By Scott 'rate
Some people prefer chicken for dinner
while others would choose beef every
meal if price were no object. For beef
lovers, even a constant diet of prime filet
mignon tends to lose its appeal. Whereas
a burned hot dog or a can of cold beans
aren't a steak lover's first choice they
jolt the senses into a different direction
forcing the mind and body to react in
new ways that would otherwise remain
unstimulated with the same old meal of
steak. And so it is that life here in our
compound in Kabul is conflnkg and
monotonous.
The time away from home, the long
hours and even the element of danger
can all be dealt with overall. Ask anyone
and they'll tell you it's the monotony of
everyday being the same that one must
learn to cope.
Since the last newsletter, the days
became a blur and through the hot days
of summer nothing new came along to
inspire new material. Like a mule with
a plow, you learn to hit your stride and
keep on going at the pace necessary to
contain the work load while preserving
your health and sanity knowing that at
the end of the day more of the same will
be waiting for you tomorrow.
The security of the same routine lulls
one into being a methodical creature of
habit and staying within the safety of
the routine that in turn prevents us from
expending that extra effort to tap into
our pool of creativity. It's why variety is
truly the spice of life and why I had to
have a vacation in order to come up with
something new to talk about.
Off to Europe I went to meet my wife.
Europe is a good half way point between
Afghanistan and the US. Furthermore,
my wife likes a direct flight less than ten
hours. Spain, with Barcelona as the des-
ignated meeting place was the destina-
tion. After all, September is still summer
time and a beach along the Mediterra-
nean will fix about anything if you are
looking for a new perspective on life.
Like many European cioties, Barcelona
Along The Silk Road - Barcelona Spain
is expensive and has a wide array of
restaurants and shopping. We saw the
main sites on a sunny day from the top
deck of a roofless double decker bus.
Buildings built for the '92 Olympics the
city hosted; the marina and a building
with mirrored panels in the shape of a
fish were presented along with an arena
where bullfights are still held.
It is a clean picturesque city where
buses, subways and scooters are the
main sources of transportation. How-
ever, most travel guides don't recom-
mend the beach here due to the crime
element. On the recommendation of a
friend, we chose an area southwest of
Barcelona where the prices are more rea-
sonable and considered family safe.
Upon arrival to Barcelona, we trav-
eled by train to a small coastal city
named Sitges. As expected the trip was
a visual experience. Despite dry condi-
tions, the area was relatively green and
the frequent vineyards appeared robust.
Overlooking the Mediterranean it is
primarily an agricultural area with an
ocean view, a contradiction to what is
expected so near a centuries old city like
Barcelona.
Sitges exists for tourism and its 17
beaches are the centerpieces of its
attraction. Along the main beach road
are open-air restaurants with extensive
menus including one of Spain's signa-
ture dishes, paella - a rice dish with your
choice of meat.
In a coastal town such as this the
seafood and fish are ideal due to the
old fresh is best theory. One of my
hometown buddies by the name of Jim
Brown gave me education years ago
on cribbage that included participatory
seminars in food and beverages. It was
Jim who informed me about the poor
man's lobster aka monkfish. It was my
daily meal of choice while in Sitges. If
you like lobster and have never tried
grilled monkfish then you are truly miss-
ing out on one of life's finer offerings.
Top it off with Spanish wine and it is
a true culinary experience. In case you
are wondering, yes the wine in Europe
is clearly better than most in the US sans
the traditional headache after partaking.
As far as vacation spots, a beach is
always my preference and this location is
towards the top of my list thus far. Clean
and laid back, it's the lazy type of place
one expects along the sand and surf. Not
only is the beach nice, but also the differ-
ence here is the town itself. Go to most
places and salesmen will hassle you at
the beach. Most times it is best to stay in
the resort since even more scares await
you if you venture into the local city. Not
Sitges. No hassling at the beach and no
sidewalk con artists testing you for their
next score. It's a diverse group of people
whose lifestyles are each unique and are
there to have fun without regard to what
anyone else is doing. Women and chil-
dren are shown continual respect and
tattooed pregnant women are comfort-
able tanning at the beach in their two-
piece bikinis.
They like their dogs here. The young
to the elderly are all proud of their
pooches and all appear to have just come
from the groomer. Manners are impec-
cable with no one raising their voice and
holding doors for complete strangers.
The main non-beach attraction is a
side street off beach road. A continuum
of shops and open air restaurants, it
opens up into a courtyard where one
night we wimessed a hefty female imper-
sonator belt out a song with enough soul
to take you along for the ride whether
you wanted to buy the bus ticket or not.
Like many overseas places, gelato is
a healthier version of our ice cream and
can be had in about any flavor imagin-
able. Cappuccino, crepes, Cuban cigars
and freshly made pastries could be had
for the asking. One restaurant featured
roasted chickens and hare along with
grilled vegetables. Large upright stainless
steel gas fired broilers masted the meat
while vegetables had a slight smoked
taste as did their pizza prepared with
their wood fired grills and ovens. If you
are into desserts, their crme brulee was
not to be ignored.
Every day here is a sort of party.
Several months of the year they have
festivals and celebrations non-stop.
One day we were lucky to witness a
parade of different drum corps. Each
had their own unique acts of dancing,
drum twirling and beating. Every group
had a diversity of members from young
girls to overweight teenagers to those old
enough to be their grandparents. Gender
and age was unimportant. The require-
ment to belong to a drum corps was
simple - have fun.
The world is truly a big beautiful
place. Unfortunately we all forget that
with the wars and terrorism, the bad
rears its ugly head and overshadows
what is truly important. Look past cul-
tures and religions and we all want the
same things or maybe just the same thing
- a good life. It's places like this where
kids run free and you can walk unafraid
at night that shows us there are still good
things and good people left in the world.
It's a living example where manners
and respect illustrate that people can get
along regardless of their beliefs. There is
no substitute for good manners. Those
and respect for others will get you a long
way in this world and life regardless of
the differences with people around you
no matter where you are.
20 Things a Burglar Won't Tell Ycu
1. Of course I look familiar---I was hera ust last
week cleaning your carpets!
2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the b,4hroom
when I was working in your yard. While was in
there, I unlatched the back window to rtake my
retum a little easier.
3. Those yard toys your kids leave out always
make me wonder what type of gaming system
they have.
4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on
the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer on
your front door to see how long it takes you to
remove it.
5. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance,
don't let your alarm company install the control
14
pad where I can see if it's set. That makes it too
easy.
6. A good security company alarms the window
over the sink, as well as second floor windows.
7. It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella
and you forget to lock your door. Understandable.
But understand this: I don't take a day off because
of bad weather.
8. I always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask for
directions somewhere or offer to clean your gut-
ters.
9. Do you really think I won't look in your sock
drawer?. I always check dresser drawers, the
bedside table and the medicine cabinet.
11. You're fight: I won't have enough time to break
into that safe where you keep your valuables. But
if it's not bolted down, Ill take it with me.
12. A loud television or radio can be a better deter-
rent than the best alarm system. Leave it on.
13. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes,
I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my
best to never, ever look like a crook.
14. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and
nosy neighbors.
15. I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes
a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud
sound, he'lt stop what he's doing and wait to hear
it again. If he doesn't hear it again, he'll go back to
10. Hera's a helpful hint: I almost never go into what he was doing. Call the police when you think
kids' rooms. , you beard a window break!
Mt, Pulaski Times
16. I'm not complaining, but why would you pay
all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave
your house without setting it?
17. I love peeking into windows, looking for signs
that you're home and for fiat screen TV's or
gaming systems. I call this =window shopping for
later," when I pick my targets.
18. Avoid announcing your vacation on your
Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look
up your address.
19. To you, leaving that window open just a crack
during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To
me, it's an invitation.
20. If you don't answer when I knock, I try the
door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk
right in.
Oct. 15, 2011
