Vegas, baby…Vegas.

We landed in Vegas and the first thing I noticed, besides an endless sea of slot machines and video poker consoles, was a severe lack of clocks.

Time, it would seem, is frowned upon in Vegas.

It’s an interesting city, but from the street, it’s not too different than going to a Disney theme park in Orlando—only with more nudity.

At night the strip is awash in blinking neon. Seizure inducing, but incredible to see.

I don’t know how Hunter S. managed this town on hallucinogens.

Once the sun rises, however, the city looks different; used and abused, primarily by guests from afar. Litter fills every empty lot and lines the shoulder of most roads. Empty bottles, cigarette butts, fliers boasting the newest breast implants of some young girl with daddy issues—it covers the street like a ticker tape parade of filth.

Vegas by day is best spent nursing your hangover, quietly, in a hotel room.

But at night, it’s truly something to behold.

Like every movie ever made on the subject, the opulence is real. Each casino is larger than the last. Lions and tigers, dancing fountains, roller coasters and misplaced international landmarks—the new strip is an exercise in visual excess.

Our first night was spent in search of the old Vegas. Our good friend Dave and his brother Nick drove over from LA to act as our personal tour guides. They drove us down Vegas Blvd, past the Pyramids of the Luxor and the fountains of the Bellagio, beyond Ceasars Palace and towards Fremont—the original Vegas strip.

Sort of.

The old players are still there; the Golden Nugget, the Pioneer—The giant neon cowboy still stands tall, smoking his giant neon cigarette, overseeing his once great kingdom while the cowgirl reclines across the street in an eternal tease…but the thoroughfare has been closed to traffic, the night sky covered with a roof of animated lights.

It almost felt like a theme park version of the original Vegas.

But this is the part of Vegas where the shadows of the past stretch long—where Sinatra and the like drank until the wee hours of the morn.

And this is where I was going to raise a cocktail in their honor.

Now, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I prefer to gamble with my life, rather than my money.

Before last night, I had never set foot in a casino—anywhere. Neither Vegas, nor Reno—not even in my own hometown.

It’s just not my thing.

Walking through the casinos, you’d think my attitude towards gambling was shared by all—there was an air of desperation surrounding the tables. Nobody smiled. Nobody laughed.

This was serious business.

I imagine for some, it’s a matter of life or death with every hand dealt.

Watching them, it became clear why the windows don’t open in Vegas hotel rooms.

But dammit, man…this is Vegas.

So I found my way to the bar at the Nugget, slipped a fiver into the video blackjack machine and ordered a whiskey sour.

I lost it all before my drink was even mixed.

Another fiver at another bar, another whiskey sour.

This time, I hung on for a while. I never really went up or down too much.

Win one, lose two…have a drink..

Lose three win five…have another drink.

The longer I played, the more I learned something about myself:

I just don’t enjoy gambling—even when the stakes are low.

Even when I win.

I wasn’t even gambling with my own money.

Aside from the potential of a missed opportunity to take a sip from the cup of life—to fully experience Vegas, there were no risks.

And without risk, there’s no big payoff.

Without risk, all you can hope for is breaking even.

Up next: Hunka hunka burning love.

The highlight of any Las Vegas trip, the huge number of them makes it impossible to visit every single one of them on two nights. Or maybe it is possible if you stay up for 48 hours straight. There were so many beautiful ones out on the strip that we weren’t able to walk into, but the favorites of mine that we did have the chance to visit were Paris, the Luxor and the Bellagio (no surprise there). The stinker about casinos is that you can’t take any pictures on the playing room floor because they have such a beautiful setting, especially the Bellagio.

Luxor
It’s been around for quite a long time, and the last time I was there they had a little boat ride inside the hotel for people to ride. The tour boat ride is now gone, but that’s good though, you get to focus on the casino and the hotel itself, and the hotel is quite the setup.

Inside the pyramid you can see that all the doors to all the hotel rooms, which I can imagine is pretty sweet to have a view of the lobby floor and the casino as soon as you walk out of your room. The view from the outside is awesome with the pyramid and the ancient Egyptian statue.

Paris

Now i’ve never been to Paris, but from just how the casino tries to model the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, I think I may definitely want to take a trip and slam a few bottles of wine.

The Eiffel Tower has an elevator ride to get to the top, where you can take some great pictures of the Las Vegas skyline. I wish I had more time to check the view, because I can only imagine it being very beautiful.

The casino inside is pretty interesting as soon as you walk in. You see a part of the foundation of the Eiffel Tower come through the casino floor, where people have access to the elevators. As you walk through the casino floor, the ceilings sport clouds and a blue sky that brightens up the playing area, which is a welcome change from some of the dark and drab casino room floors at other hotels.

The hallway of shops and restaurants inside Paris I can only assume models some of the city streets you can find overseas. As you walk through it leads you to the casino room floor of Bally’s, which is right next door. Now right across from Paris is the Bellagio, and the awesome Bellagio Fountain.

The Bellagio

The cream of the crop is what I gotta say of the Bellagio. The fountain was the main draw to me, because once again playing and gambling isn’t my thing. But the hotel and casino is just gorgeous from inside out. Walking through to the casino floor I passed the shops inside, and with the shops they have you know only the people with good money stay here. The Bellagio was the main hotel target in the film Ocean’s 11, which made it just as cool walking through it. It’s kinda like walking through Chicago knowing that it was the site of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.

Upon walking up to the registration desk, on the ceiling is a beautiful arrangement of artificial flowers. The colors are eye catching and vibrant, and a photo doesn’t do it justice.

Right across from the registration desk is the site of the Bellagio Conservatory, home of a crapload of fresh flowers and one cool light display that changes every so often, complimenting the flowers, ‘lawn decorations’ and water fountains that is inside the conservatory. Currently it’s in it’s Fall theme, with a very scarecrow greeting you as you walk in.

The lawn decorations I speak of are the things that stick out of my head when thinking about the conservatory. It’s not a bad term I’m giving it, it’s just pretty interesting to see a couple of talking trees inside. it’s something I haven’t experienced since watching The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

It was definitely a fun trip out there and to get away from Chicago for a few days. If you’ve been reading my last few entries, just remember that if you head out to the Vegas desert, check out these spots on top of the other places you see, and don’t take Spirit airlines!

La del Bellagio en Las Vegas:

En Dubai:

Is gambling in Las Vegas becoming passé with the advent of new venues? 

Gaming regulators in Las Vegas last Friday granted preliminary licensing approval for the only casino component inside the $8.5 billion CityCenter project and suggested the revenue mix might be sharply different from the traditional gaming-driven environment that has existed since Las Vegas’ creation. 

During a hearing that lasted more than two hours, the Nevada Gaming Control Board was told not to expect additional gaming inside the multiple hotel, high-rise residential and entertainment complex. 

Aria, pictured, CityCenter’s 4,004-room centerpiece, was designed as the project’s only casino. Vdara and Mandarin Oriental are nongaming hotels, and Veer Tower is strictly residential. 

Executives from MGM Mirage and Dubai World, its 50-50 partner in the development, explained the CityCenter concept, using a promotional sales video and previewing Aria’s first television advertisement in what will be a $20 million marketing campaign. 

Gaming is not the focal point of the 67-acre project. The casino at Aria, roughly the size of Bellagio, will have only 145 table games and 1,940 slot machines, half of which will be linked to a server-based gaming platform. 

Aria President Bill McBeath said the casino’s revenue projections are modeled with Bellagio, but the CityCenter casino has fewer slot machines. He said Aria is designed to have private gambling salons like other MGM Mirage high-end casinos, but the rooms will not be used immediately. 

“There will be cross-marketing between the properties,” McBeath said. Aria will host MGM Mirage’s private Chinese New Year party for high-end customers at the MGM Grand, Bellagio and other company resorts. 

McBeath said Aria’s slot machines are projected to produce roughly $320 win per unit per day. 

During MGM Mirage’s quarterly earning conference call with analysts, City Center Chief Executive Officer Bobby Baldwin said Aria would produce $1.2 billion in revenue in 2010. 

“The (revenue) projections are optimistic,” Gaming Control Board Chairman Dennis Neilander said. “But they seem reasonable.” 

The three-member control board then recommended unanimous approval for Aria. The Nevada Gaming Commission will consider the recommendation this week.

I’m halfway through!!

Chapter Ten is neato-completo.

B&B Belle Epoque, con Cavalca lario outdoor, organizza per tutto l’inverno, week end con le ciaspole sul monte San Primo.

Kalau saya jadi Ketua KPK, ini daftar prioritas kerja satu minggu pertama saya.

(Ketua Perlindungan Koruptor)

Hari Senin :

Saat dilantik saya akan memasang wajah yang paling innocent buat para wartawan, agar mereka melihat saya sebagai figur yang bisa dipercaya, saya pasti akan menggunakan setelan jas berwarna gelap ditambah dengan kopiah di kepala saya yang menunjukan saya lebih patriotik dan lebih agamis dari orang lain. Dan saat membacakan sumpah jabatan di bawah kitab suci, saya akan membacanya dengan lantang, agar seluruh orang di ruang itu mendengar sumpah atas nama Tuhan saya.

Hari Selasa:

Selanjutnya saya akan langsung meluncur ke kantor baru saya untuk mencoba kursi empuk di ruang kerja saya yang luas. Saya akan memasang foto presiden dan wakil presiden dengan bingkai emas, agar tamu-tamu saya langsung mahfum bahwa saya dipilih oleh orang-orang No.1 di negri ini. Tidak Lupa bendera kebangsaan dari sutra pilihan, yang menggambarkan kesungguhan saya membela tanah air ini.

Hari Rabu:

Esok harinya saya pasti akan langsung menuju lapangan Golf untuk meeting bersama staf-staf saya, Lapangan golf saya pilih karena disini pasti tidak ada yang menyadap pembicaraan saya dengan staf-staf saya, yang pasti sekalian mencari caddy-caddy  golf yang bisa saya kencani.

Hari Kamis :

Saya akan makan siang dengan dengan para pengusaha dan para pejabat yang diduga melakukan korupsi, tentu saja saya tidak akan bodoh seperti pejabat-pejabat bodoh lainnya, yaitu :

• Saya tidak akan pernah mau melakukan pertemuan di Bellagio atau Pasar Festival.

• Saya tidak akan menggunakan mobil dinas yang No.Polisinya bisa tercatat oleh CCTV
• Saya tidak akan menjumpai mereka di Singapore.
• Saya akan minta supir saya mengantar saya ke parung, kemudian dari parung saya naik ojek ke tempat pertemuan. (Pinter kan!).
• Saya akan melakukan pertemuan di sebuah warteg di daerah pinggiran, saya akan menyamar sebagai tukang ojek, sedangkan sang pengusaha menyamar sebagai karyawan pabrik (jenius kan).
• Sekarang saya bisa ngobrol tenang dengan sang pengusaha, tanpa takut disadap, tanpa takut CCTV yang memantau, sambil menghisap rokok Jie sam soe dan menyeruput kopi yang terlalu manis yang ampasnya menggumpal di kumis saya yang tebal.

Hari Jumat :

Thanks God, its Friday, saya sudah bekerja keras untuk Negara satu minggu ini, berarti besok saya bisa istirahat. Sekarang hari yang tepat untuk menelpon caddy golf selingkuhan saya, yang pasti bikin janji ketemu besok.

Eits nati dulu, saya yang cerdas ini tentu saja tidak akan memilih hotel grand mahakam sebagai tempat rendezvous saya.

Hari Sabtu :

Pagi hari saya langsung mandi dan memakai seragam dinas saya, sarapan sekenanya untuk menyenangkan istri saya yang setia, dan sembari mencium keningnya saya mengatakan bahwa saya tidak pulang karna ada investigasi kasus penting.

Saya langsung naik mobil, dan beberapa kilometer dari rumah, saya turun untuk pindah ke taxi dan menyuruh supir saya membawa mobil untuk di parkir di kantor, sambil tak lupa menyisipkan lembaran 100.00 an ke sakunya. Supir saya tidak pernah protes dan tidak banyak bicara, karena mungkin dia takut telah menerima uang suap dari saya tiap minggu dan bisa dipanggil oleh KPK yang notabene diri saya sendiri,jika ketahuan. Atau karena dia juga takut saya menghabisi nyawanya jika macam-macam.

Sabtu sampai Minggu :

Saya menikmati betul weekend saya, saya merasa sangat berhak atas libur ini, karena telah begitu banyak tenaga dan pikiran yang saya sumbangkan bagi Negara ini. Apalagi ditemani caddy yang masih kinyis-kinyis ini, itupun saya merasa berhak, karena menurut saya, sang caddy menjadi bagian dari paket keanggotaan Premium saya di padang golf.

Itulah siklus harian saya sebagai pejabat Negara, tentu saja melelahkan. Tetapi apalah artinya jika saya dapat menyumbangkan tenaga dan pikiran bagi negri ini.

Agar semuanya berjalan dengan mulus, saya mempunyai target yang jelas dalam menarik uang para koruptor, ( untuk kantong saya sendiri tentunya) :

• Bekerjasama dengan para Cecak,Kancil,Buaya,Gozila,Mozilla,Gorila, dll dan membuat Pakta kesepakatan ”SEGURU SEILMU TIDAK SALING GANGGU”. (canggih kan).

• Membuat pola MLM dalam mengosongkan kantong para koruptor, artinya para anggota Cecak,Kancil,Buaya,Gozila,Mozilla,Gorila yang terdaftar bisa mendapatkan Penghasilan lebih besar jika bisa membawa kasus korupsi baru. Setelah direkomendasi oleh Upline nya.

• Menembak mati para anggota MLM yang dicurigai akan berhianat dalam BMW mereka. Tentu saja saya tidak akan meminta bantuan aparat, atau teman-teman pebgusaha saya. Bisa berabe..Saya akan minta bantuan preman pasar, yang bisa saya bayar Cuma 500 ribu.

• Menyiapkan bukti-bukti yang akan memberatkan para anggota MLM saya untuk jaga-jaga.

Catatan Tambahan :

Jika saya sampai tertangkap?

• Saya akan mengangkat tangan saya tinggi-tinggi, bersumpah dan menangis tersedu sedu di depan dewan rakyat yang menyidang saya. Mereka pasti akan terenyuh dengan acting saya.

• Saya akan mencari kambing hitam, yaitu para cecak,Kancil,Buaya,Gozila,Mozilla,Gorila sebagai orang yang bertanggung jawab. (tentu saja sebagai penghianat, saya sudah menyiapkan bukti-bukti tang bisa menjerat mereka) Mantap…

• Saya akan membayar para facebooker untuk membuat group di facebook yang mendukung saya.

• Saya akan membayar para Blogger ber PR4 ke atas untuk memposting artikel yang mendukung saya.

Jika masa bakti saya telah habis, saya akan kembali ke kampus dan kembali mengajar sebagai dosen tamu seminggu sekali untuk menjaga status saya sebagai orang terhormat, dan tetap layak dihormati.

Selanjutnya saya akan mencari perhatian media, dengan mengkritik habis-habisan para penegak hukum yang saya anggap korup, biar mereka akan mengenang saya sebagai orang yang bersih dan konsisten.

Di akhir hidup saya, saya akan dimakamkan di Taman makam Pahlawan sebagai pahlawan Anti Korupsi, dengan diantar ribuan orang (yang setengahnya dibayar oleh keluarga saya).

Saat menghadapi pertanyaan  malaikat, saya tidak tahu harus menjawab apa. Karena saya tidak pernah shalat dan berdoa…Tapi bagaimana nanti sajalah, saya sedang menikmati mimpi saya sebagai ketua KPK.

Sorry about the delay — this one turned out to be a long chapter.

Chapter 9. What happens in Chapter 9 stays in Chapter 9.

Times are tough, and even us diehard globetrotters are finding ourselves grounded these days. But there ARE ways to travel the world without leaving the borders of the United States. In a recent post for my “TCW Travel Connection” blog, which I write for a great local monthly magazine called Today’s Chicago Woman, I’ve written about “going global” by sampling fare at ethnic cafes and restaurants, checking out foreign films, soaking up the sounds from other lands, etc.

But surprisingly, you can ALSO take a trip around much of the world by visiting Vegas. YES, Las Vegas. Even this most American of cities offers something for the global traveler in you.

I remember some years ago my sister—a brilliant young entrepreneur who has traveled to Europe several times, but never quite as eagerly as me—once made this remark (and I’m paraphrasing here): Why bother getting a passport and traveling overseas when you can visit Egypt, Italy, and France just by going to Las Vegas?

Of course, I was HORRIFIED, and hope she said it in jest. But the truth is, if money is tight and you can’t go abroad, Las Vegas offers some pretty cool glimpses into foreign cultures, if only by way of some of its star hotels and their restaurants and attractions.

So go with me here. Say you want to experience a bit of the magic found in my favorite city in the world, Paris. The Paris Las Vegas Hotel really is a gem, even for someone like me who’s visited the real thing countless times and loves the city as much as life itself. Not only is there an amazingly life-like replica of the Eiffel Tower facing “The Strip”—half the size of the original one in Paris—but you can soar 460 feet to the top via elevator, giving you an incredible view of the Vegas skyline.  A few years ago, I remember going with my mom to the 11^th floor Eiffel Tower Restaurant, not for a meal but for an amazing flute of champagne. I hadn’t taken a flight, but the elegant, classy feel made me forget I was in the States and transported me for a few minutes to La France.

And then there’s bella Italia, experienced by way of two truly neat hotels, The Bellagio and The Venetian Las Vegas. I stayed with my family at the Bellagio a few years ago, and not only were the rooms plush and comfy, but many of its restaurants and cafes—not to mention its gelateria—give hotel guests and visitors alike a literal taste of Italian cuisine. And while I haven’t stayed at The Venetian, I must admit I’m a sucker for its Venice replicas. I’ve been to the REAL Venice, Italy, three times—on journalist press trips and to visit a friend who lives in the city—and I must say, this hotel’s reproduction of the city’s Grand Canal and its gondola rides, complete with black-and-white-striped shirt-wearing gondoliers, trip me out every time I see them. And with 19 restaurants on the property—including the very authentic Canaletto, where I insisted my family dine with me on the faux “outdoor” terrazza—you really can pretend you’re somewhere in Italy.

Then there’s the Luxor Las Vegas, with its pyramid-shaped hotel complex and a large, looming Sphinx outside. Of course, you’re not in Egypt—and sadly, you won’t find any cuisine from this amazing country inside the hotel. But a visit to the luxurious Luxor spa some years ago is as close as this UrbanTravelGirl has gotten so far. Still, it inspires me to get to the real Nile River in Africa sometime soon.

And isn’t that the point of any trip, to encourage you to take another?

This is a TravelingMom dedicated post.

Hanya kopas dan menulis kembali fakta yang didapat dari Jakarta Globe.

Saya tidak bisa menganalisis, karena terlalu banyak informasi, email gelap, rekaman dan selebaran yang mesti diperhitungkan, entah yang mana yang bisa dipercaya.

However, the document obtained by the Globe states that police have a CCTV recording that would clearly invalidate any statement Chandra or Bibit had made about never having met case broker Ary Muladi.

Police noted in the document that one of the videotapes clearly showed a meeting between Ary, Bibit and KPK deputy director of investigations Ade Rahardja at the Bellagio Residence in South Jakarta.

The document states that the video would show the meeting took place at the Bellagio’s Tomodachi restaurant in August 2008. Another video recording shows a meeting between Ary and Ade at the Residence’s Lemon Tree Restaurant, also in August 2008, and yet another one shows a meeting between Ary, Ade and former KPK director of investigations Bambang Widaryatmo.

Jadi menurut video polisi yang pernah bertemu dan terekam melalui CCTV :

• Ary Muladi, Bibit SR, Ade Rahardja di restoran Tomodachi, Bellagio, Agustus 2008.
• Ary Muladi dan Ade Rahardja, di restoran Lemon Tree, Agustus 2008.
• Ary Muladi, Ade Rahardja dan Bambang Widaryatmo.

Lanjutan berita di Jakarta Globe :

According to Ary, Ade asked for Rp 3.75 billion to drop Anggoro’s case. Ary then reported the request to Anggodo, and the money was handed over by Ary to Ade at the Menara Peninsula Hotel in West Jakarta, the document states.

The document said the money was divided as follows: Rp 1.5 billion for Bibit; Rp 1 billion for KPK deputy M Jasin; Rp 1 billion for Bambang; and Rp 250 million for operational purposes. The money was transferred in August and September 2008, it said.

Kalau benar laporan ini, berarti Ade Rahardja-lah pihak yang terlihat melakukan pemerasan secara langsung. Setelah aliran dana ini, KPK masih belum menghentikan kasus.

Despite the payments, the KPK continued its investigation. Anggoro then contact Anggodo to look for someone who could contact Antasari Azhar, former chairman of the KPK, who is currently facing murder charges.

Anggodo contacted another case broker named Eddy Sumarsono, who arranged the October 2008 meeting in Singapore between Antasari and Anggoro, the document said.

After that meeting, Anggodo, Antasari and Eddy went to Malang, East Java to meet with Ary, who told them that the money had been distributed via Ade, including an additional Rp 1 billion for Chandra, in April 2009, the document said.

Sepertinya tidak ada hal baru kecuali klaim polisi bahwa ada bukti video CCTV yang menunjukkan pertemuan antara Bibit, Ary Muladi, Ade dan Bambang benar-benar terjadi (atau ini pun sebenarnya sduah disebutkan di RDP ? Sorry, saya silap berarti kalau sudah).

“Bibit kuwi kanca dewe” rasanya saya pernah dengar juga sekilas diucapkan di salah satu rekaman Anggodo. Kalau benar bukti video itu tidak terbantahkan, barangkali tinggal Chandra Hamzah yang benar-benar bisa diharapkan bersih dan tidak terlibat. Besok saya agak malas mengenakan pita hitam kalau benar video ini seperti yang diklaim polisi.

It only dawned on me last night that we are approaching the end of the decade. The thought of that stopped me completely in my tracks (not that I was doing much apart from pacing around Wisley House) and I had to sit down, chain smoke and contemplate where on earth it had all gone. Mobile phones, scarves, even tabby cats can be lost, but an entire decade, that takes some doing.

There’s only seven weeks remaining to turn things round. Anyone who likes a gamble is strongly advised not to place bets on my doing so.

Yesterday I brunched in Wimbledon Village with two lovely couples whom I hadn’t seen for a year. Predictably the last time was for the wedding of one couple, now with a baby due in the month. The other couple not only had a toddler in tow, but gaily announced they are expecting their second. Backs were patted, cheeks were air kissed. Meanwhile, I announced that I’m going to Buenos Aires for a party.

As per usual, my account of the last year provided entertainment, hilarity and disbelief (and this was the PG version), leaving me with the impression that I am in danger of turning into the court jester for the Ikea and nappies generation.

With all this grasping for memory going on the last thing one needs is a googly (for digitally minded readers, that is a cricketing term, not a new search engine application)

A young colleague texted me last night to say he’d met a former barmaid from Bramley who knows of myself and Robbie Gale (he who is getting married with a three hour tea ceremony in Kuala Lumpur). This filled me with dread and I was ready to deny all accusations.

This is the problem of my close friend Lee owning a public house in Bramley. Especially as he isn’t averse to hanging up my dirty laundry for the benefit of making the locals chuckle.

While old friends were planning a babysitter in order to go out for a dinner in mid-December, assembling shelves or debating which rom-com to watch, I was sat here in rigid fear about a random rogue barmaid in Hampshire whom I’ve never heard of, but may have a far better grasp on my past decade than even I do.

Who is she and could she be ready to spill the beans? (sorry, ‘Beanz’ – client loyalty kicks in even on a Sunday evening and that’s a sign of dedicated professionalism for you).

Given the four taxi debacle of Friday night, it seemed sensible, after doing my turn in Wimbledon Village, to stay in and reflect. Certainly not risque or rock and roll. Imbetween nearly falling off the cross trainer at David Lloyd when a late winner for QPR came up on the TV screen, block viewings of Come Dine With Me and surprising myself by sorting out wireless broadband (meaning I don’t have to blog by the power of an unreliable dongle) without attempting suicide by sticking my face in the blender, I sought out the digital camera in preparation for Buenos Aires.

That was a mistake. On the surface Marbella, Las Vegas and the visit to numerous Surrey spa retreats in the country all hold memories where things finally seemed to fall into place. When things only really click over flashing lights, cocktails and hotel suites, the warning signs are brighter than Bellagio itself.

Still it was fun and that’s what life and cameras are for. It’s not like we want to record the broader reality. Rarely during an argument, pained silence or total and utter breakdown does anyone say ‘Hold that seethe! I’ll get the camera!’. Maybe they should. If that was the case I, for one, would be selling the house and investing every last penny into shares of Truprint.

Next weekend looks like it will be livelier at the Wisley as I shall be having guests for a soiree that may set in. That I’m socialising not with the couples, their bumps and gurgling offspring, but younger, less ’settled down’ is indicative of where my mood and comfort zone is right now.

So, if thats the ways things appear to be bedding down as we reach the end of this particular decade, I’m not exactly holding out much hope for radical change in the Onesies either.

Still, whatever uncertainty may lie ahead, I’ll still take it in place of nappy rash.

Where: Real Vegas & Vintage Vegas
Who: Meredith Reese, Mr. & Mrs. Reese, Dr. & Mrs. Black, Elise LeBlanc
Why: Adam & Kelly’s wedding
Guest Starring: A handpuppet
Highlight: Sneaking into the Bellagio pool for a day.
Lowlight: Having a buffet two meals a day, four days in a row and – as a direct result – not being able to fit into my pants when we left.
True Story: Someone tried to smuggle a pizza home in their purse.

Stiati ca prima fantana muzicala din lume a fost construita la Targu Mures? A fost realizata intre 1820 si 1822 si avea baza in forma de cerc, doua scari arcuite de o parte si de cealalta a “scenei” si acoperis in forma de cupola sustinuta de piloni verticali. Principiul de functionare a fost pur mecanic, bazat pe forta apei angrenate in miscare, de asemenea cantece populare erau redate din ora in ora. Fantana a fost distrusa de o furtuna de zapada in 1836 si nu a mai fost restaurata. Cu toate acestea, o copie aproape identica a fost construita la Budapesta in 1936 folosind electricitatea ca mod de functionare. Restaurata in 1954 dupa distrugerea ei in timpul celui de-al doilea razboi mondial si apoi in 1997, functioneaza si astazi pe insula Margit din capitala Ungariei.

Cronologic, urmatoarele fantani muzicale au fost construite in Denver, Colorado (1908), Indianapolis, Indiana (1916) si New York (1939) pentru ca incepand cu anii ‘70 numarul lor sa creasca simtitor si nu doar in masura cantitativa ci si calitativa. Fantanile muzicale de astazi au ajuns pana la a crea imagini tri-dimensionale, folosindu-se de undele sonore, lumina si lasere pentru reflecta si refracta lumina in apa. Fantanile muzicale sunt de la cele mici, de casa, care costa cateva mii de dolari, pana la uriasele fantani muzicale din cele mai cunoscute locuri din lume, care costa milioane de dolari.

Daca cea mai vestita este fantana hotelului Belaggio din Las Vegas lunga de 300 metri si cu o suprafata de 36.000 metri patrati, cea mai mare este cea din Dubai, piesa centrala a complexului Downtown Burj Dubai, cu 25% mai mare decat surata din Las Vegas in ceea ce priveste dimensiunea lacului. Ambele fantani sunt capabile sa arunce apa pana la inaltimea de 150 metri, echivalentul inaltimii unei cladiri de 50 de etaje.

Pentru delectare va propun un film realizat de una din companiile care realizeaza astfel de fantani:

After alighting the Greyhound, we checked in to the most historic hotel in Vegas, The Golden Gate casino. We were lucky enough to be situated right at the start of the Fremont Street experience, a 12.5million l.e.d display – the largest in the world! Every evening we strolled down Fremont street, something different would be there to entertain us!

Each day we spent exploring Las Vegas Boulevard or ‘The Strip’ doing as much as possible for free! We were entertained by the variety of themes in the famous hotels from the impressive pyramid and sphinx at the Luxor, to the dancing fountains of Bellagio and everything in between such as; the erupting volcano at the Mirage, pirate shows outside Treasure Island, the flamingo reserve at Flamingo and Lions at MGM Grand. The replications of mini cultures was also interesting such as the Italian Venetian, the Parisian Eiffel Tower and New York, New York.

Of course you can’t visit Vegas without taking a little gamble, so we jumped on the wagon and played our hand at Blackjack and a few slots. The slots were unforgiving and didn’t pay out. However due to the pure skill and determination of Paul White, he beat the dealer again and again at Blackjack bagging himself a mighty $7 profit!!!

Being so close to the Grand Canyon we couldn’t miss the chance to take a trip, so after shopping around for the cheapest deal we booked it! The day started early at 6.30am and after a photo stop at the Hoover Dam and a snack break, we arrived to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon around lunch time. This gave us 3 hours to see the sights, so we made full use of our time with the free shuttle and stopped at a few different vantage points. No introduction needed, the views were impressive from any angle!

After travelling through three states in as many days, we’re ready for a rest!

See you all when we’re home

Amy and Paul

x

Ei… uite ca va povestesc si eu ce am facut de Halloween. Acum, in timp ce astept pozele!
In primul rand a venit un prieten la mine, pe care l-a machiat colega mea de apartament, si cu care am iesit ulterior la brat: un dracusor cu un zomby… a fost interesant, mai ales ca intrebam pe strada unde este Armada. Pana cand am gasit clubul am tremurat un pic, mai ales ca la mine in iad e destul de cald. In Armada… e foarte dragut, daca mergi cu prietenii. Mi-a placut mult, mai ales ca am cunoscut o asistenta foarte draguta, am fost arestata, m-am jucat cu, codita unui iepuras, am agatat un ‘barbat’ al carui numar de telefon il aveam deja (asta inseamna ca am fost cuminte) si am plecat acasa cu alte 2 numere de telefon.
Din Armada am plecat in Bellagio unde a fost paaaaaartyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!! Adica Halloween Party! Pacat ca nu erau costumate si animatoarele! Sau… poate se costumasera in animatoare! Nu m-am amuzat la fel de mult pentru ca nu mai aveam cu cine, insa nu pot spune ca nu mi-a placut.
Ce am facut dupa… nu se mai povesteste. Cert este ca am dormit cel mult 2 ore, am ajuns acasa cu cornitele in mana (codita mi-am bagat-o pe undeva si am lasat-o acolo), m-am schimbat si… imbracata office am plecat in Mall Cotroceni. Imi pare rau dar detalii ‘picante’ voi da in privat! Nu de alta, dar si mama imi citeste blogul!

Jean Philippe Patisserie in Bellagio, Las Vegas is a pure delight for your palate and your soul. Decadent desserts that look like artistic masterpieces and taste like culinary such.

Also home of the world’s tallest chocolate fountain.

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Successfully surviving another coach journey without being beheaded, we arrived in Seattle late afternoon. We happened to arrive on the first Thursday of the month – Free Thursday in several city museums and galleries so spent the evening at the Experience Music Project. A Good museum, strangely combining Jimi Hendrix exhibitions and a Science Fiction Museum!

We had a few days in the city as we couldn’t get a cheap flight out until after the weekend. We found out first hand why Seattle is known as Rain City so spent a lot of time indoors – Pike Place market mooching around 2^nd hand book shops, eating fish and ice cream but avoiding the evil Starbucks on every corner!

On Saturday I dragged Zoë out to Everett to visit the Boeing Factory for a tour of the Worlds Largest Building to see some fancy new planes being built – the first 747-8 and the first 787’s – Number 1 still parked up in the airstrip parking lot waiting for its first flight! I think Zoë secretly enjoyed it and now wants to learn to fly!

Zoë went on an Underground tour of the city while I satisfied my bookshop cravings. Most of Seattle was burnt to the ground in the Great Seattle Glue fire of 18-something and Zoë learnt all about the sewage, sawdust and sewing circles that made Seattle the city it is today!

On Monday we flew down to Las Vegas as this is where the cheap flights go! We picked up our hire car – another free upgrade this time thanks to my pernickety refusal to take the car we’d booked as it was only 11/12th’s full of petrol!

After about 3 hours of queueing for cars, hotel check-in etc.. we made it to our massive suite – probably 6 times bigger than our shared bunk-bed room in Seattle and half the price!

Of all the 7 deadly sins you could probably partake in while in Vegas, we chose Gluttony, having intentionally starved ourselves all day in anticipation of the Bellagio buffet! 2 litres of Ginger Ale, 4 coffees, 6 slices of pizza, roast turkey, sirloin steak, several pieces of baked salmon and Chilean sea bass, 5 spears of asparagus to satisfy my 5-a-day, sushi, king crab legs and lots of weird uncooked experimental stuff for Zoë, peanut butter brownies, apple pie and two belt holes later, we’d got our money’s worth and staggered home – now walking as slowly as all the waddling Americans who’d annoyed us so much in our rush to get to dinner earlier!

12 hours later we enjoyed an unnecessary breakfast and hit the road, next stop Yellowstone National Park..

My first Photoshop World in Las Vegas was a real treat.  It was an intense training camp packed with tons of really cool stuff.  It was so intense I hardly had the time to hit the slots!

It was a bit overwhelming and intimidating at the start.  I recently started getting more serious about photography and there I was sitting in a room packed with designers and photographers, being inundated with so much information about editing and shooting techniques and drooling over the newest, coolest and most expensive gear.  But I quickly realized that instead of dwelling on the fact that I am a beginner I should draw inspiration from these seasoned professionals, learn as much as I can and, more importantly, enjoy every minute of it.

The session that I enjoyed most in the entire convention was the panel discussion, The Art of Digital Photography, that featured the work of eight elite photographers.   In the panel, these remarkable photographers discussed the how’s and the why’s behind their most stunning and moving works.  It was absolutely awesome.  They clearly reminded me that having fun is key to taking great photos. I left the room with so many ideas and with so much inspiration.

Other highlights of the conference were Jack Davis’ Lightroom demonstrations, Joe McNally’s live photo shoot focusing on lighting, Joe Glyda’s live shoot showcasing food styling and food photography and Jay Maisel’s Light Gesture and Color, a retrospective on his amazing work on natural light photography.

Kudos to the National Association for Photoshop Professionals for a very successful Photoshop World.

Check out my Flickr photostream for more Las Vegas photos.

For the first real-deal meal, I decided to eat at Michael Mina’s namesake restaurant in the Bellagio hotel.

Here’s why:
1. Ran up and down the boiling, hot strip all day long and was exhausted.
2. Had tickets to Cirque Du Soleil’s “O” at 10:30PM at the Bellagio. (total snooze fest, should have seen LOVE).

all you need is love

enter if you're smart

We were running late because when traveling the Las Vegas strip everything appears closer than it actually is. After sprinting back to the hotel to change, and then running through a crowd to the Bellagio, Lauren and I split up to save time. I went to pick up the Cirque Du Soleil tickets while she searched for the restaurant to secure our table. When I finally arrived at the restaurant, Lauren (who had already read the menu) suggested we opt in for the Cookbook Tasting Menu. I didn’t originally plan to go all out on my first dinner since I knew what meals were in my future. So, I thought about it for approximately 3 seconds before I excitedly agreed. For some reason, other people’s excitement and fervor for food rubs off on me very quickly.

On to the meal.

First course: Tartare of Ahi Tuna (page 171)
Sesame Oil, Toasted Pine Nuts, Garlic, Chiffonade of Mint

everything your palate desires

Second course: Maine Lobster Pot Pie (page 189)
Baby Carrots, Fingerling Potatoes, Black Truffles

I'm pretty

I am cooler than your best friend

Third course: Miso-Glazed Black Cod (page 203)
Baby Bok Choy, Chuka Soba, Mushroom Dashi

from the top

from the side

Fourth course:Phyllo – Dusted Dover Sole
Dungeness Crab Brandade, Sauce Dijon, Haricots Verts
No picture of this one may come from the fact that I did not enjoy this dish. Far too rich and heavy, especially when included in a tasting menu. The flavoring was too much butter, not enough dijon. Only savory plate that was not cleared.
Disclaimer: this dish was not included in the Cookbook Tasting Menu, but was substituted for a beefy plate of food.

Fifth Course:Tasting Of MICHAEL MINA Signature Desserts (page 152)
Mini Root Beer Float, Coconut Cheesecake, Chocolate Pot De Créme

a little bit of this, a little bit of that

Fantastic way to start the trip, even if I did fall asleep during “O” immediately following dinner.

so full and trying to hold it together - game face

White chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate galore!

a thing of greatness

No matter which way you see it,

take 1

take 2

the world is a better place because chocolate is available, accessible, and most importantly, free flowing.

Let’s continue on my Las Vegas Dessert Tour with a stop at the delicious Jean Philippe Patisserie inside the Bellagio:

Berry Crepe

Chocolate Crepe with Dark Chocolate Fudge

Not only is the Jean Philippe Patisserie famous for their Chocolate Waterfall, they are also known for their French style crepes.  There are all sorts of crepes – sweet, indulgent, fruity, and savory – to satisfy everyone.  We tried three different crepes:

Veggie Crepe: Crepe filled with Mediterrenean vegetable mix and a side of field greens.  Good, but not amazing.  Tasted a little bit like marinara pasta and salad.

Chocolate Crepe: Crepe with chocolate syrup, intense chocolate fudge, brownie bites, chocolate shavings, powdered sugar and mint garnish (comes with whipped cream if you like).  I LOVED this crepe – Very indulgent and SO delicious!  Extremely chocolate-y; a must for chocoholics! 

Berry Crepe: Crepe with berry (strawberry, raspberry, and blueberry) compote, powdered sugar, and whipped cream – my favorite one of the three!  Sweet and berry delicious!  I loved the chunks of fruit and the perfect balance of sweet and tangy fruit.  Very light and leaves you craving more.

Pastries

The dessert paradise that is Jean Philippe Patiserrie has a never-ending supply of pastries, candy, cakes, and gelato.  There are giant almond brioches, fancy eclaires, a variety of sandwhiches, baguettes, hazelnut spread, opera cake, slabs of chocolate from the chocolate fountain, Sponge Bob birthday cakes, Hello Kitty cupcakes… you name it!  I could barely take it all in with my eyes.  Can’t wait to go back!

Jean Philippe Gelato