text:
Asia in a Wheelchair
© 1999
by Jack Campbell
© 1999Photos by Jill Campbell © 1999
My wife Jill and I took this trip in the spring of 1999. I traveled in a manual chair, as I am unable to stand or walk, because of Polio 50 years ago. Everything described here was wheelchair accessible unless otherwise noted. I planned the itinerary by looking at guidebooks to decide what places I wanted to see. Unfortunately, I didn't find any accessibility guidance in the guidebooks. There was a little bit on the web by searching for "accessible city name." My travel agent tried to make sure the hotels we wanted were accessible. I passed my draft of the places I wanted to see by friends, who have been there, and by e-mail to fellow Rotarians in those cities. E-mail to the Rotarians worked very well. Many people I didn't know volunteered guidance on what was accessible. One very helpful person in Japan made reservations for a bullet train and a temple tour that required advance reservations, and which my travel agent didn't know how to make. In addition, the e-mail correspondence led to meetings with our new friends in three cities.
Hong Kong Traffic.
32-day vacation (18 days in Asia) started with Jill and I flying to Honolulu
for three days, then onto Hong Kong,
China for two days. After that, my parents, Lee and Bob, flew
non-stop from Los Angeles to Hong Kong, where we met at the airport and
flew on together to Bangkok, Thailand.
We planned four days in Bangkok and four days in Hong Kong, then two
days in Tokyo. After Tokyo, we split
up for three days while Lee and Bob went to Gifu, and Jill and I went to
Kyoto. Then Lee and Bob joined us in Kyoto for three more
days before we all took the Holland American
Line Nieuw Amsterdam cruise ship for an 11-day cruise from Osaka,
Japan to Vancouver, Canada.
older buildings or restaurants have accessible bathrooms. Japan builds
accessible bathrooms in most parks and museums. The best chance to find
an accessible bathroom is by visiting a major hotel.
used a lightweight manual chair that is 21 ½" wide. We put a sack on the
back to carry sweaters, hats, tour books, etc. An electric wheelchair
would have many problems
with getting over the many uncut curbs and single steps as well as not
fitting into a normal taxi.
Honolulu, Hawaii
The DC-10 plane to Honolulu, NW935 was scheduled to
leave Los Angeles at 12:55. Scheduled arrival was 3:20 p.m. (Elapsed
time 5 hours and 40 minutes). At the airport, I called Ilima Tours
800-713-0146 at 4:00. They sent a wheelchair taxi from Metro Pacific,
Inc. 536-0381, Cellular 554-2194. It arrived at 4:35 p.m. and we
reached our hotel at 5:05. p.m. Transportation was included in our hotel
package. For wheelchair-oriented tour packages, the driver suggested Access
Aloha Travel.
We stayed at the Sheraton Moana Surfrider,
room 3504. With transfers and a $25 per day food credit it was
$465/night. That seems very high to me, but I wanted a beach view and a
hotel right on the beach. We checked into our room, which was nicely
accessible, then went out to walk along our beach and see surfers,
catamarans, and a Japanese couple rehearsing their wedding.
For dinner, we sat at a bar table under the giant
Banyan tree in the hotel's beach patio. We ordered three appetizers to
use up our $25 food allowance plus two drinks. The appetizers were
pretty good. The next night we ate their $27 each buffet. It had a
little tough beef in a ratatouille of vegetables, crab wontons that were
OK, medium size dull scallops, and pecan pie that wasn't sweet enough.
Service wasn't great either. They did have a nice view and cloth
napkins. The third night we forgot about the $25 credit and went across
the street to a seven-course Chinese feast at the "Seafood Village
Chinese Cuisine," 2424 Kalakaua Ave., in the basement of the
Hyatt. We had beef & pepper, moo goo gai pan, pork-fried rice, egg
foo yung, appetizers, and soup. We had what I think was water chestnut
paste for dessert. I had to ride an elevator mounted to the handrail, but
it was worth it. The prices were very expensive on the menu. $50 - $100
per person, but there was someone handing out early-bird flyers on the
street that gave this very nice meal for only $10.95 before 7:30 p.m.
After the first night's appetizers, we went across
the street to the Hawaiian Village, which is a large outdoor set
of shopping booths.
The "Top of Hawaii," a 17th
floor rotating restaurant a few blocks from the hotel was not
accessible. After taking one elevator up, then being led by a guard
through the kitchen to a kitchen elevator to go up one more floor, we
came out in the restaurant. All the tables were up four steps. We walked
around the outside aisle and looked at the view but then left. We walked
to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and ate at the Surf Room. This
is a large nice beachside café with great views of Diamond Head and the
beach. We sat at outdoor tables with beach umbrellas. The chicken salad
with noodles had very little chicken, a good teriyaki dressing, rolls
and very thin crackers. It was $13 and very good. The best is the
weather and the view.
There were several mime groups entertaining on
Kalakaua the main boulevard. We listened to the piano player in our
hotel garden until 10:00 p.m.. The Hawaiian evenings are wonderful.
.4/21, Wednesday Honolulu - Tokyo - Hong Kong
We were scheduled to leave Honolulu at 12:00 Noon
(DC-10) to Tokyo, NW21, arriving 3:40 PM (Thurs.) Elapsed time 8:40. We
were picked up by the same "Handi-Van" from Ilima tours at 9:45 and
got to the airport at 10:15. The plane departure schedule had been
changed from 12:00 to 1:00. Jill had a croissant and minestrone soup,
then we went through the Aerospace museum. It was Hawaii-oriented. The
first plane to try to fly from the mainland to Hawaii, about 1925, was a
seaplane with 10 military ships along the way to help give it radio
guidance. The pilot misunderstood the directions from the last plane and
ran out of gas 450 miles NE of Hawaii. They tore the fabric off the
biplane wings and retied it between to make a sail and sailed into
Hawaii! They got a tow from a submarine the last part.
In Tokyo, I used the bathroom. A drawing that looks
like a vertical line running through a cup indicates the men's room.
The women's is practically the same, except the cup is upside down. To
board me on the NW17 plane to Hong Kong, they used an elevator truck
that lifted me up to the door into the plane's kitchen.
Hong Kong, China
The plane from Tokyo to Hong
Kong was scheduled for 6:20. Elapsed time 4 hours and 57 minute
minutes. (Note: It took us 16 hours and 20 minutes from Honolulu to HK.
From LA - HK is non-stop 14 hours and 55 minutes. But ours includes a
2:45 stop in Tokyo. There was no non-stop from Hon - HK). Total airfare
was $548/person.
4/22, Thursday Arrive Hong Kong
(date line
crossed) - 2 nights. 100HK$
= $13.50
The crew wheeled me through customs. I saw my new
Rotarian friend and got bus at 11:00 a.m. My friend had e-mailed me:
22 - I shall receive you and Jill at the Hong Kong Int'l Airport.
Please do not mind about the time in the late evening. 11 p.m.,
in the eyes of a Hongkonger, is just the beginning of nightlife.
Further, it so happened that I am going to see someone off just
prior to your arrival. After
you have passed the immigration and the customs, please keep RIGHT and
go out to the Arrival Hall via the RIGHT exit.
(Always Remember: Rotarians are always at the RIGHT side!)
I'll catch you there. From Airport to Hotel: two options (1) By Airport
Express Train to Kowloon Station then transfer to a taxi.
Most convenient and fast. You'll arrive at your hotel before midnight.
(2) By Air Bus - All the buses are wheelchair friendly.
On board of the bus, you may just sit back (in your own
wheelchair) and relax, enjoy the night scene of the Kowloon Peninsula
along the road. It's
Amazing! It is already the
city tour. However, it
takes about 1 hour from Airport to Peninsula Hotel.
The Bus will stop at the opposite side of the road.
That means you have to cross the Nathan Road, and to take about
10 minutes walk to the main entrance of the hotel. It will be a problem
if you have several pieces of baggage. The Peninsula Hotel is located at
the centre of most of the museums, concert halls, cultural centres,
shopping malls, etc., within the circle of one mile.
The A21 bus took us to Nathan St., the main street of
Kowloon. The bus kneels plus a ramp comes out from under the
steps. The driver will assist wheelchair users. There is a spot for a
wheelchair or luggage. They announce the hotel names before each stop.
There is also a sign that anounces the stops in English and Chinese. I
told the driver where I was going, and he made sure we got off at the
right stop. The Airport Express train to Kowloon station is also
supposed to be accessible and take 23 min. The bus from there to the
hotels is the same type.
On the bus, it took an hour to get to the Peninsula Hotel. $392/night. Nathan Rd. &Salisbury Road Tel: 852-2266-6251. When the receptionist at the hotel saw the wheelchair, she greeted me by name and ushered us up to our "upgraded" room. We had reservations for a "harbor view" room; rack rate was $3,600. HK, ($490/night). They put us in a "mini-suite," normally $5,400 HK, ($735/night), and the price was reduced to $2,700 HK ($365 / night.) We saved $250 on the two-night stay. Jill was really impressed with the approximate 16 x 24 ft. living room, very large bedroom, separate wheelchair- accessible toilet room, accessible shower room, bathroom, and hall dressing/closet area. There were three separate air conditioning thermostats, three TVs, two video disk players, three phones. Bowls of fruit and hot tea were served on arrival. We think, the upgrade and the special service were all arranged by our new friend. Jill and I ate star fruit and lichee and drank tea. We got to bed at 1:00 a.m.
Friday, 10/23
– We were up at 8:30 a.m. and
out about 10:30 a.m. We walked down to the edge of the Hong Kong channel
to look at Hong Kong Island, and then we went in shops. Had a dim sum
lunch on the 3rd floor of the Hong Kong Hotel. We ordered
fried shrimp, pork dumplings, steamed meat and something, and a
deep-fried, blended and sweetened water chestnut paste. They were all
good. The price was $3.50 each. Each serving was three or four pieces.
With Chinese and normal tea, the bill was $22. It was too much to
At 4:00 p.m., Jill had a traditional tea of four
different sweets, two raisin scones, one salmon finger sandwich, one
cucumber sandwich and one very small ham roll, plus tea, in the lobby of
the famous Peninsula Hotel. It was about $20. I had two each of the
three kinds of finger sandwiches for about $11. The lobby is very nice
with 30' ceilings with gold painted relief at top edges. On the 2nd
floor balcony a piano, violin and bass were playing Beethoven's 5th
symphony. There were probably 50 tables, well spaced apart, and there
was a long line to be seated. We were greeted by name as we entered the
room and taken to our reserved table. We were also asked by name if we
enjoyed it as we left. When you make a reservation, you must give a room
number, if you are staying in the hotel. I guess since we had a suite
that upped the priority and the attention.
Service is exceptional in Hong Kong. From the plane,
we had two people escort us until we got to customs. Then one stayed
with us clear to the bus. In Marks & Stewart department store, we
asked how to get to the Hong Kong Hotel. The sales lady left her store,
led us around a maze of halls and went up on the elevator to show us.
(But it still had four stairs.) Two police/guards helped me up the
steps. The police don't carry guns.
At 6:00 p.m. we walked along the river to see Hong
Kong Island, watch the boats and ferries. One tour boat shaped like
a junk rocked so heavily I am surprised people could stand on it. After
sunset, we went back to "Chinese Arts & Crafts" where Jill spent
2 ½ hours picking out just the right blouse, box, Christmas ornament,
bowl, etc. We also bought a gold dragon necklace. They closed at 9:30
p.m., and we went back to see the river and the Hong Kong lights. Dozens
of couples were standing and holding each other along the river, with an
occasional mild kiss.
Saturday, 4/24.
We slept in until 10:00 a.m.,
did some packing then walked to the new History Museum. Only the
lobby was open. The main parts are still under construction. There were
minor exhibits on Opium wars and the old Hong Kong forts and cannon
We went to the Science Museum, which was
somewhat better and saw low technology interactive exhibits on
electricity, magnetism, and computers. We left early to relax. At the
hotel lobby, Jill had a lunch of five spring rolls that were hot and
good. Then we looked at the pool and the view before packing and leaving
at 4:45 p.m. The hotel had allowed us to check out as late as 7:00.
We turned down the offer of a ride in the hotel's
Rolls Royce to the airport. The bellman took our bags one block to the
bus stop. Then the bus came. Jill lifted the bags on the bus. I asked
for the ramp. The reply was "ramp broken". I asked if he could help,
and the driver and a stranger tipped me onto the bus. On the one-hour
ride to the airport we saw maybe 20 buildings 35+ stories tall going up.
All were in a row and each was large. I guess it was 20,000 apartments.
The large bay and the big bridges, plus the tall buildings looked like a
combination of San Francisco and New York.
We were recognized by name at the UA check-in and
escorted to the frequent flyer lounge at 6:15. It has an open bar, plus
canned tea, peanuts, dried peas, and pretzels. At 7:15 p.m. the escort
came back and took us to a truck with a ground lift on back and a lift
to the airplane on the front. Others boarded later by stairway.
Bangkok, Thailand
4/24. Our airplane from Hong Kong arrived at 10:15
PM. Our tickets were $313/person. The April average temperature in
Bangkok is a high of 95 and a low of 77.
Lee and Bob had arrived earlier and Bob brought
transportation in a minivan. Four guys lifted me and my wheelchair into
the back, behind the seats. At the hotel, we only had Bob and the
driver. It was dangerous being lifted down, but I made it.
4/25 Sunday – Bangkok. Holiday Inn Crowne Point,
981 Silom Rd. (3600 THB = $114 + 21% / night) 4 nights. 1,000 Bat = $24. Holiday Inns in the Orient are more upscale
than they are in the U.S.
Up at 8:30 a.m. We met Lee and Bob at 10:00 a.m. for
coffee. I had chicken curry with rice, which was a bowl of thin soup
with white chicken chunks some vegetables, Bok choi and strong curry
flavor. I spooned it over the rice. Jill had a thin omelet with pork
thoroughly cooked. It looked like egg foo young. It was better than most
We walked for about four blocks in the heat. It must
have been 95 or so. April is the hot and humid month in Bangkok.
The streets have occasional garbage smells and lots of noisy
traffic. The curbs are cut. We saw a small "reclining Buddha" temple
across the street from the Shangri-La hotel. On the patio of the hotel,
we had a drink overlooking the Chaophraya River. It is a little
wider than the channel between Hong Kong Island and the mainland, and is
busy with barges, tour boats and little people transports (buses). Then
we walked back and rested.
In the afternoon, a minivan with a driver and a
female guide came to take the four of us to see temples. The driver
lifted me in and out of the van. The first stop was the Golden
Buddha, which was in a small building up a flight of stairs in a
crowded street. The driver lifted me in and out of the chair and into
the van. I couldn't see anything because the Buddha is up a full
flight of stairs. While extending the port of Bangkok in 1955 workers
discovered a plain stucco Buddha. It was kept at this temple under a
makeshift shelter for 20 years, until a crane dropped it while moving it
to a more permanent shelter. The plaster cracked revealing the world's
largest solid gold Buddha. This 13 foot high, 5 ton, 18kt gold Buddha
was made in the 13th century. It was probably encased in
stucco to hide it from Burmese ransackers
The guide showed them how to light incense sticks and
press a small square of gold leaf onto a statue just outside the temple.
Our second stop was the Old Royal City and Wat
Po, the reclining Buddha. The Old Royal City gives a sense of the
original Bangkok. All of Bangkok's major wats (temples) and
museums are situated here within walking distance or a short taxi ride
of one other.
The reclining Buddha is in a large temple in a
large complex of dozens of temples and hundreds of statues. I was helped
up the six steps to get inside this temple. Inside, the room has open
windows on all sides and a walkway around the 100foot-plus long
reclining gold colored statue of a thin Buddha. Around the edges of the
walkway, are over 100 iron pots, where the faithful make a contribution
to the monk whose pot it is. They sell a sack with just enough ½ cent
coins so that you can put a coin in each pot. The outside grounds around
the temple with its hundreds of tall thin towers called Stupas was more
interesting to me. Some of the temples were for believers only. There
was an admission charge to the temple for foreigners but not for Thai.
Next, they drove us to a factory where they made
sapphire and ruby jewelry and then a 2nd jewelry factory, "The
Royal Lapidary." Jill got a fresh water pearl necklace and a
painted ring box here. One of these factories gave away beer. I stayed
in the van with the driver, but the tour guide brought me a good beer.
We ate dinner at the hotel's Window on Silom
restaurant and had the best buffet I ever ate. I had duck, pork (too
fatty), shrimp, very good dim sum, grilled shrimp, a fish (with too many
bones), very good marinated cheese salad and several chocolate cakes
including a Sacher torte and good chocolate ice cream with crème
Anglaise and chocolate syrup. I didn't have lamb, roast beef, sushi,
sashimi, dozens of salads and fruits or the other 20 plus desserts. It
was also a bargain, only $24.00.
4/26 Monday- We went by taxi to the Jim
Thompson estate, actually three teak houses seamlessly fused together
and built on stilts. It is now a museum for Thompson's collection of
Asian art and artifacts. He lived here for six years and filled it with
Thai and Chinese antiques and paintings. He disappeared in the jungle.
English tours start at 12:00 p.m.. Perhaps ¼ of the tour is accessible
from a wheelchair. The garden was up four stairs. It was green but not
memorable. We walked about a block to catch a taxi back to the hotel.
At 2:30 p.m. we had lunch in the hotel lobby. Jill
had an order of chicken satay (nine skewers). I had a croque monsieur
(grilled ham and cheese) cut into finger sandwiches. They were about $6
each and were very filling. Lee and Bob went swimming. Jill and I walked
on Silom Rd. and in the Silom shopping center. Jill got two Hmong
pillowcases, five elephant key chains, a little cross-stitch purse. She
also got a nice silk blouse and shirt in blue with gold thread for $30.
While walking back, we saw buses that were so crammed with standing
people that they didn't even close the doors. More people were
standing on the exit stairs holding on. There were also pickups with the
back filled with passengers. The guidebooks warn you about the traffic.
Back at the hotel, I rested for an hour while Jill washed her hair.
At 7:30 a.m., we went to the Thai Orchid Lounge, in
the hotel, for a Thai dinner and Thai dance and music.
4/27, Tuesday
– We were up at 8:00 a.m. and
met two more new Rotarian friends. They drove us to the multistory Narayana
Phand Company Ltd., a state run craft store where Jill bought a $100
blue silk blouse with fan cutouts and $80 worth of miscellaneous in
about an hour. She would have liked to have more time, but we had to go
on to a Rotary luncheon.
Back at our hotel, we walked about two blocks to Silom
Plaza and bought some Hmong gifts. We met Lee and Bob at 6:30 for a
drink and then went back to the buffet again.
4/28, Wednesday. We were up at 2:45 a.m. after
getting 4 ½ hours sleep. We got a minivan to the airport at 4:00 a.m.
We went through security check where they cinched each suitcase tightly
shut with plastic straps. This damaged our blue suitcase. Then we had to
put 500 Baht ($12) each into vending machines to buy an exit stamp,
using local currency only, and then turn in the stamp to get past
customs. Then a line for passports, then a wait to get in the waiting
room, then one person checking departure forms and another line to check
your ticket. The plane was full and the four of us were upgraded to
business class. The plane left for Hong Kong at 6:45 a.m. and landed at
10:30 a.m. (9:30 a.m. Bangkok.) Collecting that $12 tax in Bangkok a
very inefficient. They should simply charge the airline company and let
them pass it on like they do in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong, China
We stayed four nights at the Holiday Inn, Golden
Mile, 50 Nathan Rd., Kowloon $114. A good downtown location. Tel:
(011) 85 22 369 3111.
Hong Kong has free porters who escorted me through
customs, the elevator rides and the train ride, then got our bags, and
waited for Bob & Lee to clear customs. He refused a tip.
We took bus A21, again to Nathan Rd. and got off at
the Holiday Inn stop. We walked the ½ block to the hotel and asked for
a bellman, they were all busy for 10 minutes, then one went to the bus
stop with a cart for all the suitcases.
We checked in by noon. It wasn't in a handicapped
room. The bathroom was awkward, and I needed help to get into it. Later
Bob complained and they offered to move us. Jill spent 30 plus minute
packing, then they told us that the only handicapped room had only one
double bed. So we stayed, and Jill unpacked again.
We all went to Gordon Yao's tailor shop where Bob
ordered a suit and Jill ordered a dress and a coat. I was pressured into
ordering a blazer. We ate at the hotel's Vienna Café. I had a small
pizza, $8.25 and a glass of wine $6.
4/29, Thursday
– We were over at Ocean
Terminal about 10:00 a.m. and bought a few things at Amazing Grace,
then had a good Dim Sum buffet that was $$5.25. This seems to be
primarily for employees, kind of hidden on the 4th floor.
At 3:00 p.m. we had fittings. Jill agreed to get
another dress and also asked about a sari. We walked back to India
Company near our hotel and bought pink sari material for about $100.
Sari material is 6 meters long and 1 meter wide. This one had lots of
gold thread at one end, which was used to make the front skirt of the
dress. Back at the tailor's, Jill said she wanted an A-line dress,
and he penciled a sketch, adjusting skirt length, sleeve length, collar,
waist line, etc. until she liked it. I suggested a drape effect across
the front to look more like a sari, so he drew in some lines and they
became pleats. Jill also ordered a maroon silk bolero to go with her
older sari.
We had a 6:30
p.m. drink in the hotel, free at
Avenues. It was complementary because of Bob complaining about my
inaccessible room. I had a good steak and salad dinner and a beer at the
Deli, which was their German restaurant and bakery. I also took out 100
grams of 10 different small chocolates that were good. They had about 20
kinds. Later I got one of each.
It had rained steadily and fairly hard most of the
day. Tropical Cyclone Leo was Stage three. It was only the 3rd
cyclone in April in 21 years. They are usually in October. My rain
poncho kept me dry. Jill bought a waterproof golf jacket that kept her
4/30, Friday. Jill and I went back to the
tailor at 11:00 a.m. for fitting the sari and blouse, then back to the
hotel for the 12:30 p.m. Rotary meeting.
Afterwards, Jill bought a sparkling blue blouse and a small red
suitcase at Yue Hwa. We saw the same suitcase later at the Night
Market for $180 HK.
We met Lee and Bob at 6:00 p.m. and went to Felix, a
restaurant on the 28th floor of the Peninsula. The bar is up
a flight of stairs from there. They reluctantly let us have a drink at a
dinner table. They have an excellent view of Hong Kong. I ordered a
spare rib appetizer that was $16 for 5 spare ribs.
Then we walked all the way up Nathan Rd. to the Night
Market, which was probably 1 1/2 miles, then back to the hotel. Jill
wanted a croissant. Bob wanted a pizza. We went to the pizza place,
which took an hour to serve us. After 45 minutes, the boss suggested we
help ourselves to the buffet, (no charge), which was better and normally
more expensive. There was some mix up on the order. Eventually the pizza
We ate lunch again at the Dim Sum restaurant. This
time instead of a buffet, they brought food by on carts. There is no
menu and very little English spoken. Lee had a reference picture of lots
of dim sum types with their English names that she brought with her. She
pointed out the ones she wanted to the host and he called over people
with those items. Someone tried the chicken feet. We picked up suits at
3:00 p.m. and tried on dresses. The dresses were delivered at 6:20 p.m.
to the hotel. We had a drink at Hari's, then had very good $6 deli
sandwiches in the hotel.
5/2, Sunday - Tokyo from Hong Kong - (Narita
airport), UA 800, 9:30 AM, arrive 2:25 PM, elapsed time 3:55. Air from
Bangkok – Tokyo $591/person. Stay 2 nights. Leave 5/4.1,000 Yen =
We left Hong Kong by taking the A21 bus to the
Tokyo, Japan
5/2, Sunday. In Narita airport, we were
offloaded away from the gate again using the truck with two lifts.
After clearing customs, we were met by the
English-speaking driver we requested, holding up my name. The company
was Universal Taxi, [Keihin Unsou Co. Ltd.] 03 (3790) 0117, Fax
03 (3790) 0110. It was about a 1½ hour drive to the hotel in the
minivan with lift. It was $216. Supposedly, with a document proving you
are handicapped you get a 10% discount. I didn't try.
We checked into a Meridian Hotel, Pacific Hotel
Tokyo, 3-13-3 Takanawa Minato-Ku. $145. + 19% / day. Phone (011) 81 33
445 6711. They had no accessible rooms. Our travel agent messed up
again. The bar at the hotel was up two steps. We had a drink. Our dinner
in the coffee shop was OK. I had chicken strips and French fries. Our
hotel room is "very spacious," which translates correctly as very
small. With the door off, my 22" wheelchair could barely get into the
5/ 3 Tokyo. At 9:45 a.m., Our Internet found
Rotary friend, Mr. Kawamoto, met us with the same taxi and driver. He
had planned a driving tour of the city. We first drove around the
Imperial Palace, 7 Kilometers. Then he drove into a street with scores
of little stores selling computers. I saw a HDTV playing in one of them.
He pointed out big government buildings, TV stations, etc. This was a
big holiday, so traffic was light and the palace was closed.
We spent about two hours on an individually guided
English tour of the Edo – Tokyo Museum.
Over 65 have free admission. The museum has large exhibits inside
the multistory museum. We had a tempura, beer and sake lunch in the
museum. There was a short wait and the tables were long banquet tables,
like a cafeteria. They brought a hot towel before the meal. We ordered
from a menu and the food was very good. The five meals were 10,000 Yen,
($85.00). He paid for the meals, the admission, and even the very
expensive taxi for this drive and for tomorrow's ride to the train
After more driving around the city, we got back to
the hotel about 4:30 p.m. For dinner, we had pizza, spring rolls, and
crab eggs (crabmeat in a dumpling) appetizers in the bar. These were
$8.50 each and fairly filling.
5/ 4, - Tokyo – Kyoto. Tuesday.
We had cinnamon toast and croissants for breakfast,
then met Mr. Kawamoto and the same driver and van at 11:35 a.m. He drove
us the 30 minutes to the train station. This is the world's largest
train station. We already had our special tickets reserved for the
wheelchair-accessible compartment, with an accessible bathroom across
the aisle.
Kyoto, Japan
The train from Tokyo left at 12:56 p.m. Lee and Bob
went most of the way, then got off to transfer to a train to Gifu. We
arrived in Kyoto at 3:12 p.m.. The bullet train to Kyoto was 28,780 Yen
for both ($244). Bullet train: "NOZOMI No.15" (maximum speed 280
km per hour) No.11th car, Seat No 14-A&B had a special compartment
for a wheelchair. Reservations were made for the wheelchair and boarding
assistance at least two days in advance. The station master was willing
to assist with boarding. (Tokyo-Kyoto 134 min.)
At our hotel, they greeted us by name and took us to
our room. Miyako Hotel, Sanjo Keage, Higashiyama-Ku, $208 + 18.8%
per night. Phone # (011) 81 75 771 7111. six nights, two were part of
the cruise package. The bathroom was large, the doors were wide, there
were grab bars beside the toilet and in the tub, but there was only
24" of clearance in front of the toilet. The toilet seat was heated.
There were two levels of bidet.
We went to the Teppanyaki restaurant at 7:30
p.m. and were told they were booked until 9:00 p.m. They called our room
at 9:00 p.m. to tell us they were ready. The dinner had a green salad
with a dressing like our Chinese chicken salad dressing. It included
long thin mushrooms, almost like a 5" long grass, and curved at the
end like a crook, and tangy cherry tomatoes. Then miso soup, and a small
appetizer had squid, eggplant, and cuttle fish. They fried garlic chips
on the grill. The main course was a modest serving of about four ounces
of Omni beef with a large tall mushroom, onion, asparagus and bread all
grilled. The beef was the most tender I ever had. My dinner included an
appetizer of shrimp, but it was alive on the grill. My dinner was 12,500
Yen ($106); Jill's had no appetizer and a lower grade of beef, 9,500
Yen ($81). Away from the hotel, the prices were still high but much more
The Japanese worry about blowing a nose in public and
shaking hands. They wear a surgical mask when they have a cold. Some of
the toilets flush with an optical sensor you pass your hand in front of,
so you won't have to touch anything. When you enter the country, you
fill out a quarantine form describing any fever, diarrhea, etc. that you
have had in the last two weeks.
The Japanese cities are cleaner than U.S. cities.
They do a lot for the handicapped. The bathrooms at the museum and on
the train had motorized doors. They put raised, yellow dots on the
ground in front of the elevator button, urinal, start of an escalator,
curbs, etc. in order to help the blind.
There is no tipping in Japan although they add a 10%
service charge to food and even the hotel room.
We were up early as breakfasts
are free before 10:00 a.m. We had eggs, bacon, toast or breakfast roll,
orange juice, and tea or milk. Then we walked to Shoren-In temple and
the Chion-In temple. The Chion-In gate is one of the largest in Japan.
It is all wood, very tall, big and dating from 1631. Jill went in both
while I waited outside. In the temples you take off your shoes and carry
them in a plastic bag, while wearing their slippers. In Maruyama Park,
which was a nice medium-sized city park, we found a little shop with
three tables and a tatami room with six tables. We had a chocolate
sundae and a green tea ice cream sundae. They had good ice cream and
little bits of candied fruit plus whipped cream. It was 1,600 Yen,
($13.60). Outside the sliding windows was a narrow pond with 3 ft. koi
and two ducks. A very pleasant break.
A 50-year-old Japanese man offered to show us a
beautiful Japanese garden. He was with his mother. He pushed me about
four blocks to the Heian Shrine. When he found out there were
steps, he drafted a young couple to help. Admission to the garden was
about $5. I think he paid for all six of us. The garden starts with five
steps up and then five steps down. At the end of the garden were two
steps up a bridge and four steps down on the other end. In between were
a dozen single steps and a couple of rough stone bridges, with no sides
and maybe 24" wide. It was a beautiful garden. Its cherry blossoms had
stopped flowering a week ago. There were some iris, azalea and lotus
blossoms. A nice pond and fairly uncrowded. This kindness is typical of
the Japanese.
For dinner we ate in the hotel's Chinese
restaurant. It started with an appetizer of turkey strips, crunchy
noodles, tomato, green bean and then slices of duck. The main course was
a little beef in oyster sauce and cuttlefish. There was a cup of noodles
and ground beef in a too spicy chili. Last was almond jelly – slices
of an almond flavored Jell-O in cold sugar water.
5/6, Thursday. Kyoto. We left by taxi for the Moss
Garden Kodekedera. There were about five steps to get to the main
building. Several ladies helped us up and down. I stayed outside the
sliding doors while everyone else changed shoes went inside and sat on
the floor in front of writing desks. Each person traced a printed prayer
onto a transparent sheet of paper. They were using brush and ink. The
complex characters take time to do carefully. After 20 minutes or so,
there were three Buddhist priests who chanted for five minutes while
pounding a drum and a gong. Then there was a five-minute sermon. Then 20
minutes more of tracing the prayers.
After people finished tracing, they placed the
prayers on an altar and left.
The garden in the back is one Jill remembered from
1971. It is now open only if you have written them seven days in advance
using their two-way postcard requesting a visit. They then send you back
half the card with your date, time and number of guests indicated.
Fortunately, a friend in Tokyo did all of that for us, so that Jill
could get us back to see the garden she liked so much. Unfortunately,
she didn't remember that the garden was full of flights of steps. I
got into the garden but immediately there were 10 steps down. I waited
there, with an overlook of some of the garden while Jill toured it. We
took a taxi back to the hotel and had a soup, salad, lobster and scallop
main course and a Jell-O dessert for dinner in the hotel's Royal
Copenhagen Restaurant.
5/7 Friday.
Jill and I walked about a mile
along the canal to the Arts & Crafts Center where we spent
several hours buying T-shirts and looking at five floors of tourist
We walked from the hotel to Jensiu, which is a
large Japanese restaurant complex built around a large garden and pond.
We sat in a building that had lots of tables, but we were alone. The
Japanese were off in a different building sitting on the floor. Each
table had a hole and gas heating built into the table so they could cook
at the table. The dinner was $34 per person, for a multi-course meal of
weird stuff that might have been tofu cooked in several ways. Since they
don't speak English we really didn't know what we were eating. I
ordered an appetizer of duck and sake. They were the best part. The
garden was sublime.
Saturday. We all walked about 1 ½ miles to Eikando Temple
which had a large gate, an old stone aqueduct and a $3 million
re-roofing project, then onto the Nanzenzi temple and then along the
Philosophy trail to the temple at its end. The trail was basically just
a walkway along a stone lined drainage ditch. It was not as impressive
as the guidebooks sound.
While the interior of the temples were not wheelchair
accessible, the exteriors were still impressive to see.
We ate dinner at Tairo Mikaku, a 120-year-old
Japanese beef and sukiyaki restaurant that had two large steps in order
to get in. It was good beef. They had three grades of tender beef for
$36, $46 or $63.
Jill and I took a taxi to the Golden Palace.
This temple has grounds with lots of trees and a lake. The palace sits
on a foundation in the lake. The temple is only seen from the outside.
There is a minor temple that can be entered with the usual five steps.
The grounds make two nice gardens paths. The lower is
around the lake and is accessible. The garden was peaceful, although
there were a lot of visitors. The upper has a lot of steps up to it. It
has a tea garden. The public toilets were Japanese style. The urinals
were accessible.
The bus driver was big and carried me on and off the
bus that would go from our hotel to Osaka to catch the ship.
Holland American, Nieuw Amsterdam
5/10, Monday. At 5:00 p.m. we departed Osaka
on Nieuw Amsterdam, Holland America Line, Cabin #191 (A wheelchair
accessible cabin). Tel: 900-225-5425 for 11 days to Vancouver. ($4,134
for 2 +$300 port tax).
After having the steward move the beds in the room,
it was accessible. The phone was not by the bed, although the long cord
could reach across the room. When the wheelchair was in front of the
toilet the bathroom door must be open. The room was all the way forward,
directly under the bridge. Looking out the window you see forward which
is nice. It was a very rocky part of the ship. Other ships I have been
on put the accessible rooms in the middle of the ship where it rocks
less. This ship rocked more than any other we have been on. Once my
wheelchair slid sideways at high speed in the bathroom. I worried about
being tipped over sideways, and I always tried to have something within
reach to grab.
The trip did not go well. The temperature was usually
around 44 degrees. The seas were rough. The ship dropped about 5 degrees
Latitude below its planned great circle route, trying to avoid the storm
and waves. It was windy and overcast. The ice carving demo was cancelled
for cold. You can't stay outside. Everyone is bored. The Indonesian
crew is friendly and entertained one night. A story in costume, some
dancing, and a big band playing bamboo rattles.
The rest of the cruise continued to have bad weather and acceptable but not good food. The menus had too few normal choices.
& Tourist Sites
stayed in the following hotels. They were fully accessible and
comfortable unless otherwise noted.
Moana Hotel, Honolulu, Hawaii. It's on the beach at Waikiki.
Peninsula Hotel, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
$392/night. Nathan Rd. & Salisbury Road #852-2266-6251. Our room was
very nice and very convenient to the harbor, museums and shopping.
Holiday Inn Crowne Point, 981 Silom Rd., Bangkok, Thailand. $114 + 21% tax. Holiday Inns in the Orient are more upscale than they are in the U. S.
Inn, Golden Mile,
50 Nathan Rd., Hong Kong, Kowloon $114. This is a
good downtown location. Tel: (011) 85 22 369 3111.
Hotel, Pacific Hotel Tokyo,
3-13-3 Takanawa Minato-Ku, Tokyo, Japan.
$145. + 19% / day. Phone (011) 81 33 445 6711. They had no accessible
Miyako Hotel, Sanjo Keage, Higashiyama-Ku, Osaka, Japan. $208 + 18.8% per night. Tel: (011) 81 75 771 7111.
In summary, we did a lot of shopping. The temples in Bangkok and Kyoto were numerous and different. The people were more friendly and helpful than in other parts of the world. It was generally crowded in Bangkok, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Bangkok was not very accessible. Food in Japan was very expensive. Some of the hotel meals were very good. Away from the hotels they may be good, but between the language and culture differences you may never know what you ate. The cruise was a disappointment. The weather was bad. The food was only so-so and was the worst I have had on four cruises.
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Copyright © Global Access News 1999 1995-2010 "All Rights Reserved"


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David Cameron 'knew Jeremy Hunt backed BSkyB bid in November 2010'
David Cameron knew Jeremy Hunt implicitly backed News Corporation's takeover of BSkyB a month before he appointed him to rule on the bid, the Leveson Inquiry has learned as the culture secretary's former special adviser gave evidence.
During Adam Smith's evidence a memo sent to the prime minister in November 2010 in which Mr Hunt said he was 'privately concerned' at business secretary Vince Cable's plans to refer the £8 billion takeover to competition regulators Ofcom was released to the inquiry.
Mr Cable was later stripped of the 'quasi-judicial' responsibility of determining the outcome of the takeover after telling an undercover reporter he had 'declared war' on News Corporation chief Rupert Murdoch.
Mr Hunt subsequently approved the deal but Mr Murdoch abandoned it amid public anger over phone hacking at the News of the World.
Although the culture secretary has denied claims arising from evidence previously provided by Mr Murdoch's son James at the inquiry he behaved improperly in his handling of the bid process, the allegations have already cost Mr Smith his job after he resigned when he admitted he had gotten too close to News Corporation lobbyist Frederic Michel.
In the memo Mr Hunt said Mr Murdoch Jnr wanted to emulate his father's triumph in Wapping by creating a multi-platform media system by acquiring BSkyB and was 'pretty furious' at Mr Cable's decision.
Referring to Mr Murdoch Jnr's plans, the culture secretary wrote: 'Isn't this what all media companies have to [do] ultimately? And, if so, we must be very careful that any attempt to block it is done on proper plurality grounds and not as a result of lobbying by competitors.'
The memo was sent despite Mr Smith's admission Mr Hunt had received legal advice from officials that it would be unwise to intervene.
Mr Smith told inquiry counsel Robert Jay QC he agreed with his former employer's 'broad' support of the BSkyB bid.
He is due to resume his evidence tomorrow.
In an earlier appearance before the inquiry Mr Michel denied any 'inappropriate' contact with the culture secretary's department.
The News Corporation lobbyist told Leveson that Mr Hunt had kept an open mind before approving the takeover of the satellite broadcaster.
Mr Jay asked Mr Michel: 'Is it your evidence that Mr Hunt was keeping an open mind, he was impartial, and would decide the bid on its merits at the appropriate time?'
Mr Michel subsequently replied: 'Yes.'
He told Leveson it was not wrong to 'put arguments or make representations' to Mr Hunt's team and insisted he had had no 'direct conversation' with the culture secretary over BSkyB apart from two formal meetings.
'I was never of the opinion that it was inappropriate to at least try to put the arguments to or make representations to these officers,' he said.
The inquiry learned today that Mr Michel made 191 telephone calls and sent 158 emails and 799 text messages to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the vast majority of which were in exchange with Mr Smith, between the bid being declared in June 2010 and abandoned in July 2011.
Between November 2010 and July 2011 meanwhile Mr Smith sent Mr Michel 257 texts.
Mr Hunt was not given the responsibility for ruling on the bid until Christmas 2010, but prior to that time he had exchanged a series of informal texts with Mr Michel.
After Mr Michel congratulated the culture secretary on his performance in the Commons, Mr Hunt replied: 'Merci! Large drink tonight.'
Meanwhile, appearing before the Commons Public Administration Select Committee, Downing Street's top civil servant Jeremy Heywood conceded the appearances of Mr Michel and Mr Smith before Leveson could prompt 'further action' against Mr Hunt.
The culture secretary is expected to appear before the inquiry himself later this month.

subset: commoncrawl


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" Brand: Fackelmann / Type: Milk Frother "
Fackelmann is a German company I believe, and so not surprisingly it's also very popular in Austria. I've just spent a week in Austria visiting friends and I've come back with a huge stash of little Fackelmann gadgets. The only one of the items that seems to be on Dooyoo is this little Fackelmann milk frother. I best get suggesting the other gadgets that I bought! I paid just Euro3 for this little milk frother in Austria, I've had a quick look on Amazon and they are available for around £4 on there.
This little milk frother does take batteries, 2 x AA batteries, which are not included.
This little milk frother is suitable for frothing (frothing - is that even a word!) both hot and cold milk, although I have to say that it does work much better with hot milk, it creates much more milk froth or foam with hot milk. Maybe this is the nature of hot milk, and maybe hot milk will always froth up more than cold milk? I'm not sure. Anyway it's easy to use and it takes only 20 seconds or so to create nice foamy frothy milk for my cappuccino or latte.
All I do with hot milk is heat my milk in the microwave in a little plastic jug first, then once it's nice and hot get to work with this nifty little gadget. It's important to stress here that you should only switch the little milk frother on once you have inserted the little twirly end of the milk frother into the milk, if you switch it on first and then insert it into the milk whilst it's twirling then your milk will go everywhere once the twirling bit hits the milk, it's like taking a milk shower! I learnt this the hard way! So insert the twirly end into your hot milk, with the milk frother turned off, and then just flip the little plastic switch on the side and the end will start to twirl and your milk will start to foam up and froth. I find that about 20 seconds creates the perfect amount of froth for my latte or cappuccino. Again I feel that it's important to stress here that you need to turn the little milk frother off whilst it's still inserted into the jug of milk, otherwise if you try and take it out of the jug of milk whilst it's still twirling - yep, you've guessed it, milk shower again! I always pour the milk out of the jug and hold the froth back with a spoon, like they do in coffee shops, and then I just spoon all the lovely foamy froth on to the top of my drink. This creates very stable milk froth and I find that it lasts to the end of my drink, it doesn't 'melt' and disappear.
With cold milk I find that I need to twirl for about 30 seconds, and even then I don't get as much milk froth as I would with hot milk, it's pointless keeping going for any longer than about 30 seconds as this doesn't seem to create any more froth. I've just accepted that cold milk doesn't seem to froth as much as hot milk.
I only drink skimmed milk in coffee, or very occasionally semi-skimmed milk, and I find that this creates perfect milk froth with both types of milk. I've also used this on whole milk as my mum will only take whole milk in her coffee and it works perfectly on whole milk too. I would say that the fuller fat the milk the more milk froth you get, if I make my mum a cappuccino or a latte then hers with full fat milk always has more milk froth than mine with skimmed milk. I do get a perfectly adequate amount of milk froth with skimmed milk or semi-skimmed milk though.
This is easy to clean, it can't go in the dishwasher, and obviously you can't immerse the body of this in water as it contains the batteries, however all I need to do to keep this clean is just insert the twirly bit in some soapy water as if it was a jug of milk and then switch it on and the twirling action will clean the little wire parts in the soapy water. I then switch it back off and take it out of the soapy water, give it a shake and then leave it to air dry.
I'd definitely recommend this little milk frother; it's cheap, it's easy to use, it works well, and it's easy to clean.


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This location is shown only to members
Calling all trivia buffs and those that would just like something to do during the week. Candy , Team Trivia Event Host, has volunteered to host Team Trivia at Tailgaters on Tuesday nights. She would like to stress that this meet-up is not limited to those of you with rocket science degrees, yet if you only came up with one answer a night you would be considered a valuable asset. She would like people to show up about 6:45 if you can, to set up, but the game does not start until 7. If you are a little late it will be ok. It should end around 8 :30. If you need to leave earlier than that ,it is not a problem.
If you have any questions please e-mail Candy (Candace) through the site.
Meetup members, Log in
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Strauss' "Der Rosenkavalier"
San Diego Opera
When: 7 p.m. April 6; 6 p.m. April 9; 7 p.m. April 12
Where: San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., downtown
Tickets: $35-$195
Phone: (619) 533-7000
Come for the overture; stay for the opera.
Under the inspired conducting of Christof Perick, and supported by an exceptional, well-balanced cast, the San Diego Opera's production of Strauss' "Der Rosenkavalier" soared at the Civic Theatre Sunday. Director Lotfi Mansouri's presentational, at times static staging threatened to counterbalance the energy in the pit, but the music prevailed as the San Diego Symphony has seldom sounded more responsive.
From the opening horn calls to the soaring strings and nuanced woodwind solos, Perick and the ensemble negotiated — no, mastered — Strauss' demanding score with its myriad changes of tempo and mood, where the music goes from humor to pathos in a moment, and then back again, sometimes with a detour through irony.
Along the way, Strauss and librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal deal with issues of gender, aging, time and the nature of reality. At the core of this story of a princess, the Marschallin, who must face the ravages of time, is a theme akin to a Zen koan: What is it that the tighter you grasp, the less you will hold?
As the Marschallin, soprano Twyla Robinson, filling in on several weeks notice for Anja Harteros, was magnificent. This is a role that requires a fine balance between the regalness of her station and an open, vulnerable nature.
Robinson carefully calibrated her approach, shifting the balance as the opera progressed. When she made her entrance in the third act, she was every bit the princess, even if it soon became clear that her heart was breaking.
The role Robinson refused to play was that of a singer. She effortlessly soared above the large orchestra, but it all seemed a natural outgrowth of her character, at times as if she were thinking out loud. She was so immersed in the drama that is wasn't until that final trio that you were suddenly aware of the easy grace and beauty of her voice.
The sturdy Andrew Greenan proved her equal as the uncouth Baron Ochs, whose crude attempts at marriage for money and seduction for fun are ultimately thwarted. Anke Vondung's Octavian and Patrizia Ciofi's Sophie were equally matched, their duets in the final act seeming to come from a single musical and dramatic impulse.
But what to make of Mansouri's staging? An operatic icon who has distinguished himself as general director of the Canadian Opera Company and the San Francisco Opera, Mansouri too often just placed people around the stage, especially in the first and second acts.
Toward the end of the second act, as Ochs treats his bride-to-be (Sophie) poorly and an outraged Octavian intercedes, slightly wounding Ochs, the tension cranks up in the orchestra, which seems ready to explode. But Mansouri has Ochs' attendants gather around the wounded baron, and then they essentially just stay there for most of the rest of the act. There are periods of activity, but for too much of the time, people just hold their positions.
Thierry Bosquet's generic sets (for the San Francisco Opera) were attractive enough, although Michael Whitfield's equally generic lighting did them no favors.
Still, something is out of kilter if you leave an opera talking about the sets. This one, you'll remember the music, the singing, and realize that the answer to that koan is love.Copyright © 2017, The San Diego Union-Tribune


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Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman Art Jones will visit a specialist on Wednesday to determine what sort of illness he has.
Jones' illness is not football-related, nor is it life-threatening, according to Ravens coach John Harbaugh, who did not elaborate on the matter much more than that.
"I'd rather leave an explantion of Art's situation up to Art," Harbaugh told the Baltimore Sun. "It's not anything that's like life-threatening or anything like that. It's non football related. We've got to get some tests done to make sure that he's OK. Until the tests come out the right way, he's not going to be able to play.
"It's something Iv'e been told now that they can't tell you how long it's going to be. It could be a week, it could be indefinitely. W don't think it's going to be the second part. He's going to see a specialist here on Wednesday and he can explain to you exactly what it's about, to whatever extent he wants to."
Follow me on Twitter @TerryMc13
Terry McCormick covers the Titans for TitanInsider.com


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*EDIT: Now the phone won't even get past the black galaxy s4 screen!!
How I've been troubleshooting:
The battery was taken out for over 6 hours and same thing.
I tried to use ODIN to flash 4.2, ODIN stops on a write error
(following the QB King video)
Should I try to find 4.3 and attempt to flash? Is there anything else I could do? Thanks!!


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Amy Senser is sent to prison after being convicted of criminal vehicular homicide, Minnesota sweltered in a heatwave, three members of the WNBA Lynx are headed to the Olympics, and the town of Thomson recovers from the June floods. All that and more in our photos of the week.
MPR News photos of the week
People & Places ST. PAUL, Minn. ·


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Celebrate mom's big day with a meal to remember!
1. Celebrate mom not once, but twice! Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is offering two events this Mother's Day: a brunch in the Garden House at 10:30AM and Mother's Day Tea at 3PM in the Visitor Center ballroom and veranda. Bask in tropical tranquility and enjoy everything from savory quinoa salads to decadent desserts. 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, 305.663.8059
2. Nothing goes better with brunch than bubbly! At The Rusty Pelican, mom will enjoy a complimentary glass of Champagne, along with a variety of food stations that include meats, ceviche and tartare, breakfast classics, and a raw bar. Seatings are at 10AM, 1PM and 4PM. 3201 Rickenbacker Cswy., Key Biscayne, 305.361.3818
3. If its menu is any indication, Mother's Day Brunch at The Forge will be unbeatable. New Executive Chef Christopher Lee has assembled a diverse carte du jour for all tastes, including yellow fin tuna tartare, beef carpaccio BLTs, surf and turf eggs Benedict, banana bread French toast, black truffle mac and cheese pot pie and Gianduja mousse cups. Our mouths are watering already. 431 W. 41st St., Miami Beach, 305.538.8533
4. Executive Chef Wolfgang Birk is pulling out all the stops for the moms of Miami. The decadent buffet at Area 31 will feature a spread of stations offering everything from mahimahi to clove honey ham. Reserve a table on the outdoor terrace and have a side of Brickell views with your meal. 270 Biscayne Blvd. Way, Miami, 305.424.5234
5. A five-course menu is Mother's Day bliss. Cavalli Miami Restaurant and Lounge is opening its doors at 11:45AM on Sunday for the big day, and the menu is not to be missed. Start with the San Daniele prosciutto with marinated pears and end with a choice of Italian-style tiramisu or panna cotta, with plenty of exquisite selections in between. 150 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, 305.695.4191


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TAIPEI ( TheStreet) -- The LPGA will miss China for a fourth year on its Asia swing that is on its way from South Korea to Taiwan this week and en route to Japan.The official line: Problems with the golf course scuttled events proposed in China over the past two years. China has hardly missed out on golf, however, and the LPGA expects to get the problem fixed soon, Commissioner Michael Whan told me this week in Taipei. Still, the exclusion leads a list of rough patches along the course marking China's rise from a nation that once banned golf as bourgeois. Now some of the world's top club developers and equipment makers are watching China's growing golf markets. Over the past few years, eager, experimental Chinese consumers have followed their Western counterparts and their own country's elite by relaxing on the green. But golf development in China, also supported by the country's land mass, has skulked its way from the ban 28 years ago to a quasi-legal and controversial sport today. Meaning, there's huge investment potential but watch it. With golf gingerly morphing from a rich-only sport to a middle-class one, so many courses have been built that government officials fret that fairways will displace farms. More than 600 courses operate in China today, up from 170 in 2004. Some are technically illegal according to the country's increasingly rigid laws protecting the environment and the small villages that can be wiped out by greens spanning just a few holes. But it's China. When rich people and developers want something, they tend to get it. The best-known course is Mission Hills, which has built two complexes in China with a third in the works. Its 216-hole course in Shenzhen is the world's biggest. An exclusive peer, the Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai, hosts the HSBC Championships. More typical are smaller, private courses that function as outdoor rec rooms for swanky gated communities. For example, a 27-hole project (with a five-star hotel) called the Taiyuan Luxuriance International Golf Club is under construction in Shanxi Province.
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While Twilight fans wait with baited breath for Breaking Dawn's November 18 release, one of the film's stars got decked out in major designer duds to kick off the promo tour.
Ashley Greene joined Robert Pattinson at the flick's Paris premiere on Sunday in a structured navy Givenchy Resort 2012 dress that showed off her stunning figure. She accessorized with an edgy black statement necklace (from Givenchy's Spring 2012 runway) and black sandals. See more pics from the Breaking Dawn premiere.
The actress, 24, was recently named the latest brand ambassador for DKNY. Greene -- who's currently dating Broadway star Reeve Carney -- will appear in a global ad campaign for the Spring 2012 collection. The campaign will be photographed by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin.


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Addiction Help!
Deaf & Hard of Hearing
Welcome to Addiction Help for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People. In this section, you will find answers to your questions and support for recovery from addictions.
Index (click the titles below to jump to that section)
- What is addiction?
- What are some common addictions?
- How do I know if I have an addiction?
- Where do I get help to become sober?
Support on the WebOn line support groups are open day and night, every day! No need for an interpreter. No trouble hearing! See below for active recovery groups on the web!
- AA steps in ASL (Video)
- Meet other people who want to be sober
- AA and Support Groups Online
- More Resources to Support Your Recovery
- Research
What is addiction?
Addiction is an illness.
At first, we choose to use drugs or alcohol.
Later, the drugs or alcohol control us.
Drugs or alcohol become more important than any thing else. Our lives fall apart. We lose friends, family, and jobs. We no longer choose to use drugs or alcohol. Drugs and alcohol control us.
When drug or alcohol use is out of control, treatment is needed. You can't quit alone. Many people have tried.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a large group of people who have learned, "I cannot do it alone."
If you don't quit, the addiction will probably get worse.
What are some common addictions?
People can be addicted to:
- alcohol (including wine and beer),
- drugs (illegal and prescription),
- marijuana,
- food (over-eating often or eating a lot then vomiting are forms of addiction),
- sex and pornography, and
- gambling.
How do I know if I have an addiction?
If you are in trouble with your family, friends, or job because of something you do, but you can't stop doing it, you may have an addiction.
Visit the Alcoholics Anonymous page and answer the list of questions for yourself. Be honest!
Addiction in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Communities
Many people who are deaf or hard of hard of hearing struggle with addiction. Finding support for recovery can be harder if you are deaf or hard of hearing. But you can get sober!
See Research for more information on the prevalence of addiction among people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Borrow ASL videos about addiction and recovery from Michigan Association for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MADHH). Call 1-800-YOUR-EAR or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com
Where do I get help to become sober?
12 Step Programs
Through 12 Step groups like AA and NA, millions of people have found help to stay sober. Treatment programs help you get started. Most people need a 12 Step group to stay sober.
AA Steps in ASL- See the video here!
Below are video clips of the first 4 steps from AA in ASL, with explanations.
These video clips are courtesy of the Minnesota Chemical Dependency Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals. The full 12 Steps Video and additional recovery materials designed for people who are deaf/hh are available by clicking here. Or you may borrow the videos from Michigan Association for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MADHH).
Video clips in this section are in either Macromedia Shockwave or Windows Media formats so you may need to adjust text to include different formats, etc. You will need to download a media player for free below if you need one:
download Shockwave Player
download Windows Media Player
Please be patient if you have a slow Internet connection.
Click on either video clip format:
Macromedia's Shockwave or Windows' Media Player.
Step 1: We admitted we are powerless over alcohol.
Shockwave format
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Step 2: Came to believe a power higher than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
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Step 3: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to God, as we understood Him.
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Step 4: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
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Where can I meet other people who want to be sober?
For AA in Southeast Michigan (Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, st. Clair, Sanilac) e-mail to:
Ray D.
Special Needs Committee Chair
Saturday Night at St. Joe's
An 'open speaker' meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. First Saturday of every month, this meeting is interpreted for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Anyone from the public is welcome! Arrive early for best seating. Fellowship begins at 8:00, meeting starts at 8:30 pm., lasts appoximately 1 hour.
St Joe's Hospital
Catherine McAuley Education Center Auditorium
5301 E. Huron River Dr.
Ypsilanti, MI
Contact: Sean O. (734) 837-7187
Interpreted 12 Step meetings (AA or NA) in Michigan
Click here for a list of interpreted AA/NA meetings.
If there is not a meeting in your area, contact the Central AA office in your community. Click here for a list of AA Central Offices in Michigan.
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Treatment Programs
In Michigan:
Communication Access Center
for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Outpatient substance abuse counseling in Flint, Michigan.
1631 Miller Road
Flint, MI 48503
(810) 239–1606 Fax
Salvation Army Harbor Light
Substance Abuse Program for Deaf & Hard of Hearing People
This is Michigan's only completely accessible in–patient program for people who are deaf and hard of hearing. The staff knows ASL. People stay at Harbor Light during treatment. The staff will help to find services and support in the home community after completion of the program.
(734) 457–4340 Voice
Other states:
Addiction Recovery of the Deaf This program is in Illinois designed exclusively to meet the needs of adults who are deaf or hard of hearing and chemically dependent on drugs and/or alcohol.
Minnesota Chemical Dependency Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals
This program offers treatment services for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. They also have videos and other materials including Dreams of Denial, a video featuring Deaf actors and An American Sign Language Interpretation of the 12 Steps. Click here to see some of the 12 step video clips above
National Deaf Academy
Adult and youth residential program, specializing in psychiatric and behavioral problems, including substance abuse.
Sober Camp
(Information from the Sobercamp web page:
This camp is open to Deaf adults in recovery & their families. Morning workshops focus on sobriety maintenance and leadership skills.
The SoberCamp goals have always remained the same: Focus on personal recovery and spirituality, develop better personal relationships with loved ones, improve overall wellness, build a better recovery fellowship among Deaf and Hard of Hearing members and celebrate Sobriety.
For Registration Information & Scholarship, Contact Lisette Ortiz at:
Signs of Sobriety, Inc.
865 Lower Ferry Road, Suite B–12
Ewing, NJ 08628
(800)332–7677 Voice
AA and Support Groups Online
Sounds of Sobriety (SOS) website
This is an active e–mail group for deaf and hard of hearing people who want to stop drinking. We are a group of recovering alcoholics that adhere to the 12 steps and 12 traditions of alcoholics anonymous, the 3rd tradition being the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. If you are a recovering alcoholic or think you might have a problem with alcohol you are more than welcome to join our group.
For more information or to join please contact:
Rick S. firstname.lastname@example.com
Ruth H. email@example.com
AA Live Chat
This site offers formal AA meetings online and also informal chat times to meet and ask questions. See their Beginners Guide to Online AA Meetings. It is helpful place to start.
AA Online
AA meetings are conducted online throughout the week. Hearing not required.
Recovery REALM
Online meetings, chat room, message boards, forums, blogs, support and fellowship. Your Online interactive Recovery Community, for the addicted and those who care about them.
E-mail: email@example.com
Deaf Off Drugs and Alcohol offers Deaf 12 Step & support meetings led by Deaf facilitators.
All you need is a computer with a web-cam, high-speed internet and an email account.
If interested, for more information, contact Mandie Roseberry:
(866) 326-4761 vp
(937) 222-2400 ext 239 v
AA Meeting Schedule
(Eastern Time, subtract 3 hours for Pacific time zone)
Sunday 6:00pm-7:00pm AA Womens
Monday 4:00pm-5:00pm AA discussion
Wednesday 2:00pm-3:00pm AA discussion
Thursday 7:00pm-8:00pm AA discussion
Friday 9:00pm-10:00pm AA discussion
Questions about the AA meetings? Please e-mail Virginia at email@example.com
More Resources to Support Your Recovery
Make AA meetings more deaf and hard of hearing friendly
AA has published guidelines to assist AA meetings who wish to be open and accessible to people with hearing loss. These files may be downloaded below.
Serving Alcoholics with Special Needs
Carrying the Message to Deaf Alcoholics
Deaf and Hard of Hearing AA Resources
Deaf and Hard of Hearing AA Resource
Signs for Change Newsletter
This FREE newsletter is written for Deaf people who are recovering. To receive this newsletter send an e-mail requesting Signs for Change, with your mailing address to: email@example.com
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Healing Through Christ: Christian Drug & Alcohol Rehab Program
Journeys Through Recovery
Betty G. Miller, Ed.D., C.A.D.C.
(1998) 196 pages; soft cover
Deaf people recovering from alcohol and drug abuse face unique challenges. This book provides an in–depth look at substance abuse in the deaf community. The book includes anonymous personal narratives which bring these recovery issues to life.
These videos are ASL translations of AA literature. These may be ordered at the address below. Or you may borrow these videos from Michigan Association for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MADHH).
- (VS-1) Alcoholics Anonymous (First 164 pages only - Big Book) in American Sign Language (ASL) - 5 volume set 1/2"-VHS $38.00
- (VS-3) Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions in American Sign Language (ASL) - 5 volume set 1/2"-VHS $35.00
For orders or information:
General Service Office
PO Box 459
Grand Central Station
New York, NY 10163
E-mail: email@example.com
Phone: Call the Order Entry Department weekdays from 8:00 AM to 4:45 PM (EST): (212) 870–3312.
© 2002 e-Michigan Deaf and Hard of Hearing. All Rights Reserved.
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I had a some very minor acne scars on my cheeks. You really couldnt tell. Within 2 years, I gained and then lost around 50lbs. The past few months my scars have gotten a lot worse. They are spreading terribly and it seems I have more than I thought I did. I havent changed anything in my skin care regimen, so I have no idea what is going on. I thought that maybe the weight gain made the scars stretch, and when I lost the weight it made them more noticeable. Its driving me crazy and Im puzzled!
Can Weight Gain Stretch Facial Acne Scars?
Doctor Answers 3
Weight gain can affect appearance of skin irregularities
Although it is unlikely that weight changes affect the acne scar itself, weight changes affect the volume of fat below the surface of the skin in the facial tissues. Loss of volume in the face can accentuate surface irregularities such as acne scars, making them appear worse. Volume restoration in these areas with fat, fillers, or volumizing agents such as Sculptra or Radiesse can mitigate the appearance of the scarring. Fractionated laser resurfacing may be considered as an alternative therapy--realizing that the appearance of these scars is the result of a combination of surface changes and volume dispersion underneath the skin.
Can Weight Gain or Loss Affect Acne Scars?
Hi Hollie. While the weight gain or loss should not affect the acne scars themselves, the weight may affect the amount of fatty tissue (thickness) in the skin on your face. This in turn, may make the scars more visible.
If your acne scars are bothering you, consider the following options.
- Traditional CO2 or Erbium Laser resurfacing
- Fractional CO2 or Erbium Laser Resurfacing
- Punch Excision
- Subcision
- Dermabrasion
All of these procedures carry different risks and benefits so make sure to attend several consultations to get an understanding of what they will mean to you.
Learn more: http://www.celibre.com/acne-scars-more-information.aspx
Fat loss in face can worsen scars
It often depends on your age. If you lose the weight when you are under 30, the elasticity of the skin is still good so the skin will spring back. As we age, loss of fat exaggerates the aging collagen and elastin, making scars look worse. But don't get too upset. With safe and durable fillers, and lasers like the Fraxel and Encore (to list just a couple) you can dramatically improve those scars.
Learn more: http://www.drmarylupo.com
You might also like...
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.


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August 6, 2006, 09:59 AM
How many of you eat what you hunt? How many of you hunt for sport and don't eat it? (Varmint hunting is NOT included since they are pests, but if you eat them let us know so we can avoid your cooking... :p ) For those of you who don't eat what you hunt, do you at least give the meat to people who would appreciate it? I ask because I firmly believe that if I kill something it's because I'm either defending myself or I plan to eat it, to me wasting the animal I hunted is very disrespectful and shows how ungrateful/wasteful you are to the animal and the planet you live on, if I hunt an animal for the first time and don't like the taste of it, I tend to give the meat to someone who would like it.


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Boys tennis: Hansen advances to consolation semis
MINNEAPOLIS — Lac qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd freshman Jess Hansen advanced to the consolation semifinals of the Class A individual state tournament in singles Thursday at Reed-Sweatt Family Center.
Hansen was dropped in the consolation bracket after losing 6-0, 6-0 in the opening round to semifinalist Logan Engelstad of Thief River Falls. Hansen then received a forfeit after Myles Tang of Breck suffered an injury.
Hansen meets Lars Scannell of Cook County today at 8 a.m. with the winner advancing to the consolation final that is scheduled to start at 11:30 a.m.
Montevideo's Ryan Maroney was ousted from the tourney Thursday after losing 6-1, 6-0 to Paul McCallie of New Life Academy and 6-0, 6-3 to Ty Misialek of East Grand Forks.


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