The Flammario Organization Blog

My friend Carol, a wonderful and unique woman in her early 50s, is a high school math teacher, a gifted painter, a very decent piano player, and what else – a world traveller. I only really met her about a year ago or so, but once I found out all the places that she’d been to I knew I had to do an interview with her.

Carol has been travelling since the 1970s, and she has forged some amazing connections with 2 countries: Turkey and Greece. She lived in Turkey for close to 8 years and has made life-long friends in what she calls her “second country”. And she’s also developed some close ties with people in a special little village in Greece. Here’s her story:

1. Please tell us a bit about your travel experience in general. What places have you visited?

It started with my first trip to London, England, to visit my uncle when I was 16. That trip changed my life and opened the world up to me. I basically led a sheltered life in Scarborough (a suburb of Toronto) and really had known nothing else. The trip to London gave me this travel bug that has never left. I backpacked Europe the summers of 1972 and 1973, that’s when you could do “Europe on 5 $ a day”. Greece was the cheapest – we managed on 2$ a day!

The next summer I went out east to P.E. I. and the next summer out west to Victoria.

After university in 1976 I took a few years off to travel. My sister joined me for the first year. We started in Paris, visited our dad in Communist Czecholosovakia, hit the beaches of Yugoslavia – Makarska, and then on to Greece. After Greece we flew to Israel to work in a Kibbutz. I had to see what was going on in that country that was so much in the news. I stayed 8 months and then went to be an au-pair girl in Paris for 11 months. Back to Greece followed by a great trip to Turkey, Jordan and Syria in July 1978 and then back to real life in Toronto.

I always made shorter trips back to Greece once I became a highschool teacher. And to the States to visit friends I had met on my travels. A wedding on top of the World Trade Center, a friend in Memphis besides the memory of Elvis, and a friend in San Francisco where I fell in love with the Golden Gate Bridge and another in Manhattan.

I quit my full-time highschool teaching job after 4 years and went on a trip to Tokyo, Hong Kong and Thailand. The timing was close – we were in Tiannanmen Square one month before the massacre of May 1989.

From 1989 to 1999 I worked as high school teacher in Istanbul, Turkey, coming home twice for one year and once for half a year. My love affair with Turkey began. Before I came back to Canada for good in 1999, I had the pleasure of visiting Australia, a great country with the friendliest people.

2. You have a very special connection to a village in Greece called Parga. Please tell us about your first encounter with the village of Parga.

The first time I went to Parga was in 1976. I had been working at the O’Keefe Center [a famous concert venue and theatre in Toronto] and an usher there had told me about this wonderful village in Greece he used to go to in the summers. He produced a postcard with a beautiful beach and uttered the word “Parga” as if it were magic. He couldn’t speak much English so I didn’t even know where it was located in Greece.

In September 1976 on my big trip with my sister, having just come from Yugoslavia, we were staying on Corfu. Corfu seemed too touristy to us, so we wanted to visit another place in Greece. My idea was Crete. It seemed far but on the way to Israel. We couldn’t decide so I just opened a map of Greece and my eye went directly to “Parga” (a tiny village in the northwest of Greece, so small it is sometimes not even on the map). Parga!!!!! Then I remembered that magical word uttered by the usher. “Let’s go”, I said, and fortunately it was close to Corfu. The travel agent was surprised we were asking directions on how to get there. It wasn’t too popular with foreign tourists yet. And she added, “the young men are beautiful”. Well, that did it! We left that day.

A ferry trip 2 hours to Igomenitsa, and a 2 hour bus ride south. We arrived in the evening and we found a room for the night and walked along the waterfront of the village. It was beautiful – 2 small islands in the port with a church, a castle on one side on the hill, and mountains behind.

We ate “brizola” (pork chops) and than sat at the café “Parga Bar”, discussing our plans which included not talking to any young men for a week because we were tired of the men in Yugoslavia who came on too strong. At that moment one of the most beautiful men I had ever seen walked up to us with his friend who spoke English and asked if he could sit down. My sister said “No”, I said “Yes”. I was mesmerized. They both had rooms to rent, one above a disco, and one just in the building beside us. One for a $1 a night and one for $2 a night. We picked the second one not above the disco. Lefteri looked like a Greek god or like a young Marlon Brando. He had a friend, Camille, a Canadian woman who was in Parga for the 3rd time. He brought her to the table and we became instant friends.

To make a long story short, we stayed for a month in Parga, having the time of our lives. It was a small unspoiled fishing village then, only 3 people spoke English and there were very few tourists in September. And the young men were beautiful!

Lefteri, Camille, and many of the young men who are now in their late 40s and 50s, my sister and I are still friends who reminisce of the good old days of the summers of 1976 to 1979.

3. Since your first time in Parga, your relationship with this village and its people has evolved. Please tell us a little about the human connections.

I have always gone back to Parga for my holidays, unfortunately it is too far and too expensive to go every year. In 1976 my sister Elaine made friends with a teenager by the name of Christos, who was at the disco every night, dancing up a storm and was one of the three people who spoke English. He invited us to have coffee with his mother, a remarkable mother, who extended her hospitality to us (“ksenis”). Foreign women were not looked on favourably in the village at the time, and probably even today, as it seemed we were there to take the young men. I remember the first female tourists who married and stayed to live in the village. That was 1976. Now there are at least 40 of these marriages. (Maybe the local women’s paranoia was justified).

Gia, Christos’ mother, became my Greek mother. Either she “adopted” me or it was the other way around. How many hours I spent in her tiny house with 2 rooms, the tiniest kitchen, and the most magnificent view I have ever seen. She fed me, kept me company, taught me Greek and slowly we communicated. She had a wonderful husband Vagelis, who I had coffee with every morning down in the village. And 7 children, mostly grown-up by then – 6 boys and 1 girl.

Christos and Lefteri came back to Toronto with us in 1978. Christos had never slept in a bed until then. Lefteri went on to visit his brother and sister in Chicago, Christos stayed with us for 4 months and saw snow for the first time. He now lives with his wonderful partner, Jo (from England) in Brussels with 3 beautiful children and he still loves “patates” (French fries).

Lefteri still lives in the village with his wonderful young Greek wife Marilena and 3 beautiful children. He used to run 2 discos and the “bouzoukia” in the olive grove. He has had a restaurant now for many years. Who knows where he learned to cook….

Many of the young men I used to know from the 1970s still live and work in Parga. Most have families of their own. Some are still single, many have their own businesses.

4. What is your favourite memory of your stays in Parga?

I have many favourite memories of my stays in Parga. I’ll mention 3. One is always there and will always be there every time I go. I can always count on it. It is the moon, especially when it is full. The full moon rises at one side of the village, it makes its way across over the beach and finally sets on the other side above the monastery. There is nothing to match it. Everyone there knows I love the full moon – “panselino” it is called in Greek.

My other favourite memory was a bar called “Stavlos”, run by Giorgo and Angelo from Veria. Giorgo started it on a shoestring in 1978 – the best bar ever! A bottle of Retsina (Greek wine) – 17 drachmas (50 cents)! And ‘toast’, like a grilled cheese, for a dollar. And usually you could make it yourself as Giorgo was too absorbed with his girlfriend at the time. My sister and I were his first customers, many hours were spent there watching the people walk by. He seemed to be always open, even after the discos, at 4 am. A great atmosphere! How many glasses we washed (we helped him out)….

Giorgo became my Greek brother and unfortunately he had to close down after a few years due to rising rents. I followed him wherever he worked – the islands of Paros, Santorini and Kos, and his hometown of Veria near Thessalonika. He married a Danish woman who has also become a very good friend of mine. They now live in Denmark and have 2 beautiful children. I have been to visit them 3 times. I love Denmark!

My 3rd memory is my connection with the Avloniti family, Christos, his mother, his father and siblings. They made me feel a part of their family. Vageli passed away 12 years ago and sadly Gia passed away last year. Parga will never be the same without her and neither will I. Finally though, after 5 years, I am going to see Christos, Jo and the family this summer in Parga at the end of August.

5. You also spent a significant amount of time in Turkey. Please tell us where and how did that come about?

The first time I visited Turkey was July of 1978. My travel companions were two gay friends, one from Jordan and one from Britain. We took various buses to Jordan from Athens and stopped in Turkey and Syria on the way. What a trip! It was the year “Midnight Express” came out, a movie that didn’t show Turkey in a favourable light at all, and Turkey did not seem the most desirable country to go to.

I knew nothing of Turkey, and imagined a country of “swarthy mustached barbarians”, the typical stereotype. How wrong I was!

Back in Canada I eventually became a highschool math teacher. After 4 years I had enough and quit. I wanted to work in Greece for a year, but there was a problem with work permits. A friend phoned me in March of 1989 and told me he saw an ad in the Globe and Mail for English and Math teachers in Istanbul. I applied because I figured it was close to Greece. I was hired and off I went to Istanbul with 13 other Canadians to work in a private high school. Little did I know that it was in the far suburbs of Istanbul.

We were given apartments by the sea, with a view of the Princes’ Islands. But we were isolated, no TV, no telephone, no English newspapers in our suburb. Work was difficult: 38 students in each of our 6 classes. And nothing to do at night.

I almost came home in March of 1990. But I started to be enamored with Istanbul during that summer and decided to come back and work in the center of the city. After one year back in Canada I did just that and stayed until December of 1998.

The whole interview with photos is published at Travel and Transitions – Interviews

Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a website called Travel and Transitions (http://www.travelandtransitions.com). Travel and Transitions deals with unconventional travel and is chock full of advice, tips, real life travel experiences, interviews with travellers and travel experts, insights and reflections, cross-cultural issues, contests and many other features. You will also find stories about life and the transitions that we face as we go through our own personal life-long journeys.

Submit your own travel stories in our first travel story contest (http://www.travelandtransitions.com/contests.htm) and have a chance to win an amazing adventure cruise on the Amazon River.

“Life is a Journey Explore New Horizons”.

Choosing a hotel in New York is not an easy task for someone who has never been to New York City and is unfamiliar with the city layout and the neighborhoods. You don’t want to end up in a hotel in New York across town from everything you want to do and see, because you will spend all of your time on foot and on the subway-or hailing a cab. If you want suggestions on how to pick a hotel in New York, one of the best suggestions that you can get is to decide what you want to do, and then pick your hotel. Here is some information that may help you in the decision making process:

If you want to be in the middle of the action, a hotel in New York or Manhattan to be specific is where you should stay.

Lower Manhattan: If you want a low priced hotel in New York City, you can find it here. You can also find Soho, China Town, Little Italy, Wall Street, Battery Park, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and Wall Street.

Midtown Manhattan (East and West Side): The East Side of Midtown Manhattan would be a likely location for a higher priced hotel in New York. If you love to shop or even window shop, this is the place for you-you can find high priced fashion and dining to match. On the other hand, if you are ready for a more exciting night life and no sleep, try the West Side-it has not only Times Square, but Broadway as well. It is a walker’s paradise-because you can get nearly anywhere you want to go on foot.

Upper Manhattan (East and West Side): A hotel in New York City’s Upper East Side will cost you a pretty penny unless you find a great deal somewhere, but it is the location of the City’s finest museums. Central Park divides the East from the West and the farther you go west from the Park, the less expensive the hotels are.

If you can avoid it, try not to stay out of the city even if you think you can save some money-you will spend it all, and then some on parking, driving or transportation. The subways and buses do a great job of getting people around and you can always walk.

Take a look online for a great New York City hotel deal.

Eriani Doyel writes articles about Travel and Leisure. If you would like more information about a hotel in New York visit ftihotels.com

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Going away on vacation should be an enjoyable experience but everyone has a horror story to tell. Perhaps your hotel room was robbed, or perhaps a careless spouse accidentally gambled away more money than they realized, or perhaps you simply lost your wallets somewhere between the airport and hotel. Here are 10 ways to make sure that your trip is a success in spite of those obstacles.

1. Use a hidden wallet to carry most of your valuables and identification.

2. If you feel comfortable sending it in the mail, mail a money order or a traveler’s checks to yourself at your hotel so that even if you lose some of your money, more will be coming.

3. While you don’t have to be too strict, you should have an agenda and leave it with someone at home. This way, if something happens in the area where you are vacationing, your loved ones will be able to have a fairly good idea of where you are.

4. Keep copies of identification at home, even if you take the originals with you.

5. When you go on vacation, choose one credit card to bring, rather than bringing all of them. This way, if your wallet gets stolen, you will minimize your losses.

6. Another option is to choose a preloaded credit card, which is really more like a debit card that you put money “on” so that if you end up losing your wallet the thieves cannot wreck your credit rating.

7. Bring important phone numbers with you on your trip and put them in two different places. Bring a phone number that will cancel your credit card; if you’re traveling out of the country bring a phone number to reach the embassy; bring phone numbers of close family and friends who can help you if you get into trouble; and bring phone numbers of the hotel and car rental company as well.

8. You’ll want to have your travel insurance information. Be sure to keep a copy of your travel insurance at home as well as on your trip so that a family member can access it if necessary.

9. Bring basic medical information with you, like blood type and allergies, and make sure that the medical information is translated into the primary language of the place you are going to so that non-English-speaking doctors will have no problem understanding the situation.

10. Know what kind of insurance is covered on your credit card, if that is how you are using to paying for your trip. For example, some credit cards cover car rental insurance, but may not cover it in the country are you are going to. Be sure to know what insurance you have before you leave.

Jeff Lakie is the founder of Travel Information a website providing information on Travel

Going on a South African vacation? Looking for ways to make the most of your time in South Africa? Looking for recommended accommodation for your stay? Exploresouthafrica.net offers a wide range of general iinformation on South Africa, aswell as guides to specific areas. You will find tips on getting the most from your holiday, from people who live in South Africa, and know best the attractions and wonderful areas to visit in this fantastic country.

Whether you are going for 2 weeks or 2 months, there is no shortage of
places to go and things to see, South Africa truly is a country that has something for everyone, from exploring the Winelands of the Western Cape, swimming in the glorious beaches of KwaZulu Natal or game viewing at the famous Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga, a truly wonderful time will be had by everyone, young and old!

Beautiful fauna and dramatic scenery is found throughout South Africa, sandy beaches to arid bushveld and tropical wetlands to dramatic mountain ranges. World Heritage sites are found throughout South Africa and each one has something different to offer its’ visitors.

Throughout the year in South Africa there are many events and festivals which can provide a fun day out, music and arts festivals, garden and flower shows, food and wine festivals and agricultural events are common. Outdoor activities are also popular in this sport fanatics country, South Africans have excelled internationally at golf, swimming, tennis and rugby to name but a few. Everything from horse riding, shark diving, 4×4 driving and cycling are available to tourist to enjoy.

South Africa can also be travelled and enjoyed on any budget, among other nations surveyed by Business Traveller and the Economist, South Africa is one of the least expensive places in the world to visit, for business or pleasure.

Visit www.exploresouthafrica.net

Choosing a vocational school to focus on a particular career path is a very good choice for people who want to learn a specialized skill or trade that does not require an advanced college education. There are quality vocational schools available both online and off line that specialize in fields such as nursing, medical transcription, auto mechanics, paralegals and much more. And here are some tips on how to be able to choose a vocational school that will be best for you.

1. First make sure that you do plenty of comparison shopping for vocational school training in the particular career field that you want to pursue. Sometimes a local community college can offer you training for much less than a vocational school that is dedicated to a particular career. However, cost is not the only factor. You also have to determine the value on the education that you will receive as well. Remember that the training you receive will directly affect your income for many years to come, so make sure that you get a high quality education.

2. Many states have set up agencies that keep track of complaints about vocational schools to help the residents be able to make wiser choices. If your state happens to have such an agency be sure to check with them and find out about the reputation of any school that you are considering in that state.

3. Before signing up with any vocational school, it’s wise to ask them a few questions to find out how successful their educational training has been in the past. For instance, how many of their past students have actually finished their courses? How many have also gone on to meaningful employment in that particular field?

If a vocational school is really worth it’s salt, it should be able to have an impressive record of success stories regarding former students who have gone on to find gainful employment in their chosen field after graduation. If they cannot give you solid figures on the success rate of their past graduates, you may want to reconsider your own enrollment.

4. If you can possibly find some former graduates of the school, these can often provide you with the best overall information about the school and its curriculum that you can receive anywhere. Find out what their impressions were of the school and the education that they received. You may also want to ask some of the companies that have hired former students about their impressions regarding the education those students have received. All of this can help you formulate a good general opinion about the quality of the education you can receive at that particular vocational school should you decide to enroll.

5. If a vocational school seems to be trying to pressure you to sign up and start your courses, they may be more interested in your money than they are in actually educating you. So read all contracts that are presented to you very carefully before you sign them, and take your time to decide which school will work best for you.

Vocational schools are excellent educational tools for those that wish to specialize in a particular field, but you have to be careful in order to make the right decision on which school will work best for you. If you follow the suggestions given above, they can help you find a vocational school that will best fit your educational needs and be affordable as well.

Steadman Issenburg writes on many consumer related topics including education. You can find paralegal certificate programs and how to become a paralegal and more by visiting our education website.

The Black Sea and Brasov ski resorts are the usual destinations for the visitors to Romania, and whilst they offer a wide choice of entertainment, these are the usual type of facility, which can be found almost anywhere. Restricting yourself to these areas ,means you actually miss the real Romania and its people.

There is much, much more to be found in the counties just a couple of hours away.

The regions to discover a real vision of Romania are Arges (Wallachia) and Transylvania.Natural harmony, rural culture ,history and legends.
Eco/rural tourism is still in its infancy, but there are some specialised companies, able to offer a wide choice of activities.

These include mountaineering, hiking, camping, 4×4 off road adventures and even wolf, bear and lynx tracking.

The scenery is some of the best in Europe, and with ancient castles, monasteries and monuments ,some dating back to the 12th century and beyond.A suggested stopping point , would be Campulung some 160km from Bucharest approximately a 2 and half hour journey for the first 100 km by motorway, then the -pace slows as take the country roads .
Car hire is widely available either on line or plenty of offices at Otopeni (Bucharest). airport.

Public transport is well organised and cheap, for example that journey will only cost about £2.50, in a modern air conditioned coach.Campulung itself is one of the oldest towns and the original capital of Arges.
Records show its official recognition as a town in the 13th century. ,although its history is much older being once a centre a military stronghold for the Roman invasion.

Just outside the town is the remains of a Roman fortress with links to Romula.

The town is establishing itself as a centre for International off road (4×4) and road rally events. along with many craft and folk events.
From here, it is easy to travel to Curtea de Arges, probably one of the most famous and beautiful monasteries in Romania,( constructed 1512) and of course like many monuments here has a gothic and macabre past. Its design is unique and the painted walls inside are just wonderful to see. The town itself offers interesting bistros, and a selection of places to buy locally made artefacts and souvenirs.

This was the centre of the Basarab dynasty who founded the laws and customs of the region.

Within easy travelling distance from here is the vast dam and Lake Vidaru set in the mountains at over 3,500 metres, the drive through and up the mountains, over viaducts offers a breathtaking view.

25 km onwards are the remains of the Poieni Fort built in the 13th century as a defence to the Arges valley. From here a must do is to travel the Transfagasean highway placed at 2,034 metre altitude and pierces the Negoiu and Moldoveanu peaks with a tunnel of 845 metres in length.

The views are stunning !Bran…, this is the Castle that was the inspiration to Bram Stokers legend of Dracula, Once the ancestral home of Count Vlad Tepes , who had a most gruesome method of dealing with the Turkish invaders, that he became known as Vlad the Impaler!.The castle is fully restored and looks nothing like those depicted in the old Hammer movies of the 60’s/.

The weather, during summer is likely to reach 35 degrees plus, and with pleasant breezes from the mountains, will pretty much ensure you a sun tan, but without an unbearable level of heat.

At present, the majority of flights will be coming into Bucharest, but the airports at Timorsoira and Arad are being prepared for an influx of tourism.

This is just an insite into rural Romania, and much information can be found on the web, and we suggest you look at………………………………………….

The experts to help you

http://www.roving-romania.co.uk
Accomodation in Campulung and free advice service.

http://www.visionsofromania.co.uk

Written by Adrienne Boxhall from http://www.weaccommodate.co.uk a worldwide holiday accommodation directory and home swap register.Having travelled extensively with the family for many years ,and most recently taking part in home swaps, sharing experiences and ideas is a good thing.See my journal http://bluealb1.bravejournal.com. View the listings of accommodation worldwide.

Please make the children’s table festive at Thanksgiving! It’s so much fun for everyone.

I watched a little muchkin’s face fall last Thanksgiving when she realized she was relegated to the “children’s table.” I do set a separate table sometimes for the kids, but I do it like a special treat, not as a punshment for not being an adult.

Here are some festive drink recipes for the little Pilgrims at your holiday get-together. Choose festive ware and garnish. Any drink with whipped cream, you can put sprinkles atop, candied fruit, cinnamon candies, Thanksgiving “picks,” drizzle with (non-alcoholic) crme de menthe for color, shaved colored chocolate, or add a candy kiss. Tie an orange bow with a sprig of fall leaves on the punch ladle; surround the base with leaves and greenery and miniature pumpkins, squashes, or toy Thanksgiving “ornaments” from the Dollar store. There’s lots to choose from!

If it’s hot, stick in a cinnamon stick or butterscotch candy. Dollop with whipped cream and garnish with sprinkles, cinnamon candies, or confectioner’s sugar; add a holiday “pick”; stick a sparkler in each mug and light at presentation time.

If it’s cold, use decorated ice cubes – freeze cranberries, tiny ornaments, mint leaves, anything festive and NON-POISONOUS into the cubes and add at presentation time. (Remember at Christmas time that holly berries and all parts of the mistletoe are poisonous); or freeze the same things in an ice mold. You can have great fun with floating ice rings for punch for the kids – put in ornaments, cherries, greenery, anything you can make hygienic-enough and that edible!

Whatever you serve, serve it with festive flare, and give it a holiday name!

1. Nana’s Nog

3 cups milk
1 cup half ‘n’ half
3 T. sugar

Put in blender with ice and frappe. Consider orange food coloring and chocolate candy sprinkles to keep with the color scheme. Serves 4.

2. Pumpkin’s Progress for Pilgrims

1 can of pumpkin puree
12 oz. can of frozen apple juice concentrate
Ground nutmeg and cinnamon to taste
2 cups of water

Remove the pumpkin from the can and freeze for an hour, till slushy. In a blender, combine the partially frozen pumpkin, the frozen apple juice concentrate, and spices and blend till smooth. Continue to blend while adding the water.

3. Harvest Cider Punch

1 gallon apple cider
12 whole cloves
2 large apples (Granny Smith, Rome Beauty), peeled, left whole
2 cinnamon sticks
Ground nutmeg

Pour apple cider into large pot. Insert 6 cloves into each apple. Add apples and cinnamon sticks to pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and barely simmer over very low heat 1 hour to allow flavors to blend. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over low heat before continuing.) Ladle hot cider punch into mugs. Sprinkle with nutmeg and serve.

Source, Bon Appétit, December 1995

4. Spicy Cranberry Punch

1/2 cup red cinnamon candies
4 C. water
8 C. cranberry juice cocktail, chilled
6 oz. can frozen limeade concentrate
6 oz. can frozen orange juice concentrate

In small pan, melt candies in water; chill. At serving time, combine candy liquid and fruit juices in punch bowl. Stir to dissolve. Makes 18, 5-oz. cups.

5. Children’s Orange Thanksgiving “Champagne”

Combine 2 well-chilled 750-ml. bottles non-alcoholic sparkling cider with 1 cup orange juice or to taste.

8. Turkey Toe-Warmer

1 qt. vanilla ice cream
3 sticks margarine
1 box brown sugar
nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice

Combine and keep in freezer. At serving time, put 1 heaping T. scoop into a mug, add hot water (to taste) and heat.

9. Pumpkin Orange Punch

4 cups water
3 cups sugar
2 small packages of orange Jello
l large can pineapple juice
1 bottle of almond extract
Serves 25-30.

©Susan Dunn, MA, EQ coaching, http://www.susandunn.cc , mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc . Individual coaching, business programs, EQ Alive! #1 rated program to increase your EQ – simple, no memorizing, it works. Email for information, and free ezine.

A cry in the dark is all you can hear When you are talking yourself into something That doesn’t calculate in your plane of existence How has this confusion engulfed your every thought Turning your ever flowing string of lost dreams Into a solid swamp of clay Everything has appeared inverted Since you gave into your confusion Your words crawl out as lies Your eyes spill tears of deception Your cold shoulder has faltered Under its need for a distant new embrace False it may be I did not confuse you I did not invert you I did not divert your thoughts Into the blender of your now twisted perception You have lost control, cant you see it You want what you cannot have You can’t have what you want for someone else I can’t stop you All I can do is build myself up as a brick wall And sustain the verbal explosions You heave at my cornerstone You may return soon but will I still be there A strong wall, or a pile of crushed stone If I am a pile of rubble what then will you do Will you build me back up, or will you fall Fall into useless self pity If you build me back up will you return to the blender Will you attempt to destroy me Or will I turn and allow the self destruction Of all that I see in you wreak its havoc Until you are nothing more than A hollow heart and an empty soul, torn Can I close my eyes and see you fall in the same moment Can I walk away as I soften your landing Can I expel everything about you from me And live as though we never shared a heart Never shared a time Never shared a life never

www.originalpoetry.com

A Digital Camera has become the standard in photography. It’s smaller than film camera, easier to operate, and holds many more pictures. On a digital camera you can click away as much as you want. If you don’t like the outcome – just delete it. For a non professional photographer it’s heaven. Instead of taking just one picture you can take 10 pictures – with and without flash, in different modes, from different angles. Later, at home, you can choose the best one to keep (You will probably just keep them all).

The problem at hand is how to choose the best digital camera. Here are some points to consider.

Price

There are cameras at under $100, and well over $2000, the sky is the limit. How much should you pay? It all depends on your budget and on what you expect from the camera. Professionals and serious amateurs will not settle for anything but the latest, best model. The “Sunday photographer”, who just wants to document a trip abroad, would probably not need these models. To get the best outcome of a sophisticated camera takes knowledge that not anyone wishes to acquire. Still, I don’t recommend taking the simplest cheapest cameras. The cameras in the mid-price range ($300-$600), have enough “wisdom” built into them to compensate for beginner mistakes, and enough simplicity in the human interface for anyone to operate them.

Doesn’t matter which digital camera you buy, it will cost less next week, when the new model comes out. The new model will be better, and will cost what you paid now. This is always true, and will be true next week and next month. Accept it. Don’t wait forever for the ultimate model with the lowest price. Make the best choice possible today.

Remember also to check what the price of the camera includes. Usually you will need budget for some accessories such as extra memory card, batteries, battery recharger (make sure it works on 110 Volts and 220V), tripod, bag and anything else you would want.

Mega Pixels

This number appears first on all digital camera data sheets, and it seems like the higher the better. In a way, this is true, but how high do you really need it to be?

This number determines the picture resolution. Instead of film, a digital camera has a grid of electronic cells that read light and color information. Having a grid that is made up of more “dots” enables finer details of the picture to appear clearly. This sounds great – why not have as many pixels (“dots”) as possible? First, because it costs more. You need more of these electronic cells in the camera, and you need to pay for them. Then, you need to save the information that all these cells produce. A picture taken by an 8 Mega-pixel camera will occupy twice the memory taken by a 4 Mega pixel camera.

Do you need such a sensitive camera? Depends on what you want to do with the pictures. If you are going to enlarge them into billboards, you will need all the details as fine as you can get them. If you are going to print the pictures out in standard size, even 4 Mega pixels is much more than enough. If you are going to look at the picture on your monitor, 4 mega pixels is very good.

Optical and Digital Zoom

Forget about digital zoom!! Ignore it, disable it, and never touch it. Your camera has this grid we talked about inside. The picture comes through the lens, and every point of this grid assigns a value of color and brightness to itself. This is what this points “saw”. It cannot “look closer”. Now, suppose you want to zoom in x4. The small processor on your camera takes 1/4 of the points it really saw, and smears them on your viewfinder. It has an algorithm that helps it “guess” how it should look. When you click on your camera’s button, the camera saves information that is made up of a quarter of the picture, and the camera’s zoom in algorithm.

If you don’t use digital zoom, you can save all the information that your camera picked. Later, at home, you can display the picture on your monitor. Most of the graphic programs on PC will have more powerful algorithms to zoom in, and with a large view on the monitor you will be able to control the outcome better.

Optical zoom does matter. A good lens brings good information of a far view to the cells in the camera. This is actually one of the big advantages of digital cameras over film camera. The electronics is so much smaller than a film, that there is no need for huge long lenses. You can have 10 or 12 times optical zoom from a very small camera.

What is the downside? When you try to take a picture from a distance you need a tripod, of a good stabilizer in the camera.

Response Speed

When you turn the camera on it takes some time until you can take a picture. Most times it doesn’t matter, but if you think you will need to draw fast – check this number.

Video capability

Most digital cameras can take short video movies. The length of these movies depends on the amount of memory you have, normally no more than a few minutes. The quality of these movies is not as good as the quality taken by video cameras, and some digital cameras don’t allow zoom in or out while shooting video.

Interchangeable lenses

This is rather new, and now dropping in price. Until not long ago, these cameras were very expensive. Now, the Nikon D50, for example is coming to the $500-$600 price range.

Recommended Cameras

New cameras with better features are announced by the manufacturers every day. A great site that keeps track of all this is: http://www.dpreview.com/

You can learn about what other people buy these days by checking out Amazon digital camera best sellers