Archive for September, 2010

September30

Observations from a San Diego Boardwalk

By: JoAnna

Observations from a San Diego BoardwalkThe smell of deep-fried funnel cake hangs in the breeze. The click-clack-click-clack in the distance is followed by a moment of silence and then a chorus of shrieks as a roller coaster screams down its first drop.

Belmont Park Boardwalk in San Diego is not unlike other boardwalks in the United States. I could be in Virginia Beach or on Coney Island. Dozens of t-shirts hang from a nearby stand with varying designs advertising the city. One that says “I heart San Diego” could just as easily say “I heart San Francisco.” Hanging among the shirts, a sign: Buy 2, Get 1 Free.

Carnival games are lined up, side by side by side. Bongo Beat invites players to wallop plastic critters as they pop out of play drums. Win a colorful, animated stuffed animal at One in Wins with only a single successful ball through the basketball hoop.

Red and yellow and blue light bulbs outline each ride and structure. Lit up at night, the round bulbs are dull and reminiscent of decades past during the day.

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Posted in: Contemplation2 comments

September27

Tips for Obtaining a Visa for Vietnam

By: JoAnna

Tips for Obtaining a Visa for VietnamI recently went through my first visa application process, and it was, unfortunately, not as simple or stress-free as I had imagined. Because my trip to Vietnam was planned for the end of August, I knew I had enough time to apply for and get the visa I needed at the beginning of June.

I started the process by visiting the website for the Embassy of Vietnam in the United States. Their consular services section about visas is a bit confusing to navigate, and, it turns out, hasn’t been updated in years. I followed the directions on the website and sent in what was supposedly being requested. After two weeks of panicking because my passport still hadn’t been returned to me (in my mind, being held hostage), I called the embassy to discover they needed yet more information. I wonder how long they were going to hold onto my passport before reaching out to me.

If you need to apply for a Vietnam visa, my first word of advice is not to take my advice as gospel. Definitely read through the Vietnam embassy’s entire website for yourself and call the embassy for clarification and questions. I repeat: Do not rely on this post for the end-all, be-all source of information on how U.S. citizens need to obtain a visa for entry into Vietnam. That said, here are my tips and suggestions to help make the process easier:

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Posted in: Resources11 comments

September23

Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort | St. Thomas

By: JoAnna

Frenchmans Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort | St. ThomasI checked into the Frenchman’s Reef and Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands just after noon on a Friday, and the hotel was bustling with people heading out for afternoon excursions or just coming back from a morning on the beach.

Skin was pink and glowing. Women carried oversized beach bags and their husbands dressed in Hawaiian-inspired garb. (What is it about the Caribbean and button-up shirts with big floral prints?)

It made me happy to see everyone else so happy — exactly what I needed after 14 long and exhausting hours of flying. As a guest of the Marriott during this year’s Blog Paradise, my job was simply to relax and enjoy the few days I had on St. Thomas.

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Posted in: Stay5 comments

September20

What Defines a Culture?

By: JoAnna

What Defines a Culture?On a recent trip to Jamaica, I found myself annoyed when the group I was with stopped at the local Margaritaville to get a taste of the “real” Jamaica. The beach was packed with beach chairs and cluttered with tourists who shelled out bundles of cash for slushy alcoholic drinks in plastic cups and strings of beads being sold by local hawkers.

I looked up and down the beach. Resorts lined the beach as far as I could see. Buildings that were several stories high faded into pools faded into beach bars faded into beach and then into the ocean.

After our stop at Margaritaville, we made our way to a tour operator that offered an array of activities, which included zip lining, horseback riding, quad tours and dog sledding. Though I enjoyed our dog sledding excursion, I pondered the absurdity of the experience. I could have been in any place in the world doing the exact same thing.

As we drove back to our own resort, I looked out the window at the passing homes and storefronts. People spilled out of the open-air bars and sat on the steps of the small shops.

That’s where I wanted to be: In the “real” Jamaica. I wanted the authentic experience.

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Posted in: Contemplation23 comments

September16

6 Questions with Zoe Zolbrod, Author of Currency

By: JoAnna

6 Questions with Zoe Zolbrod, Author of CurrencyI recently finished reading Currency, a novel about a Thai man and 20-something American woman who get tied up in an exotic animal smuggling ring. It’s been awhile since I read a novel for fun, but I was given a copy of this book and the cover intrigued me (though it’s not particularly relevant to the story), so I dug right in.

In the story, the Thai man (named Piv) and American backpacker, Robin, are intimately involved and, for the most part, devoted to each other. But Robin, being the starry-eyed backpacker that she is, runs out of money and has to leave the country because her visa is about to expire, but schemes with Piv about ways the two of them can continue to live the dream of traveling the world. Doing that requires money, which is where the animal smuggling comes in.

The chapters in Currency alternate between Piv’s voice and Robin’s point of view. I found the chapters told by Piv to be a bit jarring and awkward to read, and though the book started out a bit slow, I couldn’t put it down by the time I reached the end. The concept of smuggling terrifies and grips me, and the story contained in Currency was no exception.

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Posted in: Personalities, Reading2 comments

September13

Visiting Hubbell Trading Post

By: JoAnna

Visiting Hubbell Trading PostIn the 1870s, John Lorenzo Hubbell established a trading post in the Arizona desert that provided a place where the local native people could get together for business transactions and cultivated relationships that have carried generations into the future.

Hubbell Trading Post was a vital part of the Northern Arizona economy, and Hubbell played an important role in the community that is felt even today. In its heyday, the trading post saw hundreds of people come and go. Women would stay on the grounds, weaving and creating goods to trade and sell. Men would stock up on supplies for their families and pick up the latest news from their neighbors.

Hubbell had a sincere interest in fostering the relationships between these people, and he was often asked to serve as mediator, guidance counselor, teacher and liaison with the outside world. He made it a point to respect and honor the traditions, religions and history of the local people. Instead of preaching his own beliefs, he was open-minded and sought to understand. In addition, Hubbell collected baskets created by members of the local tribes and amassed what is now one of the largest collections of Native American artwork.

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Posted in: Do, Go3 comments

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