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We got a Balcony! Roatan the second time around

bicyclecruising — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:00:16 +0000

Vent update for NCL-We just kept trying to get them to pay attention to our irritation about room assignment. They paid attention and really came through!

This is a typical local Honduran home by a pretty bay on Roatan

We took the northeastern route this time in Roatan, heading toward French Harbor. We have been unsuccessful trying to stay in the same room for the second cruise, so we moved Sunday to a room on the tenth deck (that’s the tenth floor for you landlubbers), and our bicycles moved with us. It is not quite as convenient but our steward Ahmad put them in a storage locker for us on Sunday and pulled them out today after breakfast as we got ready for the ride. We had to negotiate the elevators to get the bikes down to the fourth deck from which the gangway connected us to the pier, but it turned out to be no big deal.

Incidentally, we were at the pier this time around and we took the bikes ashore ourselves. The same Garifuna band and dancers greeted us on the pier and it was less crowded because there were fewer customers from other ships to compete with us. We took the required photo with the pirate and negotiated the rows of shops to get out of the port area and onto the streets. A tour guide in the port told us French Harbor was fifteen miles away and that there were hills. I reminded Marilyn that it was she who had recommended the route.

This time we stayed to the right and worked our way through the shops of Coxen Hole. These are second and third world entities with hawkers out front, few amenities, second quality merchandise, but very colorful and seemingly fun, with music playing everywhere and kids everywhere. We had to work through about a half mile of Main Street, including a challenging hill at the end before it reached Monkey Hill Road and then onto the highway leading past the airport to French Harbor.

Again for Roatan, this turned out to be not the kind of route favored by Marilyn—flat. But the hills were manageable and Marilyn has really been looking buff lately since her workout efforts on the ship’s gym for the past several days. I must admit that she really surprised me, making it up all but one or two of the most challenging hills. I mean the hills are not that high or long, but they come frequently, if not relentlessly.
With the comparison of Costa Maya and Belize City at hand, I realized how pleasant this countryside is. Trees and shade abound as the road weaves along the coast and occasionally moves inland to avoid coastal hills. The same black vultures/hawks circle above in groups of 1 to 5 and I can hear other birds in the forest, probably parrots, I would guess. As we passed the Roatan airport, I saw large white egrets in the ponds of the wastewater treatment plant nearby. This positioning of the plant near the airport is probably not a good idea if it attracts large birds like this. I know the dangers of bird-aircraft strike hazards.

We passed a multitude of bays, some with fishing boats docked, some with housing for locals surrounding them, and some with real estate signs indicating future or continuing development. We passed a bay with a harbor for another cruise ship and the taxis were lined up for half a mile ready to take passengers to the various dive sites around Roatan. We passed Lizard Lizzy’s on the outskirts of Coxen Hole—a place recommended in one of the blogs, but it looked closed this morning as we passed. We stopped for a water break at the top of one of the hills which Marilyn didn’t manage to ride through. The traffic wasn’t too bad, but I was a little worried because the two lane road was a little narrow and I know Marilyn prefers a lot of room to ride in.

The rate of development in Roatan is obvious from the real estate development signs, the trucks carrying building supplies, and the groups of workers at all of the building sites. I spied several new office buildings being furnished and filled with tenants on the outskirts of Coxen Hole and even more as we approached French Harbor. We also spotted several upscale houses on the way. One of them was really a mansion—broad and white in two stories with a circular driveway to the street. One of the bays on the water side of the road had police and security guards directing traffic—Mahogany Bay. I later learned this was a cruise development.

Bob and Marilyn with the owner at the Bakery

As we pulled into the outskirts of French Harbor, I spied an upscale building on the right side of the road with a sign indicating “The Bakery”. I read about this establishment in one of the tour blogs and thought this might be a good place to stop for coffee and a snack and make further plans. We turned in and locked the bikes and negotiated this two story building looking for a deli/bakery. The building included and upscale furniture store and the HSBC bank in addition to at least one real estate office. A large Texaco gasoline station (the only one I spotted in Roatan) lay across the street. The Bakery looked dark, but we spotted two customers inside and entered ourselves. Marilyn immediately spotted a bagel in the bakery goods case and I ordered one from the attendant. Across the way, another man worked at a cash register before he turned to watch us. Guessing that he was the owner, I asked if he was Jewish. He said no but that he was the owner and he was from NY City. We struck up an extended conversation about Roatan, about Honduras, about the local and national government and their histories, and about income taxes in the US. He was a fascinating guy, the likes of which I hadn’t met before.

He and his wife are software engineers who left the US several years ago when the economy went south and they began to worry about the future of the US economy. They originally found Roatan for the diving sites, but eventually decided to relocate to Roatan and set up a small business. He talked about the dependence of the Roatan economy on the cruise ships, about the Jackson family who dominate the island and owned most of it at one time. The patriarch was recently voted out of office as the Mayor. It was his personal residence that I had spotted earlier along the road. I began to remember all of the businesses with the Jackson name attached to them. Apparently, he was deemed to be somewhat corrupt and the population decided to replace him.

Our host was also effusive in his dislike for the US tax system, particularly the income tax. We spent at least an hour in the bakery, finishing our bagel and the two Coke Lights we had ordered, and discussing world matters. But after that time, Marilyn and I decided we must leave to get back to the ship.

We left the store, remounted the bikes, and headed back. I recommend this route to anyone wanting to learn about Roatan. We certainly enjoyed it and learned a lot. The riding is challenging but manageable. The scenery and wildlife are very pleasant to see. And the weather was perfect. Upon returning to the ship, we talked the ship’s crew into storing the bikes on the fourth deck where we stored them last week. We stopped in the Garden Café for a sumptuous late afternoon meal of fresh fruit, olives, cheese, and artichoke hearts, wonderful cold soup, along with a plateful of mussels and shrimp. We stopped to watch the ship undock push off from the dock and turn out to sea before we returned to the room to write this blog. An excellent day, If I do say so myself!

Belize City; the second time around

bicyclecruising — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:15:55 +0000

Cruise ships in the distance at the harbor tower.

Belize City took on a world of difference with our second choice of routes through and around the city. This time we took the route toward the Northern Highway out of the city and towards the airport and Baboon Rescue facility. We were directed right immediately out of the cruise complex and found a route with fewer people and cars competing with us on the road, newer and upscale buildings all along the route and an impressive Oceanside drive for almost four miles.

We were immediately introduced to a 100 member marching school band practicing on the road adjacent to their school. I realized later that the coolness of the ship’s staterooms had chilled my camera lens and the humidity easily fogged it. I dried it off temporarily but I knew it would take some more time before the glass warmed up and the condensation subsided. Pardon the photos in the meantime. A horse drawn cart carried 2 cruise passengers on their own trip along this route. An armada of gliding swallowtail seabirds floated 20 feet above our heads as we enjoyed what was clearly the Kahala of Belize. We stopped to take a few photos of this picturesque seaside setting, catching the two cruise ships five miles out to see in one direction and a bevy of clean three story hotels and restaurants along along the road on both sides in the other direction with the Caribbean making a perfect backdrop.

A few miles on we passed the microwave laden tower for the local cell phone company just outside their headquarters and then the local TV station. The electric company on the right provided two large new buildings as I remembered to notice the structures carrying power around the city and into the countryside.
This route also took us past an old soccer stadium with workmen building a wall to begin construction of what was to begin to become the Marion Jones Sports Complex as was identified by a large billboard. We then moved into a very upscale neighborhood of large two story homes, most with bars on the windows and fences around each property. The lawns were well landscaped and workers could be seen regularly making improvements to many of the homes.

More upscale Belize City

Next came the clean, well kept, colorful buildings of the St Johns University where the road became divided and two roundabouts marked the influence of the University on the neighborhood. Apparently, this is a school beginning for 16-year olds. Next door was the Nazarene High School and another school identified as the Belize branch of the West Indies University. Students could be seen moving between classes, waiting for city buses, and being dropped off or picked up by friends or parents in newer autos.

We turned at a nearby roundabout where a sign indicated the direction toward the airport. The neighborhood turned more industrial, but this was still identifiable as an upscale area. The businesses were building supply stores, architect and engineer offices, auto sellers and many gasoline stations. The Caribbean was a little bit further behind the buildings and a residential neighborhood lie between the backs of the businesses and the ocean, but the waters regularly peaked through. Several bars and restaurants also popped up on each passing block, ranging from local food to Indian, Chinese, and Italian food.

The P Market inside.

I began to think about a convenient rest stop when Marilyn spied something and suggested we stop at a large warehouse-like store identified as the P Market. We parked the bikes outside and entered what turned out to be a grocery store somewhat like those I’m familiar with from the US. The aisles were wide, the goods plentiful and recognized by familiar manufacturer names, and a bakery/coffee shop even could be found in the front corner with 5-6 small two person tables. We took the opportunity to walk around the aisles and noted that everything seemed to be available, ranging from fresh vegetables to pet food and even frozen foods. Some of the products were from European or South American manufacturers, but the store seemed to supply choices for anything one needed. Customers were sparse, however, and the dozen or so workers busied themselves stocking shelves or checking out the cash registers at the ten check out counters. Marilyn used the rest room while I sought a cold soft drink at the coffee shop. The counter person indicated this was the wrong place for sodas and pointed to a checkout counter refrigerator which contained what I have become familiar with here in the Yucatan, Coke Light. I purchased one for $1.25 Belizean dollars ($0.75 US) and Marilyn and I shared the bottle at one of the coffee shop tables. The place wasn’t air conditioned, but the many fans were well placed and I began to feel comfortable even in the heat. We left to to begin our journey a few minutes later.

The Riviera of Belize City

Our route took us past more businesses for the next 3 miles or so. I noticed a development of homes on the seaward side which reminded me of ones I had seen at Pinehurst in North Carolina in the early 1970s. They were two stories high and circular, about 40 feet in diameter with a walkway completely around the outside on the second level and the lower level with a smaller diameter, leaving the homes somewhat like gigantic mushrooms. There were about forty or so of these homes, each painted a distinctive color typical of the Caribbean. I could also see the Caribbean peaking through between the buildings.

Lunch at the M&G

I began to look for somewhere to have lunch and Marilyn insisted we find a local place. We passed a very nice hotel cluster with what must have been a nice restaurant, but we continued on looking for something more typically Belizean. I passed one called the Atlantic but continued on, seeking another choice. Soon, I spied a sign identifying the “newly opened” M&G restaurant on one of the side streets. We searched for another half mile and then turned around to try the M&G. The side road turned into a dirt road bordered by churches and child care facilities, but eventually revealed our target, a tiny one or two room single-story wooden building. We stepped up through the door after verifying that the empty room was available for lunch. We were quickly followed by two other customers, one of whom sat at a table and the other of whom greeted the cook before leaving on another errand.

With no menu, we asked the cook what was available and she identified various stew meals. Marilyn asked about fish but we settled upon the chicken stew and the pork stew, both served with mixed rice and beans, although white rice and bean soup was also available. I ordered limeade and Marilyn had water. We began a conversation with the other customer (who had also ordered chicken stew). She ran a hotel nearby and ate here frequently, saying the fare we ordered was both good and authentic Belizean food.
We spent about 45 minutes at the M&G, learning that the owner was a graduate of the Nazarene High School we had seen. We talked about the grocery stores and learned there were at least 5 large ones like the one we had visited, and that the busy time was late in the afternoon after the workers left work. We learned that the bars of home or business windows were a correct indication of a high crime rate and that this area was somewhat safer than downtown, where most people would not venture out at night. The entire time was very pleasant and the food just right both in flavor and in quantity. We took a few pictures and headed back.

I was a little concerned about getting lost but ticked off the familiar buildings as we rode and noted the microwave tower I recognized on our way out. It appeared several miles in the distance, and although there were other towers and even microwave towers, I was convinced this was a proper landmark because of it’s location in relation to the coast. I made one wrong turn but corrected the path quickly and quickly returned to the Princess Margaret Drive as it passed the schools. The ride was entirely pleasant. We returned to the cruise ship tender landing area and were greeted by the security guards who remembered that we had told them last week that we would return for a third cruise. The tender operators loaded our bikes on the tender and we returned to the ship uneventfully. We were questioned by at least a dozen passengers at the tour center and on the tender about the bikes and several of them remarked that this was a smart way to travel and they would consider this method the next time they took a vacation. I think they will.

Coke Light Fashion

arronbright — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:15:37 +0000

Eight Italian fashion designers (only women) Donatella Versace, Alberta Ferretti, Anna Molinari for

Coca Mentos : quand le savoir-faire marketing vient à la rescousse d'une entreprise en danger

Gerlando — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:02:31 +0000

On parle souvent du “savoir-faire marketing”, un espèce de sésame qui pourrait faire faire aux consommateurs à peu près n’importe quoi. Souvent, lorsque les journalistes veulent conclure sur un événement qu’ils jugent peu pertinent, ils le qualifie de “coup marketing”. Dans la plupart des cas, il s’agit plutôt d’une opération de communication lancée par une entreprise, une marque. Nous allons revenir ici sur un cas d’école de communication, qui définit bien ce que peut être le tant décrié savoir-faire marketing.

Nous sommes en 2006. Une rumeur enfle à propos de deux marques : Coca Cola et Mentos. L’association des deux produits aurait provoqué la mort d’un jeune brésilien, ayant consommé les deux aliments coup sur coup. Le buzz se répand sur la toile et des documents powerpoint mettant en garde les consommateurs se transmettent par boite mail. Le mélange des deux produits générerait une réaction chimique et dégagerait des substances toxiques. Pour Mentos et Coca, la prolifération de cette légende urbaine est à prendre au sérieux. Ce genre de rumeur, multidiffusé par Internet, peut créer la psychose et faire s’écrouler les ventes.

Coca Cola s’est montré assez distant vis à vis de l’affaire tandis que Mentos l’a pleinement exploité. Sur Youtube, un nombre incalculable de vidéos ont proliféré, pas pour répandre la rumeur mais pour s’amuser de la simple réaction physique naissant à partir de la rencontre des deux produits. Parmi les vidéos les plus ambitieuses, on retrouve celles de Stephen Voltz et Fritz Grobe…

Ces deux “savants fous” à la chorégraphie soignée sont deux acteurs de théâtre ayant pris l’initiative de pousser le concept Coca/Mentos jusqu’au maximum de ses potentialités esthétiques et de poster le résultat sur leur site web. En quelques jours, des centaines de milliers d’internautes ont vu cette vidéo, qui a été l’un des plus gros moteurs du buzz autour de Mentos. La marque a su saisir cette opportunité publicitaire et a fait du duo son ambassadeur. Les deux scientifiques ont été invités dans plusieurs shows prestigieux aux Etats-Unis, comme celui de David Letterman par exemple.

Tandis que Mentos dépense annuellement environ 20 millions de dollars en publicité pour promouvoir sa marque, l’entreprise estime en plein cœur du buzz avoir réalisé grâce à celui-ci une économie d’au moins dix millions. Stephen Voltz et Fritz Grobe ont fait de l’entertainment autour des marques leur business. Sur leur site Eepybird.com, on peut lire leur slogan “Gagnez le pouvoir de Eepybird pour votre marque, écrivez nous”.

Voilà donc comment Mentos, par opportunité marketing, a quasiment détruit la rumeur sur la dangerosité de son produit en appuyant et en amplifiant le buzz positif autour de ce qui est progressivement devenu un phénomène populaire (une page Wikipedia racontant ce qui fait maintenant partie de l’histoire a même été créée). Coca Cola au contraire s’est tenu très à l’écart du buzz pour des raisons stratégiques : “Nous espérons que les gens veulent boire du Coca plutôt que de l’utiliser pour des expériences” a déclaré la porte-parole de la marque Susan McDermott, qui a expliqué que “la folie du buzz Mentos n’est pas conciliable avec l’image de marque de Coca”.

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Coke Light tribute to fashion

poweroffive — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:23:06 +0000

“Italian fashion designers Donatella Versace, Alberta Ferretti, Anna Molinari for Blumarine, Veronica Etro, Silvia Venturini for Fendi, Consuelo Castiglioni for Marni, Angela Missoni and Rossella Jardini for Moschino, have teamed with Coca Cola for fund raising campaign in support of the victims of the earthquake in Abruzzo, Italy”

The Marni & Missoni bottles are my favourite!!

Via Luxo

Holy Coke! A Church Ritual for the Beach?

Will — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 07:38:37 +0000

Dixon Kinser posted this Coke Light commercial on his blog. Absolutely fantastic!

This has never happened to me.

Deciding with duds

longtale — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 04:54:58 +0000

Came across this gem while researching for a faux chi-chi assignment on thought leadership.

Fascinating, all 17 minutes.

Now we know why Idol aspirants ask friends to join them for auditions and Coke rolls out Light, Zero and what-have-you.

In the context of advertising, Giles Rhys Jones says in future, he’ll pair creative concepts with dud options.

My Bloggal outrage on Pepsi Max

patriciamar — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:46:19 +0000

I have just discovered that Pepsi Max is actually Diet Pepsi Max.

It really isn’t. It’s just called Pepsi Max. But it has no sugar and less than 1 kcal.

Apparently this is the whole marketing scheme for it… Pepsi Max: Pepsi flavor, no sugar, maximum taste, and extra caffeine.
This is not what I was looking for. I was looking for actual Pepsi flavor, normal sugars (though I understand this is actually high-fructose corn syrup), and extra caffeine.

Am I just confused as to what Pepsi Max actually is???
Is it the Pepsi equivalent to Coke Zero? or is it the Pepsi with extra caffeine? I am just so confused. Since I am not living in the U.S., I don’t get to see a gajillion commercials explaining the advantages and the disadvantages and the Coke/Pepsi equivalence.

What if I want just the Pepsi (regular) with extra caffeine and not the Pepsi (diet) with extra caffeine???

Does this not exist?

Am I in some European bizarro Pepsi world where things are not the same?

The other day I explained to someone that there is no such thing as Coca-Cola Light in the U.S. It’s Diet Coke there. It becomes “Light” rather than “Diet” once it crosses an international border.

At least I think so.
Who knows anymore?
Whatever happened to transparent marketing?
I just wanted a Pepsi with extra caffeine.

I suppose I should’ve just stuck with Dr. Pepper.

Manolo For Coca Cola?

pjaroenkit — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 04:29:04 +0000

Manolo Blahnik นักออกแบบรองเท้าในตำนานยังคงไม่หายไปไหน หลังจากที่เคยออกแบบขวดโค้กมาแล้วรอบนึงสมัยปี 2005 ตอนนี้ก็กลับมาดีไซน์ขวดที่ว่าอีกทีเพื่อฉลอง Fashion Week ที่กำลังมีอยู่ตอนนี้

ดีไซน์เปรี้ยวเฉี่ยวสุดๆ อ่อ…ลืมบอกไปว่านี่เป็นขวด Coke Light นะจ๊ะ ไม่ใช่ Classic…ก็แหงล่ะ แฟชันนิสต้าที่ไหนเค้าดื่มคลาสิคกันล่ะ!?!

coke light plus - vitamines & antioxidants

Dan — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 09:55:06 +0000

In Belgien im Supermarkt habe ich letztens zwei mir bis dato unbekannte Sorten Cola Light entdeckt. Geschmacklich ganz ok, aber nichts was ich zwingend wieder kaufen müsste. Ich vermisse hier immernoch die diet vanilla aus den Staaten. Hier gibts (gab?) es nur die gezuckerte Variante, welche ich nicht trinke.

Marketingversager...

Daniel — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 10:44:18 +0000

oder: sollte ich mit jemanden darüber sprechen?

Ich trinke keine Kaffee.

Das ist selten, als Berater und als IT-Mensch.

Dafür trinke ich Cola. Vom Inhalt her eigentlich das gleiche wie Kaffee (Wasser, Koffein, Zucker). Und natürlich gibt es im Büro nicht irgendein Zuckerwasser, sondern DAS Zuckerwasser. Dieses gibt es seit einiger Zeit als “viel Kalorien”- , “1-Kalorien”- und “0-Kalorien”-Variante. Das interessante ist der Unterschied zwischen den 2 letzten – 1 Kalorie. Ich bin zwar kein Ernährungswissenschaftler, bin mir aber ziemlich sicher, dass 1 Kalorie in der Gesamtrechnung keinen wirklichen Unterschied macht. Der andere Unterschied (sagt der Hersteller) ist die Tatsache, dass “0″ schmeckt wie “viel” und “1″ einen eigenen Geschmack hat. So weit so gut.

Jetzt kommt das (für mich) verwirrende. Ich trinke gern light. Warum das nicht in Ordnung ist? Weil das die Frauen-Coke ist:

Das ist quasi wie den falschen Canyonero zu fahren (ist bekanntlich Homer Simpson passiert) …

*an sich zweifel*

Tasty Tasty Murder?

The Duct Tape Alchemist — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:31:42 +0000

Mmmmm! Yup. Being a carnivore in Austria is hard, but totally worth it. They love their pork and veal here, and our cafeteria only serves local food (Total score, says I). There are a lot of starches in our diet here as well, but that’s why I work out. Right?

I actually discovered the best thing ever today. It was an accident at first, but was truly a post-Christmas miracle (like the miracle lederhosen I’ll be talking about later). Hav and I decided to get some cherry schnapps, but we got the cheap, kinda gross kind. In order to find some way to redem this error, and not wanting to waste perfectly good alcohol, we stole some of Falman’s coke that he was using as a rum mixer. Thus was born the Havoc Libre, as I have chosen to name this incredible mixed drink. It’s like cherry coke, but better (Don’t worry mom, I promise I only had one tonight. I’m all about the moderation).

So, what about these lederhosen? Well, we went to mass in the Gaming parish church today, and were touring it afterwords when we came upon a creche with the shepherds in traditional Austrian dress. “Did they have lederhosen back then?” remarked one of my fellow students. “Not normally,” I replied. “I suppose it’s a Christmas miracle.”

Speaking of the church, it was beautiful! It had a marble altar back from the Kartause funural chapel that was breathtaking, and was baroque without getting too rococo. They actually had an organ there that Mozart played on as a young child, which was really cool to see (especially since it still works). I almost burst into tears, though, as everyone kept flashing the art. It’s bad for the paint, silly people! But no one listens to me when that happens.

My bank card isn’t working, and I think it’s because I don’t remember my PIN (could you send it to me, mom? It’s in the front cover of my checkbook.). But I think it’ll all work out. After all, without conflict, can it really be an adventure?

Until tomorrow – my first day of classes – dear readers! Adieu!

-DTA

RANDOM THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Why does diet coke in Europe taste so much better? I think it’s made differently, which is why they call it Coke Light. . . so why don’t they serve that awesomeness in America? It’s so much better! And why isn’t Fanta in the US made with real juice? It’s way better!

(This is what Fanta should look like)

Coke Zero & Light vs. Coca-Cola

andmad — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 17:49:36 +0000

I’m sick and tired of the commercials where they say that there’s no difference in taste between the classic Coca-Cola and Coke Zero or Light. Yes there is. Please stop the bullshit, there’s a huge difference in taste. Everybody knows that. Do they think we’re stupid?

Duffy: Werbedeal mit Coke Light

Julian — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 19:10:04 +0000

Soulstar Duffy hat nun auch einen Deal mit Coka Cola abgeschlossen. Nach ihrem Deal mit Nivea hat Cola sie nun engagiert, da ihr Charakter “raw and edgie” sei. Zudem würde sie die Zielgrupper der Teens und Twens ansprechen.

"Coke & Menthos"-Typen jetzt mit "Post-it"s.

kaestner — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 09:18:52 +0000

Die Coke Light und Menthos Videos kennt der ein oder andere vielleicht mit Sicherheit schon.

Von den Kerlen gibts was neues. Fast unglaublich:

coke light and success

tryptology — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 06:56:08 +0000

I’ve been noticing a funny trend. People who drink coke light are successful. I noticed that some of the most successful people that I consider successful (?) drink coke :

- Donald Trump, real estate guru and all round ass kicker (favourite drink is coke light, infact I think that’s all he drinks)

- Warren Buffett, richest man in the world (loves cherry coke, always has a cherry coke in his hand)

- These guys

- Me (my favourite soft drink is coke light)

Vaterland Part 10: Strasbourg

Jason Rickner — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 18:47:09 +0000

The final chapter, with reflections on the trip.

It was my last day in Europe, and I was leaving Germany for the first time to visit Strasbourg, located right across the French border. I hoped that my long-abandoned study of French would re-surface enough to be of some use; fortunately, it did, because our GPS went blank the moment we entered the country and I had to make sense of the roadsigns.

Strasbourg is an interesting city. It’s in Alsace, one of those regions that’s been passed back and forth between France and Germany for ages; as a result, the city maintains the culture and language of both nations. Strasbourg also boasts a robust intellectual tradition. Goethe and von Metternich studied there, and the city claims to be one of the historical centers of Renaissance humanism.

For the first and last time in this trip, we decided to forgo our own sightseeing and simply use the ubiquitous touring vehicles. We started with a tram ride (with a half-off student price; Europe really knows how to treat its students) and moved on to a boat ride through the Ill river, which runs through the center of the city. We saw the usual sites: the cathedral, the old tanning houses, the European Parliament. My favorite area was a district called “Petite-France.” It was named so not because of any particularly French architecture or culture contained therein, but because it used to be a haven for prostitutes, which attracted many French soldiers, and a syphilis hospital, where many would end up.

The only homeless people I saw in Europe were encountered during the boat ride: I saw two or three people swaddled in blankets under the bridges. They reinforced that for all of my starry-eyed praise, Europe is no Shangri-la. It faces the same economic and social problems we do, and those problems will likely never disappear. I stealthily took a snapshot of a sleeping homeless man, feeling bad for dehumanizing him in such a way but also wanting to capture the experience.

Evening was setting on by the time we re-docked, so we found a reasonably priced restaurant for dinner (unsurprisingly, there’s a direct correlation between the price of food at a restaurant and its proximity to major tourist attractions). I ate the best meal I’d had in Europe: a steaming mixure of chicken and veal on egg noodles in a creamy sauce that flowed from a pastry volcano. As I crammed down this delicious concoction, I thought back to the my experience in previous two weeks. Had I learned anything about the world, or myself? Had I grown at all as an individual? Did I experience anything deep and profound, or was I just lapping up the common experiences of a tourist?

My mind returned to the beginning of this trip, a waiting area at the Ft. Myers airport. At that time, I had been thinking about the almost mystical aura I had established around Europe, the incredible envy I had harbored for those who had been, and my assumption that a week or two across the Atlantic would be an Earth-shattering experience. I sipped on a bottle of Coke Light and decided that, if nothing else, I learned how unwarranted was my immense gap between the US and Europe. There were many differences, of course, but none of those differences were inherent in the nature of either location. Everything that struck me as an amazing facet of European society could easily be replicated back home.

Hmm.

I decided to keep the bottle of Coke Light as a memento.

On the way out of town, my aunt mistakenly made a left turn onto a set of trolley tracks, holding up traffic as she backed up and returned to the road. When we got to the light, it flashed directly to red and a van pulled up next to us; the doors opened and three French National Police officers got out to surround our car. My aunt began emotionally inquiring about what she had done wrong; the officer simply asked her if she parlez-vous’ed Francais. After it became apparent that she didn’t, he said, “papier.” Sensing my aunt’s confusion, I grabbed her purse and produced her ID; the officer glanced at it, nodded, and returned to the van with his comrades. The whole process seemed rather surreal; the officers’ approach was like that of a Somali death squad, but they were less of a hassle than any American cop would ever be.

The next morning, I was at the Frankfurt airport once again. While in line to check in, I heard two Americans who looked like soldiers complain about having to find a guard to help them find their way. One of them decried that “none of them will speak English, they’re all fucking foreigners.” A fat old German woman looked at them and shook her head. I can’t fathom how one can travel the world and still be so damn ignorant.

I passed through security and sat in the waiting area. I started The Tempest and thought about how much I’d miss the ceaseless modernity and efficiency of the world I was leaving behind. I might be leaving for now, I thought, but I would definitely be back.

Europe ain’t no Shangri-la, but it’s a hell of a lot better than North Port.

Coke light Werbung

tvsongs — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 21:16:00 +0000

TVSongs IST UMGEZOGEN!

Infos zu diesem Werbesong und weitere aktuelle Beiträge gibt es auf der neuen Seite:

www.TVSongs.de

Summer of Packaging Design

Andrea — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:26:09 +0000

I’m not exactly talking about new shapes and sizes necessarily but a few posts from friends and emails from other people reminded me that there have been so many interesting designs (some of them available to the great public) for the dull products that make our every day life.

Pepsi – which I’m not a fan of but who held a contest called ‘Design our Pepsi Can‘, inviting just about anyone to design a new can for their old products, Pepsi and Pepsi Light/Diet, doing the same for Mountain Dew (which sadly isn’t available in the UK) with their ‘Green Label Art’ (found out about this US thing from a guy that hangs out on an old design/nonsense forum, Chuck Anderson)
Coca Cola – who have released Diet Coke special editions designed by Patricia Field (with Sex and the City) in Selfridges & Co stores. Some interesting stuff going on for Coke Light (EU Diet) in Belgium all around this fashion thing. Like the ‘Coke Light Style’ from Romania a while ago. Some pictures of it over at psalmplasma if I’m not mistaken, along with a 30″ video. Also in Belgium, this artist called Wim Devoye has been doing some can designs…pretty creepy, yes. Obviously goes against all the stuff Coca Cola has been doing.
Beck’s – “that German beer” that’s been all about choices and you holding the key and such, with a ‘what would you choose’ campaign in various countries.
Absolut – Again, exclusive to Selfridges with ‘Show Your Colours‘

Then if you fancy seeing a neat Q-Pack design for a beer bottle in Romania, with a football included:

Any others that I’ve missed? I don’t remember any special designs seen in supermarkets but if you know any, would you kindly point them out?

"Sex and the City" - Und was es mit mir gemacht hat...

schaalseejung — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 12:36:46 +0000

Guten morgen Ihr tapferen Recken,

es kommt der Tag, da fällt man tief, da schlägt man Partys aus, geht kein Kölsch mit guten Freunden trinken, liegt nicht auf dem Sofa und schaut Stefan Raabs “Autoball EM”. Es kommt der Tag, da gibt man sich der Frauenwelt hin, trinkt Cola Light und sitzt zwischen juchzenden Frauen zwischen 20 und 40. Es kommt der Tag da fühlt man sich klein, zu männlich mit dem Becks oder einfach nur fehl am Platze. Es kommt der Tag, da ist man umgeben von Product-Placement und Schuhen von Manolo Blahnik (ist das richtig geschrieben?).

Und dann?! Dann kommt der nächste Tag, an dem Mann bei guter Rockmusik das Erlebnis “Sex and the City” in Originalversion einfach mal verarbeiten muss. Hier! Jetzt! Mit Euch!

Ja….ich wurde reingeschleppt, geradezu gezwungen, verurteilt, eingesperrt. Es stand an ein Kinobesuch im Metropolis – denn natürlich schaut man diesen Film ja nicht auf DEUTSCH!!! Vier Frauen, viel Sex, viel Mode und eine Welt, die sich mir vor Jahren schon einmal geöffnet hatte. Die Welt von Carrie und Co. Ich dachte eigentlich, dass es vorbei wäre. Die Serie vorbei, von der Ex getrennt…Mann wiegt sich in Sicherheit (ich erinnere nur an den Song “Nur für dich” von den Wise Guys). Doch dann…ja dann kommen diese Frauen doch tatsächlich ins Kino und kaum war es soweit finde ich mich in der Schlange zum – vermeintlichen – Bier wieder und wundere mich…

1. Bestellung: “Dreimal Coke light und einmal die fettreduzierten Weingummis dort!”

2. Bestellung: “Eine Cola Light und bitte nur die kleine Packung salziges Popcorn…”

3. Bestellung: “Ein Ben und Jerrys…” DANKE GOTT… “und eine Cola Light…!” NEEEEEIIIIN…das kann doch nicht sein…Vor mir stehen noch 4 Leute und bisher ging keine Bestellung ohne Coke Light über die Bühne. War im Vorspann irgendwie ne Gehirnwäsche drin? Muss ich nun auch eine bestellen?! Ich will ein Bier…keine Coke Light….während ich dies denke haben noch zwei weitere Mädels bestellt. Was? Coke Light… Doch da: Ein Lichtblick am Ende des Tunnels, Ein Silberstreif am Horizont, meine Rettung – EIN MANN:

“Hi…eine Coke Light und die fettreduzierten Weingummis bitte…” Häh…spinn ich oder was? Welcher Mann trinkt Coke Light? Wozu steckt die Werbewirtschaft Millionen von Euro/Dollar/Yen in diese Scheiß Coke Zero Werbung – die Coke light für den Mann. Bei meinem Pa hats gewirkt, mein Chef trinkt sie in Massen…und dieser Kerl?! Der bestellt COKE LIGHT. Doch kurz bevor ich davor bin meine Gehirnwäschen-Theorie zu glauben lichtet sich das Geheimnis. Der Typ dreht sich um: “Schatz willst Du auch ne Light…?” adressiert an einen anderen Kerl….okay…schwul: Coke Light genehmigt.

Ich atme auf und komme meinem Ziel näher…meine Bestellung steht kurz bevor. Vor mir nur noch eine Gruppe von drei Mädels. Was die bestellen, brauch ich wohl nicht sagen…Coke light rockt! Es ist soweit…stark bleiben Philipp. Wenn du Coke Light bestellt trete ich Dir in den Hintern. Und schon höre ich mich selbst sagen: “Zwei Becks – die grünen natürlich – und hier das Mars extragroß, bitte!”

Jaha…Gehirnwäschen-Theorie abgesagt und alles wieder in Ordnung….nun schnell den Weg durch die Coke Light Trinker gebahnt, ab zum meinem Sessel und rein in den Hühnerhaufen. Genau zum richtigen Zeitpunkt, der Film startet.

Ich muss sagen, am Ende hat er mir gefallen. Amüsant, leicht werbelastig, aber lustig und gut gemacht… Allerdings…und das muss man wirklich sagen…kommt er um Längen nicht an die Serie heran.

Soviel zu meinem gestrigen Abend. Er war nett, doch hat er mich verändert? Keine Ahnung, aber heute morgen war ich beim Frisör und was habe ich dort getrunken…..?

Coke light plus grüner Tee….

Liebe im Frühling

lordfoltermord — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 06:56:34 +0000

Zapp.zapp.zapp…da bin ich doch versehentlich beim Hin- und Herwechseln zwischen ARTE und PHOENIX auf einem “dieser” Sender gelandet, in welchem zu diesem Zeitpunkt eine Sendung lief, während der es möglich ist, Botschaften per SMS per Laufbandschrift in das laufende Programm einblenden zu lassen. Dort, wo man normalerweise über den Zustand von DAX-Werten oder Future Bonds informiert wird, schieben sich nun Beleidigungen, Heiratsanträge oder Liebesbriefe von rechts nach links (es sei denn, man schaut El Jazeera).

Was erblickten nun vorgestern meine von den Strahlen der Frühlingssonne fast geblendeten Augen?:

“Steffi, ich habe dich uebelst lieb!”

Ich kann mich nicht mehr dafür verbürgen, ob die Angebetete wirklich Steffi hieß, aber es war definitiv ein Frauenname. Ja, ich weiß, auch mir entschlüpfte früher ein “Habdichverdammtlieb”, aber es liest sich nun halt doch sehr… merkwürdig.

Steffi, falls Du das hier liest: Er hat dich offenbar sehr gerne!

Darauf ein Glas der neuen Coke light plus Grüntee!

Is Saccharin a blessing or a curse?

amsiewong — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 15:14:42 +0000

Saccharin is an artificial sweetener or sugar substitute. It is one of the five approved sugar substitutes that have been approved for use in the United States of America.

A little history lesson here. There were health controversies that surrounded the meat-packing industry in 1906 that led to the implementation of the Pure Food and Drug Act in the same year. Just merely a year later in 1907, the United States Department of Agriculture began investigating saccharin and it had not ceased till today. This is evident when the Los Angeles Times reported today that Saccharin may lead to weight gain.

Here are the claims of the article (rats and humans were used in various experiments and observations):

- Rats on diets containing saccharin gained more weight than rats given glucose
- Saccharin appeared to break the physiological connection between sweet tastes and calories, driving the rats to overeat
- Diet soda may well be the reason behind people’s poor eating habits
- Lyn M. Steffen claimed that people who drank diet sodas had a higher chance of becoming obese, than people who drank regular soda
- Food and beverage industries rejected that claim, stating that causes of obesity are multi-factorial (An increase in food portions & decrease in physical activity)

I particularly liked what Adam Drewnowski said at the end of the article:

“We now have studies showing that sugar calories are associated with obesity and the absence of sugar is associated with obesity. Pity those people trying to do something about obesity.”

There is also a survey done by the Calorie Control Council (in 1998) that showed an increase in people’s intake of sugar-free food and beverages. A 2007 survey (see article here) by the council found that the highest number of Americans in the past 15 years, 71 million, or 33% of the population, are currently on a diet.

When will this struggle ever end? My stand is to eat whatever your heart desires…only then will you cease all cravings for an extensive amount of soda or resort to diet soda… which most likely contains saccharin…which in turn might lead to obesity.

Saccharin is only a blessing to diabetics who cannot afford sugar and might want a sweet “treat” once in awhile. It is however a curse to the rest of us who consume it because it helps us in “dieting”. This totally takes out the gulit in me to reach out for another regular coke. What do you think?

Diet Coke face bine pielii

Andrea — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 18:05:19 +0000

Dupa cum ati observat acolo sus in stanga in header e o imagine cu o cutie de Diet Coke. E Diet Coke si nu Coca Cola Light si da, au alt test, da, se simte diferenta cand bei suficient de des. Imi place Diet Coke si pentru toti cei care imi zic ca o sa mor de cancer de la indulcitor, nu, nu beau atat de des bauturi acidulate. O data pe luna, nu vreau sa mor inca.

In luna Octombrie aici s-a lansat un produs destul de interesant pozitionat. Diet Coke Plus cu antioxidanti sau vitamine, aceeasi sticla de Diet Coke cu un label verde sau portocaliu. Am intrat la Sainsbury’s si surprize, surprize:

originally uploaded by mac morrison

Coca Cola cu vitamine si antioxidanti!

Mi-a adus aminte de un articol din BusinessWeek de acum ani de zile (2006) despre o tipa pe nume Mary Minnick – CMO la Coca Cola, anuntata cu surle si trambite in state, ca ah vai, va revolutiona compania si va schimba tot ce stim despre Coca Cola. O denumeau “Queen of Pop“. Din cate imi aduc aminte tot dintr-o revista de profil, a fost data afara in suturi sau oricum intr-un mod neplacut. Pe vremea aia, articolul zicea asa:

“Minnick’s bigger ambitions, if they take hold, would utterly redefine Coca-Cola’s image as a purveyor of sugar-laden junk that you shouldn’t give your kids. Based on prototypes that BusinessWeek saw in Istanbul, look for “nutraceutical” versions of Diet Coke, or new juices designed to help women with skin care, weight management, and detoxification. In the past year, Coke has launched 18 clinical trials to test the health benefits of different new ingredients that it hopes to use in future drinks.

Imagine drinks, for example, that are fortified with vitamins or nutrients and provide women the same benefits as a facial scrub or cold cream. “

Acum sa fim foarte seriosi! Prima reactie a fost ceva de genul ’sa mori tu’. Cand le-am vazut fix articolul asta mi-a venit in minte ca intr-un fel de film horror in care trebuie sa te duci inapoi sa vezi ceva din expozitiune ca sa ajungi la punctul culminant. Toata lumea o sa zica ‘ete da, stim ca Diet Coke e o chestie toxica, cu indulcitori, ca e o bautura acidulata si niciodata n-o sa fie buna’. Suficiente zvonuri pe net cum ca dizolva dinti si carne si rugineste metalul ca sa convinga masele de oameni isterizati ca e toxic.

Dar dupa aia mi-a picat fisa.

Cum Marea Britanie (si nu numai) e o tara a extremelor, aici se discuta foarte mult despre problema obezitatii si a anorexiei, vesnicul ‘Size 0 debate’. A fost chiar la stiri acum cateva zile un fel de talk show care a reunit o profesoara si o jurnalista de la o revista de moda intr-o discutie despre un nou proiect de lege: companiile care promoveaza produse ce te ajuta sa slabesti sau schimba in mod evident felul in care arati sunt obligate sa prezinte in scoli, tuturor copiilor mici, dovada ca nu sunt transformari reale pentru ca fete de 7 pana la 9 ani isi fac probleme in ceea ce priveste aspectul exterior. Dove Onslaught nu e doar o reclama ‘misto’ ci un adevar trist, mai ales cand intru intr-un Boots sau Superdrug si kinderi care abia imi trec de genunchi se uita cu jind la produsele cosmetice pentru adulti. Inteleg intr-o oarecare masura chestiile facute pentru copii, un blush discret pentru o roseata in obraji dar mai departe de atat nu trec. Nu merge, asta e. Nu imi place nici ideea de sclipici pentru corp in exces. Probabil ca daca as fi parinte, ar trebui sa fiu uncool inainte de a fi cool.

Diet Coke s-a asociat cu niste branduri care tipa ‘anorexie’ prin toti porii intr-un fel. L-au asociat cu TONI & GUY care e o franciza de saloane de coafura. TONI & GUY nu vand decat in locatii exclusive, insemnand saloanele lor si Boots sau Superdrug. Nu vand prin alti retaileri si tot focusul lor e pe fashionable, stylish hair. Au fost sponsorii principali la London Fashion Week. Modele. Anorexie.

Diet Coke s-a mai asociat si cu Miss Selfridge. Aici Miss Selfridge e un fel de Zara daca as putea sa compar. Zara in UK e un brand scump. Zara e pe aceeasi linie cu Esprit din Romania si Mango. Aici Mango nu e foarte bine reprezentat din moment ce vorbim de alte masuri si alte…tipuri de femei. Cele doua Cruz (Penélope si Monica) impreuna cu Milla Jovovich nu sunt foarte convingatoare, in special cand si aici la Mango masurile se opresc la 8 sau 10, echivalentul unui 38. Topshop este ‘what girls are aiming for‘ impreuna cu River Island sau Urban Outfitters. In aceeasi ordine, sunt trei magazine foarte scumpe dar care promoveaza ‘high street fashion’. Miss Selfridge e un brand mai modest, high street fashion de calitate dar la preturi accesibile si in marimi diverse. H&M si-a gasit segmentul de ‘designer inspired affordable clothing‘, avand branduri ca Roberto Cavalli “pentru toata lumea”.

Intrand in cliseul “preturi studentesti”, aici fetele practica acest sport de a nu cheltui bani pe mancare ca sa isi poata permite haine de la Miss Selfridge. Nu ca nu ar putea dar cu cat mai multe, cu atat mai bine. A nu cheltui bani pe mancare inseamna a manca ceva mai ieftin sau a te infometa. Ghiciti care e optiunea cea mai usoara. Exact, a te infometa!

Plus in ‘popular culture’ e bautura anorexicelor peste tot, nu numai in Marea Britanie. Site-ul pamflet youshouldbeanorexic.com are o lista intreaga cu lucruri ce pot inlocui mancarea:

Ice
Diet coke
Air
Smelling things
Water (bottled, only. Tap has too much sodium)

Ce a facut Coca Cola atunci? Da, au scos Coca Cola Plus cu vitamine sau antioxidanti. Costa cu 20 pence mai putin decat Coca Cola obisnuit. Un truc vechi si ieftin. Daca tot ne beau anorexicii si anorexicele (10% din cei cu probleme, fie ca e bulimie sau anorexie sunt barbati conform Eating Disorders Society) care prefera sa se infometeze decat sa dea bani pe mancare, vrem sa inlocuim Diet Coke din meniul lor cu asta, un fel de ‘alternativa sanatoasa’ (si ieftina) si scoatem Coca Cola Zero care este o bautura ‘diet’ facuta pentru barbati pentru ca a bea Diet Coke ca barbat e un pic gay. Cica zic ei, Coca Cola Zero e bautura preferata a lui Wayne Rooney. Wayne Rooney nu e foarte credibil in postura de ambasador Coca Cola Zero din pacate. Poate pentru bere da, pentru Nike da, nu pentru Cola.

Sunt curioasa ce i-au pregatit lui Diet Coke regular acum ca au lansat asta in Octombrie. Diet Coke n-a mai beneficiat de campanii sau atentie publica din Mai 2007, ceea ce e deja dubios. Imi placea pozitionarea aia pentru care inclinau in Romania, de Coca Cola Lightstyle cu urbanii si altele, ar putea foarte bine sa se asocieze cu Swatch si sa iasa ceva in loc sa dea de dracu’ sau ceea ce se va intampla aici cu orice produs sau companie care incurajeaza aceste eating disorders.

Sunt curioasa de asemenea ce parere are Stefan despre asta