Les Misérables: Cross-cultural wonder

by Jamie Rhein on

I saw Les Misérables the first time in Singapore when the touring company came through. There were Chinese subtitles of the lyrics projected on screens at the sides of the stage or across the top. I can’t remember which. Three of the cast members came to the school where I was teaching to talk with students about their lives as actors and about touring internationally. Afterwards, for a brief while, I had Les Mis fever. The symptoms being: the songs play over and over and over again in your head; you feel deliciously depressed and uplifted at the same time; and you feel like stopping repression somehow–somewhere–some way.

One of the wonderful things about living overseas is being a part of something that has universal appeal, even if it just means sitting in an audience. Here’s something that tops the feeling I had when I sat in the 12th row of the orchestra to the left of center stage.

For the 10th anniversary celebration of Les Misérables there was a concert at Royal Albert Hall that included 17 different Jean Valjeans from different countries, each singing a few lines of “Do You Hear the People Sing” and “One Day More” in their native language. I found it on YouTube. Watching it gave me a touch of Les Mis fever.

Eos Airlines files for bankruptcy

by Grant Martin on

Eos Airlines filed for bankruptcy in the New York courts yesterday. This puts two of the three startup all-business class carriers out of business in the last four months (MaxJet folded in December), leaving Silverjet the only remaining contender.

At least they tried to run a few flights after officially shutting down operations. Several flights between JFK and Stansted ran today in an attempt to get a few strandees moved around. Apparently during the Skybus incident people just showed up at the airport and found kiosks and gates deserted. That’s not cool.

As of Monday, April 28th though, all operations will cease.

If you were booked on Eos, you’re going to need to call your credit card company to explain the situation and dispute the charges. Silverjet is also offering assistance to those stranded on their website, but don’t expect any free handouts.

So long Eos, you’ll be missed. :(

Adventure vacations inspired by Indiana Jones

by Iva Skoch on

In the world of travel, it is impossible to keep up with the Joneses. No matter where you go and what you experience there, “they” have always been someplace more remote, did something more adventurous, and saw something far better than you.

Now, try to keep up with the Indiana Joneses!

On Friday, Expedia launched 10 Indiana Jones adventure vacations. Travelers can take a custom tour to 10 locations that either appeared in–or were inspired by–the Indy movies.

How do some of these sound to you?

  • Horseback riding in Petra, Jordan (like in “The Last Crusade”)
  • Elephant safari in India (like in “Temple of Doom”)
  • Visiting Incan ruins in Peru (like in the new movie, “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”)

I can tell you right now, they all sound great to me, even though I am not a huge packaged-vacation fan.

According to CCN Money, Expedia is also holding a Summer of Adventure Sweepstakes, offering an opportunity for site visitors to win travel prizes and daily giveaways. The contest will award one grand prize of two Indiana Joneses travel experiences for two; weekly prizes will include a family movie adventure to Southern California complete with Disneyland Resort Park Hopper tickets, a VIP visit to Universal Studios Hollywood, movie tickets to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and more.

Photo of the Day: 4-27-2008

by Catherine Bodry on


I didn’t look very long before choosing this photo. I love the soft light and the grainy quality of the photo, which gives it the quality of an old photograph. The soft, sweeping saris contrast with the stout walls, which seem to frame the women. This scene was captured by arunchs (who we’ve featured many times for Photo of the Day) in Tamil Nadu, India.

Have a travel photo to share with the world? Upload it to Gadling’s Flickr pool and we’ll consider it for our Photo of the Day feature.

Lonelyplanet.tv paying $500 for amateur videos

by Iva Skoch on

It has taken Lonely Planet a while to jump on the video band wagon. Finally, they are starting to push video.

LonelyPlanet.tv provides a good opportunity for anyone traveling with a video camera and a good story to tell. According to today’s NY Times, LP uses the Web site to promote its own short films and scout for interesting videos sent in by amateurs, paying $500 for videos it would like to showcase as one of its “picks.”

If picked, you might also be featured an amateur video on its new YouTube channel: Youtube.com/lonelyplanet. Earlier this month, the channel was started with 20 selected Lonely Planet videos, and new clips are to be added every week. Current videos include “The Top Three Places for Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Amsterdam Anime” and “Polar Plunge.”

Also: read our coverage on LonelyPlanet.tv from last year here.