10 places to enjoy May flowers for free

by Jamie Rhein on

When my daughter was about five we went on a wildflower hike for Mother’s Day. The hike was free and I remember the day’s loveliness even though this was over 10 years ago. May’s flowers are one of life’s great pleasures. It’s a visual feast with the world’s locations offering their own special palate.

With this weekend being the last chance to see May flowers as in “April showers bring May flowers,” head outdoors to look for gorgeous colors and lovely scents–urban areas are included. Go for a long, leisurely walk around a neighborhood known for flower beds–or find a city garden that’s in bloom.

Here are 10 flower hotspots that I’ve enjoyed in my travels. Besides being beautiful, I’ve included them here because they are free and flowers are part of their glory. The list is in alphabetical order. Even if you don’t find as many flowers as you might have hoped depending upon your timing, none will disappoint.

  • Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden, Honolulu, Hawaii. The first time I visited Brenda’s stomping ground, I was mesmerized by its lushness. This botanical garden was designed to “make a place of peace and tranquility.” Featuring endangered and rare plants from several geographic regions of the world that have tropical environments. Stroll here to take in a wealth of diversity, but in one location.
  • Inniswood Metro Parks Garden, Westerville, Ohio. The gardens are exquisite and the children’s area is quite well done. I never tire of going here. Because it’s part of the Columbus MetroParks system it’s free including the fabulous public events that are frequenlty held.
  • Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris. To escape the bustle of the city and tourists who flock to other landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, this is a place to head. People-watching also offers pleasure.
  • Lexington Cemetery, Lexington, Kentucky. Once, my history buff cousin and I spent a few hours walking along the grounds while he pointed out the burial spots of famous Kentuckians. I also noticed the gardens and trees.
  • Munsinger/Clemens Gardens, St. Cloud, Minnesota. Last summer when we were on our great American road trip, we spent an afternoon strolling through these two adjacent garden’s delights. Each section pays tribute to certain flowers in this park that was begun in 1915, enhanced thanks to WPA money in the Depression, and added onto in the 1990s. It’s sublime and a prime example of what happens when a community works together to create something that everyone can enjoy, even those from out of town.
  • Pino Trail in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The first section is a marked nature trail where signage tells you what you’re looking at. You don’t have to hike the whole trail to enjoy the scenery. Take in the smell of juniper and pinons. Wildflowers with a desert twist are on the menu.
  • San Francisco Botanical Garden, San Francisco, California. I strolled through here years ago. Irises, one of my favorite flowers, are in bloom right now.
  • The Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore at the edge of Singapore’s downtown is known for its orchids. This is a gorgeous place for wandering, particularly since each section has its own nuances.
  • St. Stephens Green, Dublin, Ireland. This Victorian-style garden in the center of the city has been adding beauty since 1880. When I was here, a group of school children kept wanting to play.
  • The United States Botanic Garden, Washington, D.C. Here’s a garden where a part of it was designed to give people ideas to use at home. Pop into the conservatory for a visual and olfactory explosion. The wonderful aspect of a conservatory is that flowers bloom year round. Paul Busse’s wondrous trains, along with their showing in New York, chug here in December.

For an article that lists sublime places to hike for wildflower viewing, click here. The range is from California to Tennessee.

Swedish man + Singaporean woman = fine for naked walk

by Tom Johansmeyer on
Jan and Eng went through a bar, each sans stitch of clothes. Neither fell down, but they were fined A$1,840 (around US$1,350) each.

Jan Philip and Eng Kai Er walked into a bar in Singapore’s Holland Village just for laughs after having a few drinks (big shock … drunk naked people). This isn’t exactly the best place for a thrill, however. Singapore doesn’t appreciate the unadorned human form, banning even Playboy magazine.

Both are exchange students – Philip is a studying in Singapore, and Er is a Singaporean studying in Sweden. When they appeared in court recently, they were fully clothed.

Fortunately, Philip is 21, and Er is 24. If they were over 50, this story wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun.

Don’t pass through Singapore, stay for a bit

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Singapore doesn’t want you to pass through. Instead, they want you to stick around, even if only for a little while. With the “Fabulous Singapore Stopover Package,” you can take advantage of a variety of discounts. In fact, six hotels are dropping rates to $1 for the first night you stay. Some are even kicking in prepaid cell phone cards and food and beverage vouchers that can be redeemed at Changi Airport.

Since getting to and from the airport can be a drag when you stop briefly in a city, the program also lets you use the Singapore Airlines Hop-On bus as much as you want. It’ll take you to 20 of the city’s major attractions, including the Singapore Zoo, Jurong Bird Park and Sentosa Island – which are among the attractions that have lowered their prices for guests.

Susan Boyle: The Global Ambassador of Good Will

by Jamie Rhein on

If there ever was a Global Ambassador of Good Will, Susan Boyle, the woman who has wowed the world from her “Britain’s Got Talent” performance is it.

Ever since I saw the video, I’ve been enamored. First, there’s the song. Who hasn’t dreamed a dream of days gone by? The first time I saw “Les Miserables” I was living in Singapore. That musical seemed to seep into my pores. Hearing Susan Boyle sing reminded me of my first impressions, but more importantly, about what I think most world travelers know.

The world is filled with astounding people who surprise you when you have time to absorb the nuances of their lives. It might be the shopkeeper who puts fruit on a scale with a certain hand movement and a smile–or the way a woman sweeps a sidewalk in the early morning. It could be the way a group of school kids throw their arms around each other and tilt their heads back in laughter when they ask you your name. It could be that woman who could be age 40 to 80 who scoots over to make room for you to sit down on a bench. It’s hard to tell how old she is because her days are spent out in fields in the sun and wind. There’s something about the way she sits and how kind she behaves that is alluring.

Those people that attract us to them might be wearing threadbare clothes, have a tooth or two missing, and not have a decent pair of shoes, if any, but there is an essence about them that travel with us long after our taxi or bus has pulled away. When we go through our photos, we look for them–, and if we didn’t have our camera, wish that we had just in case the good feeling could be absorbed into a photograph so that we would have a prop to help us recall it at will.

Watching an inteview with Susan Boyle is a peek into a normal person’s life–the woman who might live in the house down the block or in the apartment on the third floor. She’s the one with the cat whose life seems to move through days like clockwork. If you stop by, she’ll invite you in for tea and you’ll feel comfortable and sane.

When we get busy about our days with billboards and TV commericals and the marketing of celebrity sameness, and stories about just what’s wrong, we can forget about what’s right. That a person like Susan Boyle can walk out on a stage, belt out a song with a triumphant lift of her arm during the high notes, and remind us just how great we can be. In today’s word, it’s also astounding that such a message can reach millions around the globe almost as soon as the magic begins. What better Global Ambassador of Goodwill is there?

Here’s a video I found with various shots of Susan Boyle in her world

And another one of her singing “Cry Me a River” that was published on a fundraising CD. Her performance wasn’t a fluke.

8 tiger prawns cost $239 at an outdoor eatery

by Jamie Rhein on

Eating at a hawker stall in Singapore is one of the cheapest dining options–unless you get taken for a ride. This seems to have happened to this American couple who took four friends to Newton Centre, one of the most touristy hawker establishments in the country. Although dining out at a hawker stall can be as inexpensive as dining in, these six people ordered from stall 43 Tanglin Best BBQ Seafood and found a different story. At the end of their meal that included: “four crabs, baby squids, half a steamed chicken, four bottles of beer and fruit juices,” in addition to the prawns, they were handed a bill for $491. The eight prawns accounted for $239 of the total.

That’s insane. I ate at Newton Centre on a few occasions. In my experience food there might have cost a little more than other hawker centers, but nothing over the top. According to what’s reported in this Straits Times article, there wasn’t anything special about these prawns either.

As people who have ordered without asking a price first–my husband and I have been stung, but only $50 for snake in Vietnam, this story reminds me of a piece of travel wisdom. Make sure you know what things cost before you order, but also know what is a reasonable price before you sit down. I can tell you, if you’re spending $491 in Singapore, you don’t know where to eat.

By the way, hawker stalls are outdoor food courts where the various stalls offer a variety of foods. Most have items considered that stall’s specialty dish. This one has the best pineapple rice, for example, but that one has the best Hakka chicken. Customers browse the various offerings, order food and then find a table with seats. When the food is cooked, it’s delivered to the table. It is possible to order food from more than one stall at a time.