Monthly Archives: October 2009

Hawaiian-fy your home with Island Motif

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Not too many people can afford a vacation to Hawaii in our economy today. But there are still other possibilities to enjoying the Hawaii influence: home décor. You can bring Hawaii to you no matter where you live, be it in the cold Minnesota regions or the high Appalachain mountains. Part of the way you can bring the Big island to your home is through texture. Bamboo is a great option. It can be made into window dressings, rugs, an actual floor, or even for accent beams in the ceiling if you home permits it with wide open spaces . Outside, you can always use other types of plants, such as leaves to make an exotic looking umbrella or as a thatch. This is especially nice to have in the hotter climates in the US.

Of course color is a must to think about when redecorating your home for the Hawaiian flair you won’t. The colors of flowers are a good starting point. Consider the hibiscus plant seen in many photographs of the islands and on the prints of shirts the island is so well known for. Even fruit is a good choice to consider for finding inspiration for color decisions. Mango with its lush greens, oranges, and yellows is a great choice for a color palette. The blues of its oceans and numerous waterfalls are good for neutral color decisions. You can do big island travel from the comfort of your living room with the proper decorations and choices.

Color and texture are great, but the furniture is where people can get really creative. Once again you must consider the natural. Bamboo for chairs and tables is a good way to liven up a living space. Of course, fabric similar to the Hawaiian shirts is a great way to cover op couches and chairs with slips and to protect your furniture. It also allows you the option of changing easily from a Hawaii theme back to whatever color or style of print your couches and chair originally had.

Even doing a little bit of research on the islands is a great way of finding your muse, from Maui to Kauai. Travel to those islands might be out of your range, but picking up features of the culture from those islands isn’t. There are numerous websites with potential information ranging from the historical for a period look to the present for a more modern but exotic look.

Sinus Troubles in Bangkok

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We arrived back in Bangkok after our wonderful trip to all the points of interest to see in the Northern part of Thailand. It feels really good to be back, even though our perspective was changed a little. What was changed was we now know Thailand is so much more than its capital city. Thailand is rich in culture and has a deep sense of history.

When in our 5 star hotel Bangkok seems like such an international and modern city. It’s so easy to forget, as we stayed in the city that there are those people whom we visited during our Northern journey that were so excited and extremely grateful to have a fluorescent bulb or a karaoke machine inside one of their thatched bamboo huts.

My sinus infection, one that occurred at the beginning of our trip, has been manifesting into a thick congestion with a mild fever. I was leery about going into a medical facility, because I heard horror stories about the ones in Cambodia, a majority of them are not up to international standards, but I really needed some relief, so we check out a medical facility in Bangkok. I’ve heard that Thailand’s private medical system, where they’ll even perform transsexual operations, was supposedly a pretty good system. But, I only had the sniffles and a little fever, I wasn’t looking to have any vital components snipped or altered.

We went to Bumrungrad International Hospital, whose reputation I had heard more about. It was an impressive facility. The lobby of the hospital was in comforting wood tones and all the chairs were over-stuffed and very comfortable. Believe it or not, there was a Starbucks and an Internet cafe, plus a small drug store. It really did live up to it’s name as being an International Hospital. I must have seen dozens of different kinds of people in ethnic dress walking right through the lobby, Sikh, African, Hindu, Muslim and Westerners. I felt like I was attending an International conference of utmost importance.

We went upstairs to register, my photo was taken and from then there on, I was stunned to find my photo appeared at the top of all my paperwork. Then I was taken to the Ear, Nose, Throat clinic and met with my assigned doctor, a Thai man in his early 50′s. The consulting fee to see him was about 700 baht ($18 US), plus the hospital administration fee of an additional 5 dollars. He recommended an x-ray, where he discovered I had slight sinus infection and his presrciption of antihistamines and decongestants, plus an antibiotic was all that was necessary. All in all the whole trip to the International Hospital cost less than $100 U.S., including the prescription drugs!

What a great health system! So efficient and inexpensive! I wish back in the U.S. we could come up with something as grand as Thailand’s Healthcare System. It was so beautifully executed and as soon as I left, I was already feeling better.

Hot Tubs for Everyone!

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Many people today believe that hot tubs are a result of modern technology, that they are an invention made in recent times, something that was available to those rich enough to afford them.  A luxury not meant for the common people.  But in reality, hot tubs have been around, in one form or the next, for centuries, available to the wealthy and the not so wealthy alike.  Hot tubs are basically a replicated version of natural springs.  One does not need money to soak in the waters of a hot spring in the middle of the wilderness.  Bath houses have been popular in Rome, China and Japan throughout history.  They are relaxing, provide an opportunity for socializing, and a way to just simply be well groomed, in body and in spirit.  In these cultures, a visit to the bath house constituted a daily ritual, one to not be missed for fear of what may be missed out upon, either in conversation or just social gossip and story telling.

All of this, while symbolizing success and prosperity, served and continues to serve a social need and desire.  That being to just simply connect to others without the distractions of the hectic work week or the daily grind.  They were a status symbol, and perhaps they still may be, but they are so affordable now, as one will note when checking out choosehottubsdirect.com website, that the status now has become, the status of health and not wealth.  One who owns a hot tub is signifying that they care for themselves and others.  They are becoming more common not only due the the advancement of manufacturing techniques and technology, but as the population becomes more aware of the health benefits, it passes itself along.  Manufacturers are able now to produce hot tubs en mass, and this drastically reduces the prices while increasing the availability at the same time.