Kyle Thomas Glasser has grown up with a lot of talent and with great plans to fulfill his dreams. Kyle is a medical student who loves music and especially the piano. He has won an award in playing the piano and this is why he has plans and hopes of going to Italy. He has picked a few places that he will visit in Italy while still holding his quest to succeed in his medical career.
Kyle wishes to visit La Fenice in Italy where he feels that the people have done a lot in building their music. This music hall has burnt down twice and they worked hard to rebuild the place. Being a music fan, Kyle feels that there plenty of history and music lessons that one would benefit from visiting this place. It is an amazing structure that has been built with a lot of architectural design and Kyle says that he has to see it one day.
The next place that Kyle plans to see is the Regio Torino. This building was also damaged by fire and then it was rebuilt and still stands tall. This was a very tragic disaster that happened in Italy but it has now come back with a lot of power. The Regio Torino is a theater that people gather as professionals play music, theatrical plays and even the famous classic operas. Kyle is very keen to see all these events because he loves them all with one breath.
Kyle also wants to see the San Carlo which is known as the oldest opera building throughout Italy. This is the house where the very first ballet presentation was done and this is still very memorable. The museum is being built and soon it will be complete and Kyle can view all the classic operas and music events as they happened. This is a place with the most beautiful comedy and it is as old as 1737.
Massimo is another beautiful place that Kyle intends to visit. The place holds different cultural events of Sicily and this part of the music in Italy today. The cultures mix from Arabic to Spanish and even Italian.
Kyle Thomas Glasser also plans to see the Arena di Verona where he believes he will find history and a connection to music. Kyle knows that these places are his dreams but he knows that through his medical career he will be able to fulfill his dreams.
Pierre Bennett Global Holidays is a full service travel agency, with expertise not only about destinations in Mexico, but every country in the world. Travelers can experience the firm’s unparalleled customer service as part of their club membership program. Pierre Bennett Global Holidays is a world-class leader in the travel industry and invites new members to take advantage of the best that Mexico – and the world – has to offer.
Although Mexico has a great deal of diversity, says Pierre Bennett Global Holidays, many Mexican destinations share a natural, cultural and gastronomical richness. Throughout Mexico’s beautiful beaches, historical sites, archaeological wonders and mountains, visitors will be amazed by the splendor that surrounds them. Pierre Bennett Global Holidays reports that whether travelers prefer outdoor activities like water rafting and mountain climbing, or would rather soak up Mexico’s long and amazing culture in museums or galleries, there is no doubt that newcomers will want to come back for more. Pierre Bennett Global Holidays invites members to enjoy this mystical and beautiful country, and in this brief article suggests some of the top destinations that visitors should see on their Mexican vacation.
Acapulco is a romantic port that promises visitors adventure and relaxation, too. Pierre Bennett Global Holidays notes that Acapulco is the number one place for tourists to visit. When travelers reach the city they will be astounded at the options available to them. From bungee jumping to dancing the night away, no one will ever be bored in Acapulco. And with Pierre Bennett Global Holidays discounts on resorts, visitors can concentrate on everything that the city has to offer. Acapulco has some of the best sailing, scuba diving and para-sailing that visitors can hope to find, and when the day is done, the city has some of the best dining and nightlife around.
Pierre Bennett Global Holidays also recommends a visit to Guadalajara. This capital of the state of Jalisco is a bustling metropolis and has earned its nickname, “The Pearl of the West.” Guadalajara boasts broad, tree-lined streets with parks and fountains along with galleries, museums and modern architecture. Pierre Bennett Global Holidays notes that the city also has a wonderful confluence of the traditional and the new, with mariachi music alongside new musicians, nightclubs, the national sport of charrería, and a sprinkling of actors and producers.
Another popular destination, Puerto Vallarta, lies along a stunning stretch of the water, according to Pierre Bennett Global Holidays. With exuberant vegetation, striking natural scenery and thriving local traditions, this charming city is a little slice of paradise. Whether visitors are more comfortable on a fishing boat, swimming, dining, exploring the tropical waterfalls or just laying on the beach waiting for dolphins to appear, Pierre Bennett Global Holidays says that a trip to Puerto Vallarta is sure to be memorable.
Pierre Bennett Global Holidays suggests that members visit Playa del Carmen, located on the Mexican Caribbean. One of the most stellar attractions of the Riviera, the city is a radiant place in the middle of a stunning area. According to Pierre Bennett Global Holidays, Playa del Carmen is located in the heart of the Mayan area of Mexico and has a semi-tropical climate, which makes it perfect for any aquatic activity. The city has seen unprecedented growth from when it was a small village fifteen years ago, and is now regarded as a cosmopolitan place with outdoor restaurants, bars, high-end shopping and crafts. Pierre Bennett Global Holidays suggests that members visit the city with food on their mind, as Playa del Carmen’s signature cuisine is by itself worth a visit to this lovely city on the shore of the Caribbean.
When visiting historic and beautiful Spain, Pierre Bennett Global Vacations has several recommendations for travel club members. From the sunny Costa del Sol to the largest urban areas, Spain is endlessly fascinating. And Pierre Bennett Global Vacations wants members to see it all.
Catalonia is located in the north and has a very marked culture of its own. Pierre Bennett Global Vacations notes that it might be because it’s one of the most cosmopolitan places in Spain, and is a hub of international commerce. But, when members get the lowest price available at time of booking, Pierre Bennett Global Vacations believes that Catalonia should be their first stop.
Madrid is a stunning capital city with numerous interesting attractions, says the team at Pierre Bennett Global Vacations. The most important things to see in the city are “Old Madrid,” The Prado and the Royal Palace. A small day trip from Madrid is to El Escorial, the magnificent palace of King Phillip II, and because Pierre Bennett Global Vacations members can purchase condo inventory up to a year in advance, they can daydream about the sights in the magnificent Madrid area before visiting.
Pierre Bennett Global Vacations also suggests that members visit Andalusia. It is a beautiful area in the country that is synonymous with “Moorish Spain.” The culture of the area has been influenced by ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, as well as the other invaders of Iberia. And because Pierre Bennett Global Vacations has club resorts available all over the world, members can enjoy staying in Andalusia safe in the knowledge that they have excellent accommodations.
Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, explains Pierre Bennett Global Vacations. It is heavily influenced by the Moors. Pierre Bennett Global Vacations suggests that visitors tour The Alhambra, an old Moorish Palace. Pierre Bennett Global Vacations offers deals that aren’t a timeshare, so members are not tied down to one location, or forced to work around another vacationer’s schedule. That leaves more time for eating Granada’s famed tapas while enjoying cocktails.
The quaint city of Valencia is renowned for the world’s biggest tomato fight (La Tomatina), notes the travel team at Pierre Bennett Global Vacations. But this charming city also has the Fallas festival and The Silk Exchange. And with Pierre Bennett Global Vacations club savings, members are able to travel much more often. This seaside city is teeming with culture, history, nightlife and fine dining options. Pierre Bennett Global Vacations also highly recommends that visitors to Valencia venture to The Cathedral and Ciudad de las Artes y Ciencias.
The following segment aired on “The Balancing Act” on Lifetime Television. Joining the show was Giulio Verillo to discuss his new book.
The Balancing Act: Our next guest has lived quite the life, he’s travelled all over the world working with some of the biggest names in the hair styling industry; Vidal Sassoon in London, L’Oreal in Paris, John Paul Mitchell, and Jaques Dejohn’s in New York. No doubt a hairstylist by heart but now he adds a new title, that of author. With us this morning is Giulio Verillo, author of “A Slap on the Back of the Head.” Good morning.
Verillo: Good morning, thank you for inviting me.
The Balancing Act: I’m glad you’re here, I’ve got to tell you, when I first picked up the book I said “a slap on the back of the head, what’s that?”
Verillo: That means that is how my father used to wake me up every day, not for school but just for life in general. It was a good slap on the back of the head.
The Balancing Act: Kind of like my dad, you know that slap that says “wake up.”
Verillo: Exactly. I think we all need a few of those slaps on the back of the heads these days…
The Balancing Act: Let’s talk about your family, you are from Italy, your mom and dad were born and raised there, right?
Verillo: Yes, and so was I.
The Balancing Act: Talk to me about that.
Verillo: Well, I was born in Italy; we came over when I was about five years old. They had quite the great life but my dad and my mom decided that because of the economy they were going to come here; they were going to give us the American dream. They gave up everything, the selfishness, you know, everything for them, and turned it all for everything for us.
The Balancing Act: And I know for you it was hard because you were only five when you came to the states and no doubt a new language, new culture, new friends, and I read in your book pretty tough times for you.
Verillo: Yeah, I was bullied quite a bit when I was younger and I didn’t know that I had what they call learning disabilities. I call them gifts today. I was diagnosed later on by years with ADD, OCD, and dyslexia and phonics challenges, so I wasn’t the best student. However, it was rough because, you know, being downed by teachers and being bullied, your self-esteem is pretty low; I had quite a rough time.
The Balancing Act: I can only imagine, but yet you really made it. You kept moving forward, which you talk about in your book a lot, and you make it to college but yet one day you tell your father—and I’m sure he gave you a slap on the back of the head—that you are not going to finish college.
Verillo: Believe me; I was ducking what I was trying to tell him at the same time, because I didn’t know what was going to come.
The Balancing Act: I can imagine what my dad would have done to me.
Verillo: But, yeah, you know, letting them know that this wasn’t for me, I was trying to think of any excuse to make them proud of me, I’m like “I’ll go in the marines, mate they’ll shake me up.” That was tough but dad just stood there with that stare that was worse than a slap, that disappointment, you know, your brother is a doctor and what are you going to be now?
The Balancing Act: Oh…
Verillo: You know, change your name is pretty much what he was saying through those eyes (laughs).
The Balancing Act: And then you tell your dad you’re going to become a hair stylist. I’m going to assume that did not go over well.
Verillo: No, he was probably thinking is there more you want to tell me? But first of all, it was full of pretty girls; who doesn’t want to go to school where there are all pretty girls? That’s one incentive to get there, but as I did that I knew I had a gift, a gift that I didn’t understand I had before and it came naturally and it was fun and it was addicting, it was—I had a passion for it.
The Balancing Act: And you really became successful, Giulio! I mean, you really became a very famous hair stylist and successful in your own business.
Verillo: I had so much passion for it that I did it for the love not for the money. I knew the money would be the applaud for the great job that I’ve done, but my father most importantly, you know, he went from that disgusted look even though he supported me, to that okay, you got it going on. You’re not your brother, you’re not the doctor, but okay you’re doing well.
Verillo: That was the one thing I thought in the beginning he wouldn’t let me do, but as we got more comfortable, I would tease him as I would cut his hair. I’m telling him I’m going to make him look like Frank Sinatra, I was going to make him look like this, you know, so we did have some fun time even though he was a very strict man.
The Balancing Act: I know a turning point for you also is when you get married and you have two beautiful boys, tell me about your kids and what that did for you.
Verillo: Oh, having two boys, you know, even though he wasn’t there to slap me, you could feel the slap, like “Wake up, you’ve got two, how are you going to teach them, what are you going to give them like I gave you? The etiquette, the respect, the integrity, and you’ve got to model that process like I modeled it for you.” So everything comes back and I took that seriously, too, and that’s how I raised my kids.
The Balancing Act: It’s a great autobiography, what inspired you to write it?
Verillo: It wasn’t a story about me; it was a story about letting people know that through acts of love and life lessons, you can have that journey to success. No matter what your past was like, no matter how many failures, which I call discoveries, they are not failures they are discoveries and you learn from your discoveries and you can do anything you want when you fall in love with you first. When you fall in love with yourself you can make it anywhere.
The Balancing Act: To end, I know your dad played a huge role in your life and I know he passed on and in your book you write about seeing him for the last time. It’s pretty poignant what you did, can you read to my viewers that part of the book?
Verillo: I would love to read it. I have a chapter here at the end that I’ll share with you: “At the funeral home I was invited to give him a last haircut. I went in to the embalming room and I found him on the stainless steel table waiting for me. I cut my father’s hair for the last time, and as I did, I continued to think about all that I had learned from my father. It was silent, it was quiet, but he was laying there as if he was smiling and I could hear him speaking to me in the sense of ‘I’m proud of you, you’re successful, I’ve done well, you’ve learned everything, go on and teach it to everyone else and thanks for the great haircut.’”
The Balancing Act: Thank you for your time, thank you! Great story, thank you, Giulio.
The Balancing Actis the only morning show in America produced by women specifically for women. Every morning, The Balancing Act on Lifetime hosts Danielle Knox and Kristy Villa tackle the issues that face today’s woman. Popular show segments include live weather updates with Mark Mancuso, surprise celebrity visitors, and news about the latest trends affecting your life, home, career and family. The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television airs daily on Lifetime at 7 a.m. ET/PT. For more information, visit The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television’s website at http://www.thebalancingact.com.
Ian Woodman has Australia, Asia, and Africa at the bottom of his bucket list. It’s not that he has less desire to visit these places than others on his bucket list, but until retirement, Ian Woodman says it will be hard to find the time to make such long treks.
From the States, Australia is a fourteen-hour trip, involving crossing the International Date Line. That means if Ian Woodman leaves on Friday night, he’ll arrive on Sunday morning. Not only will this mess with his internal clock, it will also require significant time off of work. Not so easy for a man like Ian Woodman who is running his own successful business.
The trip to Asia can be even more grueling, explains Ian Woodman, taking as long as twenty hours. Africa requires a ten-hour flight, which is only slightly longer than the flight to England, notes Ian Woodman. While Australia, Asia, and Africa may not be at the top of Ian Woodman’s list, he hopes to find time once he retires to take the long trips.
An avid traveler like Ian Woodman will find an endless supply of things to do in Australia, where the beauty of the outback and history of the forests will keep him busy. In 4-wheel drive vehicles, Ian Woodman and his wife can take a guided tour around the outback, via the Savannah Way or the Explorers Highway. To indulge Ian Woodman’s love for water, Australia has surfing and diving, allowing his party to experience the beautiful waters of Australia.
Whether it’s viewing the Grand Palace in Bangkok or enjoying the beaches of Sentosa Island in Singapore, Asia has a little bit of everything for Ian Woodman and his wife. As it is the globe’s largest continent, travelers like Ian Woodman generally prefer to tour all of Asia in one long trip, similar to the tour of Europe that is also on Ian Woodman’s bucket list.
Africa’s safari experience will be ideal for Ian Woodman and his wife, who love to learn about new things. But Africa isn’t only for safaris. The beaches in North Africa appeal to travelers’ desire for relaxation and mountain lovers will enjoy Mount Kilimanjaro.
Like many of us, Ian Woodman has so many places he’d like to visit, but so little time. After retirement, Ian Woodman hopes to be able to cross these interesting places off of his bucket list, in addition to his many other travel experiences.
Inga Freise Stahle hasn’t yet found the need to purchase language CD’s online or over the phone. Growing up with German speaking parents in the French speaking part of Switzerland provided a solid foundation for Inga Freise Stahle to become multilingual at a very young age. In school, Inga Freise Stahle learned a third language, English, which was further perfected via traveling and work.
Later, as an adult, Inga Freise Stahle moved to Stockholm where she became proficient – and then fluent – in a fourth language, Swedish. This was made easier, relates Inga Freise Stahle, by the fact that Swedish is a Germanic language. Moving to Portugal allowed Inga Freise Stahle to master Portuguese as her 5th language. Portuguese is one of the “romance languages,” and is one of the more difficult languages to learn. For Inga Freise Stahle, it came a bit easier since she already spoke another Romance language – French. Inga Freise Stahle explains that “Romance languages” are the 25 different existing languages that derived from common Latin. Common Latin has lasted longer than upper class Roman, because it was the written form of the language – and that’s what has passed down through generations, Inga Freise Stahle explains.
When Inga Freise Stahle was living with her husband in Moscow among “ex-pats” (people from foreign lands, grouped together) she gained exposure to the Russian people and their native tongue. And, although Russian is a notoriously difficult language to master, Inga Freise Stahle was able to learn some basic Russian. Inga Freise Stahle is more than a little humbled by her good fortune to travel, and the opportunity it has brought her to study and learn languages around the world. “The best language school is living in the country,” concludes Inga Freise Stahle.
About Inga Freise Stahle
Inga Freise Stahle speaks five languages, with fluency in French, German, English and Swedish. It’s a talent that has proven to be valuable for Inga Freise Stahle, vocationally speaking. As administrative assistant to the director at Haut-Lac International School, Inga Freise Stahle is often appointed to greet new students and their parents, a responsibility that requires the ability to communicate in a variety of languages.
Born in Lausanne, Switzerland, Inga Freise Stahle has also lived in Sweden, Portugal, and Russia.
Inga Freise Stahle graduated from Goethe-Institut with a diploma in German teaching, which led to service as a German tutor in Switzerland and Moscow. From 2006-2007, Inga Freise Stahle worked as a French assistant at the British International School of Rosinka, Moscow. At Siemens-Elema AB, Inga Freise Stahle assisted with translations from the Swedish language into German, French and English.
As part of her duties at Haut-Lac International School, Inga Freise Stahle organizes all administrative work for the school. This provides Inga Freise Stahle with an opportunity to use all of her known languages in communicating with the international student body. French is Inga Freise Stahle’s first mother language and German is her second. Inga Freise Stahle is also fluent in English and Swedish, and possesses a working knowledge of Portuguese and some Russian.
Prior to her work in the field of education, Inga Freise Stahle enjoyed a career in marketing and public relations. Her work with Phillip Morris SA included market research and trend analysis, as well as solid one-to-one marketing experience. She also managed consumer promotions. With Special Events Mgt., Inga Freise Stahle organized seminars and VIP trips, as well as organizing VIPs at Formula 1 Grand Prix in Europe. For M.I.S., Inga Freise Stahle conducted opinion polls for the Swiss-German-speaking region, once again putting her multilingual skills to use.
Always interested in furthering her education, Inga Freise Stahle is currently studying advanced Excel, PowerPoint and Word. She has trained as a pharmacist, executive secretary and travel agent, in addition to her extensive study of various languages. She received a diploma from the Athena tourism and executive secretarial school in Lausanne, after beginning a career as a travel agent with Havas Voyages, also in Lausanne. In 1989, she received a diploma from the British-Swiss Chamber of Commerce for the Intermediate Business English Examination.
A graduate of Pully High School, Inga Freise Stahle currently lives in Switzerland with her two children, Petter and Emilie. Her hobbies include skiing, swimming, tennis, and travel.
Travel consultant Carlotta Luis loves her job. Based in the Miami, Florida area, Carlotta Luis embraces every opportunity to open new doors for curious travelers. Given her considerable knowledge of travel and tourism, Carlotta Luis is often asked to comment on the latest trends and values in the industry.
Carlotta Luis cites industry statistics from Sustainable Travel International and the World Tourism Organization. “Tourism is by far one of the largest industries in the world,” reports Carlotta Luis. Over 10% of the jobs on the entire planet, notes Carlotta Luis, are jobs created by the travel and tourism industry. In 2010, global international tourism arrivals numbered approximately one billion.
With the tremendous scale of global travel and tourism, explains Carlotta Luis, comes a significant environmental impact. Carlotta Luis finds that recent generations are faced with the ecological impact of travel now, more than ever. The sheer amount of machinery and fuel used to move one billion tourists per year around the world, says Carlotta Luis, has produced discernible affects on global climate change.
On a cultural level, Carlotta Luis reports that countries hosting tourists often pay a cultural cost in the form of land-use conflicts as well as the encroachment upon their indigenous identity. Carlotta Luis suggests that travel and tourism must adapt to meet the needs of the 21st century by addressing these issues.
Sustainable travel and sustainable tourism, explains Carlotta Luis, are terms that describe a host of far reaching methods and considerations dedicated to socially and environmentally responsible travel. Carlotta Luis offers an example of sustainable tourism based on visiting the natural wonders and indigenous people of a destination country. Rather than thinking of out-of-the way destinations as developers’ opportunities, Carlotta Luis suggests marketing such destinations on their natural merits. In other words, concludes Carlotta Luis, a beautiful beach does not need a wasteful, sprawling, glittering luxury resort to be an ideal tourist spot.
About Carlotta Luis:
Carlotta Luis has spent a great portion of her career focused on Caribbean travel. Providing solid basic information helps vacationers make the right choice and for Carlotta Luis and those she serves, the U.S. Virgin Islands remain an affordable, friendly and beautiful destination for vacationers looking for sand, sun and hospitality.
For more information, Carlotta Luis can be contacted at carlottaluis@hotmail.com.
Bruce Bommarito is a travel authority who works at the state and federal level to make travel more rewarding for fellow Americans. One of the best things that travelers can do for a smooth trip, says Bruce Bommarito, is to inform themselves about the security regulations of the airports they are passing through. It is not enough to understand domestic security regulations. That is the easy part. Bruce Bommarito also points out that responsible travelers need to know the security regulations of the foreign country to which they are traveling.
In previous writing forums, Bruce Bommarito offered a traveler’s primer to airport regulations. In this post, the travel and tourism professional continues in that spirit, including documentation, boarding and arrival. Bruce Bommarito emphasizes that identity verification is the most important factor of international travel. Often, explains Bruce Bommarito, government issued ID is insufficient documentation. Be prepared by carrying your passport, a copy of your birth certificate and a certificate of citizenship.
For travelers who do not want to burden themselves with half a dozen forms of identification, Bruce Bommarito suggests doing a little homework. Bruce Bommarito urges travelers to visit the embassy of the country they will be visiting long before they start packing. Bruce Bommarito also likes to get in touch with the airports and airlines he will be traveling with. This way he can prepare a faithful list of the documentation he will need for a smooth trip.
It is true, admits Bruce Bommarito, that international travel has become a bit more complicated than it was in years past. Bruce Bommarito noted part of this complication is due to the post-9/11 environment we live in. Governments have less of a hold on our ever-growing global community. Also, the fear of terror attacks is higher than ever since September 11, 2001.
Understandably, explains Bruce Bommarito, security considerations are at an all time high. But all of this aside, Bruce Bommarito concludes by assuring travelers that international trips are still a delightful adventure, they simply require more rigorous preparation these days.