Travel Oops: The Unfortunate Photo — Here’s a ‘Little Ditty’ about a Rock Star Who Didn’t Really Want his Picture Taken

Posted on January 10, 2013 by sglaser

Look at how excited John Mellencamp is to pose with me!

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA. In 1986, I posed in a photo with John (Cougar) Mellencamp, one of the biggest rock ‘n rollers in the United States at the time. “Jack and Diane,” “Hurts So Good” “Pink Houses,” “Small Town,” “Lonely Ol’ Night,” “R.O.C.K’ in the USA” are a few of his “little” ditties.

You don’t need to be a body language reading expert to assess that the picture was pretty much taken against his will. That summer, Mellencamp was vacationing in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I was there, too, with my good friend, Melissa, and her family. The condo where we stayed overlooked Mellencamp’s penthouse. Word on the beach was that he was staying there, and that we might run into him.

One day I was walking on the beach with Melissa’s cousin, Catherine, from Pennsylvania. She spotted Mellencamp, and being a bit more…aggressive, persistent and “east coast,” shall we say, she immediately had a mission. “Come awwwn, Steph…let’s go talk to him,” Catherine said as she trooped over to get his photo. She shoved me in the picture, and I felt very awkward, especially since it was clear John did not want to be bothered.

John Cougar Mellencamp’s penthouse © Stephanie Glaser 1986

Travel Oops: Halted by “The Hoff” at Les Halles in Paris

Posted on January 8, 2013 by sglaser

From: lille5kutt on YouTube

What is it with Europe fawning over David Hasselhoff? He was HUGE there in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Seriously. The guy actually sang as the headliner at the Berlin Wall on New Year’s Eve in 1989. Perhaps Germany brought “The Hoff” in to provide some comic relief after all the turmoil, tragedy and strife the wall had brought since 1961.

But no. The Germans were serious. Stationed on a crane overlooking the wall, Hasselhoff performed the song, “Looking for Freedom,” which had dominated the pop charts in Germany earlier that year. The Hoff wore a piano keyboard scarf and a jacket blinking with lights. Yep. He did. The Light Bright jacket actually took attention away from the sledgehammered, chipped, chiseled up and nearly demolished wall.

From: lille5kutt on YouTube

Frankly, this news event should not have been that surprising to me since the Hasselhoff had captivated Paris two years before in July 1987, and I was a witness to the phenomenon. If an American can create a French Frenzy well, then what’s to stop him from playing in a prelude to the unification of Germany. It’s almost like Hell freezing over, right?

______________________________

Two years earlier…

I celebrate with Deb as we land on French soil.

After saving money for a year, my friend Debbie and I traveled through Europe on our own. France was definitely a big part of the itinerary. We couldn’t wait to experience Paris, The City of Lights.

Debbie was fluent in French and while I didn’t know the language, I would ask her to tell me how to say various phrases, and I would blunder my way through them. Trying to blend in, despite the language barrier, I wanted to be French while I was in Paris that summer.

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The Friday Funny Sign: Sorry Your Brakes Have Failed — But Please Wait Two Miles

Posted on January 4, 2013 by sglaser

Monarch Pass, Colorado, USA: It’s nice to know there is a place for out-of-control semis to go, but there’s something a bit unsettling about seeing a sign like this. First of all, there is a reason for a runaway truck ramp — because there are runaway trucks. Secondly, a lot can happen in two miles when a truck has brake failure — especially on a narrow mountain pass with one side that drops off substantially.

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Travel Oops: The Unfortunate Photo — “Is There a Snake in Your Pants or Are You Happy to See Me?”

Posted on January 3, 2013 by sglaser

Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia. I’m here with my dad and a python who was getting a little too friendly at the Alice Springs Reptile Centre. For some reason, it chose my crotch and the top of my thigh as a secure anchor for its wanderings.

From the look on my face, you may think I was enjoying this a bit more than necessary. Actually, I had a lot of nervous energy going…especially since the snake decided to live up to its cousin’s name and become a boa around my neck.

Travel Oops: “Tenemos un Problema con el Baño” (We Have a Problem with the Bathroom)

Posted on January 2, 2013 by sglaser

My sister Suzie and I © Edward Schuck 1981

Becoming fluent in Spanish was an important goal of mine in seventh grade at Santa Barbara Junior High in 1981. Already, I knew that I wanted to travel.

Every Sunday when my dad brought in the Los Angeles Times and placed it on our kitchen table, I rifled through for the travel section, which was huge. I scanned all the ads and articles as well as filled out every form, requesting brochures and tourist materials. Many of the countries to which I wanted to travel were Spanish-speaking nations.

Consequently, to learn Spanish, I dutifully conjugated verbs, poured through my textbook and practiced the book’s basic dialog scenarios at home. Literally translated into English (only in present tense), the riveting stories went something like this:

Carmen: Hello, Juan.

Juan: Hello, Carmen.

Carmen: I go to the shoe store.

Juan: I go to the shoe store, also.

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Happy New Year and Safe Travels for 2013

Posted on January 1, 2013 by sglaser

Here’s to hoping everyone gets a chance to travel — whether it’s to the next city, state or province over or to an entirely new country. Thank you so much for stopping by, commenting on and following Travel Oops — it’s been a fantastic journey becoming a blogger and sharing stories with such a diverse and supportive community!

I’m planning to travel as well and embrace the unexpected in 2013 — after all, I always need more material. Thanks for laughing with me or at me — I hope you’ve done both! Cheers, Steph

Friday Funny Sign — Be Careful of the Snowflake that May Tumble Down on You!

Posted on December 28, 2012 by sglaser

Buck Hill, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Honestly, I have to believe this sign is a joke. However, there was nothing to indicate it was a tongue-in-cheek sign. Furthermore, the day Kurt took this photo, Buck had seen three inches of snow all season. (I think I scraped that much off the windshield of the car last night.)

The photo below shows a view of Minneapolis from the top of the hill. You can see the lack of snowfall. I realize, certainly, that Minnesota can get pounded and probably a heap of snow can fall down Mouse Pass.

Travel Oops: “Someone smashed a window, Miss! And he’s right there!”

Posted on December 26, 2012 by sglaser

After local troublemakers invaded Le Fevre and punched the principal as he tried to get them out of the school, the entire staff was on high alert. First, the assailants had broken a window and then charged into the main building to “bash” a year 12 who had slept with one of their girlfriends. They brought knives and knuckledusters (brass knuckles).

Having a school lockdown situation was nothing new to me since I came from the US. I was now in Australia as an exchange teacher. Word on the street with my year 11’s was that the derelicts weren’t finished. Another massive bashing was on the way.

Two weeks earlier, at nearby Henley High School, students had given their uniforms to some hooligans from another school. Consequently, the intruders, who had major grudges, stalked the Henley halls unnoticed. They kicked the crap out of a student, who again, had slept with the wrong girl and then unwisely publicized it on Facebook.

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Friday Funny Sign — Any Milk Left for My Latte?

Posted on December 22, 2012 by sglaser

Colorado, USA. Who knew Starbucks had a mom and pop dairy that makes milk for all that foam? The former dairy is on the way to a popular ski area and it catches my eye each time I drive past.

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Travel Oops: The Unfortunate Photo —Is that Vomit in the Viewfinder?

Posted on December 20, 2012 by sglaser

With digital cameras, it’s so easy to delete photos with mistakes or unwanted shots. Sometimes those pics can be gems, however. At the very least, they may be a reminder about a funny incident or the challenge to get the photo in the first place. So Travel Oops has a new feature: “The Unfortunate Photo!”

Melbourne, Australia (above). I really wanted a family photo with a cityscape of Melbourne in the background. We chose a bit of an awkward spot in terms of getting several buildings in the shot. My friend Anne took the picture and was definitely intent on getting the right angle.

Unfortunately, with that angle, she also inadvertently included a pile of barf, which we had almost stepped in moments before. It caught my eye after I picked up the developed shots, and now it’s really the only thing I see when I look at the photo. It cracks me up each time.