Toulouse, southern
France recently, world condemnation followed. I have passed that way a few
years ago on my way to Sete in the Mediterranean coast. Toulouse is at the
center of European Aerospace Industry being home to the aircraft manufacturing
giant Airbus, the European satellite navigation system Galileo, and the
Toulouse Space Center.
Toulouse
reminded me of Laurianne and Fiso. They are from Brittany (french
Bretagne) in the northern part of France, and like some present day Bretons, they speak an ancient Celtic
language called Breton. We were
surfing in La Union, Philippines in January this year. Early in the day both were preparing
crepe, which they claimed to have originated in Brittany, where the best crepes in the world are cooked. But crepes were first made in TOULOUSE,
I said as a matter of fact (I made it up). NO!
It’s in Brittany, our place! They
burst out together in indignation as if I just blasphemed the Holy Grail.
Brittany is a region
northwest of France. It’s a peninsula jutting out westward to the Atlantic Ocean.
St Malo, is its most visited city, made famous by its adventurers and pirates, who for centuries have been preying on ships that round the western tip of
France. Not to miss in St Malo is Cape Horn Museum they said. It’s dedicated to
sea explorers and yes, to its notorious pirates.
Through
Brittany, you can access Mont Saint-Michel, located right at the border between Brittany and Normandy. It’s a Gothic-style
Benedictine abbey erected on a rocky outcrop right in the middle of the sea, a
UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the most visited tourist attraction in France
next to Paris.
Hey Laurianne,
when I come to Brittanywill I find
some crepes there? I teased. Yes of course!
she said, and I hate you, go away! I laughed
out loud then grabbed my surfboard and headed to the beach…. ============================================================================================================= guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru =============================================================================================================
An alternative way to travel or part of your travel itinerary is joining a workcamp from a few days to three weeks depending on the project duration and description. It’s a fun way to know a place and it’s people (anywhere in the world) and it doesn’t cost much. For workcamps in France contact SJ France. Book a cheap flight to France and remember to always travel light.
Las Vegas is a city in the desert. The place is arid, barren
and inhospitable, where only the hardiest creature survive. You can’t set aside
grass and twigs to let it rot to fertilize the soil because the air is dry.
Fallen leaves just darken, curl and be blown by the wind to litter the
surroundings. All organic matter dries up and gets brittle. Rainfall is a
rarity. There is no moisture. In fact the place is so dry it turns the air
electric. Touch any metal: door knobs, spoons, and windowsills, and expect to
get charged. Water is precious here sourced hundreds of miles away to Lake
Mead, which is threatened to dry up. The winds howl constantly. It’s very hot during
the day and very cold at night. It’s a wonder how the city came to be. So how
did it become?
Here’s the story: WWII saw the rise and fall of military
giants. The lessons of war changed the way countries see each other, and war
itself has attained a commercial status. There was a race for a more advanced
and sophisticated war material and paraphernalia. Countries having the
resources to develop it did so clandestinely, and Las Vegas’ isolation was key
reason to make it a military test hub, shielded away from the eyes of the world.
With the military coming are adult entertainment and
gambling. To be socially acceptable, the gambling was renamed gaming. The UFO,
science fiction’s cream pie was a decoy to steer away interest and suspicion on
military tests in the area. So a cause for concern became a source of wonder,
entertainment and maybe of fearful delight for aliens and other life forms. So
the military came, then ordinary people, and they keep coming.
The end of WWII signals the beginning of the cold war. The initial
“success” of the atomic bomb was a cause to rejoice, then it becomes a scare,
then a power tool. Hence, the country’s fixation for further development of
more advanced military power and equipment. But many other countries are doing
it too, each one capable of, God forbid, starting a nuclear holocaust. So there
will be no WWIII because humanity knows it will destroy the planet and every
life in it.
Today Las Vegas is a huge magnet that draws tourists in. On a clear day, you see
them coming in planeloads. I tell you it’s busy up there, the smoke trails stitch the skies. But there are no more military tests, no more UFO
yarns, only loads of entertainment and fun. It’s a city of light and more; of
abundance and indulgence; of extravagance and reckless abandon. Yes it empties
your pockets but you go home full of magical spells and excitement only Las
Vegas can offer.
They say it’s a city to die for. And if you haven’t been to Vegas, you haven’t
lived at all…. ============================================================================================================= guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru ============================================================================================================= An alternative way to travel or part of your travel itinerary is joining a workcamp from a few days to three weeks depending on the project duration and description. It’s a fun way to know a place and it’s people (anywhere in the world) and it doesn’t cost much. For workcamps in the USA contact VFP. Book a cheap flight to Las Vegas and remember to always travel light.
It rained, hailed, then the sun came back, by nightfall, the
temperature dropped. In the morning the San Gabriel Mountains were clothed in white
as snow fell during the night.
La Crescenta-Montrose is a Census Designated Place (CDP). It
is neither part of a city nor municipality but belonged to the greater Los
Angeles county. It is a suburban geographic area high up the mountains located just 30 minutes away from
downtown Los Angeles. It borders posh La Canada and surrounded by the more
famous neighboring cities of Glendale and Pasadena. In this predominantly white neighborhood, it is interesting to note that there are a distinct population of Armenians, South Koreans, Filipinos and Persians.
There are a number of accessible public parks, the nearest being
Dunsmore and Two Strikes, and my favorite Crescenta Valley Park where you run
on grassy footpaths, plus hiking trails through the woods. It was originally
called Hindenburg Park in honor of President Paul von Hindenburg of
Germany.
A
not to miss place is Old Town Montrose, the center of local commerce and trade where you can buy
locally produced fresh fruits and vegetables. On sunny afternoons, the place is
ideal for walking along its shady tree-lined streets where shops, stores
and outside dining abound.
As I wrote this article, snow was falling again. It’s cold
outside. But I was warm inside, intoxicated by the aroma I only know so well - hot coffee was brewing.... ============================================================================================================= guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru ============================================================================================================= An alternative way to travel or part of your travel itinerary is joining a workcamp from a few days to three weeks depending on the project duration and description. It’s a fun way to know a place and it’s people (anywhere in the world) and it doesn’t cost much. For workcamps in the USA contact VFP. Book a cheap flight to Los Angeles, California and remember to always travel light.
Santa Monica is a city kissed by a section of the Pacific
Ocean coastline. People flock there on weekends for a host of beach activities,
swimming, surfing, volleyball, group exercise, and what not. There’s good vibes
there all the time.
Santa Monica is also a pier with famous landmarks: a 1916
carousel and ferris wheel. Hook and line fishers line the edge of its timber
platforms while tourists stroll, stopping once in a while to check on
restaurants and novelty shops.
Santa Monica is also a beach. The sea beckons swimmers, but
at times it’s cold, cold enough to steer you away from the water. Only surfers
defy the cold by donning on thick wetsuits, and warmed by the promise of a
splash of stokes.
When I entered the parking lot, I noticed two things: The
cars were parked slanted in my direction, and two men looked my way with
a funny look on their faces. I was in the wrong entrance! Back at home, I
noticed a ticket wedged between the wiper and windshield – a ticket citation.
It stated that I did not pay the attendant, but I did. I sent a contest letter
right away with a very brief explanation of my visit, along with the ticket,
and payment receipt enclosed.
There was nothing unusual about my brief stay to raise
suspicion, much less be issued a ticket citation. But I reckon this to be a way
of reminding people to be always vigilant, and to know their rights, and to
exercise it when needed. In this paperless age, this practice keeps the postal
office alive. To facilitate postal mails, the mailbox has a red flag on one
side you can raise to alert the postman. If proper postage is placed on the
envelope, the addressee will get it.
The experience has taught me three things: 1. to always
reply soonest if the government says so, 2. to always observe the way cars are
parked, and 3. to always keep tickets and receipts. But this is minor compared
to the many thousand things Santa Monica can offer to delight visitors like you
and me, so back to the wonders of Santa Monica.
I was closely watching a motley group doing yoga, squatting
on the sand with eyes closed. There were other groups scattered in the vast open
brown sandy shores. After the session, the trainer beckoned me to come. I
approached. "Join us next time. Are you a trainer?" He asked. "No." I replied, delighted at the
compliment. He summed up briefly the regular activities sanctioned by the city
to rev up visitor traffic. It’s such a welcoming place and absolutely worth the
visit. "Come back soon." He said. "Yes!" I replied, "Absolutely!" ============================================================================================================= guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru guru ============================================================================================================= An alternative way to travel or part of your travel itinerary is joining a workcamp from a few days to three weeks depending on the project duration and description. It’s a fun way to know a place and it’s people (anywhere in the world) and it doesn’t cost much. For workcamps in the USA contact VFP. Book a cheap flight to Los Angeles, California and remember to always travel light.
