African American - Latino World: Getting the Most from My Travel Plans

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Getting the Most from My Travel Plans

African American - Latino World

This blog is about my exposure to the
Spanish language and various Latin-American cultures; particularly Black
Latino (Afro-Latino) cultures.

I’ve heard fellow travelers proclaim preference for spontaneity in their travels.
They do just enough planning to get themselves going, and they leave the rest to
chance. Supposedly, this is more daring and fun. Although, I have much
respect for these travelers’ individual preferences, I would not be in favor of
traveling in their company and, would creatively find a way to get lost
from their presence. My personal preference is to plan everything down
to the last detail.

.

Although the travel experience itself is fun, the detailed research and planning adds to the excitement and creates vicarious enjoyment. I generally start such research and planning six to seven months before the actual trip, and as much as
possible, follow my game plan while allowing room for flexibility in the event
that something or someone interesting does come along to alter a specific plan
in my itinerary.  My travels have never gone exactly according to plan, but I felt secure by at least having a solid plan.

I read travel guides like Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, Moon’s Guide, in addition to
doing Google searches and reading blogs of other travelers who been there and
done what I plan on doing myself. As a registered on-line member of Trip Advisor, Couchsurfing, and Virtual Tourist (websites for travelers), I’m pretty much ready for anything.

This extra effort saves me a lot of unnecessary stress, frustration, and of course, money.
My trips, primarily to Latin American countries, including airfare, has been
relatively inexpensive. As pointed out in my article, How To Enjoy Travel Without Being Wealthy, I was able to reserve flights to Mexico City,
Lima, Cartagena, Quito, and Panama City, in that order, for a total of $897.
Naturally, this fare did not come without intensive on line research. I managed
to snag this fare three months before the actual take-off date. Once I arrived
at my destinations, I already knew the details of the local currency, cheap or
free places to stay, public transportation, where to go for food and
entertainment, and how much I could expect to pay....read more: http://ahorasecreto.blogspot.com/2014/02/getting-most-from-my-travel-plans.html?spref=fb

The Middle of the World - Ecuador Travel and Living: Quito Traffic "Que Bestia!"

Quito Traffic "Que Bestia!"

I promised in the beginning I would keep it real, upfront, and honest
throughout all of my blog posts.  So as promised I am here to tell you
one of Quito's ugliest and most brutal realities.



THE TRAFFIC HERE SUCKS.

This is where you will spend a ton of your time if you live in Quito

I mean it is really bad.  Absolutely horrible.  This is being typed from
the hands of a Los Angeles native driver, so that in it self should say
a lot.  But seriously, my 10 mile commute is actually an hour and a
half at a minimum. 



The miniature version of "streets" you find in certain sections of the
city, plus the street lights that are green for a whole 1.8 seconds on
major intersections, multiplied by the over abundance of mid sized and
large SUV's here in Quito, only begins to describe this mess.  (massive
run on sentence I know)

Everyday congestion in the city of Quito

If you must drive here, You will find these many little caveats or unwritten rules helpful:

• It is perfectly OK to be all the way in the right lane on a 3 lane
  road, then suddenly make a left turn without using your signal.  This
  works both ways. 
• It is also perfectly acceptable to park in the middle of the street
  to send a text message, make a phone call, or even get out to buy some
  street food.  
• If you own a motorcycle you are allowed to drive pretty much anywhere you can make your bike go, even down stairs.    
• Running a red light is perfectly OK after sunset or on Sunday,
  however the concept of what "Right on red" is has not caught on yet,
  even though it is actually legal here. 
• Buses are above the law and actually gain 50 points for every car they run into.  Blue buses have diplomatic immunity.
• People will beep at the people in front of them to go when the light
  is still red, even if it is a police officer in front of them.
• The space between the two lanes on the road is actually another lane, if your car can fit.   

By following these unwritten laws, you will survive driving here in Quito.  Good luck. 





The Middle of the World - Ecuador Travel and Living: Quito Traffic "Que Bestia!":

the story of Delta Flight 15 on 9/11 - Re Canadians~

comment by CX889: What a great article! This just goes to show that the human spirit only grows stronger and more compassionate in times of grief and tragedy. Although we must always remember and pray for the families of the missing, the rescue workers, and the victims, we must also celebrate the kindness and love of fellow citizens of the free world.Thank you Canada for the gracious display of hospitality....

AN AWESOME STORY EVERYONE SHOULD READ AND REALIZE THAT THERE ARE GOOD PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO

 

Here is an amazing story from a flight attendant on Delta Flight 15, written following 9-11...........

On the morning of Tuesday, September 11, we were about 5 hours
out of Frankfurt, flying over the North Atlantic.

All of a sudden the curtains parted and I was told to go to the
cockpit, immediately, to see the captain. As soon as I got there I
noticed that the crew had that "All Business" look on their faces. The captain handed me a printed message. It was from Delta's main
office in Atlanta and simply read, "All airways over the Continental United States are closed to commercial air traffic. Land ASAP at the nearest airport. Advise your destination."

No one said a word about what this could mean. We knew it was a
serious situation and we needed to find terra firma quickly. The captain determined that the nearest airport was 400 miles behind us in Gander , New Foundland.

He requested approval for a route change from the Canadian
traffic controller and approval was granted immediately -- no questions asked. We found out later, of course, why there was no hesitation in approving our request.

While the flight crew prepared the airplane for landing, another
message arrived from Atlanta telling us about some terrorist
activity in the New York area. A few minutes later word came in about the hijackings.

We decided to LIE to the passengers while we were still in the
air. We told them the plane had a simple instrument problem and that we needed to land at the nearest airport in Gander , New Foundland, to have it checked out.

We promised to give more information after landing in Gander .
There was much grumbling among the passengers, but that's nothing new! Forty minutes later, we landed in Gander . Local time at Gander was12:30 PM! .... that's 11:00 AM EST.

There were already about 20 other airplanes on the ground from
all over the world that had taken this detour on their way to the U.S.

After we parked on the ramp, the captain made the following
announcement: "Ladies and gentlemen, you must be wondering if
all these airplanes around us have the same instrument problem as we have.
The reality is that we are here for another reason." Then he went on
to explain the little bit we knew about the situation in the U.S.
There were loud gasps and stares of disbelief. The captain informed
passengers that Ground control in Gander told us to stay put.

The Canadian Government was in charge of our situation and no
one was allowed to get off the aircraft. No one on the ground was
allowed to come near any of the air crafts. Only airport police would come around periodically, look us over and go on to the next airplane. In the next hour or so more planes landed and Gander ended up with 53 airplanes from all over the world, 27 of which were U.S. commercial jets.

Meanwhile, bits of news started to come in over the aircraft
radio and for the first time we learned that airplanes were flown into the World Trade Center in New York and into the Pentagon in DC. People were trying to use their cell phones, but were unable to connect due to a different cell system in Canada . Some did get through, but were only able to get to the Canadian operator who would tell them that the lines to the U.S. were either blocked or jammed.
Sometime in the evening the news filtered to us that the World
Trade Center buildings had collapsed and that a fourth hijacking hadresulted in a crash. By now the passengers were emotionally and physically exhausted, not to mention frightened, but everyone stayed amazingly calm. We had only to look out the window at the 52 other stranded aircraft to realize that we were not the only ones in this predicament.

We had been told earlier that they would be allowing people off
the planes one plane at a time. At 6 PM, Gander airport told us that
our turn to deplane would be 11 am the next morning. Passengers were not happy, but they simply resigned themselves to this news without much noise and started to prepare themselves to spend the night on the airplane.

Gander had promised us medical attention, if needed, water, and
lavatory servicing. And they were true to their word.
Fortunately we had no medical situations to worry about. We did have a young lady who was 33 weeks into her pregnancy. We took REALLY good care of  her. The night passed without incident despite the uncomfortable sleeping arrangements.

About 10:30 on the morning of the 12th a convoy of school buses
showed up. We got off the plane and were taken to the terminal where we went through Immigration and Customs and then had to register with the Red Cross.

After that we (the crew) were separated from the passengers and
were taken in vans to a small hotel. We had no idea where our
passengers were going. We learned from the Red Cross that the town of Gander has a population of 10,400 people and they had about 10,500 passengers to take care of from all the airplanes that were forced into Gander! We were told to just relax at the hotel and we would be contacted when the U.S. airports opened again, but not to expect that call for a while.

We found out the total scope of the terror back home only after
getting to our hotel and turning on the TV, 24 hours after it all
started.

Meanwhile, we had lots of time on our hands and found that the
people of Gander were extremely friendly. They started calling us the "plane people." We enjoyed their hospitality, explored the town of Gander and ended up having a pretty good time.

Two days later, we got that call and were taken back to the Gander
airport. Back on the plane, we were reunited with the passengers
and found out what they had been doing for the past two days. What we found out was incredible.

Gander and all the surrounding communities (within MATCH about a 75 Kilometer radius) had closed all high schools, meeting halls, lodges, and any other large gathering places. They converted all these facilities to mass lodging areas for all the stranded travelers. Some had cots set up, some had mats with sleeping bags and pillows set up.

ALL the high school students were required to volunteer their
time to take care of the "guests." Our 218 passengers ended up in a town called Lewisporte, about 45 kilometers from Gander where they were put up in a high school. If any women wanted to be in a women-only facility, that was arranged. Families were kept together. All the elderly passengers were taken to private homes.

Remember that young pregnant lady? She was put up in a private
home right across the street from a 24-hour Urgent Care facility.
There was a dentist on call and both male and female nurses remained with the crowd for the duration.

Phone calls and e-mails to the U.S. and around the world were
available to everyone once a day. During the day, passengers were offered "Excursion" trips. Some people went on boat cruises of the lakes and harbors. Some went for hikes in the local forests. Local bakeries stayed open to make fresh bread for the guests.

Food was prepared by all the residents and brought to the
schools. People were driven to restaurants of their choice and offered wonderful meals. Everyone was given tokens for local laundry mats to wash their clothes, since luggage was still on the aircraft. In other words, every single need was met for those stranded travelers.

Passengers were crying while telling us these stories. Finally,
when they were told that U.S. airports had reopened, they were
delivered to the airport right on time and without a single passenger missing or late. The local Red Cross had all the information about the whereabouts of each and every passenger and knew which plane they needed to be on and when all the planes were leaving. They coordinated everything beautifully.

It was absolutely incredible.

When passengers came on board, it was like they had been on a cruise. Everyone knew each other by name. They were swapping stories of their stay, impressing each other with who had the better time. Our flight back to Atlanta looked like a chartered party flight. The crew just stayed out of their way. It was mind-boggling.

Passengers had totally bonded and were calling each other by
their first names, exchanging phone numbers, addresses, and email
addresses.

And then a very unusual thing happened.

One of our passengers (an MD from VA) approached me and asked if he could make an announcement over the PA system. We never, ever allow that. But this time was different. I said "of course" and handed him the mike. He picked up the PA and reminded everyone about what they had just gone through in the last few days. He reminded them of the hospitality they had received at the hands of total strangers. He continued by saying that he would like to do something in return for the good folks of Lewisporte.

"He said he was going to set up a Trust Fund under the name of
DELTA 15 (our flight number). The purpose of the trust fund is to provide college scholarships for the high school students of Lewisporte.

He asked for donations of any amount from his fellow travelers.
When the paper with donations got back to us with the amounts, names, phone numbers and addresses, the total was for more than $14,000!

"The gentleman, a MD from Virginia , promised to match the
donations and to start the administrative work on the scholarship. He also said that he would forward this proposal to Delta Corporate and ask them to donate as well.

As I write this account, the trust fund is at more than $1.5 million
and has assisted 134 students in college education.

http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/597983/

 
"I just wanted to share this story because we need good stories right
now. It gives me a little bit of hope to know that some people
in a faraway place were kind to some strangers who literally dropped in on them.

It reminds me how much good there is in the world."

"In spite of all the rotten things we see going on in today's
world this story confirms that there are still a lot of good people
in the world and when things get bad, they will come forward.

*This is one of those stories that needs to be shared. Please do so...*

The Countdown to the Nationalization of Retirement Savings Has Begun-

Internationalize Your Retirement Savings

It’s much more difficult for the government to convert your retirement assets if they’re outside of its immediate reach. If you have a standard IRA from a large US financial institution, it would only take a decree from the US government and Poof!: your dividend-paying stocks and corporate bonds could instantly be transformed into government bonds.
Obviously, this is much harder for the government to do if your retirement assets are sufficiently internationalized.
For example, you can structure your IRA to invest in foreign real estate, open an offshore bank or brokerage account, own certain types of physical gold stored abroad, and invest in other foreign and nontraditional assets.
In my view, owning an apartment in Switzerland and some physical gold coins stored in asafe deposit box in Singapore beats the cookie-cutter mutual funds shoved down your throat by traditional IRA custodians any day.
If and when there’s some sort of decree to convert or otherwise confiscate the assets in your retirement account, your internationalized assets ensure that your savings won’t vanish at the stroke of a pen.
There are important details and a couple of restrictions that you’ll need to be aware of, but they amount to minor issues, especially when weighed against the risk of leaving your retirement savings within the immediate reach of a government desperate for cash.
After placing a juicy steak in front of a salivating German shepherd, it’s only a matter of time before he makes a grab for it. The US government with its $17 trillion debt load is the salivating German shepherd, and the $20 trillion in retirement savings is the juicy steak.
Internationalizing your IRA has always been a prudent and pragmatic thing to do. And now that the US government has now officially set its sights on retirement savings, it’s truly urgent.
You’ll find all the details on how it to get set up, along with trusted professionals who specialize in internationalizing IRAs in our Going Global publication....http://www.internationalman.com/78-global-perspectives/1083-countdown-to-the-nationalization-of-retirement-savings#

Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying - The Shawshank Redemption -

   Recently, I was having a discussion with someone about making decisions and they used a quote that I had forgotten about from one of the best movies ever, The Shawshank Redemption. The line of course is, “It comes down to a simple choice, get busy living or get busy dying.” Whew, that’s is like cold water being splashed in your face! Sometimes, so many years and circumstances pass us by, we forget how short and precious life truly is. Then something jars us, presenting the opportunity for us to reexamine our life. However, most of the time unfortunately, it’s some sobering event like death, financial loss, illness or unemployment, etc..

  Choices.
  We ALL have choices in life. We can choose differently or we can accept what is right in front of us and remain as is. We can be so scared that it paralyzes us and we simply accept living in the institution and get busy dying. Or, we can get busy living by taking inventory of our life, our work or business, our relationships and make the necessary changes to breath greater meaning into our lives; making it what it was meant to be....read more>
http://websitesgiveback.com/blog/get-busy-living-or-get-busy-dying/

 Leave America Now- Published on Feb 27, 2013

We are only as free as we believe we are. We are in denial, we don't see the signs that are staring directly at us, keeping our minds turned off and busy with all the mundane affairs of daily life. If you would like to know the truth and wake up, it's too late, removing your blindfolds and pulling your head out of the sand will only show that reality is already here and very clear...

There are approximately 600 FEMA Camp prison sites around the country (and more literally popping up overnight). They are manned, but yet do not contain prisoners. What is going to be the nationwide panic to kick-off point to put these facilities into operation?

FEMA camps are a restricted area and surrounded by full-time guards, surrounded by miles of fences with the top razor points all directed inward. There is a railroad track that runs into the perimeter of this fence in all Camps. The loading docks also hold several railroad cars which have been manufactured in Oregon and outfitted with shackles.

Most FEMA Camps could easily fit 100,000 people.

FEMA Camps usually are in remote areas or have large mounds of dirt surrounding the central area so the area is not visible from the road. There are white vans as well as Police cars constantly patrolling the several mile perimeter of the areas, and will came out and greet you with a friendly wave if you come close enough to actually view the camp and follow you until you leave.

We just don't care enough to find out the real truth, and settle for the hand-fed stories that come our way over the major media sources television, radio, newspaper, and magazines. The time is fast approaching when we will be the ones asking "What happened to our freedom? To our free speech? To our right to protect ourselves and our family? To think as an individual? To express ourselves in whatever way we wish?"

You don't think it could happen to you? Obviously those rounded up and killed in Germany didn't think it could happen to them either. How could decent people have witnessed such atrocities and still said nothing? Why are we doing the same here? What happened to this country of ours? Where did we go wrong? How could we let it happen again...

Culture shock- Chapter 1: PROBLEMS OF MOVING (Abroad)

LIVING ABROAD by Psychologist Cathy Tsang-Feign Excerpt from Chapter 1: PROBLEMS OF MOVING
This represents just one partial excerpt from Chapter 1.

Culture shock

After selling or letting the house, shipping the furniture, and attending the farewell parties, most people feel they are all ready to go. However, moving abroad requires more than just physical preparations.
      An individual or family relocating overseas is about to undergo tremendous changes in their life. Besides the normal adjustments associated with moving -- setting up house, finding new friends, familiarizing themselves with new geography and climate -- new expatriates face a host of other changes.
      They will be intrigued -- and repelled -- by new sights, sounds, smells and ways of thinking and living. Changes in cultural identity, social position and etiquette will all take getting used to. Foreign languages, dress, food and customs are all part of the excitement and challenge of moving to a new land.
      An individual cannot help but react to all the new stimuli and influences in his or her life. The reaction is not a single event, but a mixture and series of emotions, ranging from elation to depression to infatuation to homesickness. This mixed bag of reactions is commonly known as "Culture Shock".
      Most people who move overseas expect to experience this phenomenon. Many believe it is something like jet lag: an adjustment you go through and get over with within a short period of time. In fact, the experience is better defined as acculturation, a process which can last from six months to more than a year.
      Anyone who moves to another country will inevitably go through acculturation. Immigrants expect to take on a new cultural identity and therefore are more willing to adjust and adapt. However, expatriates planning to stay only a set period of time usually have no intention to assimilate. For them, acculturation can be as unpleasant as it is unexpected.

"I've only been here four months, yet I just can't wait till my home leave in December!"

Benjamin, a marketing buyer, was transferred to Hong Kong on a two-year contract. A few weeks ago he began to complain about the crowds, the weather, not being understood by his staff and so on. All he talks about are how much better things were back home. He is homesick.......read more: http://www.cathyfeign.com/abroad/abroad01.htm

Three Skills Americans Need to Prosper in Latin America - 05 APR 2013

* Don't Culturally Isolate yourself!
* Don't be an Ugly American!!
1..Reach out to locals, believing they can teach you.
2...Leverage the power of your own cultural assets.
3..Build trust based networks throughout sectors.

* Don't Judge or become frustrated & impatient over perceived corruption & bureaucracy.
* Don't be arrogant. * Don't be culturally insensitive.
* Don't be Culturally Isolated.-(repetition)

"Wow this excellent Speaker Mr. Bruce Cudworth is such a Nice Gentleman and a Wealth of Information on Latin American Culture!: Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and Colombia before settling in Chile for 20 yrs. where he founded an ESL language institute.

I find what Mr. Cudworth has to say rings true in Ecuador as well.

Published on Apr 5, 2013

Maxwell School, Peer to Peer
Three Skills Americans Need to Prosper in Latin America
Bruce Cudworth, EMPA/EMIR candidate
As the world globalizes, Americans increasingly find themselves living and working in countries around the world. Creating a business and building a life in foreign country presents unique challenges and lessons. Four years ago Bruce Cudworth came back to the US after 20 years in Latin America. He is the founder of an ESL language institute in Chile, where he created bylaws, gained tax-deductible status for his nonprofit and navigated Latin American bureaucracy- including successfully dealing with the Chilean judicial system. He also organized a property owners' committee in a high-crime neighborhood, successfully petitioned City Hall for a zoning change, and chased a car thief. Bruce insists that there are three vital skills needed to succeed as an American expat in Chile: reaching out to authorities, building on-going rapport, and building networks across sectors.
Mr. Bruce Cudworth undertook university studies in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and Colombia before settling in Chile where he founded an ESL language institute. He is interested in improving Latin American-focused NGO programs through better program design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and leadership. He intends to use his skills pioneer new and better ways to address market failures in education, health and housing.