BULS

 

Hip-Hop has historically existed as a male-dominated industry. Being a reflection of urban life and struggle, past Hip-Hop artists have been forced to maintain a certain level of masculinity in order to be accepted by their urban communities. Old school rappers who talked about love were often viewed as soft or corny. Because of this perception, the existence of love in Hip-Hop is a fairly new concept.

As the movement has gained support and recognition throughout the world, love has become an increasingly common theme in Hip-Hop music and poetry. However, the taboo still exists. Even today, Hip-Hop artists and poets present their love stories in a manner that allows them to maintain socially acceptable identities. Hip-Hop stories about love must still meet the masculine ideology in which the movement is rooted in order to be perceived as real and true.

The purpose of this study is to analyze Hip-Hop love narratives and how artists present these love stories in order to construct socially acceptable identities. I believe personal narratives are closely tied to the construction of identities. It is through personal narratives that people can recount life-changing events, realize socially acceptable behavior and create individual identities.

I have researched and studied several Hip-Hop love songs and analyzed the lyrics as text and poetry. In my research, I have found five common narrative forms used by Hip-Hop poets to tell their love stories: contrasting, perceptual, spiritual, conversational and metaphoric. These five narrative forms are used not only to present the story correctly, but also to maintain positive perception among a society that might view this sensitivity as weak or disrespectable. I plan to demonstrate each of these narrative forms and show how the poets use them to tell their love stories while establishing acceptable identities.

The Contrasting Narrative

One of the most common forms of Hip-Hop love stories is the contrasting narrative. Many artists use Hip-Hop music and poetry to tell stories about the negativity surrounding their urban environments. The contrasting narrative allows the poet to express his or her love story as a contrast to this negativity while constructing an acceptable identity because that negativity is real and understood in urban communities.

A great introductory example to the contrasting narrative would be the following passage from Method Man’s “All I Need”:

Back when I was nothin’You made a brother feel like he was somethin’That’s why I’m with you to this day boo no frontin’Even when the skies were grayYou would rub me on my back and say “Baby it’ll be okay”

In this song, the poet uses the contrasting narrative to show his love for someone who stood by him when “skies were gray.” He speaks of his love interest as someone who helped him get through troubled times, thus providing a positive contrast to his negative surroundings.

Another example of the contrasting love narrative can be seen in this passage from Guru’s “All I Said”:

This world is crazy, she’s supposed to help me stay saneSupposed to help with the pain, supposed to help me maintain

In this song, Guru uses the contrasting narrative to share his view of what love should be. He admits that his “world is crazy”, and that his love interest is the one person who can make it bearable.

In “She Tried”, Bubba Sparxx uses the contrasting narrative to tell a story that actually recalls his love being there for him when he was in trouble with the law:

A fly country girl, just workin’ them giftsShe’s my queen, was a virgin I guessBut I ain’t never ask and I ain’t never tellBut Betty had the cash every time I went to jail

This song further illustrates the use of contrasting narratives to express love. Though the poet confesses spending a lot of time in jail, Betty was always there to bail him out, again acting as a positive contrast to his troubles.

The Perceptual Narrative

Another common narrative form of Hip-Hop love stories is the perceptual narrative. Like the contrasting narrative, the perceptual narrative is based around the negativity that surrounds the poet’s life. But instead of presenting this love as a contrast to that negativity, the poet uses this narrative to explain how that love changed his or her previously negative perceptions. This narrative form also allows the poet to construct a socially acceptable identity due to the acknowledgement of the negativity of urban life.

In “Jazzy Belle”, Andre of Outkast uses the perceptual narrative to tell of how his love changed his former perception of women:

Went from yellin’ crickets and crows, witches and hoes to queen thangsOver the years I been up on my toes and yes I seen thangs …Now I’m willin’ to go the extra kilo-Meter just to see my senorita get her pillowOn the side of my bed where no girl ever stayHouse and doctor was the games we used to play But now it’s real Jazzy Belle…

In this song, Andre talks about a personal change of perception caused by love. He admits that at one time he thought of women as “witches and hoes.” But “now it’s real”, and he has a new perception of women as “queen thangs.”Another great example of the perceptual narrative can be found in the following passage of Black Star’s “Brown Skin Lady”:

I don’t get many compliments, but I am confidentUsed to have a complex about, gettin’ too complexYou got me, willin’ to try, looked me in the eyeMy head is still in the sky, since you walked on by

In this example, the poet admits to having relationship issues, but tells of how love helped him to overcome these issues. The poet’s love interest helped him to change his perception of love and fear of “gettin’ too complex”. In “Ms. Fat Booty”, Mos Def further illustrates this point by demonstrating the perception of other men and speaking to his love on how he is different:

Yo, let me apologize for the other nightI know it wasn’t right, but baby you know what it’s likeSome brothers don’t be comin’ rightI understand, I’m feelin’ youBesides, ‘Can I have a dance?’ ain’t really that original

In this song, the poet uses the perceptual narrative to acknowledge that some men “don’t be comin’ right”, but that he has a different perception of women than these other men.

In “Come Close”, Common uses the perceptual narrative to express how love has made him change from his old ways:

I want to build a tribe wit youProtect and provide for youTruth is I can’t hide from youThe pimp in me May have to die with you

Although the poet used to be a “pimp”, an urban term for a man who romances a large number of women, he tells of how his love interest has changed his actions and perceptions.

The Spiritual Narrative

A third common form of Hip-Hop love stories is what I like to refer to as the spiritual narrative. The spiritual narrative relies on the poet’s characterization of love as a kind of godly being, spiritual force or royalty, often with the feeling that the story teller has to protect that force. The spiritual narrative allows the storyteller to construct an acceptable identity by characterizing love as spiritual or perhaps even predetermined.

A great example of the spiritual narrative can be found in this passage of The Roots’ “You Got Me”:

Somebody told me that this planet was smallWe use to live in the same building on the same floorAnd never met beforeUntil I’m overseas on tour And peep this Ethiopian queen from Philly Taking classes abroad

Here, the poet uses the spiritual narrative to describe the time, place and emotions that his love was founded on, speaking of them as if they were somehow meant to happen. He also refers to his love interest as “this Ethiopian queen from Philly”, using the royal characterization so common in spiritual love narratives.

In “Love Language”, Talib Kweli also uses a spiritual narrative form and refers to his love as a kind of royalty:

Now if they call you out your nameThen that’s a different thingAnything but Queen I’ll go to war like a King

This example shows the protection aspect of common spiritual love narratives. The poet feels it is unacceptable for anyone to “call you out your name”, or in other words, use derogatory language toward his love. If someone were to do so, he would “go to war like a King”, thus maintaining his masculinity.

In “Mind Sex”, Dead Prez uses the spiritual narrative to talk about love introductions:

African princess, tell me yo’ interestsWait, let me guess boo, you probably like poetryHere’s a little something I jotted down in case I spotted you aroundSo let me take this opportunity

In this song, the poet uses the spiritual narrative to tell a story about the introductory conversation he had with a love interest. He refers to her as “African princess”, once again showing the tendency of poets who use the spiritual narrative to refer to their love interests as royalty.

The Conversational Narrative

The fourth common form for Hip-Hop love stories is the conversational narrative. The conversational narrative allows the poet to recite or recreate a conversation with his or her love and present it as play-like story about a specific love experience. Conversational love narratives are typically characterized by introductory speech and compliments, and are most commonly used as tools to tell a story about a first meeting or impression. These narratives allow the storyteller to construct an acceptable identity mainly because they often include many smoothly-structured compliments, and make the poet look like a cool ladies man.

A great example of the conversational love narrative can be found this passage from Dead Prez’ previously mentioned “Mind Sex”:

Pardon me love but you seem like my typeWhat you doin’ tonight? You should stop by the siteWe could, roll some weed play some records and talkI got a fly spot downtown Brooklyn, New York

In this example, the poet is reciting the conversation between himself and a love interest. As with many conversational narratives, it is based around meeting someone for the first time. The poet is telling a story about a girl he met that “seem[ed] like my type”. He then inquires “What you doin’ tonight?”, and follows with a list of charming speech in an attempt to create a social relationship with the girl.

In a similar narrative, “Beautiful Skin”, Goodie Mob uses the following conversational narrative to retell the first phone conversation he had with his love interest:

This is Carlito from a couple of days ago, you sound tiredForgive me if I’ve called you too lateBut what better time to relate mind-states?
Where could I begin?Has anyone ever told you ‘You got beautiful skin’?

This example further illustrates the use of introductory language in conversational narratives. The poet asks his love interest if she would like to “relate mind-states”, or get to know each other. He then tells her that she has “beautiful skin”, an often successful introductory complement given to women.

Cee Lo uses the following conversational narrative in “Slum Beautiful”:

Look at you, unbelievably, brilliant beautiful youYou’re looking deliciously divine darling you really and truly doThe very thought of has got me running at the speed of loveExploring everything about you from the ground to the God above

In this song, the poet uses the conversational narrative to speak directly to his love interest through the song. Note the wide range of compliments offered in this passage, as well as the charm, again illustrating a common aspect of the conversational narrative.

The Metaphoric Narrative

This fifth form of Hip-Hop love stories is possibly the most fascinating. It is the metaphoric narrative. The metaphoric narrative is used when the poet speaks of love in a metaphor of some kind. The most popular and socially acceptable form of metaphoric narrative is using Hip-Hop as the metaphor. Many followers of the movement view Hip-Hop as a driving force of love and happiness in their lives. Thus, many metaphoric love narratives revolve around Hip-Hop itself.

A good example of such a metaphoric narrative is the following passage from Black Eyed Peas’ “Rap Song”:

Yo, she got hips to hopAnd she ain’t goin’ popShe like a record that I wanna rockWhen I’m rollin’ in my ride cruisin’ down my block

In this example, the poet actually uses a unique play on words and speaks of a love interest as a Hip-Hop metaphor. He relates this person to “a record that I wanna rock”.

The group further extends the metaphor in the following passage:

She like a beat that makes me wanna grab the micShe like the lyrics that I wanna reciteShe like the old school mic with the cableYou can bring your records and I’ll bring the turntable

Again, the poet relates his love interest to other things he and his audience love, including “old school mic with the cable”, reciting lyrics and spinning records on a turntable.

Another great example of the metaphoric narrative is in The Roots’ “Act Too … Love of My Life”:

Learnin’ the ropes of ghetto survivalPeepin’ out the situation I had to slide throughHad to watch my back my front plus my sides tooWhen it came to gettin’ mine I ain’t tryin’ to argueSometimes I wouldn’ta made it if it wasn’t for youHip-Hop, you the love of my life and that’s true

This passage is unique because it utilizes both the metaphoric and contrasting narrative techniques. The poet refers to Hip-Hop as “the love of my life”, while simultaneously showing how that love created a positive contrast to the tough “ropes of ghetto survival”. The poet admits that he “wouldn’ta made it if it wasn’t for you”, showing that his love for Hip-Hop was and is a driving force in his life.

And that leads us to the most popular metaphoric Hip-Hop love narrative of our time. In “I Used to Love H.E.R.”, Common Sense uses the metaphoric narrative to express his love for Hip-Hop. He starts off the narrative with the following passage:

I met this girl, when I was ten years oldAnd what I loved most she had so much soulShe was old school, when I was just a shortyNever knew throughout my life she would be there for me

In this example, the poet starts off telling a story about a girl he met when he “was ten years old”, and how she was always there for him. The poet continues to use the metaphoric narrative to speak of this girl, including the good times and hardships they faced together. Not until the end of the poem does the listener actually realize that the entire song is a metaphor. The song ends with the following passage:

I see rappers slammin’ her, and takin’ her to the sewerBut I’ma take her back hopin’ that the stuff stopCause who I’m talkin’ bout y’all is Hip-Hop

In this song, the poet used the metaphoric narrative to tell a story about the love of his life, the struggles she faced, and his desire to save her. In the end, he admits that this love is not a real person, but instead his love of Hip-Hop.

The presentation of Hip-Hop love narratives is a very difficult task. In order to talk about love and still construct a socially acceptable urban identity, artists tend to implement one of the five successful love narrative forms. I believe that our society’s analysis of Hip-Hop music and culture is lackluster at best. The Hip-Hop love narratives presented above could provide a great basis for linguistic and sociolinguistic studies. Not only are they presented in a variety of styled narrative forms, but they also include deep thought, perception and analysis of the urban environment that characterizes an increasing majority of American society. Through the analysis and study of these love narratives, linguists could come to a greater understanding of and appreciation for the Hip-Hop vernacular, literature and, ultimately, culture.

Works Cited / Discography

A Tribe Called Quest. People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. Jive Records, 1990.

Black Eyed Peas. Bridging the Gap. Interscope Records, 2000.

Black Star. Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star. Rawkus Records, 1998.

Bubba Sparxx. Deliverance. Interscope Records, 2003.

Common. Electric Circus. MCA Records, 2002.

Common Sense. Resurrection. Relativity Records, 1994.

Dead Prez. Let’s Get Free. Relativity Records, 2000.

Goodie Mob. Still Standing. La Face Records, 1998.

Guru. Jazzmatazz Streetsoul Vol. 3. Virgin Records, 2000.

Method Man. Tical. Def Jam Records, 1994.

Mos Def. Black on Both Sides. Priority Records, 1999.

Outkast. ATLiens. La Face Records, 1996.

Outkast. Stankonia. La Face Records, 2003.

Talib Kweli & DJ Hi-Tek. Train of Thought. Rawkus Records, 2000.

The Roots. Things Fall Apart. MCA Records, 1999.

 

Technorati Tags: Hip Hop, Urban Leisure, Urban music

 

Amsterdam and water are closely linked, as they have been for centuries. It was specifically because of all that water from the River Amstel and IJ and the Zuiderzee that the first inhabitants settled here early in the thirteenth century.

Water was also the main reason of Amsterdam’s wealth in the 17th century, when it became the most powerful trading city in the world. The canals in the centre, with their beautiful merchant’s houses from the Golden Age, are what made Amsterdam really famous. The richly ornamented gables from this period are still to be admired. The finest facades and all the bridges over the canals are illuminated at night.

Amsterdam’s canals offer a lively spectacle the whole year round, thanks to the countless boats that tour around the whole day and most of the night. As a visitor, one can also witness exciting events on the water, from canal concerts to Chinese dragon boat races and rowing regattas.

Thanks to this all, Amsterdammers do live the year round with their favorite element Water. The intimate relationship between Amsterdam and the water is no longer so dramatic, but can still be seen and felt every day. That is clear to every visitor within half an hour. One only has to take a stroll through the city, and before one knows it one has crossed a dozen picturesque arched bridges over the canals. One must have seen tour boats and canal bikes pass by, and may even be a couple of paddling canoeists. Hundreds of houseboats and barges, often beautifully painted, show that not a single square meter is wasted.

Anyone walking along the canals at night might be lucky enough to see a less known feature of Amsterdam’s relationship with water. Since time immemorial, about 40 sluices in the centre have been closed between 7 and 8.30 every night so the water in the canals can be refreshed. This work is still mainly done by hand. One site to see this is at the sluices in the River Amstel by Carré Theatre, or at the Haarlem Sluice in the Singel. Two men turn an enormous wooden wheel to close the sluice gates. When their work is finished, an enormous pumping station on the artificial island Zeeburg to the East of the city is started up. In one night, the station pumps about 600,000 cubic meters of water from the IJsselmeer into Amsterdam’s canals. To allow the water to flow through rapidly, between two and four sluices on the West side of the city are left open. The water from the canals flows through these sluices into the River IJ (the section of the harbor between the IJsselmeer and the North-Sea Canal) to find its way to the sea via the North-Sea Canal. So about every three nights, the whole contents of the canals are refreshed.

Draining the canals takes place seven days a week, 52 weeks in the year. It is only occasionally stopped in the winter, when the water freezes over. After about three days of severe frost the layer of ice is thick enough for the skaters. The posh Keizersgracht is then converted to a cheerful ice rink for everyone to enjoy.

 

Technorati Tags: Amser, Urban Leisure

The tourism industry in Dubai accounts for a rapidly growing percentage contribution to its economy. Tourists visiting Dubai were estimated at 2.9 million in 2006 and it is evident this is a 6.5% year on year growth.

Shopping is a huge pull for Westerners visiting Dubai. Dubai has the seventh largest shopping mall in the World. The largest malls in the world are the South China Mall and Jin Yuan. The Dubai Mall is actually the largest in the Middle East and Europe. The Dubai Mall has 1200 shops at a size of 12.1 million square feet. To put that size in an easier context, it is the size of 50 football pitches. Quite simply, shop till you drop!

2007 recorded occupancy rates in Dubai hotels of 74% with the rates in 5 star hotels even higher at nearly 85%. This figure is predicted to rise for 2008. European guests staying in Dubai hotels accounted for 32% of the total number of hotel guests with American’s making up just 8%. The number of hotel rooms in Dubai is set to double with the construction of Bawadi by Tatweer in Dubailand. A state owned company are planning to build this site where it will hold 31 hotels, the highest concentration of leading hotels in the world. This, they say, is to cope with the 15 million tourists predicted to visit Dubai by 2010. Bawadi is also set to have over 100 theatres each showing live, cultural performances.
An interesting fact is that 30% of the total tourism visitors are those visiting for meetings, conferences and exhibitions. Dubai is becoming a popular area for businesses to exhibit, have offices and meet clients. There are endless exhibition halls and office space all of extremely high quality and with all facilities required.

Another lure to Dubai which is growing year on year is for the sporting facilities and events in Dubai. Dubai Sports City is a sprawling area of Dubai offering 50 million square feet of sporting venues which includes academies, football pitches and golf courses. Ernie Els has designed and constructed a championship standard golf course within Dubai Sports City whilst Manchester United and David Lloyd have built academies. As this is a self contained mini city, Dubai Sports City has exceptional Dubai property available, many apartments having views of the sporting developments. Also within the city are retail developments and many cultural activities.

As there is so much to see and do, visitors keep coming back and back. Many tourists are wanting to purchase their own piece of Dubai in the form of one the many exceptional Dubai properties. Dubai Sports City alone contains luxury developments including the Eagle Heights and Elite Sport Residences. Luxury Dubai property can be found throughout Dubai, even within shopping malls!

Jenny Andrew
http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/hospitality-and-leisure-in-dubai-712588.html

 

Whether you feel like filling your day with sports, arts, shopping or just a walk on the waterfront, Cardiff Bay is the place that offers the entertainment or leisure experience that you need. It’s also become a popular meeting place for people with VW campervans.

Known in the past as the largest coal exporting port in the world, by the 1980s Cardiff Bay was an empty land filled with abandoned buildings but it has changed its image and profile with the introduction of the Cardiff Barrage completed in 1999. This barrage impounded the River Taff and the River Ely to create a regeneration area dominated by the newly formed freshwater lake at the south of Cardiff city center.

Completed with the attractions it offers today, Cardiff Bay draws nearly two million visitors to its waterfront every year. Among the main attractions available now you will find The Welsh Assembly at the Pierhead, the Norwegian Church Arts Centre, the Wales Millennium Centre or the Goleulong 2000 Lightship, while the Techni Quest Science Discovery Centre and the Atlantic Wharf Leisure Village provide entertainment for the whole family.

Cardiff Bay plans for future attractions include a Welsh National Canoe and Rafting Centre complete with a 50m pool and a leisure water complex, an ice rink as part of St David’s, a Morrisons superstore and a Toys-R-Us store that will be the largest in Europe.

A visit to Cardiff Bay may also bring you to a local, national or international festival like the Welsh Food Festival or the MAS Carnival. With all this and much more to offer, Cardiff Bay must be among your favourite destinations when you’re looking for a fun time out.

The largest coal exporting port in the world has certainly changed its image with the construction of Cardiff Barrage, creating a freshwater lake measuring approximately 500 acres and resulted in 8 miles of waterfront. The barrage was used to impound two nearby rivers, the River Taff and the River Ely and it resulted in the now regenerated area that continues to develop as a leisure destination and a favourite among tourists from all corners of the world.

The Cardiff Bay Development Corporation, created in 1987, was the key player in the development of the area and by the year 2000 it had achieved most of its goals. The empty land and torn down buildings had turned into an unrecognizable area with a freshwater lake and habitats for several freshwater species at the mouth of the River Taff. This also resulted in an economic growth of the area with new apartments built, new jobs available, private lands becoming open to the public and much more.

The main attraction of Cardiff Bay is probably the waterfront, a perfect destination for a romantic walk, and it draws over two million visitors every year. When you visit the Cardiff Bay waterfront you will encounter its other attractions like the visitors centre known among the locals as “the tube”, the Cat-cruisers, Techni Quest, the land train or the Norwegian Church Arts Centre. Another popular place to visit is the spectacular Wales Millennium Centre for the performing arts that can offer you a day filled with art, be it ballet, opera or a musical. This is just one of the many cultural attractions in Cardiff.
If you prefer, you can just go shopping in the many shops the centre houses within its walls, or you can simply enjoy a refined dinner in one of the restaurants overlooking the beautiful Cardiff Bay. There are walking tours of the waterfront available and if you need to take a break you can choose from the wide range of bars and restaurants of Mermaid Quay. Cardiff Bay is also home to the MAS Carnival and several festivals of local, national or international importance like the Welsh Food Festival.

One of the developments planned for the near future is the International Sports Village in Cardiff Bay, located on the Ferry Road peninsula and intended to be used as an Olympic training venue if completed by 2012. Other projects under construction at this time include an ice rink temporarily framed in timber, a leisure water complex and a 50m pool as part of the Welsh National Canoe and Rafting Centre. The leisure water complex will be completed, like the International Sports Village of Cardiff Bay, around the year 2012. The growing development of the area also includes the building of new stores like the largest Toys-R-Us store in Europe meant to replace the one demolished in the city centre and a Morrisons superstore that will most likely reduce the dominance of local grocery market giants Asda and Tesco. Some of the historic buildings will be spared by the development plans like the Norwegian Church and the Pierhead building but the rest of the historic area of the quay side will be fashioned with leisure facilities like cinemas, restaurants, shops, offices and even housing. The plans also include a new home for the National Assembly for Wales that will be designed by Richard Rogers.

Whether you are looking for a fun filled day, a romantic time out or you want to spend your time enjoying a quality artistic performance you can find it all in Cardiff Bay. The various shops and superstores offer you a wide variety of quality shopping at very low prices that can make your day a lot of fun. The Wales Millennium Centre for the performing arts is always ready to offer a quality show whether it is ballet, opera, dance or a musical. If you would prefer a more romantic pastime you can enjoy a refined candle light dinner for two with a view of the beautiful Cardiff Bay or simply take a walk along the Cardiff Bay waterfront. Either way, you can’t go wrong if you spend your day in Cardiff Bay.

Susan Ashby
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/spend-your-day-in-cardiff-bay-129117.html

 

Technorati Tags: Cardiff bay, Regeneration, VW Campervan

 

It is unbelievable how nine days can just fly by. Today my brother, sister-in-law and our two Austrian friends are scheduled to fly back to Graz, Austria, via Vienna. There has been an increasingly palpable sense of sentimentality in the air, in light of the fact that this wonderful time is coming to an end alarmingly quickly.

It’s also amazing how many activities one is able to cram into a short amount of time. I wanted to give them a really good taste of everything that I love about the city of Toronto and my new country. So occasionally I put a few too many things on our plates and we ended up racing through a few of the activities. On the whole though, I think our European guests had a fabulous time and they fell in love with Toronto, just like I did, many years ago.

Saturday all six of us went off-raoding in a VW T25 syncro (known as Vanagons or Westfalias over her) - loads of mud and getting stuck. The we went golfing to a little par-3 golf course in the East end of Toronto. None of my Austrian guests had ever golfed before, so a couple of days earlier we started with a few buckets of balls at the driving range, followed up by an indoor putting practice session on the carpet. Saturday we would get to try the real thing. The attempts at the driving range didn’t look all that great, with balls spraying all over the place, to the left and to the right. But on Saturday afternoon, another gorgeous day, our four Austrian guests performed quite admirably and only lost 2 balls in the water hazard.

They really enjoyed golf, a sport they had never even dreamed of playing, but the Toronto area with its several hundred golf courses, many of them reasonably priced, made it easy to give this sport a try. All preconceived notions about golf only being a sport for old people went out the window, and they enjoyed the challenge of trying to sink the round little ball in the hole.

Sunday came our second big excursion: a driving tour through the Kawartha Lakes (again in the VW T25). I had only planned two major driving tours: a wine-tasting tour through the Niagara Peninsula, and a second one to the lake district of the Kawarthas. We started by driving east on Toronto’s 401, a 12 to 16 lane highway whose size duly impressed my European visitors. Then we headed north-east through rolling farm country to Peterborough, a rural university town with a population of about 70,000. From there we drove north into the Kawarthas, a gorgeous lake region set in the rocky landscape of the Canadian Shield.

Our first stop was Buckhorn, where we watched the mechanics of lift locks of the Trent-Severn Canal that links Lake Ontario with Georgian Bay. We saw how several boats assembled inside the lock following by an opening of the sluices and the water level equilibrating itself with the level of the lower portion of the river. The Parks Canada lock supervisor explained the whole process to us and it only took about 10 minutes for the boats to reach the lower level.

From Buckhorn we drove through rocky and marshy countryside to the quaint village of Bobcaygeon where we took an extended stroll. We had a nice waterfront lunch, looking across to the marina, seeing the the boats come in an out of the canal. Particularly our Austrian friends Luis and Isabella love boating and seeing the many houseboats on the Trent-Severn Canal gave them a few ideas for future vacations in Canada.

The lunch was delicious and we took a little stroll around this charming town, admiring the waterfront parks and picnic facilities that allow great access to the water. From Bobcaygeon we drove on to another little picturesque country town: Fenelon Falls, whose name comes from a waterfall in the middle of town that has been used for electricity generation since the 1870s.

After a sizeable line-up we picked up a few delicious cones of Kawartha Dairy ice cream and strolled over to the bridge over the falls and then down to the little peninsula that sticks out into the river. From there you can look into a rocky gorge where both sides of the river are surrounded by high rocks.

Again, we watched boats being lifted and lowered, this time in lock 33 of the Trent-Severn Canal System. This is another town with a beautiful little park right by the locks with lots of opportunity for barbeques or simply for a relaxing snooze in the sun . Time was flying by and by this time it was already 3:30 pm so we had to start our return to the city. We only took back roads and my brother lost count of the numerous golf courses that dotted the landscape. It was a nice relaxing drive through rolling countryside and we made it back to Toronto in less than 2 hours. All four of my Austrian guests had fallen in love with the Lake District and the prospect of another vacation in Canada to explore the waters north of Toronto seems ever more likely.

Yesterday was their last full day in Toronto, and we took our bikes out for a spin one more time. Since we all love water we rode down to the Eastern Beaches again, and leisurely explored the waterfront. We watched some lawn bowling, and one of the participants kept coming over to us to explain the rules of the game to us since none of us was familiar with this sport. My guests commented several times on the friendliness of people in the stores, restaurants, in line-ups and even I myself was surprised at the approachability of Torontonians, often known as a more reserved breed of people. But we truly kept having very positive experiences, equally with people employed in the service sector, as well as with regular citizens, taking a stroll, playing a game of lawn bowling or going for a walk with their dog.

Of course we admired the inukshuks by the beach, a public play area for adults with rocks of various shapes and sizes that are used by passers-by to create interesting stone sculptures. We watched a few tense points at the Kew Gardens Tennis Club, and checked out the picturesque Kew Gardens park itself. From there we headed west past the beach volleyball facilities to the little peninsula west of Ashbridges Bay which always offers a fabulous view of Toronto’s skyline. We took in the tranquil atmosphere and soaked in the sun for a while before we started our return back along the waterfront. My European visitors commented several times how incredible it is to have all this publicly accessible land right along the waterfront and how in some secluded spots you don’t even realize that you are in a major metropolitan area.

To get back up to our house we had to climb back up from the waterfront and this time we chose the Glen Stewart Ravine, where a little brook has carved a valley into the slopes leading down to the waterfront. It is a densely forested area and when you are in there it feels like you are in a remote forest somewhere, not right in the middle of Toronto.

Once back at our house, preparation got started for our final goodbye barbeque and we had invited a few extra friends to join us to give our Austrian guests a proper sendoff back home. We enjoyed some excellent food and they sampled a few more varieties of Canadian wines and beers, all of which they had commented quite favourably on. We didn’t sample much restaurant cuisine since my brother is a talented chef, but the fresh ingredients that he purchased in Toronto’s various markets made for some truly delicious dinners.

In the evening we took one more spin in the car, first to revisit the Distillery District at night. Luis had wanted to buy some beer glasses at the Mill Street Brewery as a souvenir, but unfortunately the brewery and restaurant were closed. The whole Distillery area was a little quiet, not surprisingly, since it was Labour Day, the last official day of summer, and the final day of respite before school would begin again. We continued our driving tour with a little spin through downtown and up Yonge Street before we turned east on Bloor Street. We crossed the Bloor Street Viaduct and arrived on the Danforth, Toronto’s Greek area. As always, Greektown was quite busy and people were milling about. We sat down on the patio of one of our favourite restaurants and enjoyed some Greek snacks before we headed home after another long day, all of us a little sad, commenting how nine days can pass so quickly.

Today we’ll have to take their four rented bicycles back and around 2:30 we’ll have to start the trek to the airport. It’s been a fabulous 9 days, an extended sleepover with four great people and we won’t forget this holiday for a long, long time. We are already hoping for another reunion, either in Austria, or back here in Canada, to deepen this fabulous connection.

Susanne Pacher
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/hello-from-toronto-part-5-novice-golf-driving-through-the-kawarthas-a-little-offroad-mountainbiking–101689.html

 

Technorati Tags: golf, mountain-biking, Toronto, VW t25, VW t25 syncro

 

Although Amsterdam is officially designated as the capital of the Netherlands it has never been the seat of the parliament court or government, of the Netherlands, which are all located at The Hague. 173 nationalities live in the city.

Schiphol Airport is less than 20 minutes by train from Amsterdam Central Station. It is the biggest airport in the Netherlands. It handles about 42 million passengers a year and is home base to KLM since 2004.

Known as one of the bicycle friendly cities in the world. There are about 700,000 bicycles in the city, about 80,000 bikes are stolen every year and 25000 end up in the canals. Parking fees are steep and streets are closed off to cars as a discouragement to them.

Trams are the best way of getting around Amsterdam and run regularly. Trams are frequent, fast and reliable. You need to hail a tram to let the driver know you want to get on. If the tram has a conductor you must use the rear door to get on.

The canals are Amsterdam s number one attraction. The Canal Bus is the perfect way to get around Amsterdam. The comfortable boats offer a hop on, hop off service along different routes.

The main area in Amsterdam for shopping is at Kalverstraat. This section of the city can be found close to Dam Square. A variety of designer boutiques have set up shop in this area. Waterlooplein Flea market is a outdoor bazaar, best for the second hand clothing and full of general bric-a-brac. Traditionally oldest and most interesting market of Amsterdam.

Leidseplein is one of Amsterdam s most popular places for nightlife full of restaurants, clubs and cinemas. In summer you will find street jugglers musicians and other performers. Rembrandtplein is another area lined with cafes, bars, restaurants and hotels and is a tourist area. It includes traditional Dutch bars. Around the area you will find night clubs, gay venues, diamond dealers and souvenir shops.

Amsterdam is also famous for the red light district. Prostitution is legal in the Netherlands at specific places. The red-light district is located in the centre of the city along major canals and is clearly marked on maps.

Coffee shops sell cannabis this is not completely legal but is tolerated when small quantities of cannabis up to 5 grams are involved. Some coffee shops, especially in the Netherlands, are places where the sale of cannabis for personal consumption by the public is tolerated by the local authorities.

Douglas Scott
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/city-along-major-canals-121458.html

 

Technorati Tags: Amsterdam, Urban Leisure

 

When you are planning a tour of the Iberian peninsualr in your VW campervan, Granada has to be high on your list. The city of Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains at the confluences of the Genil and Darro rivers. Granada is one of the pearls of Spain, most visited by tourists from all the world. During the period of Muslim domination, Granada was the finest city on the peninsula.

Granadas first new mosque for 500 years was opened in the summer of 2003 to a backdrop of anxiety following the post September 11 focus on radical extremism. Despite fears the leaders of the mosque, built in Granadas old town district of Albayzin, went out of their way to welcome all people into the house of worship and the controversy soon died down.

The greatest Muslim legacy in Europe, is in Granada and one of the most inspiring attractions on the Continent the 11th century Alhambra. From outside, its red fortress towers and walls appear plain, if imposing, rising from woods of elm and cypress with the Sierra Nevada forming a magnificent backdrop. Inside the marvellously decorated emirs palace, are the Generalife gardens and Palacio Nazaries. Water is an art form here and its sounds take you far from the bustle of the city. The spell can be shattered by the average 6000 visitors who traipse through this Unesco World Heritage site each day. The Alhambra has two outstanding sets of buildings, the Palacio Nazaries and the Alcazaba Citadel. Also within its walls are the Palacio de Carlos V, the Iglesia de Santa Alhambra, two hotels, several book and souvenir shops and lots of lovely gardens.

At the Paseo de los Tristes, you will find many bars offering Tapas for the hungry especially popular are snails and fried fish and beer, wine and refreshments for the thirsty. This is especially true during the warm season, when all the summer terraces are open. This is exactly the right place to begin a long granadinian night or to put yourself in the right mood to visit one of the many concerts in the magic the gardens of the Generalife.

Granada is a busy university city with a lively street life which goes on through the night until breakfast time some discos do not even open their doors until midnight. The hustle and bustle created by student night life and traffic offers an interesting contrast to the generally laid back atmosphere.

The city offers a variety of shopping experiences, from lively, modern streets to quiet alleys with workshops selling local handicrafts. The Calle de los Mesones, with its designer shops and buskers, is a real treat to wander down in the evening, a good selection of handicrafts can be found in and around Plaza Nueva, including hand made guitars, weaving, basketry, leather goods, ornate Moorish style lamps and ceramics. Plaza Bib-Rambla has a selection of market stalls selling mainly flowers.

Douglas Scott
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/one-of-the-finest-city-140572.html

 

Technorati Tags: Granada, historical city, Urban Leisure, VW Campervan

 

There are so many awesome things to do in San Diego that you need a way to get around and see them all. And unless you know someone who lives there, you need some help. Old Town Trolley Tours might just be your answer. It was ours. These tours are San Diegos only regularly scheduled on-and-off, fully narrated tour of San Diego and Coronado. Colorful anecdotes, humorous stories and historical information are combined into a fast paced, two hour narrative that will both entertain and educate.

We started our tour at the Cruise Ship Terminal. There was free parking there on weekends so we left our VW T25 there. Plus, we got to tour the waterfront before the tour began. That saved us another stop. After the tour we also decided to take a sunset bay cruise so ending the tour at the waterfront helped us in that regard as well. All we did was step off the trolley and straight onto the boat. Some of the better seafood restaurants are in the area as well.

We could not have chosen a better spot to start our tour.The trolley tours through San Diego and Coronado on a continuous loop. Start the tour at any one of the stops throughout the day. Stay on board the trolley and get a fascinating narrative and a great overview of San Diego until you return to your starting point in about two hours. Or hop off the trolley at a few of your favorite sites then reboard and continue on with the tour until you return to the starting point. The earlier you start the more time you will have for visiting San Diego attractions, shopping, and dining.

You only get one go around, so if you plan your stops beforehand you can make a day of it. In fact you can see all the best places and things to do in San Diego on the tour in one day.

There are ten stops around the city:
Old Town State Park
Cruise Ship Terminal
Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum
Seaport Village
Marriot Hotel and Marina
Horton Plaza
William Heath Davis House
Coronado
San Diego Zoo
El Prado

You can spend hours or even a full day in any of these stops, especially if you like to shop. Restaurants and dining facilities are all over and at every stop as well.

If you love the beach you will want to stop at the island of Coronado. They have a beautiful beach and a historic hotel that has been made famous in several movies. The trip across the bridge to the island is also a must do just for the view.

We skipped the stop at the Aircraft Carrier but we did enjoy the stop at Seaport Village. And we went back there after the tour was over for dinner and a wonderful evening stroll.

Balboa Park, which is the El Prado stop, was also a great place to stop and stroll. There are so many museums to visit it can take you several days. If you go on a weekend, there are also street performers and vendors as well. An added bonus is the free trolley tour of the park which is provided for all park guests and not connected to the Old Town Trolleys. The San Diego Zoo is also in the park and you can visit here as well, but I recommend you send a whole day there.

Horton Plaza is the place for shopping. They have all the large stores and smaller boutiques as well. Old Town State Park is the stop for experiencing San Diegos Mexican heritage. Great Mexican restaurants, shops, and cantinas abound.

Normally tour guides are fountains of information. But these tour guides not only knew their stuff, but they had audio clips that served as jokes as well. Sitting on a trolley was a bit more fun than sitting on a coach bus.

If you have only one day to send in San Diego, this is the tour you want to take. It is cheap and it covers everything worth seeing. Plus you get to decide where you want to spend the most time.

Ameen Kamadia
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/things-to-do-in-san-diego-ca-old-town-trolley-tours-56902.html

 

Technorati Tags: San Diego, trolley bus, Urban Leisure, VW t25

 

Inner city gardens can do great things for community pride and spirit, and fortunately can be set up for little or no cost to the community. Indeed thay can be productive in terms of growing produce or keeping a few hens in a portable chicken ark. Inner city garden take away from unused plots and decrepit landscapes that are visually depressing and dangerously collecting trash, including needles.

If you know of a plot that could be transformed into an inner city garden the first place to stop is the local courthouse. Depending on the plot of land, inner city gardens either have to be approved by the city or the actual land owner, if there is one. Checking with the local courthouse can guide you as to whether a plot of land is accessible for an inner city garden. You could also check the city ordnances on keeping chickens to find out whether it may be possible to keep a few chickens in a chicken ark.

If you receive approval, which really isn’t that hard to get since you aren’t asking for any money, scraping together an inner city garden can be done at the most in a couple of weekends. Gathering volunteers from the neighborhood can make the job easier and the inner city garden more of a community project.

Clearing out a plot of land for an inner city garden is an adult job. Plots that have been left to waste away are filled with who knows what, and it is not uncommon to find old drug paraphernalia laying about where you are interested in putting your inner city garden. Once the plot is cleared, then children can help in assembling the inner city garden, although it is still prudent to warn them about anything you may have missed, such as the dangers of picking up a needle.

When putting together an inner city garden, it’s not really all that difficult to gather ample donations. Hardware stores and large chain stores are typically willing to donate a few shovels, rakes, or plants when a community is willing to let the public know that the inner city garden was made possible by their donations. A simple hand painted sign is usually enough to cover this promise.

When planting an inner city garden it is best to plant hearty plants, small bushes, and flowering trees if at all possible. These tend to be harder to destroy through mild neglect than other plants. The inner city garden is occasionally the target for vandalism. Unfortunately there are those who don’t appreciate the hard work and the potential for a rise in spirit that goes hand in hand with an inner city garden. Don’t give up on your inner city garden. Prove to the kids of the neighborhood that this project is important and that an inner city garden benefits everyone.

Lanny Hintz
http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-articles/inner-city-gardens-106670.html

 

Technorati Tags: chicken arks, gardens, inner city gardens, keeping chickens

Hundreds of people fed up of being stuck in the city at weekends are taking part in a new sporting challenge, known as the Rat Race.

The idea is to make use of all the nooks and crannies of a city to participate in various outdoor adventure sports. It’s catching on in the London and other cities round the UK - giving residents a new appreciation of their urban environment.

 

Technorati Tags: adventure sports, Urban Leisure