Obama at Invesco Field for Democratic Convention

Barack Obama will accept the Democratic presidential nomination at INVESCO Field at Mile High in Denver on the final day of the convention, August 28th, 2008. He has chosen to change the venue from the Pepsi Convention Center to INVESCO Field, a stadium which holds over 75,000 Denver Broncos fans during the football season. Howard Dean, the Democratic National Convention Chairman has accepted the change in venue. “The Democratic Party is nominating a true change candidate this August, and it is only fitting that we make some big changes in how we put on the convention,” DNC chairman Howard Dean said in a statement. “By bringing the last night of the convention out to the people, we will be able to showcase Barack Obama’s positive, people-centered vision for our country in a big way.” The change to a larger venue will allow more seating for the final day which is fitting for Obama’s grassroots campaign. The few days leading up to the final day of the convention will remain at the Pepsi Center in downtown Denver. Although higher costs and security measures may be necessary, Dean reassures that this change will not deter the progress leading up to the Convention. As both Democratic and Republican Conventions near, it will be interesting to see which Vice Presidential candidates emerge for both parties. Will Obama make a daring pick in Hilary or perhaps John Edwards? He may bring along Governor of Kansas Kathleen Sebelius, a powerful woman who isn’t Hilary, but also had a weak response to the State of the Union. Joe Biden is also another candidate option who has innovative solutions to the war in Iraq. McCain will try to shake things up in the Obama campaign with a helping hand in Mitt Romney who can bring in support from the West and Michigan (not so helping during the primaries) or a GOP supporter and powerful figure like Colin Powell who McCain desperately hopes won’t endorse Obama.

Obama may need some oxygen after his speech...

Tube Mayhem

On Saturday, May 31st 2008, thousands of London residents poured into the tube stations to celebrate one last night of drinking alcohol on the underground train network. Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, issued an alcohol ban on all Tube, bus, DRL and tram services that came into effect on Sunday. Any open container on the service lines leads to an ejection since the issued ban needs a year to become a law. In response to the ban, organizers promoted a mass celebration through Facebook and other social networking sites which urged people to meet at Liverpool station around 8:30 for a Circle Line adventure. This quickly spread to other stations such as Euston, Euston Square, Aldgate, Gloucester Road and Baker Street which were later closed due to violence. Many groups dressed up in costume, wore blonde wigs to mock Boris Johnson, and consumed large amounts of alcohol during the celebration. Trains were damaged, rail workers were assaulted, and police were taunted as the party struggled to go on through the midnight ban. Six stations were closed and 17 people were arrested throughout the night. The event did become rowdy by the end of the night as police cars were slashed and police officers were assaulted. Boris Johnson’s attempts to battle anti-social behavior backfired in his face as rail union workers claimed that his decision was rash and the minimum wages of rail staff did not suffice the torment they had been through. I particularly think the ban is a disgrace and violation of rights. When I lived in London for five months, alcohol was a staple on the trains before traveling to your destination for the night. Many party-goers were usually tame and respectful of others on the Tube. The response on May 31st seemed fun and interesting despite some rowdy citizens who ruined the significance of that night. In New York, I am still legally allowed to drink open containers on the Long Island Railroad trains which are prone to acts of drunken behavior going in and out of New York City. Although drinking in New York subways are illegal, a big part of the London culture is having the freedom to drink on a Tube after work, on the way to the bar, or with your friends since it is a common social activity. Although Londoners will abide by this ban, it will surely disappoint many in a great city where no alcohol can add to the gloom on a rainy day.

Here is a video from that night courtesy of CSProductions:

The Revival of the NBA Playoffs

After suffering low ratings, a brawl at the Palace, image issues, and off the court player problems, the NBA 2007-2008 season has invigorated fans. The drafted and undrafted rookie talent of Kevin Durant, Al Horford, Joakim Noah, Luis Scola, Jamario Moon, and Thadeus Young brought an intensity in play that has been unmatched in recent years. The tight MVP race between Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Kevin Garnett and LeBron James dominates conversation between analysts. One of the biggest blockbuster trades in history took place: The Big Three (KG and Ray Allen joined Paul Pierce on the Boston Celtic’s roster) masterminded by Danny Ainge to include support from Eddie House, Glen “Big Baby” Davis, Kendrick Perkins, James Posey, and Rajon Rondo. To add to the madness - a late season trade by the Phoenix Suns masterminded by Steve Kerr that sent Shawn Marion to Miami for a struggling Shaquille O’Neal. Such a big trade was deemed necessary by the Suns in one of the craziest Western Conferences to date. Throughout the year, the top nine teams in the Western Conference were separated by only a handful of games. For instance, the L.A. Lakers would be second in the West one night only to lose a game and drop three seeds the next night. Each night, separated by a game or two, the Spurs, Suns, Jazz, and Rockets would shift around the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th seed. This culminated in a wild playoff chase at the end of the season for the last spot in the West between the Mavericks, Warriors, and Nuggets. The Nuggets nabbed the 8th and last spot from the Warriors who had a better record than the top five teams in the Eastern Conference. The Houston Rockets added to a memorable year when they went on the second longest winning streak in NBA history with 22 straight games. All of this positive vibe has garnered momentum into the playoffs which has started off on the right note. Although the seeding has caused an imbalance in matchups (Suns vs. Spurs), the first round is not as one sided as expected. The Atlanta Hawks at the 8th spot in the East has grabbed a game from the Boston Celtics to make the series 2-1 while the young Philadelphia 76ers are in a dogfight with the Detroit Pistons in a series tied 2-2. The revival of the hard-nose, fast-paced, smack talking matchups has made the NBA entertaining again. The jawing matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards has been fueled by Deshawn Stephenson claiming, “LeBron is overrated” with instigation by Gilbert Arenas and his blog. The denial of easy baskets, commitment of tough fouls, and the athleticism of players has pleased viewers that normally have short attention spans for the NBA. The youth of America and abroad have grown to love the NBA but at times the tough defensive play and unpredictable games of college basketball took away any interest in the Association. But this year, the re-emergence of teams like the Celtics, Lakers, and even Hornets have brought back the “ESPN Classic” type of playoff atmosphere. The Champion San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns, Cleaveland Cavs, Utah Jazz and Detroit Pistons are also contenders in the playoffs that is defined by the slogan, ”where amazing happens.”

Look for teams like the Lakers to make a strong push to the finals with an easy first round over the Denver Nuggets (prone to laziness and waste of talent). The addition of Pao Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies could get Kobe Bryant his first MVP and a new outlook on his future in L.A. Prior to the season, he became outspoken about the lack of a team around him. But a strong season by the Lakers bench in players like Sasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar, Luke Walton, Vladimir Radmanovich, and Ronny Turiaf along with strong play from Lamar Odom and Gasol created the most balanced team in the NBA. Kobe is all smiles now (picture). In reaction to a trade for Gasol, the Suns acquired Shaq to help their run and gun offense establish a better half court game and improve players like Amare Stoudemire, Raja Bell, and Boris Diaw. A bigger presence of Shaq under the hoop increased the productivity of those players and allowed better outlook passing to Steve Nash. But the Suns have stumbled in the first round to the San Antonio Spurs whose veteran talent of Tim Duncan and excellent guard play of Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker has the series at 3-1. But the team that should not go overlooked is the New Orleans Hornets who have dominated the West for most of the season. Chris Paul’s vision and ability to take over the game has made him a top candidate for MVP. Tyson Chandler soars for a dunk as Paul sends up the alley-oop while Peja Stojakovic nails down three’s throughout games. Their tough play and athleticism of young players are factors that will give the tired Spurs some trouble in the second round. The same goes for the Lakers who could fall to the trap of the sensational home court record of the Utah Jazz and versatility of Darren Williams. On the other side of the coast, Chris Bosh and the Raptors are against the wall from the Orlando Magic who could also make a big push for the Eastern Conference finals with solid play from Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, Hedo Turkoglu, and Rashard Lewis. Their next round will not be easy against the most put together team of the Pistons or the young talent of the 76ers. The prospective matchup of the Cavs and Celtics could be a good matchup for both teams if LeBron can receive support (similar to the championship run of last year) from players like Daniel Gibson, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Delonte West, Anderson Varejao, Ben Wallace, and Wally Szczerbiak. Hopefully the tenaciousness of the entire season can carry into the impending matchups of the Playoffs that will return the NBA to the Jordan era of the 90’s, classic rivalries of the 80’s, and parity of the 1970’s. Happy Playoffs and my predictions…

First Round Winners

East: Celtics, Cavaliers, Magic, Pistons (most unsure prediction with a tough first series against Mo Cheeks’ 76ers)

West: Lakers, Jazz, Spurs, Hornets

Second Round Winners

East: Celtics over Cavaliers in five, Pistons over Magic in seven (Lack of depth for Pistons = long series)

West: Lakers over Jazz in six, Hornets over Spurs in five (Spurs are a veteran team that will be plagued by fatigue from first round play with Phoenix)

Eastern Conference Champions - Celtics over Pistons in six (Pistons proved they could play with the Celts during the year but the Celtics role players will make the winning difference in this series)

Western Conference Champions - Lakers over Hornets in seven (advantage goes to the Hornets over the regular season but the Lakers balanced defense will dictate the outcome).

NBA Champions - Boston Celtics in six (cliche but realistic)

(Boston had two convincing wins over L.A. during the season…Should be interesting if Bynum is 100% by the finals but it would be difficult to implement him in the rotation while Gasol who is meshing so well with Bryant and Odom).

And for your information, I am an unfortunate New York Knicks fan…

 

 

The Perfect Getaway - Greece

There is a folktale that goes something like this: when God created the world, he saved a gift for every country. He gave the Amazon Rainforest to South America, damp and cold weather to Great Britain, and sweltering heat to North Africa. God then asked Greece what it wanted. One problem - Greece was taking a nap. After waking up God said, “You were sleeping so I could not give you anything. However, I did save the most special thing for you. Dry weather, trees, clean oceans, beautiful beaches, and many mountains - the most perfect country to be…”

I have traveled to Greece over a dozen times and it is the most anticipated trip anyone can make. Greece is one of the best travel destinations for many reasons - it has some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, landscapes, caves, and mountains. Island villages consisting of whitewashed houses with blue shutters, warm people, dry weather and a local taverna with exquisite Greek cuisine equate to a picturesque vacation. Greece also has a rich history that dates back to 2800 B.C. Remnants of history are found throughout the country. It is unfathomable how such colossal structures were built so long ago and yet thousands of years later they are still standing. One trip to Greece is not enough to cover all of its beautiful locations. But I happen to believe that this itinerary is the most enjoyable and fulfilling for a stay in Greece.

You can take a direct or one-stop flight to Athens Eleftheros Venizelos Airport. Athens is an older less developed European city that only deserves a few nights. Stay in a hotel in the downtown city center for two to three nights. If you are interested in some sightseeing, the first place you should visit is the Acropolis. You could take the metro or a 4-5 Euro cab ride to the bottom of the Acropolis. After a slippery walk up the front or back side of the hill, you pay an entrance fee (student discount offered) to view the famous Parthenon (left) and various structures that cover the top of the Acropolis. My favorite place is the giant Greek flag found in a small area at the edge of the Acropolis. You can also see the original statues and structures in the museum on the hill. After a quick stop for a frappe or coffee you can walk down the hill to Plaka which is the marketplace area that includes restaurants and boutiques. This is a good area to buy souvenirs and gifts for your family and friends. After some time in Plaka, walk over to Syntagma Square or the Greek Parliament to catch the changing of the guards (Evsones) taking place in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Greek guards wear traditional uniforms that are unique and very comical to say the least (picture right). The Greek neighborhoods of Kolonaki, Monastiraki, and Psiri are all in walking distance which are good areas for shopping and food and drink. If you’d like to capture an overhead panoramic view of Athens, head over to Lykavitos Mountain which is the highest point in the city. Up at the top you can visit the small church and enjoy a mesmerizing view of Athens and the surrounding mountain range. Another day should be used to go to Voulagmeni or Varkiza which are popular public beaches on the coast. Glyfada is a great area to experience the Greek nightlife that extends to the early morning hours. After exploring Athens, a quick 20 minute Aegean Air flight to Mykonos is in order. Known to be one of the biggest party places in Europe, this island hosts people from all over the world and consists of a beautiful port town and many famous beaches. Stay in the town of Mykonos to enjoy views of the famous windmills and walk through the small winding streets that are filled with shops, restaurants and bars. Mykonos (left) has some of the best food spots including some great bakeries. The bars stay open all night and the party keeps rolling day and night. Paradise and Super Paradise beach are famous locations where you can enjoy a swim in the crystal blue Aegean Sea water and soak in the hot sun (wear lots of sunscreen). You can R-V (very dangerous) or take 2 Euro bus rides to other beautiful beaches that adorn the island. The island is safe, filled with fun, and the most relaxing getaway one can experience. After a few nights in Mykonos, the tail-end of your trip should include the most popular destination in Greece, Santorini.

When most people think of Greece, a picture of a town in Santorini (right) comes to mind. To get to Santorini from Mykonos most people take a ferry or Flying Dolphin hydroplane. You could either stay in the town of Thira (Fira) or Oia. Thira is the main town on the island that includes many shops and more popular hotels. I stayed at Hotel Anteliz (right). If you and your spouse or girlfriend are visiting Santorini, the town of Oia is the more serene area of the island. People often forget that Santorini was created by a volcano that has been inactive for years. Scientists claim that if the volcano were to erupt, the explosion would have a force equivalent to ten atomic bombs. But that is not a worry when you are staying in Santorini. You can even take a boat island tour with food and drink included that circles the island. One stop allows you to do a quick walk-around on the volcano. Another stop includes a swim in sulfur baths which are hot therapeutic waters near the volcano. Throughout the island you can hop on a donkey for a fun but rocky ride up and down curvy roads and take a stop in any of the island’s towns for a nice dinner on a cliff overlooking the beautiful scenery that is Santorini. The island also has unique volcanic black and red sand beaches that are popular stops among tourists. After a quick flight back to Athens and a return home, you will have plenty to talk about your trip of a lifetime to Greece.

Eli Manning Gains Momentum

I am a New York sports fan. This simply means that I am overly critical about certain New York sports teams and their respective players. New Yorkers only expect the best from their favorite sports teams. No other city holds the most opinionated fan base. New York fans are not as ruthless as Philly fans. They have not remained perennial losers like Chicago or Boston fans (the Red Sox have changed that - the Celtics are about to as well). Yet New York fans tend to put athletes and teams on the chopping block even before careers or seasons begin.

A prime example is Eli Manning (AP Photo / September 9, 2007 right). He is the pipsqueak younger brother of the untouchable Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts. Eli has failed to convert a win in the first three playoff games of his career. This past Sunday, Eli erased that statistic by rolling over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa. It took Peyton six seasons and four attempts to get his first postseason playoff win. Eli is not as talented as Peyton, however, he is gaining confidence in his passing game and alertness in the pocket. His inconsistencies in the first few years of his career are diminishing due to a greater pocket awareness and less turnovers due to ill-advised passes. His decision to throw more balls away when hurried is leading to less fumbles and interceptions and in the last two weeks of football (vs. Patriots and Buccaneers) he has thrown 6 touchdown passes and has been the top quarterback. After some slow first half starts, Eli has shown that he can manage a game and handle the pressure and criticism from the New York fans as well as twin brothers Ronde and Tiki Barber. Jon Gruden’s intent was to stop the Giants run game and put pressure on Eli. Teams believe that stopping the Giants running game puts the ball in Eli’s hands which forces him to win, or lose the football game.

All this momentum can prove beneficial when the Giants play the Dallas Cowboys this weekend at Texas Stadium. QB Tony Romo has shown he can make big plays to down-field receivers like Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn, and Patrick Crayton. Tight end Jason Witten is also a threat to the Giants defense that has been relentless this season. But even without Sam Madison, the Giants secondary has been stifling. Dallas has a handful of injured players who are making returns such as Owens (high ankle) and Glenn (two knee surgeries). But inevitably this game will come down to Eli Manning as the Giants look to advance to the NFC Championship. Huge momentum shifts through defense will determine the outcome of this game. Both teams will have to be effective in the trenches to stop the run game and force both Manning and Romo to create effective offensive scoring drives. Giants win 35-31 in a nail biter. 

American Gladiators Back with a Bang

American Gladiators is back. I just said it - American Gladiators is back. I flip the channel to NBC (HD) and on the screen appears a 5-foot-7, 150 pound man taking on a 6-foot-7, 260 pound beast called “Mayhem” in a jousting event fifteen feet above a pool of water. I vaguely remember watching this show in the early 1990’s. Today I’ll be able to remember this revival that is giving me plenty to laugh about. The first amazing aspect of this show is that it is hosted by Hulk Hogan and Muhammad Ali’s daughter, Laila Ali. Hulk Hogan still has that flare he exhibited in wrestling and you know he is just itching to jump into the Gladiator Arena. I probably would advise him not to participate since his knees are barely holding him up. Laila Ali is another great addition since she looks like she could easily upend every contestant and Gladiator (males included). Her bicep is larger than the average man’s leg. The ten events are interesting as well. They are listed below:

Joust

Assault

The Wall

Hang Tough

Earthquake

Power Ball

Hit and Run

Gauntlet

Pyramid

The Eliminator (The one that can change it all)

Eight men and eight women compete in the preliminary round and four of each advance to the Semi-finals and then onto the finals. A contestant can advance with a low Eliminator time. The Eliminator is the final obstacle that is quite grueling. It involves wall climbing, sprints, and ropes. At the end of the Eliminator of the season premiere, one of the male contestants became emotional after losing. He had been waiting to compete for ten years. The out-pour for this show has been tremendous. It has been aired on ESPN Classic for a while and has gained media attention through articles in magazines such as Sports Illustrated and television ads on NBC. The centerpiece of the show is the Gladiators. They are responsible for terrorizing the contestants and preventing them from scoring points in each event. Ultimately, the two male contestants are competing against each other by accumulating points in events with the Gladiators - same with the female contestants. The male and female with the most points at the end of the show advance to the next round. American Gladiators include towering monsters named Justice, Mayhem, Crush, Militia, among others. These Gladiators stay in character with their respected nicknames throughout the show. Below is a clip from the original American Gladiators where “Malibu” is more or less attempting to explain his injury in an interview.   

The revival of the show is a great thing for television. Although I do not watch television often, American Gladiators makes Sunday night entertaining. The future of this show is very promising and the buzz surrounding it will definitely make it as successful, if not more, than its original format in the early 90’s.

Celebrity Clutter in the Media

“Jamie Lynn Spears, the 16 year-old sister of Britney Spears has confirmed that she is 12-weeks pregnant…” This headline has appeared in almost every major media outlet. The problem is that nobody seems to think this story is unnecessary to report. It disgusts me that the U.S. public in the modern-era is more intrigued by a “pop star” than the status of the inner-city communities in Baltimore, Maryland. Today’s media is bent on reporting what the public deems interesting such as lifestyle, celebrity gossip, and entertainment in general. But many are losing sight in reporting “real” unbiased news that does not focus on Hollywood’s celebrity drama. In my opinion, the drunken public display of lavish Hollywood stars on television is impertinent to the average American. The fact that professional journalists can fill time on the air or space in newspapers to report on the un-classy and crass escapades of Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan, and Britney Spears is beyond me. Young girls view these celebrities as role models yet everyday their drunk driving, cocaine abuse, jail and pregnancy stories are ubiquitous in the media. I understand that the front page of a newspaper or headline news of a television show that displays a celebrity may spark curiosity for a viewer but it serves an injustice to put these stories ahead of a story about health-care for seniors or a robbery that took the lives of three innocent citizens. The sad part of today’s news is that nobody is concerned with the actual story and the “real news” becomes just a fleeting statistic for the average American.

The genocide in Darfur which has taken hundreds of thousands of lives in the past few years amounts to only 1.25% of coverage by all international media outlets. To put it into perspective, Michael Jackson’s child molestation case, Tom Cruise’s engagement to Katie Holmes, and Martha Stewart’s prison sentencing on insider trading charges received almost 70 times more media coverage than the crisis in Darfur.

As a marketing major, repetition can permeate the consumers’ minds. If television networks, newspapers, and other media outlets do not cover significant stories that are affecting our lives (whether we know it or not), the public is being robbed of information. That is the responsibility of the media - to report the news whether it is local, national, or international. If important stories such as the status of inner-city schools in America to international stories like Darfur are not reported, then they don’t exist in the individual’s mind. As a result there is no sense of urgency or demand for people such as leaders with power to come to any solution. The media is our eyes to the world that we are not able to see in person. Learning about which celebrity is pregnant is not going to change this world at all…

The Doctor in Vegas

The Doctor speaks about his fond memories of life in the mid ’60’s…

“Strange memories on this nervous night in Las Vegas. Five years later? Six? It seems like a lifetime, or at least a main Era - the kind of peak that never comes again. San Francisco in the middle sixties was a very special time and place to be a part of. Maybe it meant something. Maybe not, in the long run … but no explanation, mix of words or music or memories can touch that sense of knowing you were there and alive in that corner of time and the world. Whatever it meant…History is hard to know, with all the hired bullshit, but even without being sure of “history” it entirely reasonable to think that every now and then the energy of a whole generation comes to a head in a long fine flash, for reasons no one really understands at the time-and which never explain, in retrospect, what really happened. My central memory of that time seems to hang on one or five or maybe forty nights - or very early mornings - when I left the Fillmore half-crazy and, instead of going home, aimed the big 650 Lightning across the Bay Bridge at a hundred miles an hour wearing L.L Bean shorts and a Butte sheephearder’s jacket…booming through the Treasure Island Tunnel at the lights of Oakland and Berkley and Richmond, not quite sure which turn off to take when I got to the other end (always stalling at the toll-gate, too twisted to find neutral while I fumbled for change)…but being absolutely certain, no matter which way I went that I would come to a place where people were just as high and wild as I was: No doubt about that…There was madness in any direction, at any hour. If not across the Bay, then up the Golden Gate or down 101 to Los Altos or La Honda…you could strike sparks anywhere. There was a fantastic universal sense that whatever we were doing was right, that we were winning…And that, I think, was the handle-that sense of inevitable sense of victory over the forces of Old and Evil. Not in any mean or military sense; we didn’t need that. Our energy would simply prevail. There was no point in fighting- on our side or theirs. We had all the momentum; we were riding the crest of a high and beautiful wave…So now, less than five years later, you can go up on a steep hill in Las Vegas and look West, and with the right kind of eyes you can almost see the high-water mark - that place where the wave finally broke and rolled back.” - Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

My Travels - Barcelona, Spain

I have been to traveled to many places around Spain: Madrid, Toledo, Costa del Sol, Seville, Granada, and Torremolinos. This Spring I was back in Europe to experience more travel while studying abroad and decided a trip to Barcelona was in order.

After a bus to Stansted Airport outside of London, we got on a Ryan Air flight to Girona, Spain (a province North of Catalunya Barcelona area). After an hour bus ride to the city bus terminal, we headed to the hostel which was the Saint Jordi on Calle de Roger. After a long check-in, we walked around the streets and especially down Gran Cortes and Placa de Gracia where we passed the famous Gaudi houses. Antoni Gaudiwas born outside of Barcelona and fell in love with the city in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s as he created some of the world’s most interesting architectural landmarks and where the phrase ‘gawdy’ comes from for its unique and out of place style. We walked to the famous street called LAS RAMBLAS where stores, bars, and markets line the street and at the top of Las Ramblas (right) there is a high number of pick pocketers (fortunately this time around I was not robbed like I was in Leicester Square). We fed pigeons at the square which was interesting and then bought Sangria to bring down to the port and beach. The weather was around 60 degrees and the clouds had dispersed which was good news. The sun was still out around 5 and we relaxed at the port and then walked to the beach to watch the sun coming down onto the Mediterranean Sea. The Sangria had hit me very hard and I was feeling pretty good at that point. After getting back to the hotel to rest up and head out, we went to a Tapas restaurant where I ordered 6 tapas of various seafood, meat, and vegetables that were amazing and were washed down by an Estrella Spanish beer. After the Tapas place, we went to El Gato Negro which was a bar that served over 500 different shots and it was one of the most unique bars I had ever been to. The next day we went to Gaudi’s most famous work, The Sagrada Familia (left), a cathedral which means the Sacred Family. It was started over 100 years ago and will still not be fully completed until 2025. The view from the top was amazing as I have never seen architecture outside and inside a cathedral like that. The detail was immense. I guess you can call it hideously beautiful. He must have been under the influence of something or very disoriented because a few days of his architecture made me dizzy. It was art on steroids. Afterwards, we headed to a Paella place called Happy Bar Hour where I enjoyed nice seafood and meat mix paella which was the best I had ever had. We then met up with another group at the Burger King Lounge. After a short rest there, we walked to the Black Sheep off of Las Ramblas which I was told had table races with mini kegs attached. I was wrong and instead we had pitchers of Sangria and San Miguel and enjoyed some laughs with some Barcelona residents.

The next morning we decided to do some more sightseeing. Barcelona has the best Metro system I have ever been on. After getting breakfast, we headed to Vallcarca to see Gaudi’s famous park called the Parque Gual. At the top of the mountain we had a hazy and cloudy view of the whole city but I thinking about people I held close to me and how lucky I was to be alive in that part of the world in that moment in time. Everything was very calm up there. After stopping at a restaurant that served herbal tea and moussaka, we headed back to the hostel to pick up our bags and disembark from Barcelona and head back to London town. Overall, Barcelona is maybe the top city I have visited for its laid back style, good weather, good food, late night life, and warm people.

My Travels - Glasgow, Scotland

Renton: It’s SHITE being Scottish! We’re the lowest of the low. The scum of the fucking Earth! The most wretched miserable servile pathetic trash that was ever shat on civilization. Some people hate the English. I don’t. They’re just wankers. We, on the other hand, are colonized by wankers. Can’t even find a decent culture to get colonized by. We’re ruled by effete assholes. It’s a shite state of affairs to be in, Tommy, and all the fresh air in the world won’t make any fucking difference! - Trainspotting 

Personally, Glasgow is not a place I would want to live for a long period of time. On my first day, I walked through the oldest house of Scotland (which is not as old as my family castle in Greece) and crawled through 10 pubs. The pubs were much more exciting than those of London since they are more clustered along the same streets that limit the amount of walking or travel in general. I really did enjoy Glasgow for its people, music, and energy. For living in such a gloomy city, the people are always willing to help you with directions, say hello, or even buy you a pint.

The second day we got up early and took the 45 minute train to Edinburgh from Queen Station. Edinburgh was a great city that included the famous Edinburgh Castle that sat atop Castle Rock, the good food, the warm people, and the Scotland Whiskey Experience which broadened my knowledge on the ‘juice’. We got back to Glasgow around 6 p.m. and enjoyed a few drinks to wrap up our short weekend. I thoroughly recommend a nice weekend trip to either Glasgow, Edinburgh, and/or St. Andrew’s to escape from the circus of London.