Posts Tagged ‘Love’

Love across the continents

Love across the continents
The language of love comes from a look, a smile and strong embrace. Words can be important, but when language is a barrier, the effort to meld two loves into one can be easy or hard. For Mark and Olga Bainbridge of Shannon, theirs is a love that spanned across the continents, a love born through a posted profile, a love that sustained great distances over the years — a love born into marriage …

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Kelly Rowland & David Guetta – When Love Takes Over [Instrumental/Karaoke]

I have uploaded in a while. I’ve been soo busy! I thought my summer was gonna be boring. I was heavily mistaken. Camping, vacation, amusements parks, PHEW! Anyways, this karaoke is fairly good but it’s pretty good. I love this song! Well, ENJOY! More videos coming reall sooonn! DOWNLOAD: www.mediafire.com COMMENT RATE SUBSCRIBE!!

Hemingway in Cuba: His arrival and Love for the Island

On April 1928, the steamship Orita coming from France docked in the port of Havana Bay. Among its many travellers, the American writer Ernest Hemingway was on the ship in his transit for Key West. It was his first time in Cuba and spent on the island only a few hours. He returned in 1932 and again in 1933 staying during his two visits in the Ambos Mundos Hotel, located on Obispo St, in the very heart of Old Havana. This hotel was both his house and office for nearly 10 years. He liked it so much due to the view he could get of the old city, the hustle and bustle of the people, the closeness to his boat (docked in the port), and the places he worshipped the most in Havana: the bars and coffee shops where he got together with his friends, both national and foreign. He was also fascinated with the flavor of the tropical fruits, especially those of pineapple and mango. He used to say that Cuba “filled him with juices”.

Hemingway loved the nature of the island as well, especially the nature surrounding the sea and the nearby keys. In the articles and books he would write during that period he described with admirable perfection the coralline bottom of the sea, the virgin beaches, and the hard work that the humble fishermen passed through day to day; fishermen he helped out so much. In 1933 his second wife, Paulina, was involved in a street shooting and Ernest decided to go away for some time. They decided to go to Santander, Spain and when departing he said to his friends that he hoped that the days of that “miserable tyrant Machado” were over soon.  During the trip he found out by the radio that Machado had been defeated by a popular revolution. A part of that experience was expressed in his novel “Have and Have Not”.

In 1939, married to Marta Gellhorn, he began to think of having his permanent residence in Cuba. Marta was not very fond of the bohemian life they were living in the Ambos Mundos Hotel and she found the Vigía Farmhouse (in San Francisco de Paula, 9 miles away from Havana City) while looking for a rental. At the very beginning Hemingway did not want to move out, but after the reconstruction and arrangements his wife made, he decided to move in and a year later he became the owner of the estate. In the quietness of his new home, the author wrote his most fascinating novels: “The Old Man and the Sea” and “For Whom the Bells Toll”.

The Vigía Farmhouse is a three-story building, very spacious and illuminated, surrounded by a exuberant and fresh garden, full of palm trees, 18 varieties of mango trees and a huge ceiba. In the first story of the building there was a room that housed more than 50 cats (some of which are buried in the garden with tombstones). The decoration of the house was bungalow-like, having a great number of the trophies he earned during his safaris in Africa and a very important library that housed more than 8 thousand books. Nowadays, the Vigía Farmhouse (donated by his last wife Mary Welsh) receives a large amount of visitors who can see the rooms with the original furniture and personal belongings of Hemingway much as he left them when he departed for good from the island, in 1960.

13 Not-so-conventional Reasons to Love Panama

Most of us have already read the myriad of articles about Panama, not to mention the â??About Panamaâ? section on the websites of every real estate agency promoting property in the region.

There is no doubt that Panama possesses numerous advantages, including its strategic geographic location, incentive program for retirees and a relatively low-cost of living, amongst others. However, some of the reasons that I particularly enjoy living in Panama cannot be when searching for the most obvious reasons, such as the Panama Canal (After showing my 4th visitor the Miraflores Locks, the outing becomes slightly monotonous) or its proximity to Miami (Iâ??ve never been to Miami in my life!). Certain pleasures can only be recognized after living in Panama as a foreigner for some time.

Though I appreciate the similarities that Panama and the â??Western Worldâ? share, I also cherish the differences, since they are what makes my life here truly unique and exciting.

Here are 13 reasons why Panama makes life so interesting:

1. Casco Viejo

-Casco Viejo is 100% different from the towering high rises scattered along Balboa Avenue. Casco Viejo has an interesting blend of architectural styles, most notably ornate Spanish- and French-influenced buildings. However, in addition to the amazing views and unique architecture, there is always something quirky going on in â??the Cascoâ?! My roommate is the president of Panama 9º80º, a lifestyle and travel magazine about Panama. Her offices are in Casco Viejo and I get an absolute kick out of dropping her off some mornings. It isnâ??t often that I get to laugh so hard I almost wet myself at 7:30 a.m. Much better than coffee! (Okay, that was an exaggeration. Sorry coffee.)

One of my favorite â??Casco momentsâ? occurred one morning as I was dropping my friend off at work. As we turned the corner onto Avenida A, we saw a little boy of about 7 years old peeing in the street. What made this pee different was that he was not facing the wall or partially hidden amongst the narrow alleyways, but was rather on the edge of the sidewalk, practically in the street, facing the traffic! As we neared the situation, we saw a projectile yellow liquid spurting from his body and said, â??That canâ??t be!â? However, it was. To this day, that little boy and his â??necessitiesâ? still put a smile on my face.

2. Wine

-South American wine, from Chile and Argentina, is much less expensive than in the United States. However, who said you can have your cake and eat it too.

My friend and I were succumbing to our vices one night, and went to buy wine and ice cream at El Rey supermarket. As we were checking out, the $3.50 appeared on the screen as the price for the wine. I said to my friend, â??How great is it to live in a country where a good bottle of wine is $3.50!?â? Then, the ice cream came, and $8.50 appeared. My friend and I were in utter shock and disbelief. Since then, we have sought out other, less expensive means to satisfy a sweet tooth.

3. Sushi Itto

-Sushi delivered to your front doorâ?¦Do I need to say anything else? If you think that there isnâ??t sushi in Panama, then you are in for a delightful surprise. Sushi Itto, in my humble, sushi snob opinion, is the best delivery sushi in Panama. Their Philadelphia rolls and Edamame are extremely scrumptious.

Whatâ??s even more interesting is when Iâ??m walking to work or walking my mini schnauzer and the Sushi Itto delivery guy honks and waves as he zooms past on his little red moto. It must be a small world after all. Or, I order a lot of sushi!

4. American Dollar

-This is a commonly cited â??reasonâ? for why Panama is so great, and I agree whole heartedly!

For the foreigner, especially Americans, it is great because it doesnâ??t become â??Monopoly money.â? It is easy to be aware of exactly how much you are spending. There is no labor-intensive addition, subtraction, division or multiplication involved to figure out the price of a soda. So, in Panama, it is easy to grasp the value of what we purchase, instead of throwing away our Monopoly money at any and every chance we get. This is especially useful if you are off to the casinos!

5. Patacones

-Patacones are twice-fried plantain patties and incredibly delicious. I had not discovered them until my arrival in Panama, and I am a self-proclaimed patacon addict!

6. Albrook Mall

-Albrook Mall is a large, air conditioned indoor shopping center that offers a wide variety of discount stores and boutiques, as well as a food court with carousel. Be sure to check out El Costo, Oca Loca and Conway for some great deals!

These stores are magnificent for retail therapy. You can walk away with about 15 shirts for $20. Even if you wear them just once, itâ??s a lot cheaper than Target.

7. Opportunities

- Panama is like the Wild West of Central America. There is a huge variety of employment, business and investment opportunities just waiting to be taken advantage of. After being in Panama for almost any extended amount of time, everyone catches the entrepreneur fever.

8. Slang

-Though I donâ??t make it a habit to use it in my everyday speech, I must confess that I get an absolute kick out of the Panamaniansâ?? faces when they see a full fledged gringa talking like sheâ??s from the barrio.

9. Cable TV with ABC and CBS

-All the great things of Panama fused with Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune and Greyâ??s Anatomy. Does it get any better?

10. Taxis

-Finally, inexpensive taxis! Taxis in Panama are abundant and relatively inexpensive, a fare costing from $1 to $2 to most location in Panama City. However, taxi meters are not typically used, and therefore it is recommended to negotiate the price before leaving. If you understand and speak Spanish, you can overhear and engage in a number of colorful conversations with drivers.

11. Cayos Zapatillas, aka. Zapatila Cay

-Zapatilla Cay is a small island located about an hour boat ride from the main Isla Colon in the Bocas del Toro province. Zapatilla Cay is astonishingly beautiful, including spectacular views, clear waters and white sand. Without a doubt, it is one of my favorite places in Panama.

12. Fireworks

-Back in the states, fireworks were reserved for the 4th of July, and some spectacles at Sea World. In Panama City, itâ??s not bazaar to see fire works going off every night of the week. On New Yearâ??s, the entire city, and I mean as far as the eye can see, ignites with the colorful flashes and flickers of thousands of fireworks.

13. Piropos

-Whatâ??s a piropo? I have yet to find a direct translation that suits me. Some dictionaries translate it as â??compliment,â? though that is a serious understatement. Piropo is a word that stands for what men do to a pretty girl as she walks by. Flirt, not really. Torment, could be. Most Westerners would agree that this is a â??Latin thing.â? I generally canâ??t stand it and want to flip off everybody that whistles and hisses and yells â??Ay mamiâ? as I stroll along. However, on days when I roll out of bed and my hair is astray, I must say that I feel less hideous as I waltz along and still get the â??Yeah babyâ?. I know it is done to all women. I was in a taxi once and the driver whistled and hooted at a couple of women that looked as though they were pushing 70 years old. Iâ??m not implying that they were not attractive, but the taxi driver was about 25! Moral of the story, itâ??s one place to get an ego boost.

Bonus – The Finger Wag

-You all know the finger wag, a way to indicate disapproval of something. The motion is generally carried out by wagging the index finger from left to right, considered by most incredibly rude and demeaning. Well, the Finger Wag is back in Panama! The best way to say no ever!

Internet TV about Real Estate in Panama

Quality Investment possesses 300+ listings of Panama Real Estate!

Saint Lucia Romances ABC’s ‘The Bachelor: On The Wings of Love’

Saint Lucia Romances ABC’s ‘The Bachelor: On The Wings of Love’
Recognized as one of the most romantic places on the planet, the legendary island of Saint Lucia serves as the ideal setting for the final dates of “The Bachelor: On The Wings of Love.”

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