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Visiting Bangalore is almost as pleasurable as eating in Bangalore, but when you’re trying something new, and the spices hit you for the first time as being exactly just right for this moment right now, there’s nothing else in the world.  Memory is strange, and immensely fascinating, but there’s something peculiar about food and what it does to the senses.  The taste buds are connected to the olfactory centers, and this is related to memory in a very profound way.  When you are tasting something wonderful for the first time, it does something to the memory itself, and creates something new in your mind.  Making memories is intimately connected to the sense of taste then, and you can make as many memories as you like at the wonderful Bangalore restaurants.

Proust wrote most articulately about memory, and particularly this notion, of taste and smell being connected, but I can never remember exactly what he said, or where he said it.  It was not in Bangalore, but today, this is a spectacular place to visit, and offers enormous variety for the chowhound.  There are plenty of wonderful options on every menu, and it’s possible to taste brand new dishes every single day.  When you’re on vacation, it’s a pleasure to eat comfort foods for sure, but it’s also lovely to try out something that will open up the senses.

It’s difficult to find foods cooked in the Shree Vaishanava tradition these days, but their memory still lingers very clearly in the minds of some of the local population.  This is a branch of Hindu philosophy that was an all-encompassing tradition, and its foods are remembered in the way of Proust in a collection of recipes by Sampath Iyengar.  This is cooking with a great capacity for joy, honoring the sacred capacities of preparing food together as a spiritual observance, and as such, it is a splendid book about a past that is dissolving.

Often times the soul of a person or a culture is expressed through dance, and this is true in the traditional Hula dance of Hawaii.  This is a dance for both women and men, and has been throughout history and legend.  There are many Polynesian traditional dances, but as one will see through Oahu or Kauai travel, the Hula is special and quite different from all of them.  The history of the dance lies within the ceremonial and the religious, and evolved over time to become one the most widely recognized form of Hawaiian entertainment.

However, it is still quite ceremonial, as each movement of the body of the dancer, each flip and twist of the hand has specific and symbolic meaning.  Some may refer to animals or plants, or elements of society such as war.  For the Hula dancer, if their movements are that of a shark, the dancer is believing that he or she is the shark, contains the spirit of the shark within them.  Kauai travel packages offer suggestions on the best places to catch a glimpse of this tremendous experience.

When you find the perfect performance you will hear chanting, this is the story that accompanies the movements of the dancers.  Many years ago it was these chanted words that counted more that the movements of the body, however many today do not understand the traditional native language, and so more emphasis has been places on the gestures of the hands and the body.  And the costumes…oh the costumes.  Leis are place around the neck and head.  The skirt, or pau, is made out of the grass Tapa, and the ankles jewelry is made from either the bones of a whale or the teeth of a dog.

In history, the classes in hula were extremely strict as this was a religious ceremony.  Many restrictions were placed on the dancers, even when they were not in the classroom.  Now, those restrictions have eased up a bit, and many take class as a form of exercise and a way to have fun.  Many discounts to the island are available through such offers as Oahu vacation packages, so book a trip, take a hula dance class, and enjoy the islands of Hawaii.

The New Orleans Saints are the professional football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are one of two major iconic factors of the city, other one being the annual celebration of Mardi Gras. And while these are two of the main aspects of the city that are recognized around the country and even the world they are not the only offerings New Orleans has to share. The Saints, however, one of their own pride and joys. And while many of the guests who stay in one of the New Orleans luxury hotels are there specifically to enjoy the Mardi Gras parades and festival, the Superdome is full of supportive Saints fans.

The Saints and the Superdome itself were the focus of national attention during the 2006 home opener. This sold out game marked the Saints’ return to the Superdome after the horrific damage it suffered during the Hurricane Katrina. This game was also nationally televised and the Saints beat their opponents the Atlanta Falcon’s by a score of 23 to 3. The following year, in 2007, this spectacular event received official recognition by ESPY as one of the best moments in sports. That season they also reached the NFC Championship Game, though they ended up losing to the Chicago Bears.

The team was founded as an expansion team in 1967 and they had a slow time gaining wining seasons and critical recognition. Finally in 2000 they defeated the St. Louis Rams, who were at the time the defending Super Bowl Champions, and earned the Saints their first playoff win. The team has a strong local support base and the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame was established to encourage continued enthusiasm and sponsorship. It is intended to preserve the history of the franchise and notable memorabilia for generations of loyal fans.

In 1796 Tennessee became a state of the Union. At that time, Knoxville became the Capital of Tennessee and remained so until 1819. Knoxville is the second largest city in the state, with Nashville claiming first place. Interestingly, Knoxville has a couple nicknames. Because of the numerous marble quarries in the area, it gained the nickname of, what else, The Marble City. There are several beautiful buildings in the city that were constructed from this marble. Textile and clothing mills were a big boon for the city’s economic base and soon earned the nickname The Underwear Capital. However, in the 1950’s, the mills started closing, jobs were lost and people moved away, seeking employment in other cities and states. This city had its share of ups and downs with the economy but the city fathers persevered and moved the city forward, always keeping their eyes focused on the future.

In 1982, Knoxville hosted the World’s Fair, which has been deemed one of the best ever. Calculations tally over 11 million visitors in attendance. This certainly helped the economy and brought Knoxville to the front of interesting places to visit. With extensive renovations throughout the city, major cleaning, clearing and planting, Knoxville has come into its own. There is plenty of history here, especially related to the Civil War. With many museums, art galleries, shopping, theatres, amusement areas and fabulous restaurants there is much to delight and entertain visitors of all ages.

The hotels Knoxville offers are also centered on visitors and feature the finest in amenities; polite, knowledgeable staff to assist and cater to guests, making sure their stay is comfortable and restful. You can also dine in elegance at the hotel restaurants, or head out to other fine establishments and take in some local nightlife. Enjoy the music and dancing, mingle with others. There is much to see and do in and around Knoxville. Do not overlook this southern city; this could be your next vacation destination.

Humayun’s Tomb is by far one of the most visited places in Delhi. Best hotels are not to far away from this beautiful sight. This tomb is actually a complex of many buildings that the Mughal Emperor Humayun built for his wife the lovely Hamida Banu Begum in 1562 CE. It was designed by a Persian architect Mirak Mirza Ghiyath. It was the first tomb built on the Indian subcontinent and is near the Dina-panah citadel many know as Purana Qila. This was a structure of a few firsts. It was the first building to use red sandstone in such large amounts. It was also a start of having burials in gardens for this area. It is seen as a true change from the more modest mousoleum of previous Emperors.

The building includes the main tomb with the Emperor Humayun and his wife and also Dara Shikoh. Dara is the son of a Emperor Shah Jahan a later Emperor. There is also many other Emperor’s and notables such as Emperoer Jahandar Shah, Farrukhsiyar, Rafi Ul-Darjat, Rafi Ud-Daulat and Alamgir II. The site was built  on the banks of the Yamuna River because it is closer to the Nizamuddin Dargah, the mausoleum created for the Sufi Saint of Delhi. The Sufi Saint was admired by rulers of Delhi whose homes area built just north east of the tomb. One story told about the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar is that he hide in the tomb during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 with three princes but was captured by Captian Hodson and then exiled to Rangoon.

The building has such a blend of simple arch ways and ornated detail. It seems so soft with the red sandstone giving a more pink tranquility. It is almost feminine in nature and reminds me of resting the a mothers comforting arms. It is no wonder the appeal it’s dynastic memorial for so many generations of the Mughal royal family and nobility. It is the top of many “must see” lists when visiting Delhi.

Intention, ideology and insight are the three elements that are crucial for brand strategy. These are key elements that Next Day Blinds focus on every day.  Insight involves knowing what your customers need and want, and the ability to predict the trends.  By understanding the motivations of the consumer a company will have a leg up on the competition.  There are many options, many choices for consumers theses days, from retail stores to shopping on the Internet, and companies are doing more now than ever before in finding ways to meet customer demands, and retain their business.

Many companies, such as Next Day Blinds, hold brain storming meetings to facilitate new ideas and to ensure that their brands will remain the recognized brands, that their target audience is well defined.  Without these meetings they would find it necessary to simply guess what it is the people want.  The ideology core, is the purpose of the company.  This involves reviewing the values of operation and what the long term goals are, the future of certain products, and the future of the growth of the company.

This involves not only new product development, but customer service as well.  At www.NextDayBlinds.com, issues should they occur are handled efficiently and often result in even more of a customer loyalty.  These are all opportunities to guarantee that continued loyalty.  The ideology of a company affects directly the strategies a company employs.  If the ideology is not reflected, this will create a disconnect and a conflict, when the brands do not deliver what they are intended to deliver.

The purpose and the values of a company are reflected in the ways in which their products really perform.  If a cell phone company advertises a great new phone, but the phone has continued problems, breaks down frequently, the company will be seen as not sticking to their promises, and customers will begin to go elsewhere.  When the insights of a company are on target and the ideology is thoroughly recognized a company can then begin to really pay attention, to their intentions.  This involves tremendous focus on the goals, on what is relevant and what is meaningful.  These components in a world that is driven by choices, and consumers evaluating those choices, a company will not lose out to the competition.

There’s something very appealing about getting away to a big city that’s known as the most isolated large city in the world.  Perth has everything you’d ever want in a city: a lively urban culture, a sense of history, access to magnificent beaches, plus, it’s the most isolated large city in the world.  So even if you’re in the middle of things, you can still have at least an imaginary sense of solitude.  For all of that, however, Perth is also an extremely cosmopolitan place.  It reflects all the cultures that pass through here or live here, including the indigenous population, which has been in this part of the world for 40,000 years.

For diversity, it has many different immigrant populations, from all over the world, and for hotels, Perth specializes in the Australian brand of hospitality.  Which is to say, it’s very warm and very friendly, and it’s also one of the most livable cities on the planet, according to more than one reliable source.  Perth is an amazing place to get away from what you’re familiar with, and discover new ideas in a fantastic city.  There truly is something for everyone here, including fantastic day trips, and a night life that ranges from the pedestrian to the underground and wilder sides of Perth.

There are also plenty of the usual attractions one would expect in a large city, and one of these not to miss is the Art Gallery of Western Australia.  This has been here since 1895, and is one of the most established in the region.  There is a splendid permanent collection, and wonderful new exhibitions by contemporary artists from the region, country, area, and world at large.  There is a concentrated focus here on indigenous art, as well as Oceanic art in general, and is a fantastic place to get introduced to the area.

We went to Huntsville, AL for Halloween this year and we all had a good time. We live in a rural area about two hours from Huntsville and there really isn’t a lot for the children to do on Halloween. So with the holiday falling on a Saturday this year we were able to pull off the trip with minimal schedule disruption, no school missed and pretty inexpensive since we will be staying over night. Our room was booked at a Huntsville hotels near the Huntsville Botanical Gardens.

The botanical gardens were having their annual Scarecrow Trail fall event. It was amazing to see 100 scarecrows made out of all kinds of materials and objects. Some of them were down right amazing. All types of fruits, vegetables, leaves, straw, grape vine, flowers, sticks, brooms and so much more stuff was creatively combined to create the Scarecrow Trail. The children enjoyed this a lot more than I anticipated they would. In the afternoon we found a haunted house to take the children to they had never been to one and have been asking. It was a really scary one and all the kids got a really big scare it was very funny to watch as they went from tough and brave to very, very scared. It was another very good time.

After the haunted house tour we got everyone something to eat and then got them to settle down for a little while before getting their costumes on for the night.

We saw an ad for a neighborhood Halloween block party that didn’t seem like it was too far from the hotel. Not really knowing the city we were not comfortable to just take the children out trick or treating. We were grateful we saw the as. The party was great with a ton of activities for all of us. The children were able to trick or treat for candy and I bobbed for apples, that was a good laugh for us all.

It was a fun time and maybe we will do it again next year, with Halloween on Sunday I bet most of these events will be held on Saturday.

Aunt Viva had decided that she was going to install a hot tub in the backyard of her comfortable town home. She was a relatively modest woman and has continually made improvements and upgrades to her home since she purchased it six years ago. After reading some literature about the potential health benefits of hot tubs and their stress relieving potentials she decided that having one at her home would be perfect for her. Aunt Viva works as an emergency room nurse and her job can be extremely chaotic and stressful and she always has long hours and unpredictable schedules.

She loves her job and would not dream of quitting or changing careers. However, due to the demanding nature of it, she has always considered her home to be her personal sanctuary and she decorates it using peaceful and harmonizing colors and themes. When she decided to purchase a hot tub she contacted choosehottubsdirect.com and received quality information on models and accessories that may be suitable for her space and her needs.

After further investigation into all the features and additional options that are available for most hot tub models Aunt Viva decided that she would redesign her small backyard and turn it into a variation of a Japanese tea garden. She would then have the hot tub enclosed by bamboo in one corner area. She also wanted a little pond installed and a space for mediation and yoga. She chose lighting features that would enhance a meditative atmosphere and will play soothing sounds and music on the stereo system. In addition she found aromatherapy scents that are designed for hot tub use and will have those available as well. Aunt Viva could not be happier or more excited about her intentions and hardly wait to have her tub installed and her yard overhauled. She is sure that this will be the perfect answer to stress relief and relaxation after a crazy sixteen hour shift in the emergency room.

Starting today, Betty is going to be writing the travel blogs, I need to take a break and load up all the photos I’ve been taking. She is refusing to do so because she only knows how to hunt and peck on the keyboard. Well, it’s not really her fault, she was born too early. All this computer stuff is just to much for her. But, I told her it’s never to late to learn, to get with it and stop acting old. I’ll do my best to edit her work and make sure our travelling expeditions make sense, but I bet she’ll be extra careful. One more thing, She made the same mistake I did when we she came to Goa, she thought it was one beach rather than a state in India. Ha!  When she arrived here, she called me up at the Goa beach hotel where I was staying and told me to come and pick her up. To make this a little bit more clear about what she was requesting of me is like when someone calls you in Portland and say to you to come pick them up in Oregon! So, this next part is from Betty, enjoy.

Back to Goa…

Joining up with Julie again was a good reason to come to Goa. Not because of the beaches, the bars and all the parties, well, maybe for the parties. Unfortunately, I had two problems. One was that the season was ending and Goa was shutting down. Second, I lost all my luggage. Well not all, I did have my carry-on, which I’m very thankful, because it has all my medications. Julie found me waiting at a bar in this small Vagator with a bottle of whiskey and a skateboard (Doesn’t sound like me does it, but I let loose when I travel abroad, I think everyone should). So, for the next few days, I simple relaxed, or what the kids say: chill-out while I waited for the airlines to find my luggage. Oh yes, in case you ever come to Goa and you happen to rent a scooter, make sure you ALWAYS have the headlights on, even in the day time. There’s nothing more freaky to Indians than two white females on a scooter with their lights on, now having six children and a rooster is normal.