Happy Boxing Day

In many parts of the world, the day after Christmas is celebrated as a national holiday known as Boxing Day. Australia, New Zealand, England and Canada are among the countries that observe the day as a national holiday. While everybody enjoys the day off after Christmas, their is much confusion to the origin of the holiday. Personally, I had thought it was nice for them to give a recuperation day off after the holiday. Because that is when you really need the day off. For example, how about July 5th being an off day. Nothing worse than having to call off your festive celebration of Independence Day due to the responsibility of getting up in the morning for work.

Now for Boxing Day. First rumor is that Boxing Day comes from the need to rid your house of empty boxes the day after Christmas. Not even close to true. Rumor number two is that it comes from the idea that the day after Christmas would be a good day to resume fighting and boxing matches would be set up all over the country. Not true either.

First, what we do know to be true is that Boxing Day is to commemorate St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr who was stoned to death shortly after the crucifixion. So now for the two theories on why it is called Boxing Day. Amazingly, no clear answer has been determined for the origin of the holiday.

Theory number 1: It originated as a holiday for members of the merchant class to give boxes containing food and fruit, clothing, and/or money to trades people and servants. The gifts were an expression of gratitude similar to the bonuses many employers offer their employees today. These gifts, usually given in boxes, gave the holiday it's name, "Boxing Day".

Theory number 2: Boxing Day comes from the tradition of opening the alms boxes placed in churches over the Christmas season. The contents thereof which were distributed amongst the poor, by the clergy, the day after Christmas.

But hell, who needs an explanation for a day off and a reason to celebrate? If you need help on how to celebrate Boxing Day, please go here for tips on how to get the most out of your Boxing Day. 

Happy Holidays

Happy holidays to everybody. Regardless of what holiday you celebrate, I hope it was an enjoyable one and good for you. It is a time of year to really enjoy spending time with friends and family. Personally, I was very fortunate to be able to spend time with my Mom, who came in from New York and spent 5 days here in Atlanta. It is this time of year that makes you reflect on the past year and life in general. Some things come to mind for me. I am extremely fortunate to have my Mom, sister, and an amazing group of friends. Some old friends, some who I have just met this year. But all great. So to all of you who mean so much to me, thank you for all you do. Also, I am very fortunate to have my health. Because without your health, much in life isn't possible. There is so much more to be appreciative and many times on my trip, I said to myself "Damn. I am one fortunate person."

Last, I have to say that these times also bring to me many thoughts of my father. My father is unfortunately no longer with us. But, I look back and think of all the good times I had to share with him and while I wish there was more time to spend together, I value the time I did have. My dad is always with me in my thoughts and always will be. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about him. But even more so during this time of year.

Again, HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all of you and all of your loved ones.

Mom and the Acquarium

With Mom still in Atlanta visiting from NY, we headed to the brand new Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta yesterday. The Georgia Aquarium is the hottest thing going in Atlanta. It is the largest aquarium in the world. We purchased tickets online when she arrived and it was already almost sold out for the week. Our tickets were for 6:00PM yesterday. Mom was extremely excited about the aquarium as she had even heard about it in New York. This acquarium has been receiving national exposure prior to it opening. Upon arriving, the line for the parking garage was down the block, so we just parked around the block to save some time. We than waited in line for about 25 minutes before entering. Immediately, you could tell how impressive this place was.

The aquarium is divided into 5 sections by different wildlife: Cold Water Quest, Georgia Explorer, Ocean Voyager, River Scout and Tropical Diver. They also have a large cafe and ballroom for private functions. Mom and I started at the Cold Water Quest. This was both of our favorite. In cold water quest, they had 2 amazing Beluga Whales that were received from Mexico in poor health. They have slowly been nursing them back to health and they look great. Cold water quest also has Sea Otters, Sea Lions and African Black Footed Penguins.

Our second endeavor was in Ocean Voyager. In the Ocean Voyager, there is a tunnel that you can either walk through or use a moving sidewalk. The tank surrounds you on three sides. Snappers, Trevally Jacks, Stingrays, Goliath Grouper and the massive Whale Shark will swim around you. Pretty cool when you look up and this massive Whale Shark is swimming right above you.

Third exhibit is a collection of marine wildlife from The Amazon and other rivers, River Scout. Arawama, electric eel, and Piranha are among the fish you will see there.

Next was the Tropical Reef which is a collection of living Coral Reef and fish such has seahorses, jellyfish, and yellow head jawfish. The Coral Reef is living and will continue to grow and become more impressive. It was a nice exhibit. Having just been at The Great Barrier Reef, it didn't impress me as it might have as it paled in comparison to The Great Barrier Reef. Also, I am not a big fan of jellyfish as they are nasty creatures that forced me to wear a full body "stinger" suit while snorkelling on The Great Barrier Reef.

Last was the Georgia Explorer, which was more geared to kids. It was an interactive exhibit where you can see and touch wildlife native to the coast of Georgia. Crabs, sea stars, and shrimp are the big part of the exhibit. Mostly things that interest me more as dinner than seeing and touching.

Overall, the aquarium was a huge success. My mom was extremely excited about seeing the aquarium and left with her jaw open from seeing it. Very impressive and worthwhile to see.


Pictures:

Ocean Explorer- Fish and Stingray
Mom in front of Coral Reef exhibit
African Penguins
Beluga Whale

Our Thoughts With Nathan Carlson

The holiday season doesn't always deal you the best hands. I found out yesterday that Nathan Carlson, the 7 year old nephew of my friend Matt was diagnosed with leukemia. After being seemingly fine when they saw him over the weekend, Nathan collapsed during his karate class on Monday. He was taken to the hospital in New Hampshire on subsequently diagnosed with leukemia. He is now admitted at Children's Hospital in Boston and has already began his chemotherapy treatment. This is something that no 7 year old child deserves to deal with. One of lifes ugly sides. The good news is that this kind of leukemia is often successfuly treated in young children. So we hope this will be the case with young Nathan, as he has way too much life to live. For the most part, this blog has been about lots of fun and the good things in life. We all need to realize just how precious life is.

From everybody at howardkalin.blogspot.com, we wish Nathan the best in his recovery.

What is this man's problem?

I just can't understand. After getting his first taste of kangaroo jerky. The christmas holiday coming up. New Years right around the corner. Seemingly well liked and respected by friends. What would make this man so upset?

Is this picture taken right after Elliott handed him a serious beating? Did Santa Claus threaten to give him a lump of coal for Christmas? Did Jennifer Caron give him a tongue lashing for referring to her as Jennifer Caran? Please somebody help explain his plight.

As for me, what did I do today? Well. A lot. In the spirit of my recently completed trip, I bungy jumped off the roof of my house, although I landed pretty hard on the front lawn. I filled the basement with water and snorkeled. Not much pretty coral or fish to see. After that didn't work, I ran a mini jet boat around the basement. Not all that exciting. I froze the water and hiked the "glacier". Pretty much sucked. I went hang gliding from the garage roof, but found out the driveway hurts. Went to the beach. Too damn cold to get a suntan or sunburn. And the waves in Atlanta aren't very good. Drove down "The Great Ocean Road" otherwise known as I75. Not much to see. Saw some kangaroos and koalas. They looked like a black dog named Boss.

OK. Never mind. I didn't do anything but work, looked at my pictures for the 14th time and felt sorry for myself. Such is life. It will be Christmas in just a couple of days. Wait. I get left out of that one also. OK. Done for now. Back to sadness. Maybe I will just drown myself in Australian wine later. 

Dinner Last Night and Photos Posted

Yesterday was a very nice day. It was my 31st birthday. Getting old. My Mom flew in from NY in the morning to spend some time in Atlanta. She will be here for five days, leave on Christmas on night. At lunch time, we had our end of year work lunch. Our team headed to Maggiano's in Buckhead. Last night was exceptional as a large group headed to 5 Seasons Brewing Company for dinner. It was really nice to see everybody was there after being gone for so long. It made me think, "Damn. I am lucky to have a really great group of friends." Thanks to everybody who made it a great day. I could start rattling off names, but too many people to thank.

Today, I have posted the pictures of my trip to Australia and New Zealand on the web. To view the pictures, go to howardkalin.shutterfly.com. There are 3 albums on there. I would suggest starting with Queenstown, going to Australia- NZ and than Australia- NZ part 2. Enjoy and feel free to purchase any pictures of your hero.

Back at Home

Well. The amazing trip of my life has come to a screeching halt as I am back at home and back at work today. I arrived back late last night after several scares. First, after having my flight from Auckland- LA delayed, I missed my flight from LA- Atlanta at 11:40 AM. Looking at the board, there were 2 more flights to Atlanta. They were at 1:40 and 2:40. I was told to pick up the black phone to get my ticket reissued. I was told that both flights were completely oversold. Having travelled for 24 hours at this point, that was not an acceptable answer. After getting somewhat irate and getting absolutely nowhere, I hung up with a feeling of despair. The next flight was at 10:30 PM and I was in no mood to wait in the airport 9 hours. Than the lady from the heavens stepped in to help. She was very understanding of my situation and offered to put me on the standby list with a number one priority. Sure enough, I than became cleared for the flight and was on. What a relief. But that act by her was reminiscent of the entire trip. Everything just went smoothly and so many people made it great.

Than on the ride back home from the airport, we were on I75 North heading home when a car trying to switch lanes failed to recognize the truck in the lane next to him and ran smack into the side of the truck smashing his car to pieces. The pieces of the car came flying in our direction. Elliott evaded the pieces, floored the gas as we headed off safely.

So, this last picture is the 12 Apostles on the Great Ocean Road. All of my pictures should be up on the web by Wednesday. I will put the link on here for all to see. It's been fun. 

Bye Bye Southern Hemisphere

I am using the free internet terminal as I am about to board my flight in Sydney for what is going to be a long journey. From here to Auckland, NZ- 3 hours. 2 1/2 hour layover in Auckland. 12 hour flight from Auckland- Los Angeles. 1 1/2 hour layover (if i make my flight to Atlanta which is highly questionable.) And than on to Atlanta for the final leg. Stay tuned to this blog for extremely boring posts coming after I arrive home. It's been fun. Have to board now.

Joel, Jason and I - Schwartz' Family

 

Just for Kevin Ready

 

The Siska

 

Wallabies

 

The Sun is Setting

Today was spent at the Blue Mountains. They are about 1 1/2 hours by train from Sydney. The train lets you off at a small town called Katoomba. After arriving there, it takes a short walk to see a viewing of The Three Sisters. A rock formation named by a Aboriginal legend. After seeing The Three Sisters, I embarked on a nice long bushwalk (hike) that took you down into the valley. After another few kilometer hike across the valley, it ended at the skylift to take you back to the top. The skylift is the steepest incline skylift in the world. It was great, although I experienced my first bit of rain during a day on the trip. About half way through the hike, it started pouring down rain. Actually felt quite refreshing as it was very hot and humid prior to the rain shower. After the nice hike, took the train back to Sydney, grabbed some sushi and headed out for several beers.

Well. The sun is setting on what has been an absolutely amazing trip. It has far exceeded anything that I could have expected. One more day, than back home. So many good memories with so many great people. Where do I start? It has truly been a whirlwind. I am saddened to leave Australia and New Zealand behind, but on the other hand excited to see old familiar faces again. Too many people to thank who have made this possible, so at the risk of leaving anybody out, I won't. See you soon.

Back in Sydney

Well. I arrived back in Sydney last night after a great few days in Mebourne and The Great Ocean Road. The time is winding down as I only have 2 days left before embarking on my god awful journey back to the US. It will entail 25 hours of flying and airports. But, there will be another time to worry about that-- Sunday. As for now, I am going to just try and enjoy my last couple of days that I get to spend here and with Debbie. The agenda looks pretty relaxed. One day in the Blue Mountains. One day at Manly Beach in Sydney. Easy enough. Nice to see the race riots in Sydney have subsided and all is well.

Other Notes:

The Kangaroo pictured is one of the finest crime stopping kangaroos in the world and has been hired for the boss case.

The Schwartz' Melbourne family are all definitely cooler than Elliott.

NO UGGS!!!!!!

Todd's bags made it from Kyouleurfdsrstan and arrived in Sydney only to be caught up in the riots in Cronulla. Rumors of Australians yelling at the Lebanese "Fuck Todd's Bags" are rampant.

Todd has global appeal as his humor is well respected around the world. Debbie is currently working on a tour of Australia for his comedy routine.

Did I mention NO UGGS?

Elliott will be charged a "unauthorized car usage" fee equal to 6 months rent. Somebody has to pay for all the fun on this trip.

Do I still have a job?

70 Year Old Surfer and His Dogs

 

Me In Front of 12 Apostles on Great Ocean Road

 

Silverstein Family (Schwartz Family)

 

Koala

 

Debbie and I in Front of Opera House

 

Group on Sailing Trip

 

Whitsunday Islands

 

Sailing

 

Melbourne and Great Ocean Road

The last two days have been action packed and fun filled. Starting with yesterday, it was a day to check out Melbourne and what it has to offer. It is a much different city than Sydney with a much more laid back feel and relaxed atmosphere. Big for the cafe culture. And I can't talk about Melbourne without bringing up the flies. They are relentless and everywhere. I can't count how many times I said to myself "Fucking Flies." At least they don't bite, but you do catch yourself doing the "Australian Salute" all day long. That is when you wave your hand in front of your face to get the flies away. That being said about the flies, it was still a good time. In addition, I went to the National Gallery of Victoria and saw many pieces of Australian and Aboriginal art. Very interesting stuff. Later that evening, I met up with Jason and Joel Silverstein (Schwartz' Family.) After Jason met me, we swung by the house and met Michael and Rosalie (the parents.) They were great. We had planned to go out to eat, but they had a feast at the place suitable for the Austrailian Army. Steaks, chicken, salad, quiche, etc. They were amazingly hospitable. After that, Joel, Jason and I went out to a local Melbourne establishment for a few cold cocktails. Didn't stay out very late as I had to be out the door at 7AM to head down the Great Ocean Road.

The Great Ocean Road is a coastal drive starting about 1 hour out of Melbourne at Torquay and goes many miles. It is recognized as one of the finest drives in the world. Our first stop was at Bells Beach, where Quicksilver and Rip Curl got there start. While on Bells Beach, I met a completely amazing man. A 70 year old surfer. He has been surfing at Bells Beach for 49 years. AMAZING. From there we headed down and finished up at Port Campbell National Park where we saw the 12 apostles. They are amazing structures formed in the ocean by limestone deposits. Hard to really talk about them. You have to see the pictures. Amazing. Off for now. Take care.

Melbourne

Today was a travel day as I left the beautiful Queensland coast and bid farewell to the Great Barrier Reef. And what a time it was. After arriving back last night from the sailing trip, I took one of the best showers of my life washing away an amazing combination of sunscreen, sweat, salt water, and aloe vera. The facial tan is looking good. Other parts have some redness from the absolutely intense, blazing sun. After the shower and a brief nap, I had my first taste of kangaroo. I have to admit it felt kind of wrong as they are such cool looking animals. But, I thought back to my conversation with Kate (Debbie's friend) where she shared with me how it is actually a good thing as there is a massive overpopulation of roos. The kangaroo was very tasty.

My flights today took me from Whitsunday Coast- Brisbane and finishing in Melbourne. Haven't seen much of Melbourne yet and tonight will be a quiet one after a big night with the group from the Siska yacht. The entire boat and crew showed up at Beaches- minus the swedish couple. Great time. As for tomorrow, I will check out Melbourne before meeting up with Jason and Joel Silverstein (members of the Schwartz family.) Having met Joel in Atlanta, it could shape up to be an interesting evening. On Wednesday, I will do the Great Ocean Road.

Have to run as the internet cafe is closing down. Take care.

Back From Sailing

I am now back on land in Airlie Beach after 3 amazing days sailing the Whitsunday Islands aboard a maxi yacht named Siska. Led by a crew of Tris, Hayden and the skipper Luke, an almost United Nations feeling group of 22 snorkeled, swam, sailed, relaxed and had a great time. The group had 12 nations represented- France, Italy, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, Germany, Holland, England, Scotland, Wales, Australia and me being the lone American. It was really a great group of people with everyone being really cool and getting along pretty well. That really made the trip as it is a lot of time to spend with 22 people in a small place. The trip started at about 9:00 AM Friday and returned at 4:00PM on Sunday.

First day included my first ever day of snorkeling and what a place to start- the Great Barrier Reef. Seeing absolutely amazing coral and fish with colors that were so stunning it almost looked fake. Too good to be true. We were able to snorkel several times over the next couple of days, along with stopping at incredibly pristine, secluded island beaches. Hours from the mainland, the only people on the beaches were those dropped off from our boat. One of the most amazing was Whitehaven Beach which consisted of 98% silica sand. Incredibly fine and soft. So soft that some even used it as a natural face wash. Considering we were limited to 30 second showers, not a bad idea. Sleeping quarters on the boat were kind of tight and the first night, I actually just grabbed a pillow and a sleeping pad and for some time slept on the deck of the boat.

At times, the sun was absolutely blazing and brutally hot. By day 3, everybody was seeking out and crowded in the shady areas of the boat. On the 2nd night, we rafted up (parked) to another boat so you could easily hop from one to another. We stayed that way for the entire night and mingled with some different people. They also played some drinking games, where my cousin Debbie got extremely wild and out of control. This isn't really true, but she has threatened to tarnish my name on my blog and post some false allegations.

All things considered, it was really an amazing time. Now I am going to surf the web for a few minutes to see what is going on the world, than head off and take the longest shower of my life before heading to a local pub to meet up with all of the passengers and crew on the Siska. Tomorrow, I am heading off to Melbourne for a few days. Take care all.

1 More Day... Than Sailing

Debbie and I are up here in Airlie Beach for a couple of days before heading off to sail, snorkel, and have a good time in The Whitsunday Islands and The Great Barrier Reef. Airlie Beach is a lazy beach town that serves as a jumping off point for the Reef and the islands. The waters are infested with poisonous jellyfish right now which precludes any swimming in the waters. The only option for a dip is in the lagoon. It was a "cool" 38 degrees celsius (Translation: Damn Hot in Fahrenheit.) We spent the day pretty much relaxing around town before heading off to the bar for a XXXX Gold (Aussie beer for those of you with a dirty mind) or 8 XXXX Golds. Lost count. Today is going to be more of the same, with the addition of making some last minute travel plans for the next week.

This morning, I woke up to the news of the man shot in the Miami Airport. This hit really close to home for reasons probably only Elliott will understand. From what I understand, the man's name is Rigoberto and he is from Costa Rica. Please tell me that it isn't THE RIGOBERTO. The Rigoberto is a Costa Rican, Elvis look alike who was extremely nice and gave us all free Tres Leche's in Arenal. Losing THE RIGOBERTO would be a tremendous loss for mankind.

I have also noticed that my work boss has posted on here. First time I have worried all trip :).

Anyways, this will be the last post for a few days as it might be difficult aboard a yacht. Adios. Wait, they speak english here also. Goodbye.

Last Night In Sydney, Off to Queensland

Today was my last day in Sydney until the last night of the trip. It was a fun one. Started the day by heading to the Harbour Bridge and walking across of it. The Harbour Bridge overlooks the Sydney Harbour (Big Surprise!!!) and gives you amazing views of Sydney. There is an option to do a bridge climb where you actually go in a group and get to the top of the bridge. Amazingly, my mom did this while she was here in Sydney. But the plain walk across the bridge was just fine and very nice. Than just started wandering around Sydney all day and just checking it out. Sydney is a great city. The only international city that I have been to where I would even consider living. It is just gorgeous and extremely vibrant.

At one point in the day, about 2:30 local time here, I stumbled across this bar where they were showing Monday Night Football. So, I popped in for a quick look and came across this Aussie guy in shirt and tie having a beer at lunch who was a huge "gridiron" fan. That is what they call football. Funny enough, Mike Vick was his favorite player. After that, just walked around The Rocks and much of Sydney's different districts. Tonight, Todd and Debbie took me to the best Thai restaurant I have ever been to, Spice I Am. Story goes it was the local favorite before the Sydney Herald food critic wrote about the place and called it "the best thai restaurant in Sydney." It was amazingly flavorful. So, I type this blog before I head off to grab a beer. It is going to be nice tonight having my own room after sharing one last night in a hostel with a couple of crazy guys, one who snored his ass off. Took some of the casino winnings and got myself an upgrade. I have to say before last night I had been extremely lucky and fortunate. Have met a lot of cool people in the hostel rooms. Just like I have been extremely fortunate with the weather. Somebody is looking out for me. After the stint on the runway, every day has been majestically sunny.

Tomorrow, Debbie and I are heading off to Queensland. The northern coast of Australia. We will stay there 2 nights before jumping aboard a 3 day, 2 night sailing trip along the Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef. It is going to be amazing.

SPECIAL THANKS TO DEBBIE AND TODD. They have been amazing hosts while here. They have consistently gone out of their way to make my time in Sydney fantastic.

Other Notes:

Todd Grandominico's bag and fleeces have made their way to Sydney, but were than taken hostage by aborigines protesting the treatment of Boss back in Atlanta.

Happy Birthday coming up to Gordon Burnett (aka Big).

Thanks to IBM for depositing my commission check.

The Icy Hot Stuntaz might not want me back after Elliott's results.

I want to hear more about Julie the night after the LSAT.

Still in Sydney

Still in Sydney for a couple more days. It is an absolutely fantastic city. It truly has it all. The weather has been absolutely amazing. The tan is starting to get some work. Started the day by going to Featherdale Park and seeing koalas, kangaroos, and wallabies. Among other animals. You could get so close to the kangaroos and wallabies that you could pet them. They are super cool animals to watch just bounce around. The koalas were pretty sweet, but they were all sleeping. Apparently, they are nocturnal and they also aren't bears. After that, went over to world famous Bondi Beach. Surprisingly, it wasn't that impressive of a beach, as Watson's Bay where Debbie and Todd took me was a lot more scenic. Bondi is all about the scene. It is where the "beautiful" people go. Also, I was extremely surprised at how small the beach was. The beaches are small cove type beaches, not like the miles and miles of sand we are used to. Debbie, Todd and I went to some dinner and than afterwards it was on the casino. After sitting and watching for some time, I made the plunge and put some money down. Played some craps and after nearly dropping all of my money extremely fast, I got the dice and took control. Next thing you know, I was up $153, so I left.

I am feeling really run down and exhausted, so I am going to try and get a good night of sleep. Between a hard couple of weeks and now the heat taking it's toll, it has caught up with me tonight. It seems like I have had as much activity in the last couple of weeks as I normally have in months. But it has been phenomenal and an amazing amount of fun. Take care and hope all is well.

Sydney

Today was a nice beautiful day 31 degrees celsius (88 for you back home.) We got off to a late start as Debbie failed in her goal of showing me every square inch of Sydney in one day. As we went to bed last night, she insisted on a 6am sharp start so we could accomplish this goal. We started off by heading down Macquarie St. through the Botanical Gardens to the harbor. What an amazingly beautiful part of the city. We than headed to the world famous Sydney Opera House and Circular Quay (pronounced Key.) The Sydney Opera House is one of the most amazing structures in the world with just a fascinating architectural design. From there, we hopped on the ferry and headed over to Watson's Bay. A beautiful beach where I have begun the early stages of sunburn. While there, we had some fish and chips (at Debbie's insistence) and a couple of beers. It was an absolutely delightful day.

First 2 Weeks of Pictures- Highlights

Here are some of the highlight photos from the first 2 weeks. Much more to come.

Debbie and Kate with Tom in the Background

 

Todd and Debbie

 

Queenstown and Remarkables from Skyline

 

Night 2 in Queenstown

 

Kayaking Milford Sound