Thursday, June 30, 2011

Sports here, there and over there

Perhaps you have been hearing that there are a lot of sport tournaments having place in different places of the world and if you are the kind of person who loves sports and likes to watch any kind of competence, here are some tournaments that you might find interesting to see instead of those tedious reality shows.  
Better known as “Wimbledon,” this tournament gather the best of the best, males and females, in matter of Tennis. Celebrated from June 20th to July 3rd of 2001, this tournament is considered one of the most important competences, among the Australian Open, French Open and US Open. Also Wimbledon is one of the oldest tournaments in the world of tennis, since 1877.
The tournament takes place over two weeks in late June and early July, culminating with the Ladies' and Gentlemen's Singles Final, scheduled respectively for the second Saturday and Sunday.  

With around 128 players, in this competence is possible to see future talents that will impress the multitudes with their awesome performances.





Keep an eye on the ladies, the Russian Maria Sharapova, whom after seven years of being absent returns to fight the great final, against Petra Kvitova from The Republic Czech.









Warriors at the field – SOCCER
Is there another popular sport than soccer? I do not know the answer - if you have the answer please let me know,  but let me tell you that soccer, better known outside the US as Futbol, is one of the popular sports that can be play for almost anyone. It only requires a simple ball and people with a lot of energy. However, here are some tournaments that are currently in competition and others that are ready for the kick off. The good news about these tournaments is that the competence is in matter of national teams, so pride and talent are brought to your eyes.
 
Currently the Federation Internationale de Football Association, better known as FIFA, organice most of the international competences, here are some of the currently events:
FIFA U-17 WORLD CUP MEXICO 2011 and the FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP GERMANY 2011 are the two tournaments that are in deep competence. National teams from different countries are doing their best to go to the great final and full fill their dream of being the World champion in soccer.
 
Important details:
If you want to see the future soccer stars making their first goals, do not miss the FIFA U-17 WORLD CUP MEXICO 2011.




If you like to see ladies playing this game, do not miss the FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP GERMANY 2011.



Want to see the best players in South America, like Messi, Tevez, Forlan, etc. then, the COPA AMERICA ARGENTINA 2011 is for you. The competence is amazing.

Cheer up your favorite team and enjoy the show!!


Soccer Logos from:

 

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Summer, summer time

The snow always melts and the eternal wait is done

Do you feel your office job as some kind of small prison? Do you find yourself very irritable and low tolerant when your boos is giving you a lecture? Do you miss what sunlight feels like? Are your conversations limited to TV local celebrities or boring realities shows?  Those and more excuses are clear signs that you need to go out for VACATIONS or at least scape from the city


Picture from: http://blogs.wvgazette.com/karinfuller/files/2008/07/me.jpg

Whether for work or pleasure, to leave the cities involves a risk, but if the adequate measures are taken, a unique experience is acquired.  Traveling alone can be a great experience, since there is not necessary to be stick to the plans and inclinations of others. Moreover, it permits the person to organize his/her own itinerary and to enjoy what he/she likes more. But, in the case of the women, to travel alone can be dangerous.

Let’s face it; a woman can expect most danger situations than a guy. Just for mention an example: the sexual harassment and the MACHO ideology of some countries can play against the globetrotting ladies.
For such reasons the website Thetravelersnotebook.com enlist a series of advices that help single women to enjoy her time while having fun in another part of the world.

Picture from: http://www.startbackpacking.com/travel/images/solo-female-travel.jpg


Note: the next 10 advices were written by Mei-Ling McNamara. Do you want to know more about her? visit Mei-Ling McNamara       --       Another website with more info : Women tips



1. Stay aware – This doesn’t mean actively practicing paranoia. It only means when you are walking from your hotel into town, register landmarks and remember street names. Notice your surroundings, but don’t forget to notice the people around you too. If you keep seeing the same guy turning up at the market or near your hotel, take note. If a guy gets it in his head that he wants to follow or harass you, ignore him or be firm and ask him politely to leave you alone. Always be ahead of the game.


2. Trust your female instincts – Traveling to foreign lands does not mean that a woman puts her instincts on holiday too. You may not know the language or even the lie of the land, but a woman has great awareness when it comes to knowing if someone means well or ill. If a person is making you uncomfortable, or a situation is suddenly going from friendly to aggressive, turn on the charm and get out of there – fast.

3. A guidebook can be better than a boyfriend – I love guidebooks, and not because I look at them every ten minutes. They often have great maps which can orientate you, give you choices about all ranges of accommodation, and are a great reference when that restaurant no longer exists or that shopping district is not where you thought it was. Boyfriends get me lost more often than guidebooks.

4. Busy places are best – Remember your dad warned you about walking down dark alleys? Think about things you wouldn’t do in your home country, like walking down isolated roads or taking hikes without telling someone where you are going. Finding places where a lot of people go can actually make a woman less of a target, and helps her to blend in more with the surroundings.

5. Take calculated risks – Traveling is about risk, after all. Jumping on a bus to an unknown destination, talking to strangers in a bar, getting off the map. As a woman, you can minimize problems by basic planning. Try to avoid arriving in places at night, have enough money with you to check into a hotel without going to an ATM when you arrive somewhere new, and don’t go off with your new friends if you have no idea how to get home.

6. Book your first night hotel – If you are showing up in a country for the first time, it is wise to get a room booked ahead of time. It saves you time driving aimlessly in a taxi after two hours sleep in two days. After the first night, you can always find another hotel that suits you better.

7. Dress according to the culture – Sure, Western women sometimes think that a woman should be free to dress however she wants. However, most countries outside of the Western hemisphere did not get the memo. Understanding a country’s culture and dress code will save a woman from unwanted attention, but will also allow her to interact more comfortably with the local population.

8. Have fun, but watch your drinks – Nightlife is one of the great perks of travel. If you are traveling alone, enjoy yourself, but bear in mind that being tipsy in your own neighborhood is a lot different than being tipsy in a bar in Africa. For one, your instincts are shot and any potential dangers go unnoticed. Secondly, getting home can be dicey, especially in foreign cabs on unknown streets.


9. Leave valuables in the hotel – If you must, bring copies of your passport with you when you go out and explore, but lock all your valuables away. Flashy jewellery and handbags make great fodder for thieves. Check if your hotel has a safe or bring your own lock with you for your valuables, and leave them in the room.

10. Make friends with other travelers – Traveling as a woman alone can be brilliant, but in the off-chance you want to go somewhere remote and would like company, having the GPS on other travelers is a great way to do it. Travelers often watch each other’s backs, and sometimes, this is the best insurance of all.

Have fun and send us a post wherever you go.!!




Thursday, June 16, 2011

Watch out with the truck towing


Hi everyone, today I was thinking to write tips about traveling alone for this summer vacations, but for some weird reasons I cannot shake the idea of talk about the awful experience I had yesterday.

Place: restaurant “Pancho Villa,” located at Nicollet Av.

Time: 8:00pm

Last night a friend and I went to eat at such restaurant. After couple hours of conversation and good food, we decided to go to our respective homes.  When we were heading to the parking lot we noticed that our cars were not there.  
“Oh, oh…big surprise, our cars were tow.” The big question was if our cars were in the restaurant parking lot, why our cars were towed?

Picture from: http://miramartowing.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/tow.362164715_std.jpg

Of course the next best thing was to investigate where the cars were taken and why.  Finally we found out that our cars were taken by the “Cedar Towing and Auction Inc.” They had our cars and believe me that the experience of retrieving our cars was not funny.

The fee was of $250 for each car. For our bad luck the ATM there was out of service and we had to find another ATM, because the payment is only in cash. Who the f… has $250 dollars cash in one night?

Somehow we pay the unscrupulous charges and we got our cars back, but no one from “Cedar Towing and Auction Inc.” could help us to clarify the illegal towing of our cars, and of course no one to hear our complains.



The Aftermaths

Even if my case was legal or illegal towing, I wonder if we are under the some kind of twisted towing companies who can tow any car in arbitrary mode.

However, what about those who had their car towed out of a parking lot when they "just went around the corner" for a cup of coffee or a newspaper.  When the individual returns to their car, it is either gone or in the process of being towed.

There are always two sides of the story, the tow truck companies that only limit their arguments saying that “they are only doing their job,” and the car owners who “sometimes ignore or do not see the signs, and go, most of the time pissed off, to retrieve their cars.”  

That kind of questions/situations made me investigates about Minnesota Laws for Motor Vehicle Towing and the Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Of course I found information but nothing that can really help.



Probably the best way to avoid abuses is to be informed. 
The Minnesota traffic law is ambiguous and do not give any clue or guarantee about what to do if you were victim of an illegal towing. However here are couple websites that can help you if you are under the same circumstances.

Towing:
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?topic=948966

Towing Authorized:
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=169.041&year=2010

Right to reclaim your vehicle after being towed:
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=168B.07&year=2010


If you do not retrieve your car: disposition by impound lot.
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?year=2010&id=168B.08

Off the Hook: How the City Lost Control of the Tow-Truck Industry



In summary, after such awful expereince I just can say that if you vehicle is towed, check why and what the local and state codes are. Remember that each state has their rules about this topic and Minnesota is not the exception.



It has been your car towed?  You had a similar experience? 
Tell us about it..!!


Thursday, June 9, 2011

Interested in Anime and Manga in a high levels of education?

How about if you can study anime and manga in a formal way, without being called pervert!
What is more, what about if after graduate studying manga and anime you can take a Doctorate in Manga?  Sounds crazy, but not impossible for the University of Kyoto Seika that announced on Tuesday will initiate the first courses of doctorate in manga for the next year.
Because the manga and anime are in a period of transition due to the globalization and the growth of the digital media, the university said that has received applications from outside of Japan to create a center of advanced studies.
This private university is known by its careers in manga and anime, and since last year introduced a master in manga. 

Unfortunately it will be a little difficult to get a credit transfer from Normandale to the University of Kyoto Seika, but that does not mean that you cannot apply. The U of Kyoto Seika offers an international exchange program for students around the sphere.

Who knows, maybe you can be the future pioneer bringing new tendencies in animation or manga to the world.
Moe..!!


Thursday, June 2, 2011

What’s coming this weekend?

‘GRAND OLD DAY PARADE’


THE LARGEST ONE-DAY FESTIVAL IN THE MIDWEST!

Get your agenda and mark June 5th as a day that you cannot miss. This weekend the Grand Old Day Parade settles down the beginning of summer outdoor activities.

If you love outdoor events, gather all your friends and go to the great City of St. Paul to celebrate their "annual first rite of summer."  

picture from: http://www.hazelden.org/web/public/eventimage.view?eventId=3198812

Grand Old Day Parade is an event that the City of St. Paul celebrates every year.  This event takes place along the historic and nice Grand Avenue and congregates Minnesota  community in a great celebration.

Around 30 blocks, from the Mississippi River to downtown Saint Paul, full of fun and interesting activities, art, games, music, food, rock bands playing on live and a lot of fun for everyone.

Grand Old Day features activities for all ages including:

*Sporting events
*A huge parade
*Entertainment District with nearly 20 local bands
*Art District showcasing regional artists
*Family Fun District which includes inflatables, petting zoo, games, cultural arts/performance and Teen Battle of the Bands.
*Sporting District highlighting local sports teams and organizations
*Over 140 outdoor food and merchandise vendors!


Remember, in the Grand Old Day Parade 'there is something interesting and fun waiting for you.'


A note before the event: 
Because sometimes it is difficult to find a parking spot, guests are encouraged to arrive early by carpool, walk, bike or take public transportation.

Do you want continue with the celebrations? For those who want to continue with the party, after the festivities end at 5pm, some bars and restaurants on Grand Avenue continue with indoor service. 



Additional Information:

Grand Old Day Parade is on Sunday, June 5, 2011. From 7:45am to 5:00pm

Additional Rate Information: Grand Old Day is free to attend. To enter the festival gardens/live music stages in the Entertainment District, guests must be 21+, show a valid ID and purchase a wristband. Accessible to Disabled