Many people take up skateboarding as a simple means of transportation. It is portable, fairly inexpensive, and faster than walking. Skateboarding goes beyond rolling on the ground, though, as many people have witnessed. Driving down the street, it is not unlikely you will see skateboarders defying basic physics, as they slide down handrails, stairs, benches and other various locations commonly found around town. Who do these stunts generally appeal to? Adrenaline junkies. Why? Just for the thrill of it! Read more…

Gabey’s coming, Gabey’s coming to town!

So what? Who cares? This is a song of contrasts, just as it comes from a show of contrasts. It was written, it is set, during the second world war. It concerns 3 sailors who have a day’s leave in New York. In 1944 they arrive at Brooklyn naval yard, they get off their ship singing “New York, New York, it’s a helluva town” (which was incidentally changed to “Wonderful Town” in the film version so as not to offend the censors) and this ambivalence of wartime on the one hand, the terrible things that have been happening to them, and the wonderful, crazy things that can happen to them in New York city, underpins the whole show, and you get it in the very first line here: “Gabey’s coming, Gabey’s coming to town!”. There’s a tremendous amount of confidence there…. Read more…

If you love horses, it doesn’t get any better than this: sea, sun, and a steady mount, a vision of pleasure and relaxation. In fact, there’s virtually no limit to the horse-drawn daydream you can bring to life in Costa Rica. Perhaps an afternoon ride alongside a clear mountain stream, the morning mists retreating to reveal a majestic vista of valley and volcano. Or how about a brisk beach ride in the cool of a coastal morning, greeted by the booming hoots of the howler monkeys and the splash of diving pelicans as you veer into the shade of a giant ceiba, the Mayan tree of life. There’s no doubt that if you are so inclined, much of your exploration of this beautiful country can best be done on horseback. Read more…

In the first place, you’re the envy of many people, excluding the ones who are crazy. Small town life is better suited for human beings. We were not meant to be crammed into 20-story skyscrapers that are less like apartments than filing cabinets for people. We shouldn’t have to smoke cigarettes just to clean the smog out of our lungs.

Like breaking a bad habit, it will take some time before you lose your big-city ways and settle down with the locals. The locals can tell that you’re from the big city. You’re either from the big city or seriously antisocial.

Your tempo of life will be exceptionally out of place the first year. This is because the big city has no tempo of life. The small town has a tempo, and it will gradually make itself known to you. Just after you’ve moved to a small town is the best time to take some vacation from work. Give yourself a reason to sleep in a couple of mornings, then just tour around the town and take your time getting to know it. Oh… it’s crickets. Read more…

While your heart is hurting for your ex and missing them badly they can seem unresponsive and resistant to you. Here are some steps to follow to help you once you get past this first mindset step.

1. Sudden disappearance. The say “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” has some truth in it. If you disappear suddenly your ex will definitely miss you, even if they’re just curious where you suddenly disappeared to.

2. Sometimes disappearing just isn’t an option. Your ex will be expecting you to be depressed over them, so the solution is to become hard to find and elusive. Try to be seen all around town having a great time or at least to give the perception that you’re fine with the break up. You are not required to date other people, and you probably shouldn’t right now. Read more…