These “clouds” or “thought bubbles” are stationed along the exit of Denver International Airport in Colorado, USA. These have the potential to be really cool signs and make people think about….SOMETHING. But they are blank. Empty. Random.
The State of Colorado or City of Denver could easily use them as marketing tools. For example: Cloud #1: It may be really flat right here… Cloud #2: But just wait…Cloud #3: We do have mountains, seriously.”
My Vegas Ganesha bringing me good luck on the road.
Toronto, Canada. 2013. Standing next to a large bronze, meditating statue of Shiva, the Destroyer, Maharani Emporium owner Rupert Lalla, tugs at a gold chain around his neck. He pulls the attached gold figure up from beneath his green plaid shirt. Bringing it forward so I can see it more closely, he reveals a tiny figure with an elephant head, human body and four arms in various positions — Ganesha.
I take this as a good sign since I’ve been grilling Rupert in his Toronto shop about this Hindu god and why Indians choose him for their cars as the preferred dashboard deity.
A bit about Ganesha
Totally fitting as a dashboard deity, Ganesha is the Hindu god of protection, wisdom and remover of obstacles. He also is the son of the god of destruction and recreation, Shiva, and the Hindu goddess of power, Parvati. Often called the easiest god to worship, Ganesha, according to Hindu belief, accepts any devotee’s prayers — whether formal or informal. Embracing Ganesha as their god of choice, residents of Mumbai hold Ganesh Chaturthi, an eleven-day festival solely devoted to the elephant-headed god.
A Ganesha statue outside a jungle elephant preserve. The electric green moss transfixed me.
In 2010, during a trip to Bali, I noticed that Ganesha was everywhere on the “Island of the Gods,” since the Balinese place him near entrances of buildings and temples. Stationed in the parking lot of an elephant preserve in the jungle, appropriately, was a large moss speckled volcanic Ganesha sculpture complete with a jewel-encrusted headdress. The contrast of the dark rock and the electric green moss on the statue all against the backdrop of the dense, vibrant jungle captivated me.
My dad cheeses it up in London with my mom, Judy.
This is my dad, Ed, and he, along with my mom, Judy, encouraged and supported travel for our family. My sister Suz and I were lucky to go on many memorable trips. I think I’ve always had the travel bug, but my parents certainly introduced it to me. This post is for you dad.
It must really annoy Canadians when visitors say, “So, you’re Canadian, EH?” And if the eeehhhhh is drawn out, it definitely must send them over the edge.
Not much bothers Sophie, but she finds it somewhat frustrating when people don’t book ahead.
“Actually, I sometimes up my “Ehs” to give people the Canadian experience,” says Sophie Gotschal who works the front desk at Hostelling International (HI) Toronto.
It turns out Canadians are quite aware that they say “eh” and that including this interjection in their casual conversation is part of their identity. Generally, Canadians seem to be a pretty polite and tolerant lot, but there are a few things you don’t want to do while visiting Canada.
Highway 285, Colorado, USA. There must be a point when sign writers (especially traffic sign writers) get tired of stating the same message over and over and having drivers ignore the advice. That’s why the sign above is particularly funny. It’s got voice and attitude. Here are the signs that lead up to this flashing beauty.
Steph’s note: Because I’ve been in Toronto, Canada, at a conference (Travel Blog Exchange — TBEX) and gathering some material for Travel Oops and some other assignments, I’ve been a bit MIA on WordPress. However, I do have a short Oops to share.
Toronto, Canada. May 2013.
Pueblo Bank and Trust was ON IT. I found this out Friday, May 31, as I tried to withdraw funds from an ATM in Toronto, Canada. I got the same message over and over. Your financial institution will not allocate funds at this time (or something to this effect.)
I had forgotten to call PB&T to let them know I was traveling internationally. It’s funny how, in February, the bank couldn’t care less when I took out cash via an ATM in Las Vegas, the city of vices including compulsive gambling with ATM funds. Thankfully, Capital One knew since I remembered to alert them about my trip to Canada.
It was time to see if one could live off $45 of exchanged cash for three days in Toronto since PB&T is closed on Saturdays and Sundays and has no 24-hour hotline to call. Essentially, it turns out the situation was not too dire since you can pay for pretty much everything with a credit card. However, still unsure about Toronto transactions, I discovered another easy solution: buy items (for example, alcoholic beverages at The Fifth Social Club) with your credit card for other conference goers who have cash with which to pay you back.
The Air New Zealand ticket agent secured neon green “heavy” tags to half of our eight checked bags. Kurt, Kasey, Eddie and I also had two carry-ons each. We had maxed out the luggage allotment. Kurt also carried a commando poster that came straight from the Bondi Beach Pavillion in Sydney.
© Stephanie Glaser 2010
With no protective tube — just a rubber band — the poster was the final souvenir I purchased in Australia. Somehow I had convinced Kurt that we must have it and that he could easily carry it on the four flights that would get us from Sydney to Denver in the US.
“Because you guys bought your return tickets in 2009,” the ticket agent explained to us, “you are still eligible for the two free checked bags per person.” He held one end of a long trail of baggage claim tickets that continued to print. “The policy was just changed in July, allowing passengers only one free checked bag,” he added with a look like “Damn, you REALLY lucked out.” Indeed we were very lucky since we weren’t charged a cent for baggage.
He heaved the bags onto the conveyor belt. I really wanted him to ask me something like, “Wow, what’ve you got in here? Rocks?”
Disneyland, Anaheim, CA, USA. Disneyland officials posted this inside the boat you ride into “A Small World.” It’s a good thing, because that song is catchy when you hear it played over and over and over; you may be tempted to do “The Hustle” or “The Macarena.” I’m wondering, however, if the passengers in this “don’t” sign are really trying to bust out and escape rather than bust a move.
© Stephanie Glaser
Seoul Market, Colorado Springs, CO USA. l am completely fascinated by “Bubble & B,” which turns out to be a foaming hair coloring kit from Korea. I asked Seoul Market’s shopkeeper if I could take a photo of the product and she said “Sure!” and got it down from the counter and placed it close to me. As I mentioned in an earlier post about visiting this same market, I thought it was shampoo and it reminded me of the Denorex commercial when people test the lather of Denorex against another shampoo directly on their heads. Classic.
© Stephanie Glaser 2013
Two things you automatically have going for you when you’re a foreign exchange teacher and things go wrong:
1. You are foreign and your manner is often chalked up as being an unfortunate result of your nationality.
2. Eventually you will leave the country.
Ultimately you can get away with being strange or a little bit crazy. Even better, if it’s necessary, the excuse that you’ve moved to another country can legitimately be used.
I suggested that my principal use that very excuse on my behalf the next time Gertrude Brown called to demand I give her $1,000. In two weeks, I would be returning to the United States after one year of teaching in Adelaide, South Australia. So, indeed, I was leaving the country. Maybe that knowledge would finally shut Trudy up.
Mitchell (right) and his minions © Stephanie Glaser
Early in the 2010 academic year, I had confiscated her son Trent’s mobile phone after he took it out during class to text and show it off to his classmates.
When Trent, who was a whinger to begin with, argued that I had no right to take his phone, Mitchell, the class clown, piped up, “You know she told us we can’t use mobiles in class, Trent.” Ignoring that Mitchell next leaned back in his seat and placed his feet up on the table, I stood in front of Trent with my arm extended, palm upright.
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