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Susanne Pacher's Articles Display Category|Title|Newest|Oldest Marriage Counseling: Using Games to Reduce Tension Trouble at home? Play an easy game and watch married strife disappear. Travel Guide - Chicago Chicago is one of the great cities of the world and one of my favourite destinations for long weekend getaways. Here you will find some useful information about this city that will enable you to plan your own escape to Chicago. Hello from Chicago - A Personal Tour of the Chicago Cultural Center Yesterday, after our lovely Austrian breakfast we went downtown to the Chicago Cultural Center, the main downtown information hub for tourists, to ask some questions about the Pullman Historic District, a planned industrial community, built in the 1880s by industrial magnate George Pullman, creator of the famous Pullman sleeper cars. We figured this would be an interesting place to visit since it brings together architecture, social and industrial history, and it would really give us insight into one of the most interesting personalities of Chicago's history. Hello from Chicago - Multiple Austrian Connections So the two of us expatriate Austrians are staying at the Arlington House Hostel, in itself an exciting experience, to be immersed in this environment of young (and older) travellers from all over the world. Hello from Chicago - First Impressions So here I am again, on another short excursion away from home. I've been awake for an hour already and decided the best thing is to get up and put my first impressions on paper. Since there is only a one hour time difference between Toronto and Chicago I decided yesterday I wasn't even going to change my watch over. So when I came down this morning to use the free computer at the Arlington Youth Hostel in Chicago, I realized it's not 7 am, but actually only 6 am. Well, even better, that'll give me more chance to explore. Hello from Chicago - What a Fabulously Photogenic City I walked through the quiet Lincoln Park neighbourhood all the way to the Lake Michigan Shoreline where the cool wind was just howling off the lake. Joggers, bicyclists and power walkers were already out in full force. I strolled around for about 15 minutes, but when the wind got too strong I decided to take a bus and head south to a neighbourhood called "Old Town", near North Street and N. Wells Street. Hello from Chicago - A Visit to the Pullman Historic District After being appropriately prepped as a result of our visit to the Chicago Cultural Center we decided to head off yesterday to visit the Pullman Historic District, a planned industrial and residential community dating back to the 1880s, on Chicago's South Side. Hello from Chicago - Chinatown and Second City After thoroughly exploring the Pullman Historic District, we decided to check out Chinatown, one of the many ethnic neighbourhoods that Chicago has to offer. The weather had turned from cool and grey with the occasional peek of sunshine to dark, rainy and cold, so rather than walking around we decided to have an early dinner at a Chinatown restaurant called the Lobster King. Hello from Chicago - The Field Museum and Pompeii - Stories from an Eruption Yesterday I got up early again and typed up my travel reports on the free computer at the Arlington House. Then my friend Linda and I made our way to one of our favourite Chicago hangouts for breakfast: the "Bourgeois Pig Cafe" is located close to the intersection of Fullerton and Halsted/Lincoln and is a 2 story cozy cafe with a small sitting area and patio downstairs, and a beautiful converted living room and balcony upstairs. Hello from Caledon, Elora & Guelph: Fall Colours, Ghosts, and Ghouls Fall is one of the most beautiful seasons in Ontario, and after last weeks early fall colour tour through the Kawarthas east of Toronto, it was time yesterday to check out the areas west of Toronto. My husband and I set off on the highway, left the 401 at Mississauga Road and drove north into rolling agricultural farmland. Our first interesting village along the way was Glen Williams, a little hamlet outside of Georgetown, whose former sawmill now houses more than 30 artists and artisans. Hello from Toronto - A Culinary Tour of St. Lawrence Market & An Exploration of St. Lawrence Hall Life works in really strange and wonderful ways. At the beginning of this week I talked to my brother in Austria on the phone, and he said he'd been reading this German travel magazine and there was a big write-up about a Toronto-based tour guide who provides culinary tours of the St. Lawrence Market, one of my brother's favourite places that he discovered on his recent trip to Toronto. Presenting: BARBARA WINTER Well, I am really excited to be able to present to you my first interview: Barbara Winter, best-selling author and creative entrepreneur extraordinaire. I am always fascinated by people who manage to combine their artistic and creative talents with being a successful entrepreneur. In the end that’s what I am aspiring to achieve. Cultural Insights - Karla Darocas Talks About Spain - Men, Women, Family, Church, Even Pets Of course you know by now that I have a true fascination for Spanish language and culture and Spain continues to one of my favourite destinations. Spain is a fascinating country, a modern Western European country, anchored in a long history that was shaped by many different cultures, first and foremost the Ancient Romans and the Moors. The Traveller Next Door: My Friend Carol - Expert on Turkey and Greece 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: "Doors Open" - Toronto's Architectural Festival - Free of Charge! You may have figured out by now that I am bit of an architecture buff. Well, the great thing is, since 2000 Toronto has its very own free-access architecture weekend where you can get access to more than 140 interesting buildings, many of which are usually closed to the public. One of Toronto's Biggest Festivals: Pride Toronto Just recently I had a chance to sit down with Natasha Garda, Co-Chair, and Leon Mar, Media Coordinator of Pride Toronto. Pride Week is the fun and fabulous arts and culture festival that happens in the last week of June each year in Toronto. Pride Week celebrates our diverse sexual and gender identities, histories, cultures, families, friends and lives and has become one of Toronto's biggest festivals and yearly entertainment events. Presenting: CARIBANA - Toronto's Huge Caribbean Cultural Festival I had a chance to talk with John Kam, Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors, about one of Toronto's greatest special events and tourist attractions: Caribana, the city's hugely popular and internationally renowned festival of Caribbean culture which is scheduled this year for July 15 to August 1, 2005. Interview: Dr. Arya Goes Trekks Through Nepal - His Most Intense Travel Experience Ever I have written about my dentist before who is a really cool guy. Not only is he a dentist, but he is also a practicing lawyer. More than that he is also a world traveller and an active global volunteer. Dr. Arya recently did a treek through Nepal, which he described as his most challenging travel experience ever, physically and mentally. Read here about his adventure in Nepal An Interview with Gary Dunn, Publisher of the Caretaker Gazette I am always on the lookout for innovative, unconventional, and first and foremost, cost-saving ways to travel. I recently came across the concept of "caretaking", i.e. looking after other people's (often beautiful) properties and estates, as a way of procuring rent-free living opportunities in interesting places. Read about this innovative concept in this interview with Gary Dunn, expert on "caretaking", and see if you might be able to apply it yourself... Presenting: Pier 21: Canada's "Front Door" to Millions of Immigrants I am fascinated by human stories and by intercultural connections. The immigrant experience combines both these elements. On the continuum of intercultural experiences from tourist to traveller to long-term visitor / expatriate to becoming a permanent resident in a new country, the immigrant experience involves the most extreme and intense form of cultural interchange, and often confrontation. As an immigrant myself, I have experienced first-hand the effects of culture shock and it took me about 4 years to really settle emotionally in my new home country of Canada. Doctors Without Borders - A Global Volunteer Organization Helping People In Crisis Regions Doctors Without Borders first caught my attention during the Tsunami Crisis. It is an organization that provides important medical relief to people in disaster-stricken areas. I felt compelled to find out more about this organization, about its philosophies and its recent missions. Here is my interview with Isabelle Jeanson, National Press Officer Toronto with Doctors Without Borders. Martina and Jennifer's Mother-Daughter Bonding Trip - Cycling 1400 Km Originally from Germany, Martina is a very active Toronto real estate professional, probably in somewhere in her 40s, and Martina's daughter Jennefer just finished her university studies and is off as we speak on another biking trip in Sweden. In the fall she'll start another 5 years of academic studies in the Czech Republic. Grouse Mountain - the Peak of Vancouver - A Four-Season Destination Virtually all my favourite travel spots in the world combine mountains and water and Vancouver just has it all. Located on the edge of the Pacific, surrounded by the Coastal Mountain Range, Vancouver is a scenic dream. Just about 15 minutes from downtown Vancouver you can enjoy wonderful vistas over the city all the way south to the Olympic Mountains in Washington State - Grouse Mountain is the "Peak of Vancouver" and provides the best viewpoints of the area as well as a host of year-round activities. Krista Scott: A Spunky Spirit, Snow Boarder, Surfer Girl, Australian Harvest Worker I first met Krista 2 days ago on a whitewater kayaking weekend where she accompanied our group to do our first kayaking lessons on the Ottawa River. In the van she told us that she recently did a 13 month trip to Australia where she did all sorts of harvest work in different locations. She also mentioned that she completed an ESL program at the university and is heading off for her first teaching assignment to Vietnam this fall. I knew at that stage that this was a very interesting young woman and I decided I would get to know her a bit bette An Interview with Helga Smith: Servas Traveller, Marathon Runner and Conqueror of Mount Kilimanjaro I had a chance to meet Helga recently at the Servas Conference that I covered in Vancouver. Once you read Helga's story you'll realize why she has been included in a recent book called "Women Who Rock", featuring the stories of women who have made outstanding contributions to business, sports or community endeavours. Presenting: Robert & Bette Allekotte - Servas Members, Family Travellers, Volunteers for Peace Robert and Bette were among the people I had a chance to get to know at the Canada-US Servas conference which was held in Vancouver from August 5 to 8, 2005. At 53 years of age, both retired recently since they view time as one of their most precious assets. Presenting: Mary Jane Mikuriya - Servas Traveller and Committed Local Volunteer in San Francisco When I first met Mary Jane at the recent Canadian-US Servas Conference in Vancouver, her youthful radiance struck me. I thought she might be in her early fifties, and then she revealed that she is 70! No wonder - here is a woman who exudes optimism, who always has a smile on her face. As a long-term member of Servas in the United States, Mary Jane has travelled the world, and by being a host she has brought the world into her home - in fact in almost 30 years she has opened her home to around 300 travellers from all over the world. Presenting: Pablo Chufeni - Servas Traveller and a Champion of Cross-Border Youth Exchanges As a volunteer for Servas, Pablo has tried to harness the international network of Servas in new ways, and most recently he has created an initiative that allows young Servas members to go on language exchanges free of charge that are facilitated by other Servas travellers. Both accommodation and language training are provided free of charge by local Servas hosts. Presenting: Scott Rains - World Traveller, Disabled Travel Advocate & Expert on Universal Design Scott is an interesting individual, he has studied linguistics and finished his academic studies with a doctorate in theology. He has worked as a social activist, ranch hand, in social activism, in higher education, as an author, in technology education and in travel. He has travelled to many countries, despite the fact that he has to use a wheelchair. Along the way he has become an expert on disabled travel and "universal design", a design philosophy that makes buildings and facilities available to all people: young, old, tall, short, strong, weak - not just the temporarily able-bodied. Hello from the Kawarthas - Early Fall Colours, Scarecrows, & Frogmen Fall is one of the most beautiful seasons in Ontario when forests light up in hues of yellow, orange and red. It's the perfect time for drives in the countryside, to visit small villages, check out farmer's markets, attend country fairs. We've had a long hot summer this year, even as I write this we are expecting temperatures 10 degrees Celsius above average. As a result the fall colour season is a little delayed, but that did not change the fact that it was time for a country driving tour. Local Explorations - Hello from Lake Ontario's Waterfront Trail The Waterfront Trail extends for a total of 740 km and stretches all the way from Niagara-on-the-Lake in the southwest to Brockville in the east. Of course, 740 km in a day would be a bit much, so I focussed my explorations on the communities just east of Toronto: Pickering, Ajax and Whitby. Presenting: Chris Ronneseth - Adventure Travel Expert! I recently had a chance to talk to Chris Ronneseth of Trek Holidays (see interview preview) who gave me a good overview of adventure travel, an area of travel I definitely would like to explore sooner than later... Booking a Language Study Trip My favourite language of all is Spanish, so I am planning to go on a language study trip myself. As it looks right now I will be spending the first 2 weeks of April at the University of Havana, studying Spanish and immersing myself in the local culture. Toronto: Sights, Culture, Shopping Toronto has a multitude of ethnic neighbourhoods, including Greektown (where the action keeps going until way after midnight), Little Italy, Corso Italia, 3 Chinatowns, Korea Town, Little Poland, Little India, Portugal Village. Other ethnic communities also congregate in certain parts of town and you can explore Jewish, Russian, Ukrainian, Somalian and many other restaurants and stores. There you can browse for ethnic food, fashion and art from far away places and check out delicacies from the entire world in Toronto’s more than 7000 restaurants. Slovenia - A Little Jewel The main cities of Slovenia are Ljubljana, the capital, and Maribor, which is located among wine growing hills just south to the Austrian border. Ljubljana is an architectural gem, a city of Renaissance, Baroque, and especially Art Nouveau facades that boasts the greatest exhibition of the architecture of the master Jože Plecnik. New York City - Budget Accommodation Guide - Hostels Hostels generally offer dormitory no-frill style accommodation, separated by gender, with shared bathrooms. Most hostels offer real budget type of accommodation with only the very basics. Some hostels do offer private rooms, however, and occasionally these rooms may even have a private bathroom. Many hostels offer shared kitchens and living areas and some also have Internet access on site. Hostelling is a popular way for students and young people to travel, but most hostels nowadays don’t have age restrictions any longer which means even middle aged individuals and seniors are welcome to stay. New York City - Budget Accommodation Guide - Bed & Breakfasts B&B stands for “bed and breakfast”, now obviously we have discussed the “bed” portion of the equation. As far as the “breakfast” portion is concerned, there are also a range of choices available. Some B&Bs will offer full breakfasts, some even with home-made ingredients, jams, preserves or various gourmet breakfast dishes etc. while others may only offer a simple continental style breakfast. Caretaking - An Innovative, Cost-Saving Concept in the Travel Industry I am always on the lookout for innovative, unconventional, and first and foremost, cost-saving ways to travel. I recently came across the concept of "caretaking", i.e. looking after other people's (often beautiful) properties and estates, as a way of procuring rent-free living opportunities in interesting places. Read about this innovative concept in this interview with Gary Dunn, expert on "caretaking", and see if you might be able to apply it yourself.... "Captain Ron" Talks About The Houseboating Lifestyle -Travel Full-Time - Affordably So I am strolling by the sailboat harbour at Ashbridges Bay, a particularly serene place with a quiet little inlet surrounded by willow trees on the east side, on the north side there is a private marina where hundreds of sailboats are docked, on the south side there is a little peninsula with just a few places where a variety of boats can anchor at the municipal docks. Interview with US Servas: Servas Fosters Peace through Intercultural Exchange SERVAS is an interesting organization that facilitates intercultural exchange by bringing together travelers who are interested in intercultural exchange as well as local hosts are willing to host these travelers (free of charge) or spend some time with them. Servas members are now represented in over 130 countries and it's a great organization if you: Toronto: Festivals, Parks, Sports & Recreation Toronto is a city with great recreational opportunities. There are so many activities to choose from and there’s a festival or special event going on virtually every week. Green Travel - Making Better Environmental Travel Choices Travel, of course, has environmental consequences. Long-distance travel involves the creation of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, airliners are some of the most intense pollutants in existence today. In addition, wherever we go, we consume food and other services, and we create waste. So what to do? Interview with Ivana Grzetic - Former Miss Universe Croatia - Now Sea Kayaking Entrepreneur Ivana Grzetic was born and raised in Dubrovnik in a "crazy about the sea" family of scuba divers and sea kayakers. She is a graduate of ACMT (American College of Management and Technology) in Dubrovnik. Help! for Sun-Starved Canadians Package deals are great for stress relief, for slouching on the beach, sipping margueritas, playing some beach volleyball and having some all around affordable unadulterated fun. Packages usually include flights, airport transfers, all meals and some activities, so they are definitely one of the least expensive and most convenient ways of getting away from the snow. Preparing for Austria (Graz / Styria) So, barely 4 weeks after getting back from Barcelona and Ibiza I am getting ready for another trip, this time back to my home country of Austria. I have to take care of some business issues in Austria, and in addition to that, I am heading over for my 20th high school graduation reunion! Scary stuff, I must say. I left Austria 18 years ago, and with the exception of 1 or 2 people, I haven't seen anybody I went to school with for almost 2 decades.... Big Apple Greeter: New York City's Fabulous Free Way of Welcoming Visitors & Showing Them Around Several cities now have "Greeter" or "Ambassador" programs, where local volunteers provide out-of-town travelers with their time and knowledge of their city. I have used these greeter services twice, once in 2003 in Chicago, and just recently this May in New York City. RV-ing: Another Creative, Even Affordable Way to Integrate Travel into Your Lifestyle For a while now I have wanted to investigate RVing, the concept of using recreational vehicles for short-term trips or even permanent lifestyles so I contacted the Canadian RVing Assocation to get more practical information about this form of travel. Catherine Fleming from www.gorving.ca was willing to take her time and enlighten us about this travel option. Living and Working Abroad: British Family Moves to Spain and Opens an Adventure Travel Company Many of you know already that Spain is one of my favourite countries, so I absolutely had to find out how these Northern Europeans made the transition into the hot south of Andalucia and how there were adjusting personally, socially and with their new business in this brand new lifestyle. Presenting: Dan and Judith Talk About Their Fabulous Two-Year House-Swapping Experience Through a friend of mine I met Dan and Judith, a professional couple in their 50s who spent two fabulous years in Provence, having traded their lovely Toronto home against a country house in the south of France. Here is the story of the two most exciting years of their lives, how they prepared for this experience, where they lived, how they integrated with the locals and the expatriate community. Travel and Work: Interview with Krista Scott: Harvest Work in Australia, Teaching English in Vietnam I always keep my eyes open for interesting people, and Krista Scott just absolutely grabbed my attention. I first met Krista 2 days ago on a whitewater kayaking weekend where she accompanied our group to do our first kayaking lessons on the Ottawa River. In the van she told us that she recently did a 13 month trip to Australia where she did all sorts of harvest work in different locations. She also mentioned that she completed an ESL program at the university and is heading off for her first teaching assignment to Vietnam this fall. [1] [2]	Publish for Free Sign Up For Free Learn More Your Ad Here Authors and Writers Submit Articles Submission Guidelines Link to Us Member Login U Publish Store Publishers Article RSS Feeds Link to Us Contact Us More Link to Us Privacy Policy Terms of Service Submission Guidelines Popular Articles Article Aids We Recommend SubmitYourArticle iSnare Article Marketer Published.com Article Directories Word Count Utility Search U Publish by: Title Author Keyword

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