The Celebrity Feel – Toronto Pearson International Airport

In life, we are given this incredible privilege to travel and see the world and how aviation, technology, engineering, and aircraft make this world a smaller place by getting to places quickly. Toronto Pearson Airport is an airport that is so near and dear to me with all the great memories created whether it is traveling, dropping off, picking up and just spotting aircraft nearby. Very special to me.

Every single time that I land in Toronto Pearson Airport, as soon as we taxi, gate, get our belongings from the aircraft and walk our way out to the terminal, to get through customs, to claim our baggage, the adrenaline, and that feel of seeing flight attendants, captains/pilots and amongst CATSA and CBSA officers, plus other passengers sharing the same atmosphere. It makes me feel so incredibly appreciative and thankful to the travel industry and our beautiful Airport of Toronto Pearson.

As we are about to claim our baggage, that moment comes along where we begin to exit to reunite with loved ones, meet colleagues, or go get a shuttle, bus, taxi, uber, lyft or other transportation to take us home or where ever else.

As you are walking out, you see all the eyes on you as you are carrying your baggage, that automatic celebrity feels where you glance at everyone and people are smiling and making eye contact with you. It feels like you are a celebrity coming home. So at this point, I walk a bit slower and I do the same looking at everyone else and I smile too. I just absolutely love that moment. I appreciate every moment and cherish it and this is one of them.

That part whether it’s at Terminal 1 or 3, is one of my favorite parts of the airport and of course when I am at the gate waiting for my flight and watching beautiful aircraft go by. Toronto Pearson Airport is a sentimental place for me and I always feel like a celebrity there. I am thankful to all the workers and volunteers at the airport. Appreciation, kindness, and patience go a long way when traveling and expressing that is very important. It makes life and people’s day go by a lot better.

Toronto Pearson Airport, Thank you – I love you. Safe, well wishes and happy travels to all of us.

YYZ ALL THE WAY!

Worst ever mistakes travelers make at before and at the airport

Talin’s Travel Tips

– Checking for your flight status –

Check your flight status 3-4 times before you get to the airport. Usually, flight statuses are usually listed 24-48 hours before a flight, but it is a good idea to check your flight 24 hours before, 12 hours before, 8 hours before, and then once more about 4-5 hours before. just before you head for the airport in case of delays or cancellations.

– Not bringing a refillable water bottle –

Water is important to keep hydrated especially when you travel. Bring an empty water bottle with you because during the security screening. There are refill water stations once you pass through security and head towards your gate to meet with your aircraft.

– Not wearing socks –

When you travel, Always wear socks and do not arrive at the airport with just wearing flip flips, sandals and shoes that you don’t need socks with. During security screening, they may ask you to take your shoes off. Do not walk barefoot on airport grounds, especially through security. Comfortable footwear is a must.

– Not arriving early –

Some people think of arriving an hour before a flight gives them enough time… WRONG.. It is not a joke. Arrive at least 3 hours before your flight. You need time to check in, obtain a boarding pass, check in your baggage, then security, then time to arrive at your gate where you will meet with your aircraft. Plus you need to give the airport workers time to get your baggage to your aircraft to make it in time for your flight. Also, you need to take into consideration the crowds and lineups. Arrive early to be safe than sorry later.

– Buying snacks at the airport –

Buying snacks at the airport can cost twice as much. buy snacks and pack them properly in your carry-on baggage or purse. Chocolate cravings? Want to munch on chips or something else? Buy your snacks the day or couple of days before. Make sure they comply with what is permitted to bring through security. Always check with that through your local airport security laws through a website or by calling CBSA, CBP, CATSA, or TSA or going to their websites for information.

– Not having the proper documents – forgetting passport –

before you head to the airport, make sure you have all necessary documents before travel and never forget your passport. Always put those items in your carry-on bag/purse first. Make sure they get put in the bag and not taken out. You do not want to be denied boarding.

– Not having your boarding pass/passport ready –

We all know we cannot avoid it. Going through security that is. Always have passports and boarding passes on hand and do not look for them in your bag. keep them in your hand and then you will need to show them once again before boarding your aircraft. Keep lines short and keep things going quickly.

– Not doing research on permitted and non-permitted items –

Always check what is permitted and not permitted in carry-on baggage and checked baggage. very important. Also always check how much liquids you can bring and to make sure you comply with the rules and regulations before you get denied boarding, go into secondary screening and the risk of confiscating your items.

7 Things to Stay Away From When Booking an All Inclusive Vacation

7 Things to Stay Away From When Booking an All Inclusive Vacation

1. Traveler Reviews – Opinions are always different from another person. Don’t search for reviews written by others. Chances are they could be lying, exaggerating, and chances are they have never been there and want to cause problems. Reviews can be misleading, and untrue. Form your own opinion and travel experiences. If you keep reading reviews, you won’t be traveling at all. You do not want to go to that route. Yes, its nice to value others opinions and ask for them, but ultimately you are the one traveling, Try it out.

2. Over-tipping – It is All Inclusive for a reason right? Everything is included in the price. Don’t go tip crazy. Of course you will want to tip your bell boy who takes your baggage to your room and take your baggage to the lobby area after your vacation and also to tip your room maker, but do not go crazy tipping every single person at the resort.

3. Excursions – When they over pressure you and bother you everyday about going on excursions, chances are they are an arm and a leg. They advertise it so well saying its great, come and don’t miss out and then you get your hopes up and then it’s not as exciting as they said it would be. Do things on your own. It is the best way. Selling excursions may be more expensive than going out on your own.

4. Travel Insurance from the booking company/tour operator – Always decline travel insurance when you are booking. It will cost you more. Buy travel/medical insurance separately or unless you have benefits through your place of employment that already has insurance, go ahead, but don’t jump into buying traveling insurance with the travel provider.

5. Star ratings – Yes, that is one of the first things we see when booking an all-inclusive trip. Everyone’s expectations are different, everyone’s taste as well, we may want more, we may want less. Our perceptions of cleanliness, drinks, food taste, taste buds, room comfort, resort amenities are different. Again it is similar to reviews. Form your own star and review ratings.

6. Beach Soliciting – stay away from those wanting to braid your hair. You never know where their hands have been, or how long they have not washed the brushes and products they use for your hair, or those people who are selling you cigars. Chances are they are giving you fake cigars that are loaded with banana leaves. If they are walking by the shore line and see you, they will always come bother you. Keep saying no and walk away and ignore them. Any local for that matter. You had just come out of the water. They expect you to have money on you all the time and on an all-inclusive trip. Don’t fall for it and walk away

7. Orientation – When you board your bus at the airport and take you to your resort, they give you a pamphlet of your resort, and they will tell you that the next morning there is orientation to get to know your resort, your flight information back home, and all that. They will try to sell you excursions and persuade you to do so, but I wouldn’t waste time being in a meeting where the beach, and the water, and your meals await you. Vacations go by so fast. Don’t want to waste a second of it.

All Inclusive Resort Guests & Their Terrible behaviour

In life after the stress of work, school and other life’s commitments in our daily lives, we look for a getaway to an All Inclusive vacation away from reality for a week or two or whatever duration. We get excited to pack up, fly to our destination and start our trip. It gets exciting up to the point where the resort guests start behaving badly, disrespecting the resort staff, showing bad manners, poor etiquette, not being courteous, littering, and showing people how unsanitary they can be.

Some people think, Oh I will never see these fellow guests again and they won’t see me so I can do what I want and act how I want. When it comes time for these people to eat and head toward their a la carte restaurants, snack bars, and the regular dining room buffet, some people start to lose their minds by cutting in front of people waiting to be served, or start touching food with their hands and handling them by putting it on their plates when they see there are utensils to pick them up with, or you see people eating food before sitting down.

You also see those people who fill their plates up to capacity and then don’t even eat more than half of it, then that food goes to the garbage. People get food more than they can handle it, and then waste it. Then people fill up drinks and only drink about a few sips and then the rest gets wasted too. Some of these guests are so wasteful and its just so unbelievable.

How about those guests who just tend to leave their cups and garbage all over the resort without putting it in proper garbage bins. Yes, I realize people are on vacation and they shouldn’t have to lift a finger, but really its disgusting having to see that from other guests who are pleasant and have manners and etiquette to proper dispose things in the right places.

These same very guests who behave badly and terribly, they are the ones then to write false reviews about the resort and how they felt very sick from the food they ate. Well, GEE, Duhhhh, when people are rooting around the food in the buffet with their germ full and bacteria full of hands and then their germs gets transmitted onto the food, then the next person touches that food and then boom a food borne illness because of another person’s thoughtless and manner less act another person has to suffer the consequences, and then who gets the blame? The All Inclusive Resort does, and then you see the travel reviews bad mouthing a great resort.

I mean come on! There is a common sense and being courteous to others. There are utensils on everything at the buffet, it is there for a reason for guests to use it. I think that all resorts need to have mandatory hand sanitizing stations at all entry and exit points of every restaurant, snack bars, and everywhere. You never know where people’s hands have been.

Then there are those guests whom dirty up the resort so much, it is unbelievable. some of these guests act like slobs. The cleaners of the resort cannot keep up. Give the staff some slack. It is a big resort with a lot of walking and cleaning up. I am sure you do not do this in your own house.

I feel like some of these guests at these resorts are getting worse. It is very disgusting how they act and I have seen it countless amounts of times. Especially in the last 3-4 years.

I always pick up after myself and I dispose my garbage in the proper places. I don’t just leave things and then walk away. That is not how I was raised. I believe that people need to really develop proper etiquette and then come to vacation to these places. It is not right to litter and destroy a resort’s reputation by the actions of guests who behave terribly.

I never believe in traveler reviews, and I never believe in what people tell me about a resort. I will go and judge it for myself. Everyone has their own opinions and the way they see things. I will not read and waste my time on resort review sites online. I know more then 95% of it is a lie, because I go to a lot of resorts and I see what people do and it is not the staff’s fault.

Resort staff work so hard and sweat. I see them running through to make sure things are great. I would like to see guests in their position to have to handle a huge resort and then after being disrespected and yelled at. If the roles were reversed, how would you be feeling after a long day or night?

I am really trying to put into words on why guests do these things? I don’t understand this at all. It is really ridiculous. I just hope that resort chains see this and really implement these changes and add security and health and safety staff especially around restaurants and other places that handle food and drinks. I am just thinking about the safety and security of all guests and I want people to enjoy and yet to think about other people too and not be selfish.

I just want guests to really think about what they do before they do it. I know you are there to relax, have fun, enjoy and all that, but there is a limit and there is a way to act. Just because you are not in a reality setting, it doesn’t mean that you can gallivant and act ridiculously. I just hope people realize that and change their attitudes and respect resort staff and other guests.

That is all for now, but if you would like an Honest opinion and someone who doesn’t lie about reviews, and want travel tips? Please contact me and I will help you. I am honest to everyone and I will not lie about a review that is for sure. What you see and what you read about my travel experiences is what you get.

 

Los Angeles Here I come for the 3rd Time!

In my whole life, I dreamt about going to Los Angeles and Hollywood, California. It was my first time in October 2012, and I must say I did choke up and was so teary. I Saw the Hollywood sign and I just lost it. I just couldn’t believe what I was looking at. Since I was a child looking at movies, television, ads in the paper, travel ads, magazines, entertainment stuff, and all I saw was LA, Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills and of course; the Hollywood sign. I knew where the celebrity central and the biggest entertainment capital of the world is.

As I was approaching the Hollywood sign above the Griffith Observatory, I cried up a storm. I was an emotional wreck. All my dreams of going to Los Angeles came true. I couldn’t believe I was close to all the stars, seeing the Hollywood Walk of Fame with all the artists, entertainers, then ending up right outside Jimmy Kimmel’s show studio set. Then seeing Capitol Records, and all these entertainment broadcasting corporation buildings. Then I saw the Iconic 405 Freeway everyone was talking about. They say that it was such terrible traffic and you are so right. So many lanes and still lots of traffic. Even the carpool lane didn’t make any difference.

In my mind, I was thinking of all the award shows, the red carpet, and I was keeping my eyes peeled and had my eyes everywhere with the hopes that I would meet a celebrity. That was highly unlikely, but It could happen and it has happened.

Anyway, my 2nd trip to Los Angeles was in May 2015, where we went through Santa Monica Beach where we hung out for a bit, then driving through Beverly hills. Seeing these huge houses where majority of them are covered in high bushes and trees, and a lot of the celebrities live there. You would see the home cleaners park their cars outside on the road, and them coming out with buckets, mops and other cleaning products, then you would see super expensive cars. This time, I did see Actor Hugh Jackman drive a black Porsche. It was definitely him. I can tell for sure. Then I looked online and it was true. We also traveled to Fresno, San Francisco, Drove on the Pacific Coast Highway, went to Newport Coast, Newport Beach.

My 3rd Los Angeles trip will be in about 3-4 months from now. I am excited to spend about 10-11 days there. I am definitely going to other parts of LA such as Pasadena, Glendale, Malibu, La Crescenta, and so many other places. I have a lot of time now to plan and I am going to be so organized. Gotta love LA. I cannot believe in just 3-4 years, I will have gone 3 times. I did not go all my life. I am really excited to be amongst the stars again.

I can’t wait to indulge into In-N-Out burger, and also the Famous Oscars Pizza Guy Edgars Pizza. Big Mamas and Papas, and amongst other great restaurants I have heard about.  I hope to see Ellen Degeneres, go to Warner Bros, CBS Studios, NBC Universal and more.

I just want to Meet Bradley Cooper, Jason Statham, Chris Hemsworth, and Channing Tatum. 🙂 Hopefully, will bump into them at LAX Airport or down a street walking or something. Now that would be awesome. I can hardly wait!

Are We Missing out on Life’s Experiences With Screens?

Long gone are the days where simplicity, enjoyment, living life at the fullest extent, enjoying and experiencing life without the use of smartphones, tablet screens and so many more. Are we really missing out on life’s experiences? Everything in life has its limitations, and in today’s society, people tend to go overboard with posting everything and anything they see. They are not really experiencing life, they are merely trying to capture anything and everything to share on social media networks, capture photos and share them on photo sharing sites.

Long gone are the days where people used to go to concerts and shows where everyone’s eyes and attention was looking at the stage without wanding lights coming from smartphones and tablets. Now with thousands of people capturing moments with their devices, these concerts and these special events in a person’s life is being video taped by the videographer’s of the concert, venue, and even when people witness a wedding or a reception.

I understand that you want to keep your personal memories too, of which taking pictures and everything and that is fine, but always wanding a device isn’t really the same as actually witnessing something happen before your eyes. Some moments are meant to be lived without screens, and where down the road you can remember it in your mind, and the good times to remind yourself and those who you lived those memories with.

I mean yes, special and beautiful events such as babies when they are born, their actions, and everything else need to be documented and everything, and there are moments in a person’s life that should be kept private and not for the world to see. Do not worry if you tell someone what your child did, or said that they will not believe you. They will. You do not need to always have proof or a video of something.

You really do not have to be in competition with the world and join a popularity contest because you want to be the first ones to capture something and put so many hashtags, and post something for the sake of posting something. It should never be that way.

People have the perception that if they do not capture, video, then post it on social media, the internet, tweet about it, that some people think that they are lying without providing proof that things actually did occur. I think that everything has its limits and not everything should be published online. Some things should be kept a secret, things should be kept private. Unfortunately, privacy is non-existent in today’s world because of these devices.

When people travel and explore the world, people will always have that force of habit to document every moment with screens, but the world has become smaller and people are more familiar with everything because people do research and look up videos and get more curious to find things out all the time, but the important thing to remember is that it is not fair to capture something, and then the soon to be traveler going to that place will see what it is all about and then that person or person’s will not be surprised anymore. It will all be spoiled for them

Some things are meant to be left unsaid, some things are meant to be explored without having people always telling others about something. People need to experience and form their own opinions.

I am all for and support smartphones, video, cameras, tablets and other devices, and I have them as well, but there is a limit and a lot of people now have crossed that limit. Screens have become addicting and it is so on the rise, that some people cannot go 5 minutes without looking at their phone. They bring it with them to bed, they check messages before bed, waking up, during meals, at work, during cooking meals, tending to their families, even while driving. Nobody should have their phones or other devices while driving. That is not only dangerous but very ridiculous.

In the past before all these devices came out, how do you think people passed their time? There was twice as much homework to do after school for the students, school times were longer, there was no use of devices, people had to make their own games and toys to physically play with, not one of those gaming consoles, people were outside playing, enjoying the true essence of life, more love, respect and family time, people didn’t have the luxury of instantly finding information, where they had to jet off to the library to find books, encyclopedia’s without the use of the internet or software.

With all that being said, people need to put their screens down and look up to enjoy life more, to witness things, to observe, and to capture the beauty of the world with your eyes. Not with screens. They shouldn’t be your eyes. Be more social, talk, take a pen and physically write without the use of keyboards and keypads.

Think about it. Experience life, put down your device and do it right now.

A Day In The Life in Cuba – The Reality

In life, one of the most incredible experiences is travel. I believe that when you travel to see the world, different lifestyles, realities, different people, places is something that is such a great thing. You become more aware, educated, informed and get in touch with your personal self to get a better understanding than what you hear in the media and pictures, also to change your perspective on things of the way your life is and in your own backyard to appreciate, count our blessings, and to be grateful for everything you have in life where others are less fortunate and do not have much. For example, in Cuba.

I have traveled to Cuba 13 times in my lifetime. I have traveled almost all over the island and have seen cities, and towns along the way. I have spent time with the locals, and met families, and have seen the way people live their day to day lives with the bare minimum. Some people make about $12.00 – $30.00 a month. Maximum 35 if they are lucky. Most people work in the resorts and touristic parts, some who are teachers, doctors, room makers, cleaners, bartenders and more.

A lot of people nowadays are so picky about what they want to eat, some people have a fridge full of food, pantries full, stomachs full, and they still are trying to figure out what to make. I admit, I am one of them, but It is really an eye-opener when you see the world. Not only in pictures, but when you see it with your own eyes. That is a whole new ball game. Well, some people in this world unfortunately do not have that option. Cuban people get a certain amount of food per month or every 2 weeks and that they need to space out how much food to eat during the day, some have to struggle to make their own food.

As I was going through towns from Cayo Santa Maria, back to Santa Clara where the airport is to come back home, I saw some of the most saddest things I had ever seen, there are run down buildings that look like they will collapse any minute, people walking around the streets with heavy bags, people cutting grass with machetes or some sort of cutter, some people going somewhere with horses, busted up cars, and it just made me tear up and think to myself, how can people live like this day in and day out? I teared up and so did the person who was sitting next to me and I overheard 2 ladies behind me saying that, we shouldn’t complain anymore and be choosy about everything we have. This really opened up my eyes one of the ladies said, and the friend of hers or whoever it was said, yes that’s true, you are right.

I have been through towns and cities in Cuba, and some of the conditions of the homes the Cuban people live are terribly sad. It breaks my heart. They don’t have proper windows, the roofs of some of the houses are coming apart, a lot of the houses are the size of a 14 to 17 foot place and some of the houses are even smaller than that. Can you imagine a family of 5 living there? Well, I met this family of 5 and they live in such a small house and they have to go outside of the home to use the toilet and to shower they have buckets inside the house and there is running water outside, so they have to go out to get running water then come back to wash up inside where there is just a drain.

In Cienfuegos, Cuba when I went. I had met an entertainer and then he invited my family and I over to his house, so the next day we took the taxi over to his place. We met his family and I remember how hospitable they were with us and so friendly. So, we took them a few items we do not need anymore and they were so happy. So the mother of the entertainer made us a whole table full of food, and started preparing the day before when the entertainer told them we are coming over. The dinner we had was so delicious and it was probably their months worth of food for us for that night. It was done without our knowledge or else we would have refused and if we did, they would get offended, so we ended up eating all of it as we were hungry. They then served us coffee and then we went back to the hotel.

They were so incredibly friendly and we got to see how they lived the whole day. They struggle so much with the deplorable conditions they live in. Some places though are really nice. It depends on the monthly salary as well. Again, I came to my resort and I just thank my lucky stars. I showed a few Cubans my pictures from my Camera, and they have never even seen an airplane in their lives, they have never even seen a camera, let alone the type of clothing I was wearing. It absolutely broke my heart to pieces.

I will continue to visit Cuba. I really like the people there and they are so friendly, witty and energetic, but for some people you can see the sadness and depression in their faces and you can tell some of them don’t have much, and some show they are happy, but they are not. The desperation can be seen. They love it when you give them shoes, clothing and anything else. For these people I will donate and give them the shirt off my back. Put yourself in their shoes and see what its like, but some people don’t realize.

I see them working so hard at the resorts, non-stop and they have to travel long ways to make a Buck which is a Peso there. There are people who come to these resorts who travel there, and I see how rude the guests can be to them and waste so much food on their plates, demand things from them. I mean at the end of the day, they are human beings just like us and deserve to be treated with respect and to have patience. Those Cubans see it and they said, I wish I had this much food at my home and I can see the frustration and sadness in their eyes. I am very observant when I travel. Some of these tourists don’t realize that, however I do and I am compassionate and patient with them. I put myself in their shoes and I go from there.

Moral of the story is that you should always be thankful for what you have. You never know what someone else is going through and people in this world do not have anything, so we must stop begging for more, being desperate for buying the next newest and latest smartphones, or super expensive things that really suit no purpose in life. Some people are so spoiled to the fullest extent. It is unbelievable. We should always count our lucky stars because people in this world aren’t so lucky.

Have you been to Cuba or anywhere else and have seen the way people live?

Do you travel to other destinations to see other peoples reality and what it is like?

Would love to hear from you.

Driving on Two-Lane Highways – It Feels Awesome

As you may or may not know, one of the most therapeutic things for me in life is to drive and I like it very much. I especially love to drive on major Highway/Freeway Arteries, big and small, long and short. When I drive, it is very relaxing to me. I remember when I got my G2 drivers licence, I began driving on highways in Ontario, Canada, especially the Highway 401 going back and forth to Montreal from Toronto, and when I used to go up to my cottage in Tweed, Ontario on Highway 37 which is a two-lane highway in some parts. Then after I got my full G licence, it felt awesome taking control and having that experience to drive all on my own from Montreal to Toronto, which is about a 5 hours drive. I loved it. Listening to the radio/cd’s, Myself, my car and the road. It was so peaceful and incredible.

With that being said, I absolutely love driving on two-lane highways as well. I feel like I am driving out in the country, different lifestyle, seeing farmers, pick-up trucks, old cars, overlooking trees, scenery, farmland, agriculture, fruit and veggie farms, animals, a house or 2 within a few km’s away from each other, followed by passing pick up trucks, big trucks/rigs on opposite side of the highway, then seeing solid lines, then broken lines for cars that are able to pass at that moment, say if there is a very slow moving vehicle in front of you, then quickly merging back into your lane, of course when it is safely to do so. I love road-trips like that, and I have to be the driver, but I am not the one who can stay in a car for more than 8-10 hours. That is my maximum limit. Anymore than that, I would rather fly somewhere.

I know sometimes driving in rural country/county township highways take longer to get to places, depends on where you are going, but it feels incredible to see greenery more and to get up close and personal with nature as you drive along.

Do you usually drive in the family or when you are amongst your friends? Or do you like being a passenger a lot more? I am in the mix between both, but I am the one who likes to usually drive. I cannot sit in a backseat of a car. I feel uncomfortable. I have to either drive or sit in the front.

Do you have a driving memory or story?

Our Ultimate 1308 Miles of California Getaway

A couple of weeks ago on May 21st, 2015 after a long wait and anticipation, Our ultimate California getaway had arrived when I went with my Family. We were so impatient and anxious to get to Toronto Pearson’s YYZ Airport to take our Air Canada Flight AC 789 to Los Angeles Airport LAX at 8am when it took off. As we submitted my boarding pass to the Air Canada attendant and as we made our way to the Aircraft and grabbed our seats, we were absolutely excited for the 5 and a half hour flight, which to us did not feel long at all, as we are used to flights. We arrived at 10:10am LA Time, so we had the full day ahead.

As soon as the aircraft attendants announced that we will be landing momentarily to LAX and as we saw the Los Angeles Buildings in Downtown while landing, the hills, valleys, and the beauty of LA, we began to get more excited then ever and then I said to myself, it is about to get real now. So much is waiting for me to discover, my family to see, my cousins wedding to attend to, Facebook Friends whom I met for the first time, and covering so much ground in so little time. 10-11 days went by like a dream.

It was an incredible time when we went through towns and cities, and firstly after getting our rental car, we made our way to Newport Coast, where we stood the night, taking the 405 Freeway, where then we began driving north to Fresno where my cousin got married, and reunited, and united with family and friends, then after Fresno, we made our way to San Francisco passing through San Jose, Oakland, and many other towns. After San Francisco, we ventured out to Highway 1 Freeway 101 which is the Pacific Coast Highway. It took over 8-9 hours to drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles. We made a stop in Santa Barbara for a night, Then we stood in Northridge Area, visited Santa Monica Pier and Beach after that we went back to Newport Coast where we ended our trip with more family time. On May 30th we returned our rental car, then at 10:20pm we departed Los Angeles LAX airport to arrive back to Toronto on May 31st, at 6am in the morning our time.

In Beverly Hills, we were on our way to Santa Monica, where I saw Actor Hugh Jackman driving a black Porsche when he was getting out and stopped on one of the streets in Beverly Hills close to Carmelita Ave with the tall Palm Trees around the homes. All the cars were either Range Rovers, Porsche, Mercedes, Ferrari, BMW, Maserati, Teslas and so many more crazily expensive cars around there, and then there were cleaners and maids coming out of some of the stars homes as I was driving and watching the streets. It was quite awesome to see a celebrity in LA… What is a trip to Los Angeles without seeing a celebrity?

With all that you hear from Movies, TV, Entertainment websites and all the hype of Los Angeles with the home of Celebrities, Music Performers, Directors, Producers and a huge Population that works in the entertainment industry somehow are scattered all over Los Angeles area’s. LA is just so huge that you need at least a month to comfortably go all around. 2 weeks is not enough. There is just too much to see, too much to do. If I lived in Los Angeles, I would definitely be in the entertainment industry.

Now Los Angeles is not just about Film, Entertainment and everything. There is far more to it than just film making, awards, studios, mansions, Malibu beach houses, movie sets, the glitz, glamour, vanity, fashion and everything is not just everything about it. There is so much more to do. If you have never been, you should make a trip there whenever convenient for you.

Now, they say that the Highway 401 here is jam packed and so much traffic. You haven’t seen and heard nothing yet. We took doses of the 405, 110, traffic and that is extremely brutal. I do not know how residents of California, LA area can handle that day in and day out. It takes patience, skill and guts to go through that almost everyday. Highway 401 traffic in Toronto is nothing compared to what they go through on the 405 and 110. I would go crazy with that everyday. People of LA are brave.

I love Los Angeles so much. I am excited to make a return next year. I have been back for a couple of days now and I miss it so much already, especially my family and my friends there. Next time I will be there longer to see my other Facebook friends that I didn’t have time to see. Cheers to LA!

There is so much more that I have to say about my trip, but this was just the bit of it.
Now to take off my bucket list:

– I saw the Painted Ladies and the Full House TV Show house, and Alamo Square in San Francisco,
– I saw the Fisherman’s Wharf, also the skyline of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge.
– I saw the Santa Monica Pier
– I Drove on the Pacific Coast Highway
– I went close to the Hollywood Sign
– I saw Beverly Hills and glimpse of Celebrity Homes
– I saw a celebrity in LA – Hugh Jackman in his Black Porsche.

Understanding Social Media – Twitter

Since April, 2007, Twitter launched its social media website to the world. Twitter’s headquarters is located in San Francisco, California, where then eventually many offices were open in the United States, as well as the world. Millions of people have now created accounts since its launch. Twitter is a social media website where people share instantly without barriers of create ideas, advertising ones own business, as well as promoting events, causes, raising awareness on issues of the world, trending the news, popular words, phrases, currents events and more with 140 Characters or less.

In August of 2007, Chris Messina had incorporated the Hashtag “#” sign which is the number sign, which makes it easier and what will attract the world with certain keywords used to promote, advertise and make something popular with the hopes that it will begin to trend. For example, when you create hashtags such as #People #SocialMedia #Life #Love #Travel – and then if another person decides to write the same Hashtags, it will come up on the same page, and it will be like a chat room where people can communicate with each other, as well as if something is found to be interesting, they will add someones tweet to their favourites and re-tweet it on their page.

You will then receive notifications, that what you post on where it is and who has posted it on their pages. When people find something or someone interesting, they may or may not start following them and adding them on their list.
I know you are probably thinking, what can I write and share in 140 Characters or less? Well, there is a lot you can do in that limit. There is always something somebody is searching for and Twitter has made it easier to share it with the world. You can post photos, links, personal websites, and so much more which of course with obeying Twitters terms of service. Twitter also has a short link generator, which you can find the twitter short link generator and save space in the status message you are about to share. You can find it on a search engine site of your choice.

Introducing you the Executive Team:

Dick Costolo, Chief Executive Officer
Adam Bain, President of Global Revenue
Alex Roetter, Vice President of Engineering
Anthony Noto, Chief Financial Officer
Kevin Weil, Vice President of Product
Luca Baratta, Vice President of Finance
Vijaya Gadde, General Counsel
Adam Messinger, Chief Technology Officer
Gabriel Stricker, Chief Communications Officer
Brian “Skip” Schipper, Vice President of Human Resources

Board of Directors:

Jack Dorsey (Chairman)
Co-Founder, Twitter, and CEO, Square

Dick Costolo
CEO, Twitter

Peter Chernin
Founder and Chairman,
Chernin Entertainment and The Chernin Group

Peter Currie
President, Currie Capital

Peter Fenton
General Partner, Benchmark Capital

David Rosenblatt
CEO, 1stdibs.com, Inc.

Marjorie Scardino
Chairman, MacArthur Foundation

Evan Williams
CEO, Medium; CEO, Obvious Corp.

There are quite a few people that have told me, what is twitter? How can I understand it? why did it become so popular? Well, it is a social media website that has blossomed like wild flowers in the world. Like I said in my previous articles, people will search for anything, and when it comes on the news about a new website, and they begin to advertise so much on Media outlets, it will be a huge hit and sensation in the world. Twitter still is after 8 years.

I am so happy with Twitter. I feel that it has gotten so much easier to raise awareness about certain topics and issues of the world, and to address important subjects to our society. Thank you Twitter for giving us all an opportunity to get out there, to achieve, and to do what our hearts desire to the world. If you do not have an account with twitter, make one, it will make it so much easier to share blogs, ideas and so much more that you want to contribute to the world.

I wish Twitter and its staff all the best and many more years of trending, re-tweeting, tweeting, sharing and more. Thanks twitter.

The Social Media Information Overload

In the life and times of the society we are in, We keep hearing about Social Media and the many websites and how technology has changed so much with communication and how the internet is the biggest information/communication hub of the world now and I know in the last few posts, I have written about it, however this is such a thing as Social Media Information Overload, however that should never deter you from putting yourself, your ideas, suggestions, experiences, stories and more out there. There are many people in this world who want to look for different types of information in different context and there is always some type of information out there for everyone.

I know Social media is a huge topic and starting out and beginning your journey is something that can be frustrating and so intimidating, that you just want to give up quickly and not give it a chance. When I began blogging, writing and putting myself out there in the public eye, I never thought that I would get this far. I read many blogs, and tutorials on social media and how to get myself out there and I began following those instructions, then gradually I began getting so much feedback and so much more out of it. At first, I thought this is such a waste of time, and I won’t get anywhere, but then I gave it a chance, and everything fell into place. You just need to give it the green light.

I know some people are probably thinking, how of hundreds and thousands of blogs, twitter posts and all the writings, articles of the world, how someone can get to my site, and see my posts and things that I put out there to see? Well, it is very easy with over 3 Billion people who use the internet, it is very easy for so many people out of those billions of people who want to search for something that interests them and they will go through many sites to find it and they will get onto your site. It is pretty neat to be shown on Search Engine sites, and with searching for a topic or something is easy. People will sift through many search engine pages and when they see a blog or something that interests them, they will click on your site and see the content they want, then they might share it amongst their family and friends, and then will share it on their social media sites.

Some tips to take note of and a word of advice when beginning your social media journey:

– Be Patient
– Engage, Discover, Deliver
– Read Social Media Tutorials
– Get on Social Media Marketing websites and receive e-mails on articles
– Keep writing, Posting material
– Give yourself and your social media journey a chance
– Get on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook
– When you are on twitter hashtags like this #hashtags #blogs #socialmedia is important to spread out with whatever topics you want to share in 140 Characters or less.
– Never take take take – Give as well.

When you are in social media, do not make it a competition of “Oh I am better than everyone else” approach “My material is the best” attitude. People automatically feel the way things are written online, and if people feel that someone is complimenting themselves so much and becoming a center of attention, it becomes less interesting to engage into that persons website. Never make someone feel that their material and what they write is something that is not good or don’t make people feel that what they have to say isn’t important. We are all important, and what we all have to say is something that is good to read. Never slander and insult somebody because of it. We all have something incredible and wonderful to contribute to in the world.

All in all, Social Media is a great thing to be in. It is a communication of information that can be beneficial for everyone. So take the chance and see where it takes you. Have fun and best wishes!

My Vision of Empowerment of Social Media

Since social media has been a big trend on the internet and the world, We all have different outlooks and perspectives toward the vision of empowerment and communications that social media has that a lot of people are in, however my vision for social media and what I want to get out of it is to inspire, share my views/opinions and to educate others in the life experiences I have had and will continue to have. My vision is to raise awareness on certain issues that have me deeply interested in and to make a difference one person and many people at a time.

Some people create blogs, and become active on social media to see where things will take each and everyone of us and the purpose we have to get to that point. Still, I think the traditional word of mouth is something much more powerful, however with this new age in technology, with communication that has gotten a lot easier than years ago, information gets sent instantly on the other side of the world with just a click of a button. It is incredible where inventions, technology has led us to a new realm of today, tomorrow and the future.

Social media has different levels of how we look at it, some always want it to be fun with posting funny jokes, memes, and doing funny things all the time, some post inspirational quotes, some post photos of themselves and/or with friends/family, postings about so many things.

Advertising has become a lot easier with posting events, flyers, sharing it on twitter, on Facebook news feeds, walls, inviting people to pages, fan pages, groups, also making it easy to RSVP to events, people post up greeting cards, Photoshopping, and all kinds of interesting and neat things. Social media is a huge thing in the world right now and it is getting more popular as time goes by.

A few people have messaged me in the last few years and have asked me “What are you getting out of social media”? My answer is simple, to empower, to communicate, to keep in touch, to meet new people, inspire, and with the hopes of changing the world and the perspective on life with my words and to spread love, happiness, joy and smiles across the globe. Once someone posts something, it is out there for the world to see.

We all understand social media in different context and ways and what we define our vision of it is. Some use social media to communicate with family and friends, some use it for business/commercial use and as well as many other things. No matter how we look at social media, we must always be very careful of the information we transmit and not post anything and everything that goes on in our lives for the world to see.

The biggest vision of mine is to communicate to the world through my eyes, my words, and my thoughts to the world as much as possible.

Why Do We Write? What is the Sole Purpose?

In life as human beings in the world, we are all good at something or multiple things and we are blessed with being gifted and talented in whatever that is instilled in you. We all have a purpose in life and it is never late to find out what it is. One of them being is that a lot of people choose to write. Now in social media, and blog sites where it is easy to transmit information and being able to write more easier and quicker so that many people can see instantly rather than waiting for a book to be published. The world can see what you have posted. I began writing in 2002 and even maybe even before 2002. I cannot really remember, but I have been writing for a long time. I began by writing for my church and the events it had, I became a communications director and secretary for committees where I wrote meeting minutes and e-mailed them out to fellow committee members, then eventually when it came time for social media to come around, I began writing for the community of the world.

My Sole purpose of writing is to get my points across. I want to inspire, uplift and make a persons day. I mostly 99.9% of the time like to write about positivity, happy thoughts, optimism and instilling people in giving them confidence, and so much more. I want to make a person smile, to feel good about themselves, to know that there are people who care about every individual around the world, because I care about the human race, and everybody who is on-board in this planet we live in. We are only on this earth for a limited time. We must learn to help each other, give each other a hand, inspire one another, to care, love and appreciate one another without violence, and all the other negative things in the world that are going on right now.

There are so many reasons why people write and the sole purpose of writing is to share experiences in all walks of life, to share ideas from writing news stories, articles, writing poetry, lyrics, short stories, fiction, true stories, sentimental stories, scripture, about movies, music, novels, traveling, children’s books, food recipes, organizational ideas, giving advice, tips, and suggestions about things and places in the world. There are many perspectives that lead to writing. Writing skills are important when you get your points across, but it does not have to be perfect. I know writing is a task that we bloggers know and sometimes we get writers block where it is absolutely difficult to think of fresh new ideas and a topic to write about which is totally in the norm. Even I get days where my mind cannot come up with new ideas, so I resort to reading online, brainstorming subjects to write about and make it into my own words.

Lets put it this way, writing can be anything you want it to be, but to make it in ways where it does not offend anybody, or directly or indirectly to point fingers to someone to prove a point. It is always best to take up personal issues and problems you have with an individual right to their face to confront and come clean about a situation, rather than posting it on social media where thousands and millions of people can see and involving everybody else. It is you, your business and the other persons. It sends out the wrong message. It is best to leave very personal issues off the internet. Not everything should be published and posted. Not when it comes to issues with others. It can really ruin friendships and relationships. Trust me, I have learned that lesson and in a hard way, which is why I do not do it anymore. I am speaking from personal experience. It is not fair for the other person and not fair for yourself as well. It can cause a lot of trouble.

Now to ask you, what is the sole purpose of writing? Why did you start to write and contribute to the world? I know some people will not have all the answers and it is hard to answer this question, but would love to hear and read about how you discovered about writing and what is does to you. Best wishes to you in your writing journey. If you can write or contribute to the world with your words, you can make a difference in the world. It all starts with the outlook that you do have. All the best. 🙂

Memories Flamenco Resort – All Inclusive is Beyond Excellent

In November of 2014 after the anticipation and impatiently waiting for my southern destination vacation to Cayo Coco, Cuba from November 27 to December 4, 2014 to Memories Flamenco Beach Resort, I automatically fell in love with it when I saw the pictures and did extensive research about Memories Resorts. From the moment I landed and arrived at Jardines Del Rey Airport in Cayo Coco with Sunwing Airlines, I knew it was going to be an excellent week. I just felt it from Toronto Pearson’s YYZ Airport.

As we had checked into Cuba after the customs/Aduana, We ventured off to the Transgaviota Bus to take us to Memories Flamenco Resort, but before we boarded the bus, our rooms and wristbands for the week was all ready for us and very well organized and prepared. From then on, I fell in love with the resort and the excellent service so far. As we arrived to Memories, we were greeted with a welcome cocktail drink in the front lobby area before getting our baggage and the memories Managers and team leaders greeted us happily with friendly smiles which warmed my heart. They are beautiful people whom I had the pleasure of meeting and spending this beautiful week with, which went by so quickly.

All vacations go by so quickly. The resort was so beautiful, everything, the layout, the convenience and everything was greatly thought of. Everything is close by with the bars, restaurants, lobby, the pool, the beach, and easy access to everywhere which was incredible. The food was delicious, clean and the bartenders, waiters and the cooks worked so hard, quickly and efficiently. The place is so spotless and everything is awesome. I also love how the managers, the resort administration staff, the customer service managers were walking all around the resort to ensure that everybody is having a fabulous time and everything is well taken care of.

I couldn’t believe how fast the bartenders, and waiters were. They were faster than the speed of lightning. I do not know how they have so much energy to do that for so many hours. They work so hard and come to work everyday from Ciego De Avila or Moron cities which they travel an hour and a half each way just to make ends meet. They only make so much in a month, and they are always happy and smiling and with a great attitude. They are so friendly and give great customer service. I appreciate them so much and I thank them. God bless them all and continue to give them energy. It is not easy to take care of so many guests, their requests and everything. It is not easy to tend to so many people at once. I have a tremendous respect for each and everyone of them. I was so observant the whole vacation and I tell you, It was awesome.

Our rooms were spotless, everyday I would get freshly washed towels, mopped floors, the bathroom and beds were super clean with new sheets, as well as my fridge stocked daily with water, cola’s, beer/Cristal cervesa’s, and everyday I’d walk into beautiful decorated towels with flowers on them. I was amazed. Best resort I have been to in all the times I have been to Cuba. This was my 12th trip to Cuba. this was by far the best. The resort was super clean with cleaners and housekeepers working around the clock to upkeep the resort. The public washrooms were spotless, the staff presence 24 hours a day was comforting as well.

There are some points though that need to be improved, but its just the beach area needs a little work, which I am told that it is still under construction because its a new resort of over 4 years old and they will be completing it within the year and then just the lighting around the walk ways and the pool area so people will not slip and fall, but no other issues… They will be working on all of that which I heard.

I made new friends from parts of Ontario and Quebec also from the UK, and partied at the disco, got to enjoy the snack bar and all the restaurants, the a la carte restaurants which I booked from the first day and got to enjoy the whole resort. A week sometimes is not enough. 2 weeks is the best way to really enjoy it all thoroughly without rushing to do everything all in one week. Time permitting and it depends on a person’s personal budget and finances and convenience of course. it all depends on your preference.

The entertainment, disco, the nightly shows and audience participation was excellent, there is a Cuban night where people learn about Cuba and then the entertainers give us traditional Cuban dances and give us a crash course on Cuban culture and history.

Everything else is excellent and excellent does not even describe this beautiful resort. Unfortunately when it came time to the last day to leave the warm tropical weather, 3 bus loads of people who were on our flight back to Toronto, The resort manager and other managers greeted us farewell by putting on their memories resorts theme song and gave us a speech before we took off to the airport which left an unforgettable and long lasting impression on my family and I. I cannot wait until I return back to Cuba and to Memories. I am impatiently waiting until my next voyage. I give this resort a 6 star. Not a 4 and a half to 5 stars. Thank you Memories Flamenco resort staff. You all put the most beautiful touch to an awesome and lovely week in warm weather and so much more.

Thank you for giving us memories to cherish for the rest of our lives.

Do you go on all inclusive resorts? Do you travel to sunny destinations for a getaway to relax and enjoy the hot weather? What resort have you been to? Did you enjoy it as much as I did? Would love to hear your stories.

The Expert Travel Packer – As I am Known To Be

for the last 22+ years of traveling to many destinations, and the countless amounts of times of packing a suitcase has really become nothing for me now. I have another title now, which is “The Expert Travel Packer”. I really enjoy packing and it is one of my favourite things to do to believe it or not. I am known to be organized very well with everything, so packing comes very easy for me. I learned how to pack my own suitcase when I was 7-8 years old. It was fun to do with the supervision of my mom of course, and then after a couple of travels, I began to do it all on my own without the help of anybody, from then I learned how to do everything.

With air travel sometimes there can be this odor in the luggage that seeps in from the baggage storage areas and transporting the baggage to the aircraft, so I buy fabric softener nice smelling sheets, and I scatter them around the baggage, underneath, in the middle of the clothes and a little bit on the top. You open it up and your whole luggage smells nice and fresh, then you can pack some dryer sheets in a small plastic lock bag and then use new ones upon your return.

There is nothing to packing. It does take some practice and a little ingenuity, but everything is quite simple to do.

A couple of days ago a great family friend asked me for packing and travel advice, so I went over to pack suitcases and saved a lot of space and made sure everything is packed neatly, tightly and organized. I did all the packing within an hour. not even. If you have any questions and ideas of how to pack your suitcase with everything that you want to know, especially when it comes to toiletries and bottles with liquids in it and you do not want them to spill out or anything, please do not hesitate to ask me on tips and tricks and I will gladly explain it to you.