« January 2006 | Main | March 2006 »
February 28, 2006
While We're on the Subject of Mardi Gras
Here is a list of five Mardi Gras celebrations written for MSNBC.com by Barbara Travers:
1. Throws-If you have even one ragged bag of colorful beads and baubles, doubloons, stuffed toys and krewe cups stuffed into the back of a closet, you know the value of this valueless loot.
2. Pete Fountain’s Half-Fast Walking Club-There’s no stopping legendary clarinetist Pete Fountain and his merrymakers. Celebrating its 45th year, Pete Fountain’s Half-Fast Walking Club hits the streets bright and early Mardi Gras morning.
3. King cakes-Perhaps the only pastry to come with a disclaimer ("careful when eating: plastic baby inside") these are served on January 6th to kick off Mardi Gras season and dished up through Fat Tuesday.
4. Mardi Gras Indians-Often overlooked in the shadows of the mega-krewes, the Indians have perhaps the most fascinating traditions and customs.
5. Flambeaux-Every krewe parade has its floats, throws, court and masked riders. But true-blue krewes have time-honored flambeaux ("keepers of the light"), bearing blazing torches and heading up the procession.
Read story here.
Posted by insideoutmag at 02:10 PM | Comments (0)
Mardi Gras
If you can't be in New Orleans for the big Mardi Gras celebration, check out www.wwoz.org and party along as they broadcast live from the party. It's the 150th anniversary and it sounds like the party is going strong (thanks for the link Frederick!). Happy Mardi Gras!
Posted by insideoutmag at 01:44 PM | Comments (0)
February 24, 2006
Job Abroad Opportunity of the Day: Windsurfing and Sailing Instructor in Greece
Poseidon Water Sports is looking for an instructor to teach children and adults windsurfing and sailing. Clients are allowed to sail alone so instructor should watch that they are safe, should know how to use the rescue boat in order to give further instructions or to assist with returning to "base." The instructor will teach a small group to make it fun. These people are also on holiday.
The instructor should be open and can get along well with people and impart their knowledge.
Highlights: A working summer holiday in a small fishing village in the Peloponnese by the clear blue Agean sea. Sites around to visit. If there is interest in sightseeing, we suggest to arrive a week early or plan to stay a week longer to enjoy this area. Friendly cosmpolitan area. Warm waters to improve your own skills together with working and earning.
Qualifications: Must have RYA certificates or like. Motor boat license or reference of experience (for rescue boat). First aid or reference of experience or course taken previously.
Dates: Mid June - End Aug and Early May - Mid Sept
Today's job opportunity was found on Jobsabroad.com.
E-mail resume and cover letter here.
Posted by insideoutmag at 12:49 PM | Comments (0)
February 23, 2006
Meet The Yeppies
I came across a blog today called Girl Travels World in which the author writes about being a yeppie. "Yeppies" are "Young Experimenting Perfection Seekers," or twentysomethings who won't settle for just any job.
She links to a very interesting Observer article in which Jamie Doward and Dana Gornitzki write "Research shows that today's graduates are increasingly adopting a 'browsing' approach to choosing jobs, relationships, homes and life-styles. Far from knuckling down like their parents' generation, they believe true personal fulfilment can only come after years of anguished experimentation."
So what does a yeppie look like? Here's an example they list in the article: "My name is Nicola Rogers, I'm 30 years old, and I trained as a nurse after leaving school. I worked freelance for the NHS for five years before giving up my job to travel in South-East Asia and Australia. On my return 18 months later I decided to retrain as a teacher and moved back in with my parents. I now live with my boyfriend in Hackney, East London, where I teach at a local primary school. I don't see myself doing my current job for ever. With teaching and nursing there are big demands on you, and I never feel like I am meeting expectations. I guess I'm not prepared to settle and do something for the rest of my life if I'm not happy and fulfilled."
Read article here.
Posted by insideoutmag at 12:25 PM | Comments (0)
Check us out on Amazon Connect
Josh and I recently heard about Amazon Connect, a new service offered by Amazon to authors that lets them "interact" with their readers, so we decided to give it a try. We created a page which you can see here.
Yesterday, Josh wrote about his brief phone discussion with JT Leroy, the San Francisco author who turned out to be a big lie. We were working on "San Francisco: The Unknown City" and I remember Josh calling up JT Leroy at home and speaking to a person he thought to be a woman at first. Read the rest here.
Posted by insideoutmag at 09:41 AM | Comments (0)
February 22, 2006
101Cookbooks On the Road
As I've mentioned before, one of the things I love about traveling is trying new dishes. I've been reading more and more food blogs and food articles in general lately and one of the blogs I read often is www.101cookbooks.com. Although it's usually not travel-related, this week Heidi, the main author, is spending some time in Amsterdam. In addition to great photos, she writes about stuff that she's seen and what she's been doing there. Today, she wrote about some of the colors that seem be everywhere in Amsterdam.
She writes "It seems that many of the man-made elements in this area take a cue from nature surrounding it. Architectural details pop off buildings in the shades of local berries, building exteriors look like they were designed to compliment the mossy canal walls perfectly, and the tall, tilted houses are coated with colors plucked straight from the canal water itself - murky greys, blacks, navy, and green."
Check it out here.
Posted by insideoutmag at 05:10 PM | Comments (0)
February 21, 2006
Kung Fu Evangelist
At InsideOut, we like independent everything, including independent theaters, so we're always happy to check out different ones wherever we go. In March, we're going back to Dark Room Theater, in the Mission. Our good friend Frederick Mead will be performing alongside friends in a great play he wrote called "Kung Fu Evangelist" and we highly recommend checking it out if you're in San Francisco.
Here's all the info:
Combining tall tale telling with potent Gospel music, storytellers Frederick Mead and friends bring you the world of the Kung Fu Evangelist and the evangelical fringe! Every Saturday in March at San Francisco's Dark Room Theater. Advance purchase strongly recommended. 3 of 4 shows sold out last year!
Buy tickets here
Posted by insideoutmag at 01:37 PM | Comments (0)
February 17, 2006
What Guidebook Should You Choose When Heading to the "New" New Orleans?
According to Laura Bly at USA Today, no guidebook has all the up-to-date information in print yet. In an article published today, she writes about New Orleans and how travel guides have had to use the Internet to keep up with changes in the hurricane-stricken city. She looks at publishing companies like Fodor's, Frommers, and Lonely Planet and checks what they're doing to make sure that their readers are not getting obsolete information.
Read article here.
Posted by insideoutmag at 10:53 AM | Comments (0)
February 16, 2006
Travelers Unite!
Mark your calendars and get ready for another Travelers Happy Hour because InsideOut Travel Magazine's got one coming up. On March 20th, we'll be sharing drinks with other travelers and checking out a slide show that Alex Robinson, our photo editor, is putting together. The best photos submitted to our "Wonders of the World" contest will be shown so if you haven't sent in anything, do it quick! The deadline is March 15 and photos need to e-mailed to Alex at photos@insideoutmag.com.
Here are pictures of Alex, Josh, and me for those of you who haven't met us yet. Kerri Gilbert, our contributing editor, will also be joining us (no photos for now but I'll be sure to ask her for one so you can see her too).
Alex Robinson making friends.
Josh Krist looking straight at the camera.
I'm (Helene Goupil) in the black shirt.
The Travelers Happy Hour is happening at one of our favorite bars, EZ5, at the bottom of Chinatown. This time, we're making it a private event (it's still free to get in) which means that it will be InsideOut Travel readers and friends only!
For details, click here.
I'll post about this again as we get closer to the date.
Posted by insideoutmag at 02:09 PM | Comments (0)
Have You Stayed in a Hotel Lately?
Then head over to TravelPost.com because they want the best hotel review you've ever written and to thank you, under-appreciated writer that you are, they will pay for your prose. That's right, TravelPost is letting reviewers earn a total of $4,000. All you have to do is write an eligible hotel review. Here's how they'll split the $4000:
The best 20% of hotel reviews will collectively share $2000
The other 80% of eligible reviews will share $2000
On March 10, 2006, the TravelPost.com team will contact you with the amount you've earned during writer appreciation month. Still not sure what you're supposed to write? Check out their guidelines here
Posted by insideoutmag at 10:43 AM | Comments (0)
February 15, 2006
Another Magazine Closes: Budget Living
Just after I subscribe... that sucks. For my birthday this year, I received subscriptions to three magazines I enjoy reading and Budget Living Magazine was one of them. I've been waiting for my first issue to come for a while now (my birthday is in December) and now I know why I still don't have it. It turns out Budget Living has just announced that it was closing. The March issue will be the last one. Just a week ago, I posted about Travel Savvy closing, now Budget Living Magazine--this hasn't been a very good two weeks for magazines.
In a Media Life Magazine article, Abigail Azote, reports "When it launched almost four years ago, it was much-talked-about, as a magazine that seemed to have everything going for it. The idea was ripe--smart people living chic cheap--and it had a big publishing name behind it, Don Welsh, who previously had launched Budget Travel.
Yesterday, at the end of a 60-day find-a-new-owner-or-else deadline, Budget Living announced it was closing, despite numerous awards, including a National Magazine Award, and a strong base of readers."
Posted by insideoutmag at 01:42 PM | Comments (0)
InsideOut Travel Asks: Where is Tonga?
After posting the job ad in Tonga, I realized I wasn't 100% sure where Tonga really was. So, from now on, whenever I come across a lesser-known destination, I'll post a "InsideOut Travel Asks: Where is" entry. You're welcome!
Tonga
According to the CIA World Factbook, Tonga is an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand.
The archipelago of "The Friendly Islands" was united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. It became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900. Tonga acquired its independence in 1970 and became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. It remains the only monarchy in the Pacific.
What's going on in Tonga these days?
Check out Planet Tonga, an online Tongan community.
What's there to do in Tonga?
Kayaking, diving, bird watching--there's just too much to list here. Check out the Visitor's Bureau website.
Do you need a visa?
No, a visa isn't required for a stay of up to 30 days for most visitors but you will need to show an onward/return ticket when you arrive. HIV testing required for stays exceeding 6 months.
Know before you go
Tonga collects a departure tax. For additional information, check with the Consulate General of Tonga, 360 Post St., Suite 604, San Francisco, CA 94108 (415-781-0365).
Posted by insideoutmag at 09:04 AM | Comments (0)
Job Abroad Opportunity of the Day: University Teacher in Tonga
Today's job abroad opportunity is from Craiglist.org (Auckland).
English Language and Literature teacher needed for a small university in the South Pacific Island Kingdom of Tonga, "Atenisi University" (Atenisi is a Tonganisation of "Athens"). Their curriculum is founded on classical ideals, formal education and critical thinking (please visit their website at:
Photo by Cfleizach
They are looking for an open-minded teacher to coordinate their English program.
Please send your resume and any questions to the former lecturer - Paul Janman at this craigslist replies address: job-126427169@craigslist.org.
Please also feel free to call Paul at (09) 812 8122 (until the 15th of February).
* Job location is Nuku'alofa, Tonga
* We can provide accommodation and a Tongan wage (dependent on your qualifications).
* This is a contract job.
* This is at a non-profit organization.
Posted by insideoutmag at 08:32 AM | Comments (0)
February 14, 2006
InsideOut Travel: Did You Know?
In Japan, Valentine's Day is celebrated on two different dates: February 14 and March 14. On the first date, women give a gift to guys (husbands, boyfriends, but also supervisors and co-workers).
On March 14, known as White Day (supposedly introduced by a marshmallow company in the 1960s), men need to give gifts to all the women in their life (co-workers included).
Posted by insideoutmag at 10:01 AM | Comments (0)
Celebrities In The Israeli Army
The Jerusalem Post just published an interesting article about Israelis who become famous in their teens and then have to serve in the army by the time they turn 18. This isn't really travel-related but the army is such a big part of Israeli culture, I found the piece interesting.
Jenny Hazan reports "For most celebrity performers who make it big by age 18, taking a break from their careers to serve in the army is the furthest thing from their minds. But what if Kelly Clarkson or Britney Spears had to temporarily retire from concert tours to do a tour of duty? What if the Backstreet Boys were asked to drop their mics and pick up guns instead? This is precisely the dilemma that young pop icons face - in Israel."
Roni "Superstar" Duani, pictured above, became a teenage favorite in 2003 when her debut album went straight to the top of the charts. She was inducted into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) a year ago.
Read more here
Posted by insideoutmag at 08:36 AM | Comments (0)
February 13, 2006
Have You Submitted Pictures to Our Photo Contest Yet?
We recently announced our new photo contest and since the deadline is already quickly approaching (March 1st), I thought I'd post a friendly reminder. The theme is "Wonders of the World."
Photo by Ian Taylor, winner of InsideOut Travel Magazine's 2005 "Faces of the World" Photo Contest.
Alex Robinson, our photo editor, is looking for photos of something (things, people, places, and/or moments) extraordinary you caught on camera during a trip.
Here are the guidelines:
- JPG format only.
- The size should be 1,000 pixels on the longest side.
- One photo per e-mail, and a maximum of five pictures per participant.
- Include when and where you took the picture.
- Be sure to include your full name, mailing address and phone number.
- Please don’t superimpose text on the photo with copyright information, etc. You retain all your rights, but we’ll include the photographer’s name in a standardized way.
- Send photos to photos@insideoutmag.com by March 15, 2006.
We’ll show the pictures at Travelers Happy Hours. Good luck! See our past winners here.
Posted by insideoutmag at 08:34 AM | Comments (0)
Valentine's Day Gift Ideas
Hopefully you've figured out what you're getting your Valentine but in case you haven't, here's an article I wrote for Sfstation.com that should give you some ideas:
Valentine's Day Gift Guide
Love is in the air
By Helene Goupil (02/10/2006)
Everywhere you look, there are flowers and chocolates for sale, and while we can all agree that they are good -- and safe -- bets for Valentine's Day, more personal gifts aren't difficult to find. A little imagination and the gift ideas below are all shoppers need to make sure their Valentines are satisfied... Read more here
Posted by insideoutmag at 07:47 AM | Comments (0)
February 09, 2006
No More Travel Savvy
Travel Savvy magazine started around the same time we started InsideOut Travel and although I am in no way comparing the two (we're very small and had no funding, plus we're only online), from time to time I would check with what was going on over there. Today, I found out that the magazine shut down yesterday, they let go of all their employees (with severance packages at least).
The magazine was too celebrity-centered for my taste but I am sorry to hear that another travel publication is closing.
Click here for more details.
Posted by insideoutmag at 09:57 AM | Comments (0)
Strange Travel Suggestions From Jeff Greenwald
Strange travel suggestions is a show by Oakland-based writer Jeff Greenwald--best known for travel books such as "Shopping for Buddhas" and "The Size of the World" and if you're in the Berkeley area tonight, we would recommend checking out as it opens today.
In the show, Greenwald improvises a monologue inspired by his travels. Audience members step onto the stage, and spin a huge, colorful Wheel of Fortune. Round and 'round it spins, and where it stops, the story begins..
Click here for more information
Posted by insideoutmag at 08:37 AM | Comments (0)
February 03, 2006
Surf's Up On WannaSurf
If you're planning a surfing trip and you're not sure where to go, or what the best surfing spots are, check out www.wannasurf.com. They have an extensive list of destinations and each surfing spot is described. You'll know how to get there, what level is recommended, etc.
Posted by insideoutmag at 10:14 AM | Comments (0)
Weird America Film Festival
I love being in the Bay Area this time of year because all the film festivals that take place one after another, the Indie Fest is going on right now as will the Black Film Festival soon. There's another one that's happening right now that I hadn't heard about: the Weird America Film Festival.
According to the website, "This six-part series peruses people with uncommon occupations, strange pastimes, and curious obsessions. You'll meet, among others, street toughs who don gaudy masks and wrestle just for the glory; a well-groomed stable of individuals who find their mane pleasure in ponyplay; wily Okies who troll for catfish with nothing but their hands for bait; and a ninety-two-year-old gal who knows everything about nuts, both the fruit and the human variety. All these folks are united by their healthy exercise of eccentricity. Weird America is not so much about a country as it is about a state—a state of mind."
Check it out here
Posted by insideoutmag at 09:16 AM | Comments (0)
February 02, 2006
Job Abroad Opportunity of the Day: TurnHere Filmmaker
TurnHere Videos is looking for footage of neighborhood videos for their website. You don't really have to go abroad for this one but keep checking back because looking at their website, it looks like they'll soon have international destinations.
Thanks to SF Metroblogging for this submission call:
"TurnHere.com is a new Internet video destination which chronicles different neighborhoods and places across the country through the use of Internet video films. Created by professional and amateur filmmakers specifically for the Internet, TurnHere.com's high-quality videos offer a first-hand, insiders look at different destinations around the country, and are hosted by real people who live there. Films focus on the people, culture, history, local businesses and political landscapes specific to each destination."
Video submissions are uploaded in Flash format and Turn Here pays filmmakers $1000 if accepted.
To apply click here
Posted by insideoutmag at 03:43 PM | Comments (0)
Travel Horoscopes
I never thought of zodiac signs influencing the way you travel (reading this, some of you are probably wondering what I've been drinking today, but I assure you, I'm as sober as can be). I just find horoscopes to be interesting, I don't read them religiously, or even every day, I just find them entertaining.
Anyway, now that I'm done justifying myself, I can tell you what this is all about. I came across some travel horoscopes today on different travel guidebook websites and thought that was a pretty smart way to get readers to check out their guides. Here's one I found on Insight Guides:
Sagittarius Traveller (November 23-December 21)
Walt Disney shared your sign and like him you think you deserve a kingdom of your own. Your colourful, extravagant personality makes you a born traveller and performer (Cristina Aguilera, Maria Callas and Tina Turner share your sign).
Like Mark Twain and Jim Morrison, you are adventurous, expansive, carefree and daring. The symbol of Sagittarius, the archer, couldn’t be more telling. You take aim, shoot your arrow and follow wherever it may go.
It helps that you are free and brave and interested in other cultures and philosophies. Even when waiting for a train in Britain you are optimistic.
You make a great travel companion for those that are a bit shy. Your outspoken, open approach attracts friends like flies to cattle. As Woody Allen shows, even your neuroses can be entertaining.
Sagittarius governs - Spain and Madagascar; Provence; and Cologne, Stuttgart and Budapest.
I love the part about waiting for a train in Britain, a little random, but funny. Also funny that they say I "govern" Provence since that's where I'm from. So, that's it, that was my "I'm-tired-let-me-post-whatever-I-want" post. Thanks for reading!
Posted by insideoutmag at 02:22 PM | Comments (0)
"San Francisco: The Unknown City" is a Bestseller!
You can't imagine how happy I was yesterday when I received the Get Lost Travel Books newsletter. Lee Azus, the owner, first talked about a very interesting article that ran in Publisher Weekly about the history and evolution of the travel guidebook. He then announced the bestselling guidebooks of 2005. And guess what? I know, the title of this blog entry ruined the surprise but I'll tell you again anyway, "San Francisco: The Unknown City" (the book Josh and I wrote) came in as #3 in the bestselling guidebooks of 2005!
Here's the list:
"Mundane Journeys," followed by "San Francisco’s Best Dive Bars," "San Francisco: the Unknown City" and "Lonely Planet Costa Rica, 6th edition."
Their best selling travel literature title for the second year in a row was "This is San Francisco" by Miroslav Sasek.
Lee Azus also included a link to an article I wrote for SFstation.com a couple months ago. When I interviewed Lee for SFStation, he was planning winter and spring store events and it looks like he's done a great job again at getting some very interesting people.
Here are some of them:
FEBRUARY 2, THURSDAY>> CUBA During her ten months in Cuba, Lea Aschkenas fell in love with the country and, then, one of its compatriots. In her new book, Es Cuba: Life and Love on an Illegal Island she documents the contradictions, isolation and optimism of the people she came to know. Join her as she shows slides and reads from her new book.
FEBRUARY 16, THURSDAY>> SOUTH PACIFIC The writers in the new Travelers' Tales book, 30 Days in the South Pacific: True Stories of Escape to Paradise, are not that interested in finding "paradise." Instead, they scuba dive off the Bikini atoll (site of nuclear explosions), visit Gauguin's gravesite, watch Apia's weekly drag revue or study traditional Tahitian dance. Join editor Larry Habegger and contributors as they read selections from the collection.
MARCH 2, THURSDAY>> FIRST (OR SECOND) TIME EUROPE Traveling on your own through Europe is easy and fun. It's not as cheap as it used to be, but that shouldn't stop you from considering a trip there. In tonight's two hour program, we discuss all aspects of planning your trip: airfares, rail passes, car rentals, packing, budgeting, guidebooks and using the internet. We then look at various itineraries covering short and long stays on all parts of the continent.
Posted by insideoutmag at 08:41 AM | Comments (0)