Law of Supply and Law of Demand

The Law of Supply...

Sure, average air fares have risen steadly since 1990, but they go up and down at the same times year after year, and that makes predicting prices a cinch. Experts put togteher the numbers that show what you always suspected : Fares are lowest during the dspring and summer when the airlines have the most difficulty filling their planes.

... And the Law of Demand

Is this week's fare half of what you paid last week? Here's what to do:

You've already bought your ticket when you see the ad in the newspaper: a lower fare on the same route. Getting your ticket rewritten for the lower fare – and pocketing the savings – is not always possible. First you must meet all the qualifications listed in the ad in the small print: there must be the right numbers of days in advance of your trip: you must have been booked to travel when the fare applies; and there must still be seats available in the cheaper fare category. Even then, you might be charged a fee to have your ticket rewritten.

Don't give up if the first airline person who answers tells you your ticket is non-refundable and non-changeable, though. Insist on speaking with a supervisor. Also, move fast. The number of seats available at the lower fare is probably limited. Even if you meet all the restrictions, you will not be able to claim one of the cheap seats unless they are still unsold when you call.

A travel agent can give you further assistance. Some agents now guarantee you the lowest fare through use of a computer that monitors reservations systems overnight. Your agent may call you when a lower fare pops up. (You certainly won't hear about it from the airline). If the agent is still holding your tickets, he or she could rewrite your ticket at the new price even before you open your morning paper.

Horizons far away. Photo by Elena.

Pusha - Part II

Pusha Part - II

The second part of pictures of Pusha, the best cat in the World, in the whole Universe, the great Pusha the Feline who knows that he is a lion.

We are all aware of the fact that cats have it all – curiosity, an endless sleep, company, and all, only when they want it. When a cat`s human friend isn't happy, the cat is not happy. Not because the cats care about our mood but because they're are thinking up ways to get even. Anyway, our understanding of cat’s intelligence is far from perfect, but they, the cats, wonder if we are conscious. We accept that they are clever and we like to think that they will treat us well when the day of their Kingdom comes.

The following pictures of small (domestic cat, lynx, bobcat and others) and big (tiger, lion, puma and other animals) felines depict some of these amazing wonders of nature.

All the pictures have been taken by Elena.

Pusha in blue.

Pusha in yellow.

Pusha surprised. Green eyed white cat (breed: Persian Silver Shaded, purebred).

Pusha, the Galaxy special forces soldier.

Domestic cat thinking (breed: Russian Blue). Siberian tiger, largest feline (panthera tigris).

Lovely kitty, up close.

White domestic cat sitting specifically designed cat toy (the 'tree' is found in most animal stores or pet shops). Breed: Persian Silver Shaded.

Members of the feline family have long fascinated the human race. 

Cats being revered as deities in Ancient Egypt represent an additional classic illustration.

Pusha reflecting about the future of the mankind and catkind who must live together and share the responsibility of the destiny of the planet.

Pusha posing as a great politician.

Although unrelated to cats, the name itself of famous American writer Tennessee Williams' play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and the derivative 1958 drama film, are just one example among many.

Pusha looking sideways.

See you, my friends!

Educational Cruises

Mind-expanding Voyages

Journey to the ends of the earth and to the center of the mind

”Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime. (Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad).

Twain's words are the credo of a rapidly expanding niche of the cruise business that caters to those seeking adventure, education, and comfort in equal measures. Instead of long, boozy nights at the gambling tables of the Love Boat, these travelers traipse through the ancient ruins of Pompeii or encounter primitive Indonesian tribes.

Educational cruise ships are usually smaller than the mega-ships used for ordinary cruises. Some carry 50 passengers or fewer: They generally have shallower drafts that enable them to anchor in ports that cannot accommodate bigger vessels. And on many trips, smaller specialized landing boats are taken along to carry travelers to more remote locations. On a New York Botanical-Gardens-sponsored trip down the Amazon River in Brazil, for example, voyagers spend four to six hours a day exploring the shorelines in motorized canoes. Accommodations may not be luxurious, but most ships are perfectly comfortable.

Only the most adventurous travelers would venture unaccompanied to many of these destinations. Take heart: University professors and other experts lecture nightly onboard most cruises.

What makes an educational cruise really interesting and exciting is gaining access to culture and places that would otherwise be quite inaccessible, explain experts in alumni travel.

With the guidance of an expert, educational cruises allow passengers to retrace the Mediterranean voyage of Odysseus, follow the Nile, explore Antarctica and visit some of the primitive island cultures of the South Pacific. Many colleges and universities now sponsor trips for alumni, and various museums, organizations and environmental groups have teamed up with cruise lines and travel agencies to offer trips to exotic locations.

There are so many choices, in fact, that you will need to do your homework to match the right destination to the right cruise line. One factor to consider: the lecturer who's coming along with you. Like college tuition, passage isn't cheap. Costs range from 1,0000 to 5,000 per person per day. You can save by skipping alumni – or museum-sponsored trips and booking directly through an education cruise company. Alumni associations often provide world-renowned members of their university's own faculty for the cruises, but the cruise companies through which the museum or alumni association has been chartered often have their own knowledgeable experts for much less.

Educational Cruises are mind-exploring voyages. Photograph by Elena.

Following are some of the more popular trips offered today be leading outfitters. To get you into the spirit of the journey, we”ve also included a list of recommended reading:

The Voyage of Odysseus

Recreate the ancient sailor's struggle against the plans of Zeus with a voyage (sans sea monsters) around the Mediterranean. Begin at in excavation site in Turkey believed to be where the ancient city of Troy was located, then travel on to Malta, Pompeii, and Tunisia. Though you most likely won't be seduced by the goddess Calypso, you will be transfixed by the beauty of this ancient sea.

Classical Cruises, Swan Hellenic – The Odyssey. Homer: Gods, Graves and Scholars by C.W. Ceram. The spirit of Mediterranean Places, Michel Butor.

The Nile: Cradle of Civilization

Cruise the 600 miles from Cairo to Aswan and see the famous step pyramid of Djoser at Sakkara, the temple of Luxor, the botanical gardens on Kitchener Island, and the Temple of Horus – the best preserved temple in Egypt.

Swan Hellenic: The Rediscovery of Ancient Egypt, Peter A. Clayton. Egypt in Late Antiquity, Roger S. Bagnall.

A Crusade through the Dark Ages

Cruise up the Rhine, Main and Danube Canal to visit the perfectly preserved medieval town of Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber. Stop at Duernstein to see a Benedectine Abbey, then on to Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest. Don't miss the thousand-year-old cathedral city of Bamberg on the Regnitz River.

Classical Cruises, Swan Hellenic: The Danube, Claudio Magris. The Viennese: Splendor, Twilight and Exile.

The Unspoiled Wild of Northwest

Follow the Strait of Georgia from Vancouver up the coast of British Colombia to historic Wrangell and on to Jumeau (accessible only by sea or air). Don't miss Haines, which has the world's largest concentration of bald eagles, or Glacier Bay, with its breathtaking fjords. Last stop: Victoria, the City of Gardens.

Special Expeditions, World Explorer, Clipper Cruises: Alaska by James A. Michener. A  Naturalist's Guide to the Arctic, by E.C. Pielou.

Whale-Watching off the Baja Strip

Sailing along the Baja peninsula off Claifornia and Mexico offers an opportunity to see dlophins, sea lions, and finback and blue whales. You can sometimes get close blue whales. You can sometimes get close enough to whales to touch item. Strap on a mask and snorkel for an op-close look at the wildlife and beautiful coral reefs.

Special Expeditions: Log from the Sea of Cortez, John Steinbeck. The Forgotten Peninsula, Joseph Wood Krutch.

The Ever-Evolving Galapagos Islands

Just off the coast of Ecuador are the islands where Charles Darwin did his ground-breaking studies in the nature of evolution. Here's a great chance to observe the fauna that inspired him; many of the island's animals will let you walk right up to them.

Adventure Associates: Voyage of the Beagle, Charles Darwin. The Beak of the Finch, Jonathan Weiner.

The Dragons of Indonesian

Cruise to the Indonesian isles of Bali, Komodo, and the lesser Sundas. Stops include visits to the palace of the Sultan in Rabu Dompu. During an afternoon on the Komodo islands, you will probably encounter a 10-foot long Komodo dragon, the last of the prehistoric giant monitor lizards. And on the island of Sumbwa, the Duo Donnggo people continue to live as their ancestors did more than a thousand years ago.

Abercrombie & Kent: South Pacific Handbook, David Stanley. Indonesia: Paradise on the Equator, Karl Mulller and Paul Zach.

The Sacred Cities of Southeast Asia

Journey down the Mekong River past the ruins of Angkor, the temples of Borobudu, and on to the island of Bali. An unusual experience for Western travelers, but it doesn't have to be an apocalypse or journey into the heart of darkness it it is planned properly.

Classical Cruises: Southeast Asia, Past and Present, D.R. Sardesai.

Out of Antarctica

Cruise from the Argentine coast down to the final frontier at the bottom of the world: Antarctica. Try to score a cruise with Sir Ranulph Fiennes, one of the world's great explorers and an authority on the area. Look for whales, sea elephants, penguins, and fur seals along the way.

Abercrombie and Kent: The Epic Crossing of the Antarctic Continent.

Victoria Park in Toronto. Photo by Elena.

Cruising with the Kids

Cruising with the Kids

Some ships are theme parks that cater to children of all ages

There have alwasy been reasons to take kind on a cruise, of course. Exotic new ports daily will intrigue children with even the shortest of attention spans, and such exposure can be an educational introduction to new cultures. But cruise lines seeking boomer business have been upping the family ante in the last few years with a whole new slew of services that roll summer camp, theme park, and sophisticated island resort into one package – and then sweetening the pot with third- and fourth-person discount rates for families on a budget.

A typical approach is that of Premier's Big Red Boat, otherwise known as the Starship Atlantic. There's a batting practice on the sports deck, games and crafts at the children's center, a ping-pong tournament, karaoke singing, and even rehearsals for children's theater productions at the Premier theater. And, in keeping with the theme-park theme, crew members dress as Loony Tunes characters.

Spending your vacation with Bugs Bunny or Tweety Bird probably isn't your idea of a good time, so the ship also offers dawn-to-dusk baby-sitting service and the usual cruise activities for adults. Everyone has a good time, and parents can rest assured that it is exceedingly difficult to lose a child on a cruise ship.

Of course, some ships would rather the kind did get lost, or at least were kept quiet. Even some ships that do welcome children are not as well prepared to deal with their needs as others – the playroom may be no more than a corner in a public area with a few toys and children's programs may be offered only in the summer, if at all. When you book a cruise, always ask what their child policy is.

Nassau Cruise Ship. Photo by Elena.

Among the mega-cruisers that welcome children, Norwegian's Norway, Carnival's Fantasy, and Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas stand out for their facilities for kids. If a classic cruise is more your style, try the Queen Elizabeth II. It offers the best of both worlds : first-class dining and entertainment for mom and dad, and top-notch care by English nannies (of course) for the kids. Other first-rate family ships are availiable, of cores. We recommend ships that part in three to four-day cruises to the Bahamas, with spacious public areas, large recreation centers with group baby-sitting, tasteful furnishings, children programs with focus on learning, with lessons in ship navigation, marine life and the various ports of call. It is preferable that a ship boast large libraries, drop-off children's center. Better if the decor is pleasant but doesn't detract from festive atmosphere. Kids will love the newness of it all. Activities exclusively for kids could include hula dancing lessons, lei making, lessons in playing the ukulele.

Monuments of Toronto - Part I

Monuments of Toronto - Part I

City-owned historical monuments and artistic installations enhance public spaces all over Toronto. The earliest monument dates to the beginning of the XIXth century while new acquisitions are added each year through commissions and donations.  Monuments and sculptures enliven municipal spaces, City parks, transit infrastructure, even bridges and underpasses. Here are some of the samples of Toronto's monuments and sculptures.

All the photographs have been taken by Elena.

A statue at the corner of Huron and Bloor streets.

Anadyomene. Sculpted in 1983 by Maryon Kantaroff. Donated by Senator Nancy Ruth. In honour of the women who walk here.

Crucifed Woman. Almuth Lutkenhaus. 1976.

A Reading Man with books

A Reading Man and his books, detail

This sundial is dedicated to the memory of Katie Anne MacTavish (1963-1993) by her classmates at Victoria University and the many friends whose loves she touched.

Sundail's base.

Dedicatory text on the Sundail's base.

Two fats ladies.

Al Purdy, celebrated Canadian poet (1918-2000).

Equestrian statue of King Edward VII. Originally standing in Edward Park, Delhi, India, this statue was erected on the present site through the generous subscriptions of the citizens of this area. This gift to the City of Toronto was made possible by the Government of India and the former Canadian High Commissioner to India, His Excellency The Right Honourable Roland Michener, C.C., C.D. Governor General of Canada, and brought to this City through the personal generosity of Henry R. Jackman, Esq., Q.C.. May 24, 1969. William Dennison, Mayor

Sir John. A. MacDonald (1815-1891). Canada's first prime minister was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and immigrated with his family to Kingston, Upper Canada, in 1820. A successful lawyer, he was elected to the provincial elgislatuer inm 1844 and became leader of the conservative party. He played a leading role in the effort to achieve a federal union of Britain's North American colonies which restulted in the Formation of the Dominion of Canada on July 1, 1867. MacDonald served as Prime Minister, 1867-1873 and 1878-1891, and under his administration large territories were added to Canada, a transcontinental railway built and settlement of the West encouraged. At his death Canada's autonomy, based on rapid economic development and a close Brithis-Canadian relationship, was assured.

Erected to the memory of the officers and men who fell on the battlefields of the north-west in 1885. Dulce et Decorum est pro patria mori.

Monument in the campus of the University of Toronto.

The 48th Highlanders of Canada Memorial. This regiment is a Canadian Forces Primary Reserve infantry regiment based in Toronto, parading out of Moss Park Armoury. The 48th Highlanders regiment is part of 4th Canadian Division's 32 Canadian Brigade Group. Hill 70, Passchendaele, Amiens, Drocourt-Queant, Canal du Nord. Ever since its formation in 1891, the 48th Highlanders have had a longstanding tradition of participation in the life of the city of Toronto. Landing in Sicily, Assopo, Campobasso, Optona, Liri Valley, Hitler Line, Gothic Line, Rimini Line, Lamone Crossing, Apeldoorn.

Lieutenant-Colonel John Graves Simcoe (1752-1806). First Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada between 1791 and 1796. Founder of the City of Toronto on July 30th, 1793.