Itune has a neat feature, where bloggers can list the songs on their playlist on blogs in an attractive way.
Unfortunately, you will not be able to hear a sample of the songs. If you have iTune, you will be redirected to your iTune Store.
It's a clever viral marketing strategy to encourage visitors to download iTune songs.
You can see a sample iMix at the bottom of this webpage.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Saturday, January 13, 2007
The Much Anticipated Glovers Atoll "Resort" Review
The word "Resort" can not describe the true experience of the Glovers Atoll Resort.
Please do not go if you are looking for pampering, service, or cleanliness.
Go, because you want a "Robinson Crusoe" experience, you enjoy the feeling of insignificance and isolation, you marvel at the incredible beauty of a World Heritage Site and want to soak it in from a "traveler's" perspective, you want world class diving without the price tag, or you are a seasoned and independent traveler who has no concept of time.
A week on the atoll is actually a long time, believe me.
The Glovers Atoll Resort is a mystery on the Internet. So many people stumble upon their website and search for reviews, but there aren't any that ranks particularly high on the search engine results. You need to dig deep to find genuine reviews. I guess that's why I am doing this.
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Some Do's and Don'ts...
1) Don't stay at the Glovers Atoll Guest House at Sittee River before departure. It's cheap, but not cheap enough for the condition it is in, especially considering that Sittee Toucan is right next door. It's a little more expensive, but you don't have to fight off the mosquitoes at night or swallow the horrible yet over priced breakfast.
I stayed at Tipple Tree Beya at Hopkins Village. It's a 10 minute bicycle ride to Sittee River. It was perfect! The Watering Hole is right across the street. You can sit outside and chat with the locals on fishing, diving, village life while you wait for delicious yet inexpensive food.
2) Do bring your own food, especially in the off-season. If you don't remember a thing from this review, do remember this one. Whether you choose to stay in the cabanas, dorm rooms or campsites, bring your own food. I bought mine from a market in Hopkins village; it had everything you will ever need on the atoll. Buy canned, pickled, or packaged foods, avoid anything fresh. It will go bad in hours. Buy water. You will thank me.
As far as cooking goes, this is what Glover's Atoll provides you to cook. They don't clean it, so it's up to you. Clean it with Clorox (provided) before you use it, you will thank me for that too.
3) Don't be ambitious like me! I wanted to camp. This is a bad idea during the pre-rainy or rainy season. The campsite is tucked in the treed portion of the atoll. Mosquitoes are rampant, and you won't survive. For your own sanity, pay for the cabana. It will make your stay much more pleasant.
4) Do bring Benedryl. Your worst enemy is the sand flies. They hide in your towels, clothes, shorts, t-shifts, and end up on your bed. You will be covered in tiny red bumps. Benedryl takes away the itch. Nothing I brought in my backpack worked, and the local "marijuana" remedy did not deter the buggers either. There is no need to worry about prevention, just bring Benedryl to deal with the aftermath.
5) Do bring a travel size board game or some type of entertainment. I swam, dived, snorkeled, star-gazed, played with hermit crabs, tortured cockroaches and kayaked all day, yet there were always a few hours a day when I was bored.
6) Don't go if you can't share your cabana, dorm, campsite or your bed with cockroaches. Every night around 8 pm, a few hours after sunset, they come out and play. I tried flicking them into the sea, but they just swam back and jump into my bed again.
7) Don't count on anything on the Glover's Atoll website. We were three hours behind the departure time. The owners ran out of water on the second day; hence, bring water. The bread never came until the fourth day, and it was given to us by the real resort on the adjacent atoll. The fresh fish was unreliable, as Warren, the owner's son , seems like the sole provider of fish for the travelers.
8) Don't rent the kayak for the week. Rent it on a daily basis. I rented mine for the week, and sometimes for days, it was sitting ashore. The best snorkeling point is a quick swim away, so there is actually no need for the kayak. If you want to venture into vast lagoon to check out the sandbars and reef points, just rent the kayak as you need it.
9) Do bring toilet paper. They ran out, and luckily, I brought my own :)
10) Do close the cabana doors and windows at night. Thunderstorms can roll in unexpectedly.
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Some Unpleasant Memories....
1) Starving for a couple of days after I ran out of food. The Lomonts had food in the club house, but it honestly didn't look good. I can stomach a lot of things, but this was bad.
2) Running out of water and drinking what the Lomonts said was collected rain water. I've lived off rain water before in my other travels, but whatever this was, it was not rain water. I was charged for this too!
3) Becky, one of the owners, finally arrived on day four with the catamaran. The guests waited anxiously for some bread. Then it hit us....Becky was drunk, partying on the catamaran with her friends, and she forgot both the water and bread.
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Some Unforgettable Memories...
1) Feeling the much needed tropical breeze while eating fresh barracuda and tuna caught in the morning...
2) Snorkeling for hours and hours and hours in total peacefulness...
3) Chasing after sting rays on my second dive, feeling their rubbery texture on my figure tips, and watching their shadows as they disappear into the distance...
4) Sitting in the cabana by the doors, and just staring into the nothingness, while the absorbing the sweet scent of the tropical breeze...
5) The sulfuric smell of the rustic shower in the jungle...
6) Being afraid of tiny jelly fish...more so than of nurse sharks...
7) The glow worms that flash blue in the lagoon at night...gosh...that was amazing...
8) Shivering in my bed when the thunder shook the cabana. It came with such force that I thought it was going to fall...
9) Talking to the teacher from Ohio who was on her fourth week at the atoll. She was going a little mad from the isolation, but still remained charming.
10) Watching the Lomonts. For a week, you are allowed into their lives. Don't judge them too harshly.
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Go to Glover's Atoll Resort. It's an experience. While you are there, the sheer isolation will drive you to think of creative ways to get off the atoll. After you leave, you will die to go back again.
Thank you!
In the long run, I am horrible at keeping in touch with those who matter to me.
This is primarily due to my belief that friendship comes without conditions, which include the condition of "keeping in touch". We can all come and go freely, and I don't want to hinder anyone's wish to leave and live his/her life. Vise versa, if our friendship were true, then you should not be bothered by my silence.
With that said, I understand it is unorthodox and perhaps a little cold.
So, I just want to say that you still inspire me and are with me through every decision. Here are some things unsaid...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To my cousin, I am sorry I haven't attempted any genuine communication in years. I still have the last letter you sent; it's tucked away somewhere safe. Some nights, I think of the mountains we climbed, sitting atop looking at the winding rivers and valley below. At any sight of natural beauty, anywhere in the world, I imagine you with me.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Tom Magnussen, what can I say, it was a wonderful year full of memories.
The nightly roadtrip we did to Seattle, Knight and Day in North Vancouver, and Squamish.
Trying to nail Kevin for the money he stole from both our rooms. The ATM picture was priceless. You praying to God that I would live when I was near death.
I never wanted to admit it, but the night you went to Squamish by yourself, I was terribly jealous!
Your Ikea coffee table is still in my living room.
I called your mom again after you returned to Japan, but I moved numerous times afterwards. So, you probably can't find me. Maybe when life slows down a bit, I will look you up.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Mutsue, if I could choose a sister, it would be you! Oh my god, where do I begin?
Camping and hiking along the Oregon and California coast was interesting! We nearly fell off the cliff and died, but it would have been worth it. Next time, we will leave Mika behind. She is too fragile.
The Kelowna, Jasper, Banff and Columbia Icefield Parkway trip was even more interesting. The hikes were amazing, Athabasca Falls, Revelstoke, Lake Louise, the vineyards, sneaking into campsites to use the showers, me fighting with Hideo in Kelowna, the four of us sleeping in a 2 person tent, and waking up freezing cold in Jasper.
The Vancouver Island / Tofino trip was too short. The car we rented was a piece of crap, and I am sorry I took the wrong turn and ended up going in the wrong direction for 2 hours.
The weekly Lighthouse park hikes with you and Ken. I tried going back there after you left, it just wasn't the same.
The nightly singing and drinking parties at our place. We put our roommates through hell.
I would choose you to travel the world with!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Hideo, I am sorry for fighting with you in Kelowna. The important thing is we made up! Thank you for grabing the flaming tree branch to light my cigarette. That was a sweet gesture. I still tell people about you and I sleeping in the elements in the middle of nowhere, with no sleeping bags, blankets, or a tent. I hope you enjoyed that experience.
Oh, and you are great at parking a truck and the most incredible softball player on our team!
You emailed me so long ago, but my email address changed, and I don't know how to reach you again.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Leon, yikes....
What can I say, I am so sorry. I was young, immature, and didn't understand what you wanted. You did everything right, and I did everything wrong.
Thank you for coming with me to Northern BC and trusting me enough to drive in the hail and total darkness :)
After hurting you, I decided that I couldn't do the same to anyone else. Thank god I learnt this young.
If I see you again, I would still be too embarrassed at myself to say Hello.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Jaime, I miss you.
We've known each other for nine years. I've said everything I wanted to say to you.
Those daily nine, ten hour phone conversations kept me sane during a difficult time. I cost you a fortune. It must have been difficult to be doing medical school and cattering to my whims at the same time.
If we were good at one thing, it was discussing things in life that don't really matter to most people.
I should have taken the trip to New York when I had the chance. It's too late now. But, I carry you in my spirit.
I'll email you after I come back from my February trip, like I promised.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Kay, you bug me too much about seeing you and keeping in touch! Now that you are in Trail, I have a good excuse!
My mom loves you to death, and that's rare. She must see a bit of herself in you....the good bit of course. She still wants to adopt you.
We pretty much grew up together...losing our hair over the IB program in school, those 4:30am drives to UBC, experimentation in cooking exotic foods, going to SFU together, going through anxiety issues during exam time, stealing bags and bags full of pop bottles from the softball team, our painting business in high school, the charity we co-founded, your wedding, your son...
You brought extra lunch for me in school, and that was very motherly. You've always called me a "wandering soul", and that term has never left me.
I will email you with the update of my trip in February!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Andy, I am not sure why we lost touch.
After I met my fiance, you sort of disappeared. Perhaps it was my fault, but I don't remember.
We tried, it was weird, but we tried. It was by far the shortest relationship I've ever had - whole 16 hours. We were much better as friends.
I haven't returned to Salmon House since, but I want to go back. The view of the city was amazing, and the dessert didn't hurt either.
I always felt that I was your therapist, maybe that's why it would have never worked out. You and I in the mist on Burnaby Mountain at 3 o'clock in the morning is etched in my mind. I've never given such a long therapy session before. The sleepover at your place downtown was odd, but thanks for teaching me MahJong with such patience.
Someone told me that you were hurt after I met my fiance. You should have known it wouldn't have make a difference. You should have stayed, and I would have loved your friendship.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Chris, the fatherly advices were getting to me, and that's why I never called you back. I realize now that you just cared.
Running into you at BCIT was nice. You left your number, but I never called. Sorry!
You were kind of an odd ball, but we shared good experiences! Thanks for hiking and climbing with me, playing tennis when I lost my partner, bring me that bottle of Crown Royale for my birthday, and making me Sushi at Kishapopo.
I think in a lot of ways, I was too young then to see that you wanted the best for me.
Still! Your constant pestering was threatening my freedom. Today, I might have reacted more tactfully.
If I see you at BCIT again, I will say Hello.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, to Rob MacKenzie, we travelled and still do travel the world together...
Getting sick in Mozambique for two days after eating the crabs was horrifying, but you held my hair back every single time I vomitted. The 3 day fever I had on the train in Russia, the slipped disc I had after falling off the horse in Mongolia, the twisted ankle I had after tripping on the way down to Lake Titicaca, the freaky diving accident on Roatan, Honduras that knocked me unconcious....I injured myself all over the world, and you didn't mind patching me up! Thank God you are a true expert survivalist!
I wish I could be with you now, but I am definitely coming in December for the Thailand trip. The ticket is already booked! I hope you like the quote I sent you about Macchu Picchu!
I never said this to you before, but thank you for never expecting anything more of me than someone to share unbelievable experiences with.
I will see you in February when you come back! We will go for better food this time.
This is primarily due to my belief that friendship comes without conditions, which include the condition of "keeping in touch". We can all come and go freely, and I don't want to hinder anyone's wish to leave and live his/her life. Vise versa, if our friendship were true, then you should not be bothered by my silence.
With that said, I understand it is unorthodox and perhaps a little cold.
So, I just want to say that you still inspire me and are with me through every decision. Here are some things unsaid...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To my cousin, I am sorry I haven't attempted any genuine communication in years. I still have the last letter you sent; it's tucked away somewhere safe. Some nights, I think of the mountains we climbed, sitting atop looking at the winding rivers and valley below. At any sight of natural beauty, anywhere in the world, I imagine you with me.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Tom Magnussen, what can I say, it was a wonderful year full of memories.
The nightly roadtrip we did to Seattle, Knight and Day in North Vancouver, and Squamish.
Trying to nail Kevin for the money he stole from both our rooms. The ATM picture was priceless. You praying to God that I would live when I was near death.
I never wanted to admit it, but the night you went to Squamish by yourself, I was terribly jealous!
Your Ikea coffee table is still in my living room.
I called your mom again after you returned to Japan, but I moved numerous times afterwards. So, you probably can't find me. Maybe when life slows down a bit, I will look you up.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Mutsue, if I could choose a sister, it would be you! Oh my god, where do I begin?
Camping and hiking along the Oregon and California coast was interesting! We nearly fell off the cliff and died, but it would have been worth it. Next time, we will leave Mika behind. She is too fragile.
The Kelowna, Jasper, Banff and Columbia Icefield Parkway trip was even more interesting. The hikes were amazing, Athabasca Falls, Revelstoke, Lake Louise, the vineyards, sneaking into campsites to use the showers, me fighting with Hideo in Kelowna, the four of us sleeping in a 2 person tent, and waking up freezing cold in Jasper.
The Vancouver Island / Tofino trip was too short. The car we rented was a piece of crap, and I am sorry I took the wrong turn and ended up going in the wrong direction for 2 hours.
The weekly Lighthouse park hikes with you and Ken. I tried going back there after you left, it just wasn't the same.
The nightly singing and drinking parties at our place. We put our roommates through hell.
I would choose you to travel the world with!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Hideo, I am sorry for fighting with you in Kelowna. The important thing is we made up! Thank you for grabing the flaming tree branch to light my cigarette. That was a sweet gesture. I still tell people about you and I sleeping in the elements in the middle of nowhere, with no sleeping bags, blankets, or a tent. I hope you enjoyed that experience.
Oh, and you are great at parking a truck and the most incredible softball player on our team!
You emailed me so long ago, but my email address changed, and I don't know how to reach you again.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Leon, yikes....
What can I say, I am so sorry. I was young, immature, and didn't understand what you wanted. You did everything right, and I did everything wrong.
Thank you for coming with me to Northern BC and trusting me enough to drive in the hail and total darkness :)
After hurting you, I decided that I couldn't do the same to anyone else. Thank god I learnt this young.
If I see you again, I would still be too embarrassed at myself to say Hello.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Jaime, I miss you.
We've known each other for nine years. I've said everything I wanted to say to you.
Those daily nine, ten hour phone conversations kept me sane during a difficult time. I cost you a fortune. It must have been difficult to be doing medical school and cattering to my whims at the same time.
If we were good at one thing, it was discussing things in life that don't really matter to most people.
I should have taken the trip to New York when I had the chance. It's too late now. But, I carry you in my spirit.
I'll email you after I come back from my February trip, like I promised.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Kay, you bug me too much about seeing you and keeping in touch! Now that you are in Trail, I have a good excuse!
My mom loves you to death, and that's rare. She must see a bit of herself in you....the good bit of course. She still wants to adopt you.
We pretty much grew up together...losing our hair over the IB program in school, those 4:30am drives to UBC, experimentation in cooking exotic foods, going to SFU together, going through anxiety issues during exam time, stealing bags and bags full of pop bottles from the softball team, our painting business in high school, the charity we co-founded, your wedding, your son...
You brought extra lunch for me in school, and that was very motherly. You've always called me a "wandering soul", and that term has never left me.
I will email you with the update of my trip in February!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Andy, I am not sure why we lost touch.
After I met my fiance, you sort of disappeared. Perhaps it was my fault, but I don't remember.
We tried, it was weird, but we tried. It was by far the shortest relationship I've ever had - whole 16 hours. We were much better as friends.
I haven't returned to Salmon House since, but I want to go back. The view of the city was amazing, and the dessert didn't hurt either.
I always felt that I was your therapist, maybe that's why it would have never worked out. You and I in the mist on Burnaby Mountain at 3 o'clock in the morning is etched in my mind. I've never given such a long therapy session before. The sleepover at your place downtown was odd, but thanks for teaching me MahJong with such patience.
Someone told me that you were hurt after I met my fiance. You should have known it wouldn't have make a difference. You should have stayed, and I would have loved your friendship.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Chris, the fatherly advices were getting to me, and that's why I never called you back. I realize now that you just cared.
Running into you at BCIT was nice. You left your number, but I never called. Sorry!
You were kind of an odd ball, but we shared good experiences! Thanks for hiking and climbing with me, playing tennis when I lost my partner, bring me that bottle of Crown Royale for my birthday, and making me Sushi at Kishapopo.
I think in a lot of ways, I was too young then to see that you wanted the best for me.
Still! Your constant pestering was threatening my freedom. Today, I might have reacted more tactfully.
If I see you at BCIT again, I will say Hello.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, to Rob MacKenzie, we travelled and still do travel the world together...
Getting sick in Mozambique for two days after eating the crabs was horrifying, but you held my hair back every single time I vomitted. The 3 day fever I had on the train in Russia, the slipped disc I had after falling off the horse in Mongolia, the twisted ankle I had after tripping on the way down to Lake Titicaca, the freaky diving accident on Roatan, Honduras that knocked me unconcious....I injured myself all over the world, and you didn't mind patching me up! Thank God you are a true expert survivalist!
I wish I could be with you now, but I am definitely coming in December for the Thailand trip. The ticket is already booked! I hope you like the quote I sent you about Macchu Picchu!
I never said this to you before, but thank you for never expecting anything more of me than someone to share unbelievable experiences with.
I will see you in February when you come back! We will go for better food this time.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Blank Stares
I get a lot of blank stares.
Lately, the number of blank stares is increasing at an exponential rate.
Case One
Room C206, Web Redesign Committee Meeting.....
I said : " Maybe we should reconsider paying an editor $70,000 to rewrite 70 course outlines. The reward of the expenditure does not outweigh the expenses. Radio spots cost less, reaches more targeted demographic audience. Why are we spending money on something that's highly inaccessible by students, especially when they are hidden on our website?"
Blank stares all around the room.....
Case Two
Cafeteria, Conversation with a few students.....
I said: "We send enough material aids to Africa. The problem is North American and European businesses would love nothing more than for Africa to remain impoverished. It has endless natural resources. By keeping the people poor and uneducated, we have enslaved them. It's a self-serving strategy."
Students said: "................" and blank stares all around.....
Case Three
Cafeteria, Conversation with a few students.....
I said : " I plan to adopt a girl from China after having a child of my own...."
Students said :"................" and blank stares all around.....
I am on a roll today. Maybe I am the one who is not making sense.
Lately, the number of blank stares is increasing at an exponential rate.
Case One
Room C206, Web Redesign Committee Meeting.....
I said : " Maybe we should reconsider paying an editor $70,000 to rewrite 70 course outlines. The reward of the expenditure does not outweigh the expenses. Radio spots cost less, reaches more targeted demographic audience. Why are we spending money on something that's highly inaccessible by students, especially when they are hidden on our website?"
Blank stares all around the room.....
Case Two
Cafeteria, Conversation with a few students.....
I said: "We send enough material aids to Africa. The problem is North American and European businesses would love nothing more than for Africa to remain impoverished. It has endless natural resources. By keeping the people poor and uneducated, we have enslaved them. It's a self-serving strategy."
Students said: "................" and blank stares all around.....
Case Three
Cafeteria, Conversation with a few students.....
I said : " I plan to adopt a girl from China after having a child of my own...."
Students said :"................" and blank stares all around.....
I am on a roll today. Maybe I am the one who is not making sense.
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