Musings From My Desk ...

Whether it's to drop a bad habit or develop a new and better one, many of us may have greeted January 1, or maybe January 2, with a new approach to life in perhaps a quest to make it better. For some it's been two and a half weeks and they are still working at them. But unfortunately sometimes our resolutions do not last much longer than a few days for a variety of reasons. With all the talk of New Year's resolutions and how to stick to them, we thought of how we might be able to help with fun ideas and motivation for those of you who are in it for the long-haul. Read more in our destination feature.

Now that the holidays are over you are perhaps left with a pile of cards from friends and colleagues. If your office does not have a card collection program or if like me you have a home office, don't throw out those greeting cards just yet. Here are tips to recycle or reuse holiday cards:

1. Consider cutting off the backs of the cards where each has likely been personalized, and use them again next year as holiday postcards or as gift tags. Remember to place the backs that you have cut off in your paper recycling bin.

2. Save them for your children's arts and crafts.

3. Find an organization within your community to which to donate them for use in arts and crafts. Note that although they once accepted old cards for reuse, it is my understanding that St. Jude's no longer does such.

If you know of places within your area to which cards can be donated, we welcome you sharing the mailing or drop-off addresses with other readers on our blog at the following link.


Simone
simone@sncdestinations.com

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motivation

January 2007
In this issue:

Musings

Destinations

Newsworthy Tidbits

Cross-Cultural Tips & News

Extraordinary Ways to Keeping Those New Year Resolutions

Fitness and health tend to be the number one resolutions of many each year. So if your resolution is to add more antioxidants to your diet for example, let us take you away to Antigua for a private tea party or a cooking class using local fruits, herbs, and spices. Pam works hand in hand with a local chef who guides you in the art of West Indian cooking while you enjoy the comfort of a West Indian home. And what about that recent study in Arthritis & Rheumatism which suggests that tumeric as found in curry might prevent joint swelling as well as heart disease, cancer and Alzheimers? No need to go as far as India to learn how to cook curry dishes as the spice is quite popular in Trinidadian cooking, having been introduced on the island by East Indian indentured servants in the 1800s.

If going all the way and training for a marathon is one of your resolutions for 2007, Charmaine in Jamaica can help you on this one. Consider putting on those running shoes and taking part in Jamaica's Reggae Marathon in December. Known for its signature start with flaming bamboo torches, this mostly flat course takes runners along the island's northwest coast ending at Negril's seven-mile beach. If by that time you feel that you are not quite ready for the full marathon, you also have the option of the half-marathon on this IAAF & AIMS certified course.

On the other hand, one of my resolutions this year is to take up photography, or at least get better at basic point and shoot. Perhaps those of you who took a look at the photos from St. Lucia would have seen that there is a lot of room for improvement. Thank you by the way for taking a look! So, for those who share a similar goal or seek to improve on their skills, what better way to get practice and even get tips than on an island photography tour? Rosecita in St. Kitts arranges for guests to be accompanied by a renowned local photographer who is on hand to share photographic tips as they learn about the island and see the sites.

For more information or to incorporate these and other activities into your program, send us an email or complete the RFP on our web site.

Newsworthy Tidbits

    Panelists at the third annual Ritz-Carlton Luxury Meetings Forum identified the dining experience as the key component of luxury meetings and incentives, with the influence of Food Network and Fine Living Channel having led participants to seek such culinary extravagance in their programs.
    According to Hyatt's website, rooms are now available for booking from a check-in date of Fall 2007 onwards for the new property in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Photos of the 428-room Hyatt Regency Trinidad can be viewed at the following link.
    In an effort to make travel easier for visiting cricket fans, ten Caribbean countries have created the Single Domestic Space which will allow visitors to move freely between each of the participating countries during Cricket World Cup. Visitors that apply for the Caricom Special Visa will only have to clear Immigration and Customs at their first port of entry, and then can travel freely among the participating countries. This initiative will be in place from February 1 through May 15, 2007.
    St. Lucia was named as the top Caribbean destination by the readers of Travel Weekly for 2006.

Cross-Cultural Tips & News

When in Paris, do as the Parisians do ...

Concerned that the growing number of Brits visiting the city might be turned off by their reputed attitude, the Paris Ile-de-France tourism office has conceded to what has long been said of the French by launching a web campaign called "C'est so Paris". As part of a larger advertising campaign targeting British visitors, the English-language website states "you don't need to speak French to understand Parisians." It highlights gestures and their meanings, encouraging visitors to mimic the quintessential gallic shrug (Bof) or the pout (La Moue). One such gesture is Les Boules, or The Balls, a vulgar way of saying that you're unlucky, you're upset or you can't take any more. Instructions for this gesture advise one to hold an imaginary pair of tennis balls, one in each hand; then put your hands in front of your neck with a look of utter frustration on your face. The "Red Card" disclaimer warns that rude gestures be used with care as some people might find them offensive.


 
SNC Destinations/ The SNC Group

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