I have taken a stand today to start saving my butt off to get back over there. I am going to be back over there within 8months from today. I have opened up this new saving account i came across today and iam going to start saving from the next pay cheque i get.

I am still awaiting to here back about my US Green Card that i applied for but that’s not for another couple of months. I am hoping so much that i get expected.

A lot of people have asked me where i will settle down in the states if i get my green card and the asnwer is most likely Colorado or Nebraska. Colorado for the reason being i lived there for 6months and nebraska for a job reason. There is a company that i wanna work for that has an office there, I wont say which one yet cause i dont wanna give to much away.

Well i guess thats enough info for my first update. I am going to try and update this site once per day from here on in. Please tell your friends to come and read about my day to day life.

Jerusalem City

Jerusalem city has been a kind of hardship-Disneyland for hundreds of years, unlike other Middle Eastern cities where tourism is relatively new.

Tourists come to Jerusalem not to relax or out of mere interest: they come hoping for a “broadening” experience. In fact, it is socially illuminating to watch pyres of burning tyres, to discover that Palestinians in East Jerusalem can’t give you street directions for the western part of the city (only a short walking distance away), and to feel the full force of fundamentalism in the Jewish dietary rules, so that every West Jerusalem restaurant with its strictly Kosher menu astonished. But this kind of social illumination is not what the tourists want: most have come for some soul repair.

However Jerusalem is more than one quarter Moslem, Israel as a whole is 81 percent Jewish, 14 per cent Moslem and three per cent Christian. The elegant Ethiopians (who are Coptic Christians, descendants of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon) show a strong presence, and, surprisingly, the rich, genial Armenians (also Christian) control the most beautiful quarter of the Old City.

Though a tourist has plenty of leisure time to fill (the museums and historic sights, though plentiful, open at erratic hours), most of the tourists I chatted to wanted to know where they “should go”. I pointed them to the American Colony Hotel in the Palestinian part of Jerusalem, which is raffish and usually full of young men who belong to television crews; or to the strangely imperious YMCA in King David Street, where well-dressed waifs order wine by the glass. There is also a two-block-long “tourist catchments area” in Salomon Street where, among shops selling things to take home, tourists sit under cafe canopies and pretend they are in Italy.

For persons who didn’t grow up with arbitrary rules like “fish on Friday”, the overbearing religious injunctions in Jerusalem are an affront. If you arrived at 6am on a Saturday morning, it was sabbat, which meant that from sundown on the previous Friday until sundown again - about 8.30pm on this Saturday - I could neither catch a bus from the airport nor find a shop open to feed me.

If there are too many crises in Jerusalem, and too much gambling with self-definition, there are also wonderful distractions. Most parts of the city have a lovely smell - half floral, half incense. And the smell of coffee is more pervasive here than anywhere else, even Italy. The coffee is invariably strong and bracing, but the Palestinian coffee, mixed with the spice cardamom is a revelation.

The music is exactly what holiday music should be (including “Zorba The Greek”). Throbbing Arab songs are available on $5 cassettes in the Palestinian part of the city. This kind of music always sounds a bit phony once you have brought it home, but it works in a Jerusalem coffee bar.

What Jerusalem does better than any other holiday hole with sunshine and gunfire is lock you into history. In Jerusalem the spice is not picturesque, grotty low-life, but a grotty “low” history. Blood dripped on the ground almost everywhere and you don’t need a lot of education or guidebooks to feel how much this small city has mattered.

But find your own reasons to go to Jerusalem. Although the city has been war-torn and muddled in its multiculturalism for centuries, only recently does one have a sense of change - a sense of foreboding or hope, depending on the prickling of your thumbs. If you weren’t in Berlin when the Wall fell, being in Jerusalem now should give you the same sense of being on the edge of something historically important.

If you drive a classy car into some areas, stones will be thrown at you. Your handbag will be searched a dozen times each day and your allegiance to the Jewish side or the Palestinian side will swing, depending on the last soldier to search you. If you meet a rich gentleman drinking good champagne, you will discover he is a grave-digger or a washer of dead bodies: their income is three times the average Israeli income (about $7400 a month) and they love to spend money. If you are a Western growing middle-aged, socially adept and self-assured, the cure is a couple of weeks in the world’s most cynical city, Jerusalem.

Nelson City NZ

Nelson is New Zealand’s undiscovered jewel. The panorama takes your breath away, the local food especially seafood is excellent, and there is art and craft in large amounts.

The main lure of New Zealand’s oldest city is its beautiful scenery. Nelson city, on South Island, is bordered by several national parks, the ocean, mountains and forests. The panorama is simply amazing. It is also the sunniest city in New Zealand and enjoys a Mediterranean climate. But nights get cold. The charming, low-rise city with a population of 35,000 boasts lovely old heritage buildings, lush gardens and a laid-back atmosphere.

Some of the historic houses have been turned into cozy inns. One is California House Inn built in 1893 right in the heart of city. With just four guestrooms in the gracious colonial villa, the couples that run the place pamper guests with a teddy bear on each bed and an incredible American breakfast.

In Nelson city, no one seems in a rush and most of people have time for you. Friendly, helpful service makes eating out and shopping such a pleasure. Smiles welcome you everywhere you go.

Locals will generally recommend the seafood, Nelson city being New Zealand’s largest fishing harbor. Produce from the nearby farms is just as fresh food.

A favorite sea front dining spot is the Boatshed Cafe. Once a real boatshed, it has great ambience with an excellent collection of local catches. Wash it down with Nelson’s very own lager. Or try a local wine.

One time a year, the city celebrates the Nelson Arts Festival. There are street sculptors, and craft stalls dot the city street. Part of the artistic burst is the Wearable Art Awards — artists go wild creating outrageous fashions.

Nelson boasts many artists and craftsmen. There are art and craft shops and galleries in large amounts in the city and around the city. Look out for glassware, as well as pottery and ceramics made from local clay. Nelson city has a colony of weavers producing art as well as practical stuff. Woodcarvers and furniture-makers are also active here because of the excellent wood available.

The time for bargain hunting is Saturday morning at the Montgomery Square Market. Everyone from miles around come into town for the chitchat — if not for the market.

The wilderness surrounding Nelson city offers adventure seekers a wide range of activities — from kayaking to trekking to cross-country motor biking. The seriously good at sport can rent a kayak for several days and take in the sights of Abel Tasman National Park from the water: inviting beaches covered with soft sand perfect for picnics, numerous birds, and the mysterious forests. The recreational area is about an hour away from the city.

Skiing is promising during the winter months. The Rainbow Ski Area at St Arnaud is only an hour’s drive from Nelson city. Come dressed warmly for the snowfields.

With so many treasures in and around it, visitors will agree that Nelson city is a precious stone waiting to be discovered.

Bernie Mac Passes Away

BREAKING NEWS:

Comedian Bernie Mac has passes away in a Chicago Hospital.

Lord Howe Island has sparkling turquoise water, fine white sand, quiet beaches, dramatic peaks and cliffs. The island came about after a volcanic explosion millions of years ago, which left craggy bays and inlets, intriguing places to hide away. Three hundred people live on the island, and no more than 400 tourists are allowed in at one time. Lord Howe is only 11km long, protected at its southern end by Twin Peaks and, 20km out to sea, by Ball’s Pyramid, the world’s highest rock.

Where to find Lord Howe Island

A 90-minute flight from Sydney, bang in the middle of the Tasman sea, on a level with Newcastle.

The Lord Howe Island has World Heritage status; the people smile and say hello to total strangers; the weather is mild in winter and rarely hotter than 26 C in summer.

What you can do?

Outdoorsy stuff. Water sports are high on the schedule; scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming. Then there is bush-walking, cycling, guided nature walks and, for the truly energetic, climbing. For those who want to just relax, there are plenty of secluded coves and inlets where you can take a picnic and just watch the waves roll in. It’s also one of the great surf destinations, though locals prefer to keep that secret to themselves. So hop on your bike to the enticing Blinky’s Beach or hand-feed the fish at Ned’s Beach. If you want to get some exercise, there are walks to the top of Mount Gower, but for the less energetic, how about lazy afternoons on fishing boats or checking out the reef from a glass-bottom boat instead?

Where to stay

There are 17 lodges to choose from, all family run, and some with restaurants. Consider Capella Apartments and Capella Lodge (closed during winter months); Pinetrees Lodge, complete with tennis court, boatshed and luxurious garden cottages; the recently opened Palm Haven, with four self-catering flats, and Leanda Lei self-contained apartments.

Where to eat

There are plenty of good restaurants on the island, all offering a different experience, from hearty three-course family meals to semi haute cuisine. Aunty Sue’s, set in a palm garden, has ex-Armstrong’s (North Sydney) chef and modern Australian cuisine as draw cards. Pine trees is a good spot for family fare; and try the fried fish at the Milky Way restaurant, open Monday and Friday nights only.

What to pack

All that classic island clothing you’ve seen in films, good walking shoes, sun block - and food. There are two quite expensive general stores on the island, so your own stock of alcohol and selected edibles makes sense. Don’t forget to pack a torch, too; most restaurants offer you a lift home after dinner, but some don’t, and there are virtually no streetlights on the island.

I think Fraser Island must be the most beautiful, the most unusual and the most precious island in Australia. But if the name Fraser Island conjures up images of sand and four Wheel Drive vehicles, it is time to pay a visit to this astonishing place.

Of course, there is sand - tons of it. World Heritage-listed Fraser Island is, in fact, the largest sand island in the planet. But that does not prepare you for the scene of towering kauri pines in the quiet, mysterious rainforests in the center of the island. Here, silent streams of crystal-clear water, almost too clear to see, flow soundlessly over white sand. Without a sound because there are no stones or rocks on Fraser Island and, without rocks, streams will not “burble”.

And certainly, there are lots of four Wheel Drive vehicles on the island — out of necessity because no town cars could ever pass through more than a few feet along the sandy tracks of Fraser Island. Nor could they drive along the legendary Seventy Five Mile Beach. To travel along this stretch of sand - nicknamed the world’s most beautiful highway — with the surf pounding to one side, is truly one of life’s great experiences.

While enjoying the drive along the Eastern Beach, stop off at Eli Creek. This cool, fresh creek pumps out 80 million liters of water every day. Floating down this fast-moving water is just as much fun as a Disneyland ride, but in far more beautiful setting.

Then there are the lakes — Fraser Island has half the world’s known sand dune lakes — where visitors can swim in clear water with turtles.

A day spent driving around the island means experiencing constantly changing surroundings, from sand dunes to woodlands, from rainforests to mangrove swamps. If you keep a keen eye open, you’ll see dingoes, echidnas and swamp wallabies; in the ocean you might see dugongs, dolphins and even, from August to October, giant humpback whales.

But to appreciate fully the fascinating ecosystem of the island, a trip with one of Kingfisher Bay Resort’s rangers is highly recommended.

Kingfisher Bay Resort has won awards for its success in establishing a thriving complex in harmony with its fragile, natural surroundings.

As you would expect from an international resort, there are swimming pools, spas, three restaurants and bars and comfortable accommodation.

But few international resorts have such spectacular fishing from their own piers, or dolphins swimming alongside as canoeists venture out from the beach, or dingoes lazily sunning themselves beside the guests at the swimming pool.

There’s also a chef who makes bush tucker to melt in your mouth and a Junior Eco Rangers Club, which shows kids the joy of spotlighting for bats and sugar gliders, and how to make plaster casts of the paw prints of local dingoes.

And then there are the knowledgeable, enthusiastic rangers who, as they unveil the wonders of the island to visitors, remind us all how precious Fraser Island is, not only to Australia, but to the whole world.

Fraser Island lies at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef, a 35-minute boat ride from Hervey Bay and a 45-minute flight from Brisbane.

Fly Qantas to Brisbane. Kingfisher Bay has six return catamaran services to the resort each day. A barge service for vehicles runs from River Heads.

Kingfisher Bay Resort has more than 152 hotel rooms, more than hundred self-contained villas and a hundred-bed wilderness lodge for groups.

Newcastle N.SW is around 2 hours north of Sydney and is home to some of the best wine in the world. This city has more to offer then any other town in Australia. Well that’s my opinion cause i live here. For those of you thinking of Visiting Newcastle i am going to give you the best advise on Newcastle accommodation. There is a wide range of luxury hotels as well as some really nice cheap hotels. But you can always get the luxury ones for lest if you go to the right travels sites and search for the best deals. The main thing to know about Newcastle accommodation is that it fills up with Sydney siders on the weekends and it can be very hard to book a room. So please if you are going to book accommodation in Newcastle on the weekends make sure you book a couple of weeks in advance. Saying all there we are about to hope a brand new hotel on Hunter Street later this year so lets hope that makes it a lot easier. If you are coming to Newcastle to tatse the wines from the world famous vineyards then you might want to look at staying in the Hunter Valley. I will be doing a blog on the Hunter Valley later in the week , so please make sure you come back to the site and read about the accommodation in the Hunter Valley.

As for staying in Newcastle accommodation you will have a wide range of places to stay. The CBD isnt all that big so everything is within walking distance from your hotel. The only thing you have to decide on is if you want a Harbour view or a beach view. Personally i like the harbourside of things. Its truly amazing to watch the coal boats coming in from sea. The option is there and its up to you.

Mid week is a great time to come to Newcastle and view the city. The weekend can get a little messing if your a young couple and your thinking of coming up to hit the clubs and bars. The town of late his had its fare share of fights and attacks, buts its getting better and better as security and law enforcement is stepping up.

I highly recommend any Newcastle accommodation you can find as all there hotels are amazing and will go above the call of duty to make your stay that much amazing. I hope you will come back to my site and leave a comment on Newcastle accommodation.

So i have received a couple of emails from people wanting to know all then can about Darling Harbour. You are have no idea where or what Darling Harbour is its a place right in the heart of the central business district of Sydney , Australia. Its is truly an amazing site to see. I will attached some links so you can read more about Darling Harbour.

As for now i will try you the cheapest hotels in and around Darling Harbour. As you all no i am a really big fan of Priceline.com and there Name Your Own Price option. Now if you are from Australia you can try use Priceline.com and there Name Your Own Price option. You will have to pay in US dollars but it doesn’t really matter much these days with the Aussie and US dollar almost the same.

1) Novotel Darling Harbour - HIGHLY RECOMMEND

The Novotel is one of Darling Harbour’s Biggest landmarks , it over looks the whole harbour and most of the CBD of the city of Sydney. The views you will get from staying at the Novotel Darling Harbour are worth the room rate alone. The hotel boasts a massive 525 rooms so you are sure to find a great deal mid-week or most weekends. Staying at the Novotel Darling Harbour gives you the best of both worlds, for one you are right in Darling Harbour , the next is you are only minutes away from the world famous Sydney CBD. You can either hope on the Monorail or walk across the foot bridge and you will be in the city in no time.

2 ) Hilton Hotel Sydney - MY PICK

This is the by far my pick to stay at. The Sydney Hilton is without a doubt Sydney’s best Hotel. I am going to show you how you can stay at this place for a half of what the walk in price would be. But first let me tell you a little bit about the Hotel itself. The Hilton is right in the heart of the Sydney CBD. You are only minutes walk from Darling Harbor so you will not need to get a taxi or town car. A couple of good ideas is to either catch the monorail over to darling harbour or do what i highly recommend doing and that is taking the walk. You will explore more and more of what the lovely city of Sydney has to offer. You will find shops in small lane ways and will always pick up a great bargain. You know you have to take some little things home for the kids or friends and there is plenty of shops in Sydney to do just that. If you need sure special and your not sure where in Sydney you would be able to find it then i suggest that you ask the lovely staff at the Hilton who will be more then happy to help you will any of your needs.

I thought i would also let you know that if you are looking for a little gambling while your in Sydney that i suggest you go and hit up Star City Casino at Darling Harbour. If you the type of person that is only coming to Sydney to roll the dice then i recommend that you stay at Star City. They offer there members a wide range of deals. So it might be worth signing up as a member before you book in for the night, but hey dont tell anyone i told you that.

Here is a galley of the Novotel Darling Harbour and The Hilton Hotel Sydney. Also i will attach a photo of star city. I hope you choose to come to our great city and i hope this post helped you will your hotel choice.

Later Guys

As you all know by now i spent 6months living and working in Vail Colorado.

Well will i was there i got to know the in’s and out’s of some of the most luxury hotels and resorts in the world. I thought i would give you a little info on Vail and the resorts in the area and let you know which ones i think are the best to stay in.

First thing’s first. Getting to Vail can be a little tricky. You can either fly into Eagle Airport or Denver Internation Airport. The thing is from Eagle Airport to Vail is about 25-30min drive in good conditions. DIA to Vail is about 2hours in good conditions but can be a lot longer in the winter. They often close the I-70 and you might be suck in Denver or Summit County over night before you get to Vail. So for a little extra money its worth flying into Eagle Airport and you will be at your Resort in no time at all.

Anyways now back to how to pick your hotel for your needs. There is a ton of big hotels that can suit any of your needs you might have and if they don’t have what you are after i am pretty sure they will be able to get what your after in no time. These are world famous resorts and they will do anything it takes to keep your business and keep you coming back each and every year.

The most important thing when deciding where to stay in Vail in location , location , location. There is 2 main areas to stay in Vail. Its either Vail or Beaver creek. Each have there own ski fields and they are within a bus drive of each other. Most resorts will have a shuttle they will drive you to either mountain and pick you up every hour on the hour. So be sure to check with the resort when booking your stay. If staying in Vail make sure you stay within walking distance of the ski lifts, other wise you will be waiting for your hotel shuttle or the free public bus to pick you up. That’s why i am going to let you know which hotels are the best to stay in and why.

1) The Vail Cascade - It has its on private ski lift that will take you to the top of the mountain. You will be then able to ski across to Vail in minutes. The Cascade is also tucked away from all the other resorts so you will have peace and quite at night instead of all the foot tracker and drunk seasonal workers. The layout of the Cascade is also one of the nicest in the Vally. When you are there at winter time and its dark outside they light there trees up with thousands of white Christmas lights. Its a must see even if you choose not to stay there. Checkout Priceline.com for the best rates for The Cascade

2) Marriott - This is a world wide change of hotels. They have 2 different Marriott’s in the Vail Valley so i will let you know i am talking about the one in Vail , not the one in West Vail. The west Vail one is called the Marriott Stream Side. Personally i hate that Marriott, but you might like it. So anyways the Marriott in Vail is not all that old. Its amazing just to look at when it has just dump snow. The inside is breath taking , they have designed this hotel with so much class that its simply stuns you from the moment you walk in the front door. You will also be greeted by some of the most professional people in the hotel business. They will take care of anything you might have issues with and will go above and beyond the call for you. Checkout Priceline.com for the best rates at the Marriott

3) Vail Plaza Hotel & Club - This resort only open in 2008 , and it has already become one of my favurite hotels. This is a hotel and also have timeshare apartments. So you get a nice mix of people staying here. You don’t always get the tourists with the shitty little kids running around pissing you off. The staff is without a doubt some of the best in the Vail and will look after you from the moment you drive you car in to there resort. I would highly recommend you staying at this hotel when your in Vail next , Plus cause they are new they have had some really good deals going for the last couple of months as they build there customer base.

If you would like any more info on any of the hotels or resorts in Vail please contact me via email or leave me a comment on this blog and i will reply with details for you. I will be doing a blog about the hotels and resorts in Beaver Creek later in the week.

Later Guys

So you ever been at home and you get a text message off you mate or girlfriend and you go to reply and to only work out you have no credit left? Fuck knows it happens to me all the time. So your stuck with the option of having to get dressed and drive down to the local petrol station ( Gas Station for my American readers ) and buy some more credit , then to only find out when you reply you mates message he has already fallen asleep and it could have waited to the next fucking day. Well that’s all about to change for you. There is the website i found while surfing the Internet. Its called SmsFun.com.au . This site gives you the chance to sign up and to send 10 free sms per day.

If you want to sent more then the free 10 texts then you can sign up for a Gold package which is 30per day , or Gold which gives you 50 texts per day. When you work it all out you are going to save more and more money each day. Way send a text from your mobile phone when you at home? Get your lazy ass off the lounge and walk to the computer and send a free text and save $0.25.

The guys that ran the site are some really cool dudes , i spoke to them on the phone when i told them i was going to do the story on my blog. They gave me the full tour of there site and how it works.

The site also have one of the coolest features i have seen. You can fool your friends by changing the from name. So for example if your name is Mark and you send your friend a sms it will come up with Mark in the sent from section. Well with this you can change that name to everything you want. So instead of coming up with Mark you can make it come up with Simon. Its really good to see your friends reply to you thinking they are replying to someone else. To view more of this feature check out there website SmsFun.com.au

They are also just launched there Credit Recharge section. So you will no longer have to drive to the petrol station to buy phone credit. You will know be able to use your credit card or debit card and recharge online.

SmsFun.com.au has been online for over the 2 years. Since its been online it has grown into Australia’s Biggest Online SMS website and Social networking site. Since the beginning of the sites launch there have been 4,336,398 sms sent and thats saved members $954,007.56. Now that’s some big time savings.

So if you want to sign up to there free sms website go and visit SmsFun.com.au

Later Guys