Addicted To Lucy

Kurt picked up his spanking new 2007 Lexus ES350 Ultra Edition silver sedan today. He called me from the car and was excited to tell me about its features. I simply could not get excited about it though. My is somewhere else. It's with Lucy. 

We get to go back up to Provo, Utah tomorrow and my mind is spinning about Lucy. I keep a list of things that I need to get for her and for Lee and Catherine that will make their new lives a little easier. Things to do: make a big pan of my famous lasagna, get some new sheets, mattress pads, groceries...hmmm....get them a Costco card, bring the Dyson, wash some baby blankets.... I just can't wait. I think I'm DEFINITELY addicted to Lucy.

ADDENDUM:

I just came back from a nice dinner at Todd's here in Green Valley. I had their gazpacho and I don't know why I keep on ordering this at fine restaurants expecting that it'll taste the same as the gazpacho I used to eat when I lived in Spain....then I get utterly disappointed. This gazpacho tasted like it either had some soda water....or it was just on the brink of fermentation. Yuck. I had the Ahi Tuna. It was ok. We took Jordan to dinner because tomorrow, he goes back to Provo to finish up his last year of college. I am going to miss him SORELY. It is sooo nice to have him. He is SO handy. But most of all, he is just nice to have around because he's just Jordan. I just love him so.

Things are going back to the usual here next week when 3 out of 4 of my kids are in BYU. I somehow was looking forward to it but then Lucy came and I just can't get her out of my mind and I just wonder about her and Lee and Catherine and how they are faring. I am sure they are doing very well---better than I did when I had my first baby. Then I start thinking about the rest of my kids....all day long. It's been hard to concentrate on my projects.

Anyway, I am very tired and I am using Kurt's PC with a yucky keyboard so it's not fun blogging. Hannah is using my Mac to do homework. Tomorrow, we drive up to Provo to drop off Jordan and then a quick turn around......can't wait to see Lucy.

I AM INLOVE!

I AM INLOVE!

Early yesterday morning, Leland called to tell us that Catherine was having contractions 2-3 minutes apart and that he was in fact, running from his office on campus back to their apartment. That was at about 8:15am Cal/Nev time. We were all still asleep having had a very eventful Sunday---what with Natascha leaving to go back to Provo to continue with her college studies. I rallied everybody and told them we were all making the 6 hour trip to Provo, Utah! Kurt, unfortunately, had already left earlier for a trial that would last two days. So, Jordan, Hannah and I loaded the car and hurried to Utah. Lucy Diane Faux was born that evening just a couple of hours after we arrived. She weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces and is 19.5 inches long. She is BEAUTIFUL and PERFECT in every way. I completely lost it when I looked at her just an hour old, in my arms with her eyes wide open already observing the world with obvious curiosity. A GENIUS! A BEAUTY! A GORGEOUS PERFECT CREATURE! I don't know, I think I am gushing. We just arrived a few hours ago and we will be making the trip back up in 2 days. Hannah starts her senior year of high school tomorrow morning. I am exhausted and haven't slept a wink---my mind running wildly all night. Catherine looked RADIANT---a beautiful new mother. She will be fantastic. Leland is just so cute and to have all my children around rallying and supporting each other is a joyous occasion. I am posting some photos of beautiful Lucy Diane Faux and a few video clips before I go to bed. It's nearly 11pm and Lucy will be 2 days old tomorrow. Can't wait to see her again. I am a grandmother for the first time. And all is right with the world!!

My Gifted Children

MY GIFTED CHILDREN

Natascha just left this morning. She just called half an hour ago to tell me that she just spend 40 minutes trying to check-in her luggage and is now on her way to security. I just hope she makes her flight. She has 45 minutes to make it through security AND take the shuttle to the boarding area. It's going to be close.....wait,

She just called and she's at the gate with 35 minutes to spare. Menos mal. College for her this time will be even more fun. She will be staying at an off-campus apartment with 5 other girls and rooming with a good friend. She is now seriously considering options for her major: nursing, math, engineering, among other things. And.....she has a HUGE, suitcase full of new clothes, shoes and accessories!!

Catherine and Leland have an appointment with the ob/gyn tomorrow at 8:30 in the morning so I expect a phone call from them sometime after to tell us the status of their wait. Her due date is tomorrow and her 21st birthday is the next day. She is hoping that the doctor will induce labor but there are of course, factors that need to be considered. She is still carrying the baby high and so, it would seem that the baby has not dropped to any "station" as of yet.

I am hoping we can make the trip to Provo tomorrow.

Jordan took the LSAT (Law School Admission Test) a few weeks ago and scored in the 99% rank (a 172 score) which pretty much opens the door wide, wide open for him. He wants to apply to NYU, U of Chicago and Northwestern. BYU Law School is also a consideration and though its law school is in the TOP tier ranking (which would include Harvard of course....) it would be economically advantageous for him to attend law school there, in my opinion. But then, he wants to broaden his university experience. We will have to weight these options very carefully. Of course, we are assuming that BYU or the other law schools will accept him....and as we all know, nothing is for sure.

Hannah also took the ACT exam (American College Test) and also scored in the 99%, a 32, which means....FREE TUITION at BYU!!! Yipppeeee!!! That is, if she decides to attend college there,,,and assuming that BYU will accept her. (BYU has already invited her to Y weekend which is a recruiting program for students who score a 29 or higher in their ACTs and to encourage them to consider the Honors Program).

Leland is doing very well finishing up his Economics degree and will have to work for a year after he graduates as a requisite towards an MBA/JD joint program. BYU won't even consider him in the MBA program until he has this one year under his belt. This will 'set him back' one year in attaining this goal. Catherine is taking this semester off. (Geezz...of course!) but will graduate in April with a degree in English. She is also doing fantastically well and with good humor. She is such a fine, fine young lady.

I wish I had my children's gumptions and talents when I was their age.

For now, I am just happy for them. And I can gloat for a while....at least until laundry day.

Bangkok Scenery

Last night, we took the kids out to dinner at Bangkok Orchid. We had the usual: Pad Thai, Pineapple-Shrimp Curry, Barbecued Chicken, Strawberry Chicken and Hot Spicy Soup. A bit too much indulgence. Especially on my part.

While we were waiting for the food, I was mesmerized by the scene across the table. A woman was yelling at her son who was probably around 5 or 6 years old. I heard a lot of "don't do that" and " stop it". At first, she was trying to speak softly but she was quite obviously irritated. Then she pulled a cellphone from her purse and proceeded to make a phonecall. This time, her son began to touch the cellphone as if to taunt her and in turn, she responded with "stop it!"

My kids could see that I was distracted by the unfolding scene and so I said to them: watch; that little boy's behavior is going to worsen.



I could see that the young boy was quite enjoying the attention and the more she responded, the more he made himself annoying but this time, he began to mimic her. Mother responded by increasing the volume of her voice until her pleas began to sound like exasperated yells. "You're really getting on my nerves" and "you're being such a bad boy!". Then she began to make the usual threats. "You're gonna get it" and "wait til we get home" and "I'll give you a spanking if you don't stop". And every time, the boy's behavior got worse until the mother decided to leave.



I've seen this scene a thousand times played out in the grocery stores, at the malls, restaurants, streets, in church....When some of my nephews were this particular age and younger, everybody in the family thought it was cute and funny every time they misbehaved. For example, it would not be unusual to see siblings yell at each other, hit each other or call each other names and everybody in the family would simply laugh and think their little antics were cute. Well, that may be so. But now that they're older and they STILL annoy each other and call each other names, it's no longer cute or funny. It's become a habit now and siblings don't know how to behave with each other anymore. It's as if they've learned the steps to a dance and can't seem to dance any other way----or as if someone had written them a script on how to behave with each other and now they can't improvise because they've memorized their part too efficiently and it would be too 'weird' or foreign to act any other way. Each child now has a part and they react to each other according to the only 'script' that they've known.



Parents often wonder how their children suddenly 'became a problem'. There is no 'suddenly' about it. Their behavior is a learned behavior. They've just gotten 'better' at it and they're no longer cute.



As the woman exited the restaurant, I suddenly felt a sadness, a melancholy. If she only knew that the solution were so simple. If she only knew that children love attention---good or bad---it doesn't matter. If she only knew that it is possible to ignore bad behavior and reward good behavior. And that the little things that seem insignificant can mean the difference: the 'please's' and 'thank you's'. The "mister's" and "ma'am"s. The "excuse me's" and "may I's"---that there are magic words that can build character. If she only knew that there are also words that will surely create havoc in its time: the "shut-up's", "you're so stupid", the "get me this" and "get out of here!". The "no, you can't's" and the "stop doing that's". There are words that build, reassure and provide safety. And there are words that destroy, devalue and decay the spirit. Politeness DOES count. So does gratitude. And above all, our examples can either foreshadow or give light.



I am now eating my red bean ice cream and we've had a wonderful time again. And as my children now grown, prepare to leave their homes one more time to attend college too far away from me, I am reminded again that that hole in my heart that healed itself all summer is about to burst wide open again. I am feeling very, very vulnerable. And introspective.



In the morning, or to be accurate, this morning, I paid dearly for indulging in Thai food. Tascha leaves in 36 hours. Tonight, my mind is racing.



I may need to swallow a pill to calm my oozing heart.

Of Cellphone and Crude Oil

OF CELLPHONES AND CRUDE OIL

Six years ago, I had the good fortune to travel to Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines after over a decade long absence from Asia. One of the things that impressed me was ubiquitous usage of cellphones. Even the lowly flower lei merchants running from car to car in the busy, crowded and crawling traffic queues in the highways of Manila, had cellphones. I'd see them in their sweaty, dingy T-shirts and shorts, rubber slippers, wet kerchief knotted around their heads, sitting on the pavement speedy fingers skillfully texting. In Singapore and Manila, there are cellphone booths with flashing lights of many colors peddling every cellphone accessory known to mankind....and even wares that millions of Americans don't even know exist. And even if a portion of these accessories made it to America, the mark-up would be ridiculously exponential. I also discovered that in Asia, you can purchase a unlimited array of brands and styles of cellphone your heart and pocket can afford and then simply buy a 'simm card'---a chip that you insert in the cellphone to make it function. When your minutes are gone, you simply go to any of the kiosks that dot the city and purchase another. I was told that you can buy these cards anywhere----supermarkets, gas stations, malls, everywhere. Later, I learned that the same holds true in Europe. Maybe even in Africa. Hey, maybe even all over the world! Except in America.

Here in the US, you must sign up with the looming corporate telephone giants--Cingular, Verizon, Sprint.....before you can get cellphone service. They provide you with the cellphones and your choices are limited to their stock, which is unfortunately, very limited in styles and choices. And you pay...and man, do you pay for minutes. Texting can be very expensive. There are stories of teenagers racking up hundreds and hundreds of fees for texting. In Manila, the texting capital of the world, texting is the only way to go. It is affordable...even cheap. Everyone texts. All the time. And the fee is so very rock bottom. And this is why even the lowliest squatter-dwelling city people can afford a cellphone. In America, only the privileged few can text....or own a cellphone. The equivalent of a dirt poor, third world Manila street peddler who uses a cellphone to text his friend around the corner who sells cold water from an old cooler on wheels does not exist in America.

I often think about this. The stupidity of all. In America, cellphone technology is limited and controlled by various agencies and corporations who have stringent regulations. And these regulations ensure that the telephone giants, Verizon, Cingular, etc... make gazillions of dollars. What drives these regulations? MONEY. Of course. Let's have middle America pay through their noses so these big corporations and their CEOs can be billionaires and fund their lobbyists who can fund their politicians.

My biggest gripe right now is not cellphones anymore. It's fuel. And I'm not just talking about oil. Sure, we often ask ourselves, why do we have to be dependent on Middle East oil; those entities and nations who fund the terrorists who want to vaporize every American and for that matter, every non-Muslim? We are in denial. We want to believe that, say, Syria and Saudi Arabia are our 'friends'. Not. We used to be friends with Iran when they fought against Iraq. Now we are Irag's 'liberators'. Beirut used to be one of our favorite tourist destinations. Now we are bombing that beautiful city and further widening the gap between the Lebanese people and our people. And we all used to be 'friends'. It's a phenomenal joke. And it's all politics.The big picture that politics cannot see is that our 'politics' actually give birth to new generations of America-haters. It quickly becomes "cultural". Hatred for America now becomes ingrained in these people's psyche and culture and our only solution is to annihilate the generations being raised to hate us and hopefully, create new generations who, we hope, will love us. It's a joke.

Don't we have oil in North America? Many of us are not even aware that we have vast, VAST oil resources. So what's the problem? Money of course ...and the physical properties of crude oil. Middle East crude oil comes already in what is called "liquid gold" form. That cuts refinerary costs substantially. Most of our (Canada, Mexico....American continent....) oil don't come already in viscous liquid form. Most are 'solid'---large, humongous amounts of oil meshed with solids...quite like grainy mud. (see photo above...) And to separate the liquid gold crude oil from the sediments requires heavy processing which is very costly per barrel. Which makes Middle East oil 'cheap'. I don't profess to be an expert in the economics of the oil industry...or just simply economics for that matter, but it just seems so simple. Find a way to refine our oil resources. Damn the birds and bears of Alaska and just drill. Surely there's a way to drill for oil in places like Alaska and STILL preserve its beauty. Okay, so we've preserved that Alaskan bucolic scenery. But our sons, fathers, mothers, daughters are all fighting in the middle east. And dying.

Which brings me to my gripe; where are the electric cars? And why are hybrid cars so expensive? Electric cars died because they don't use up much gas. And oil companies don't like that. Hybrid cars still use gas to power them but if you are a city driver, you can cut your gas use substantially by using a hybrid car. But the cost is paralyzing for most of us. The biggest hindrance of all is simply this: information. Our powerful media can destroy the office of the president, his image, his intentions. Media can influence morality, culture, fashion---the way we think. But it doesn't have time to disperse valuable information about hybrid cars let alone the value of using our resources wisely and judiciously.

I could go on and on about this but I'm not going to. Besides, I have a mountain of laundry to "refine" and "repackage". But one thing is for sure, I'm eventually getting a hybrid car and let's see how militant I can be about cellphones next time I buy more crystals to add bling to it.

America In The Dark Ages Of Technology?

Last month, I opened my Nevada Power bill and sustained an injury. Yes, I am thinking about suing Nevada Power because as soon as I saw the amount of money that they wanted me to pay them, my blood pressure shot up, my heart began pounding and I nearly fell off my rocker. $620 clams for the month of July. And we still have the hot summer months of August and September to go. I keep my air-conditioner running 24/7. You have to if you want to survive the paralyzing summers of southern Nevada where 115 degrees Fahrenheit is just another day in the desert. I don't know how others do it. My house is a modest 3400 square feet in size. And most of my friends live in similar or even larger homes. Why am I the only one complaining. And why am I the only one nearly reaching militant indignation about this? Are we in some sort of social denial about what's going on? Nevada Power hikes its rates two or three times a year and no one does a thing about it. Everybody wants to discuss Bush's incompetence, the war in Iraq, the puzzle of Hillary Clinton or whether Tom Cruise really ate his baby's umbilical chord and placenta. But nobody seems to care about the farce of Nevada Power. Are we just a nation of doormats?

Here's an even bigger rub: Germany, Spain, and Finland---FINLAND(!) of all places---are going solar. Yep. They happen to be leading the world in the use of solar power to generate electricity. AND they use American technology and know-how to install these wondrous systems. Solar companies build their components in factories located in the Philippines and Spain but their main clientele remain countries in Europe and Asia.

Photovoltaic enery is gaining more and more popularity---but not here in America. Why not? Because it's so expensive. For a house like mine, it will most probably cost me between $45,000 to $65,000 to install a system. But once it's installed, I will no longer be dependent or beholden to Nevada Power. My meter can actually run backward. And I can sell my excess electricity to Nevada Power---should they need it----another reason why utilities won't want people to know about it. Again, it's the all powerful money grubbing corporations. What really galls me is the fact that we live in southern Nevada where the sun does shine. Germany uses more photovoltaic energy than we do. And how much sun do they get? And how about Finland? Come on. Just look at the photo above this blog---a house with solar cells on its roof. What a sight to behold! One I'd love to see on my roof.

If the state of Nevada were smart they would subsidize or at the very least, provide financial incentives for people who want to invest in this technology. Have we gone nuts? Where are the tree huggers? Where are the fur lovers who parade on the streets naked as the day they were born to protest the killing of cute, little minks? These people need to march in front of the state capitol building and demand that photovoltaic systems be installed in ALL public buildings including schools and even parks AND demand very encouraging incentives to homeowners who want to make the switch! It just angers me that we hear so much vitriolics against oil and gas prices, and energy consumption and waste and yet no one has even mentioned the possibility of photovoltaic energy.

We need to get out of the dark ages and get with it. First of all, more information has to be broadcasted about this technology. Secondly, we need to get smart and demand it. Third, we need to just DO IT.

Waiting For Lucy

My daughter snapped this photo before dinner today while we were talking about my son and daughter-in-law who are expecting their first child any time now. We were hoping that our first grandchild would be born this week but it's Sunday and nothing is happening ....yet. Catherine sounded ripe when I spoke with her yesterday...and tired. I feel for her and am excited for her. I just feel so much love for her! She is so PERFECT for my son. And she will make a fabulously sweet and loving mother. We are just sitting on our suitcases anxious to make the trip to Provo, Utah to welcome our new grandbaby. It WILL happen---we just need to be patient.

I've been thinking A LOT about what our grandchilden will call us. Kurt, I guess, will be called "grandpa". But for me, I am in such a quandary. I have to think very carefully about this. "Grandma" doesn't hold anything special for me simply because I did not call my grandmother 'grandma'. I called my maternal grandmother "inang'---pronounced 'ee-nahng" with the 'ng' sound I can only describe as saying the work "sing" with two syllables: seh and nggg. If you hold the 'ng' sound for a second or two, that would be about as close as you can get to the 'ng' sound. So, 'eee-nahnggg', accent on the 2nd syllable. I doubt my poor American grandchild can handle this and sound authentic since she will have absolutely NO one to model the correct pronunciation for her aside from me.



I called my paternal grandmother "lola" which is the correct term in Tagalog for 'grandmother'. But using the correct, authentic pronunciation, it would sound more like: loh-lah as opposed to the American way of saying it which would be "low-la"....accent on the first syllable. In that case, it would sound too much like "Lola" of Copacabana. And I do not want to be called that simply because living in America, my grandchildren will sound American and "Lola" simply will not sound nor "feel" the same....and I am not from Copacabana.

Someone suggested to me the names "nana' or "nanny". That doesn't sound good to me either. For one, I am NOT the nanny and secondly, I can picture me carrying my 1/4 Filipino grandchild---blonde and blue-eyed....and I WILL most probably look like her nanny rather then her grandmother! (Albeit a glamorous nanny.... but still a nanny.) I just cannot tolerate this misconception. I would just die. DIE!



But last night, I had an epiphany. I can invent any name I want and get away with it! They can just call me "Christie"---that would suit me just fine. Or "Tita" or "auntie" if I can dare it. Or any variation of my first and middle names: Chris, Tina, Eva, Eve, Lyn, Lini, Kiss-tee....an endless array of possibilities.



OR, how about a variation of "mother" in Tagalog? And I had a very good reaction to the name: 'ina' which means 'mother'. Though the correct pronunciation is "ee-NUH" with the accent on the 2nd syllable, I know my grandchildren will never be able to pronounce this authentically---plus considering the cadence and tone of the American accent, the Filipino pronunciation sounds very 'hard' and harsh. How would they say this in "American"? Ah---yes, "EE-nuh"---accent on the FIRST syllable. That, I can live with. And it sounds so sweet!



But then, I thought, I can also find a variation of "grandmother" that I can live with. How about 'Dam-mah'? (Ha!) Dan-ma. Danna? Donna? Hmmmm.....no. And here's a couple of names that I love: Momi or Mimi. Aha. I like these two.



I am trying to come up with an invention to bridge the gap between my Filipino-ness and being American. In due time, I will just be 'that great-great-grandmother from the Philippines'.....as the new generations of 'de Ramas' and 'Veloiras' emerge from a new race, in a new country. It only strengthens my reserve to continue writing my history to preserve and memorialize my heritage for the coming generations to come who, in all probability and in due time, will look less and less like me and more and more like Caucasians. I MUST keep ME 'alive' even long after my days on earth are past.



So, Ina, Momi or Mimi?



I guess I'll figure it out when I see Lucy for the first time. She'll tell. It will sound right when it happens.

Movie Recommendations

DVD RECOMMENDATIONS

There are so many movies cropping up here and there----mostly commercially viable movies for mainstream viewers. My list is very unique because I think these are movies most people will pass on because of the following reasons:

1. It's a foreign film and sub-titled. So it takes too much effort to read. (What? Reading is hard?)
2. They are movies that didn't make the theaters for one reason or another. (Read: $$$)
3. They do not have 'stars' with name power.

So, let me list this months top picks:

1. Duma: A wonderful film! No, it's not "Jungle Book". And it is not a story about a cheetah either---even if there's one involved. It is a beautiful story about family and a young boy's determination.
2. Swimming Upstream: Little seen Aussie gem. Inspiring. Especially because it's a true story. Beautifully acted. Watch the scene when mother and son bid each other farewell.
3. Il Mare: The original. Though Keanu and Sandra made an Americanized version (The Lakeplace), this original version is a lot more tight and tidy. Korean.
4. Downfall: Hitler's last days in the bunker. Excellent fast-paced story-telling. (German)
5. Everything is Illuminated: a well-crafted piece about a young Jewish man who goes on a search for the gentile woman who saved his grandfather. Quirky characters.
6. Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter....Spring: Another Korean masterpiece. Very zen. If a poem can be interpreted as a movie, this is a masterpiece. It attempts, and beautifully at that, to show the meaning of life, it's sorrows and wisdom...in a Buddhist mindset. Don't expect this movie to move along. To enjoy it, you must calm yourself and let the movie take you where it must.
7. Little Manhattan: First love set against the beautiful backdrop of....Manhattan! You will have a longing for all things pure and honest after this experience.
8. Zelary: a wondrous film about the clash between two different worlds...and two different people...and love. You will fall inlove with Joza. (in Czech and German)
9. Der Tweeling (Twin Sisters): A moving tale about twin sisters orphaned and then separated. A tragic and thought-provoking cautionary tale. Just when you think you know where this movie is going, you don't. Every time. (in Dutch and German)
10. Les Choristes (The Chorus): This movie will put a smile on your face. Guaranteed. I just can't seem to leave this one out though I've had this title on my other lists.

My Top Ten iPod Picks for the Month

My Top Ten iPod Picks for the Month:

1. Singing Softly To Me -----Kings of Convenience
2. Loneliness Finds Her Own Way ---Clem Snide
3. Love's A Game ------The Magic Numbers
4. Only Molly Knows ------Travis
5. John Wayne Gacy, Jr -----Sufjan Stevens (so sad this song...)
6. Love Will Tear Us Apart -----Nouvelle Vague
7. Wake Me Up When September Ends ----Green Day
8. 1989 ------Clem Snide
9. The Riddle ----Five For Fighting
10. This Never Happened Before ------Paul McCartney

And for all you sentimental people like me, here's my sentimental pick of the month:
Ne Me Quitte Pas-----Django Reinhardt & Stephane Grappella

My album pick for the month is
TWO LIGHTS by John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting
EVERY song is a wonderful discovery----a dozen piano-driven songs with thoughtful lyrics all melded in delicious melodies powerfully executed by John Ondrasik's dulcet tenor voice.

Thanks to Jordan for keeping me in the loop with songs that crop up from the vast universe of talent out there.

So. there I am today.

The Question I Am Often Asked

THE QUESTION I AM OFTEN ASKED

I am often asked how my children turned out to be so kind and self-assured. I've thought about this question and though it is so frequently asked of me, I seldom give straight answers. The reasons are perhaps that I do not hold myself up as an expert on parenting or simply that my thoughts regarding this are so simple that even if I share them, no one will take them seriously. Thus, I decided that the best way to articulate my ideas is to write about them. However, if I were to sum up my thoughts about the answer to this question, I would list three of my best 'discoveries' which I think are merely simple principles.

1. The best way to parent a child is to love your spouse above all things...and make SURE they are aware that you do.

2. Never pay attention to negative behavior. This is easier said than done because our tendency is to hurry and finish whatever task we need to complete WHILE the children are behaving. Thus, we lose a myriad of opportunities to 'catch them being good'. It takes imagination, creativity, effort and a sharp focus to pay MEANINGFUL attention to good behavior.

3. Speak with a kindly toned voice. I found that speaking in hushed tones with firmness and with eyes focused into their eyes and therefore, the spirits of your children is the most effective way to provide them with what I call "parameters of safety".

About Tauck Tours

ABOUT TAUCK TOURS:

After a careful and exhaustive research, I decided to use Tauck Tours to effectively use 10 days of vacation time that we wanted to spend in Spain. Tauck is very pricey but our experience with them well exceeded our expectations. Tauck took the stress out of EVERYTHING. We never had to handle our baggage or worry about pilot strikes. Our hotels were always superlative (Meridien Hotel in Barcelona, The Palace Hotel in Madrid (!), a beautiful parador in Ronda.....) complete with bidet (except Madrid which was surprising...) and crisp Italian linens. (again, except in Madrid which is a Westin hotel that uses American high thread count sheets....), and beautifully appointed rooms and lounges. Magnificent buffet breakfasts were always included and we never had to worry about tipping bellhops, waiters, etc bec Tauck took care of all of that. Judging from the way we were treated, I would guess that they tipped them all very generously.
While in Barcelona, Iberia Airlines’ pilots went on strike and cancelled our flight to Granada. Our tour guide, Matt Curran, somehow arranged so that we were able to take an earlier flight out which was an amazing feat considering that most flights were cancelled and many tourists were stranded to find other ways to complete their itineraries. There were also wonderful surprises along the way like a horse and carriage ride through Granada, our very own Flamenco show in Sevilla and a group of troubadors (very charming young men but man....they sang so badly...) called La Tuna in Madrid who serenaded us whilst we completed our desserts. We were also the first in line at the Prado museum which made the tour so pleasant. Every contingency was anticipated. Our train ride from Sevilla to Madrid was via business class complete with movie and lunch with wide and roomy seats. (Though the movie was a French movie dubbed in Spanish, L’Enfant, I totally enjoyed it even if it was a sad one.) Another feature that I cannot even express enough relief about, is the fact that there were no hidden charges or extra charges tacked on. I mean, I didn't have to worry about making any more decisions if I wanted to tack on another "optional tour". I hate that. It just feels soooo tacky. (Trafalgar Tours is notorious for this one....) For a memorable, stress-free vacation full of unexpected charm and the little touches that make such a HUGE impact, Tauck Tours clearly, excels. This is a classy, well-run enterprise. Whoever is in charge deserves the cover of some business magazine! Tauck Tours has more than won my loyalty and my next vacation will be another Tauck Tour, I am sure of it!

Spain: My Impetus For Starting A Blog

SPAIN: HOW TO GET TO MONTSERRAT

We spent 2 and a half days on our own, arriving on a Friday, in Barcelona ---my beloved city where I lived for 6 months in 1980 as an LDS missionary. The infrastructure is the same but I noticed that more people spoke English and seemed to be better off economically which made me happy for them. The biggest change is that they changed ALL the streets and city names from Castillian to Catalan. We stayed in a hotel called Hotel 1898 which is literally just a few steps away from Le Meridien Barcelona where our Tauck Tour was to commence on Sunday evening. Hotel 1898 used to house the Philippine Tobacco Company and is now a boutique hotel run by a local Spanish company. Very charming and lovely. The rooms are decorated in the Moderne style---beautiful wood floors, granite bathrooms complete with bidet and a large shower room with large rainshower heads and body showers and beautiful caste iron sinks. The nearest metro stop is just a few meters away, Liceu, on the green line. Walking out of entrance that faced the Ramblas, if you turned left, you would run into a local supermercado where you can get sundries and food with a sandwich shop next door called Pans where they made the best “bocadillos”---french baguettes with tomatoes, manchego cheese and jamon iberico. YUMMY. If you walk the Ramblas the same direction, you will reach Plaza Catalunya within 5 minutes. Walking out of the Hotel and turning right, you will reach “La Boqueria”---an open market full of fresh fruits, meats, fish....and the best cold horchata. No, not the horchata that you buy at Vons or Albertsons made of rice. It’s the REAL horchata made of CHUFA beans---so refreshing and addicting-----to me, anyway. It’s packed with proteins. I wish it were readily available here in the US but to get it, you will need to order from LaTienda.com at a premium. Going the same direction on the Ramblas, and turning left on the first little street (called “carrer” in Catalan), you will find the best shopping! WOW. July is the time of REBAIXES. or sales. We frequented Mango, Zara, Paramito and all kinds of little shops. We also discovered a little restaurant that served the best tarta de manzana and my favorite: CHURROS y CHOCOLATE. No, not colacao or hot chocolate from a mix---the very thick (pots de creme) chocolate that you dip the churros in....and NO, the churros do not come sprinkled with sugar or cinnamon. They are crisp and wonderful. If you continue on the Ramblas, you will eventually reach Plaza Colón where the Ramblas end. There will be a monument of Cristóbal Colón pointing out to the sea. Of course, he is pointing at the wrong direction because he is pointing towards Asia, not the Americas.

Early Saturday, we decided to go on our own to Montserrat. I had been there before so I thought it should be easy to take the Metro and then the train but alas---we had a series of “mistakes”. To get to Montserrat, one must first get to Plaza España which is an easy proposition. It was a mere 2 stops from Liceu. From there you must find the railroad, the Line R5 to Manresa---which is subterranean so you go down a series of stairs. Henceforth, you will find yourself in a very vulnerable situation because EVERYTHING---every sign, every map is in Catalán. No Spanish. No English. Nothing. Just Catalán. To get tickets for the train, you use the machine. There is supposed to be a manned table where one can get assistance but it was empty perhaps because it was still early at around 8:00am. So we went ahead and used the ticket machine. Of course, everything was in Catalán as well and we saw about 6 fares that had the name “Montserrat”. I punched the first button I saw that had “Montserrat Aeri” because I knew that “aeri” meant cable car and I knew that in order to get to Montserrat, one has to get on a cable car or cog-wheel train. We each paid about 9 euros. The train arrived perfectly on time: 8:35. Very nice, comfortable train. I knew that the stop we needed to get off was “Montserrat Aeri” and that it was going to take us over an hour. About two stops away, the conductress asked to see our tickets. She took a look at Tascha’s first, then at Tascha, then at the ticket and looked perplexed. Then she asked her something in Catalán. Of course, none of us spoke Catalán so I said: Perdón, hay un problema? To which she replied that the ticket was for retired (jubilados) people! Ha! We all got the discounted tkts for seniors! So I told her we would gladly pay the difference and she gave me instructions on how to do that. As the train neared our stop, I got up and confirmed with her that this was our stop. She said, no, next one. Which confused me. The next stop was Monistral and I knew there was NO cable car there. So we sat down and got off Monistral. Found out that Monistral stop is where you catch the cogwheel train which is NOT our ticket. So I spoke with another lady conductor who looked at my ticket and said “Da igual...passád vosotros!” So we got on! BEAUTIFUL! The slow train took us on a very steep grade of tracks and out towards beautiful vistas as we went higher and higher. After about 20 minutes we were in beautiful Montserrat. It was heavenly.

On the way back, we walked to the funicular (aeri) house and bought tickets back to Plaza España, this time, on the cable car again with fantastic and unparalleled views. When we arrived in Barcelona and to our hotel, we were very pleased with ourselves for making the “correct mistake” because if I had bought the round-trip tickets via aeri, we would not have experienced both ways to see the views. So, everything went well and our adventure was well-worth it all. Cost to see Montserrat on our own: about $30 each. Cost to Montserrat on an organized tour via tourist bus: minimum of $60 each and you have to choose either cable car or cog-wheel train but not both...First tour leaves the city at 9:30am. If you go on your own, you have at least an hour to enjoy the views without the crowds. By the time several buses arrived at about 11:00 carrying hordes of people, we were ready to leave and our cable car which they usually pack with around 35 people, carried only 7 people. It was wonderful! And easy. This is DEFINITELY the way to do it.