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COFFEE SHOP TALK by Jahbhang

My two years living in Amsterdam were filled with many glorious moments - cultural epiphanies, vivid personal introspections, and festive freedoms that I had never before experienced. They were also filled with moments of grave loneliness and grand feelings of “what am I doing here.” Amsterdam is a vortex. It offers the best of times; it offers the worst of times. This vortex encompasses and ensnares many ex-pats as well as many of the local “Amsterdamers”. The drive train of the vortex is the 250-some odd coffee shops that are smattered around the city. Many of these coffee shops are wonderful and magical places that can, upon entry, mystify even the staunchest of stiffs into a willingness to partake in the local fare. Everyone is welcome in the coffee shop and conversation abounds. Herein lies the essence of the vortex. The allure of the proverbial coffee shop conversation is too much for many to deny, and once submerged in its bowels of communion and levity it is hard to crawl out. The level and degree of personal engagement depends upon what type of coffee shop one visits. There are three general categories of coffee shops, 1) Local 2) Tourist and 3) Local-Tourist. Though all places accommodate varying degrees of levity and relaxation, it might serve one well to have a short overview of the differences in their customs of conversation.

. Although there are areas closer to the center where there is a much higher concentration of shops, every sub-neighborhood, regardless of proximity, has it’s local coffee shop that lies far away from the giddy and elated tourists that swarm the center. Walking into many local coffee shops is often a sobering experience. Your local coffee shops can be a bit dry and intimidating. Though lively moments do occur, i.e. watching a big soccer match, the overall vibes are cool and collected. Conversation here is coded, short, direct and explicit. Men dominate the local coffee shops and therefore so does their speech. Cool is a must and the conversation shows it. From girls to sports, to business, to politics, to illicit activity, the local coffee shop is “classic” in its own right. It often reflects the ethnic diversity, or lack thereof, in the area of town it is located. Though sometimes greeted by packs of stone-faced Moroccans, White Dutchmen, or Surinamese, the local coffee shop is generally quite friendly and can give one a true glimpse into the parol of underground Amsterdam..

Tourist coffee shops abound and are rarely frequented by locals. Many of them lie in close proximity to Amsterdam’s Central Station and/or the Red Light District. These coffee shops are full of fun and quite accessible. You might not experience much Dutch culture here, but you will meet people from all around the world. Hoards of young French make the relatively short journey to come and frequent many of these mainstream establishments. The French are just as astonished as the Americans to be in Amsterdam. The conversation tends to fall somewhere in between “where are you from” and “isn’t this cool”. Everyone seems to be going through cultural anomie, desperately trying to embrace something they’re just not quite accustomed to.

My personal favorites are the local/tourist coffee shops. Here one will find a vibrant mix of local Dutch and “you name it”. Also, you will find a more balanced sex ratio here, to say the least. I have had some of my greatest times and met some of the most interesting people in these types of coffee shops. Here conversation ranges from anything to everything. You will hear Dutch, English, French, German, Surinamese Patois, Arabic, Nigerian, and other indecipherable tongues from around the world. English, however, reigns supreme in this arena. Because these types of coffee shops attract people from everywhere, English then becomes the way to equalize an otherwise overwhelming multi-national experience. The pot is also not to be discounted in providing conversational cohesiveness for these multi-ethnic bastions of peace and intrigue. It was in these types of establishments that I tightened up my freestyle, met my first girlfriend in Amsterdam, learned about both Dutch history and Amsterdam’s ethnic make-up. I also learned to speak a little Dutch, and distinguish between different varieties of hash from around the world.

At times I felt I was wasting my time caught up in the never-ending abyss of coffee shop conversation. My guilt at being blindly accepted was overridden by the anecdotal knowledge that I acquired by listening to people who had done things I might never do myself. This is the allure of a vortex that is affirming for all and enriching to most. However, I warn those who spend a few days in Amsterdam and become enamored with the idea of “living in a place like this forever”. The vortex is powerful and even the most erudite and intellectual of ex-pat vagabonds are not beyond its “tractor-beamish” forces. However enlightening the coffee shop experience can be, it comes with a price and is not for the faint of heart. Many once competent vibrant souls now sit in the coffee shops waiting for the next tidbit of worldly information to be downloaded to them. The thrill of the international experience can ironically make one sedentary. Maybe now you will know what to expect and where to go to have your customized coffee shop conversation and experience. Whether your flavor is Local, Tourist, or Local/Tourist, hopefully you now have a bit more insight into what to expect the next time you’re in Amsterdam. Just beware of the verbal vortex. No one is beyond its comforting grip.

http://www.myspace.com/jahbhang


http://www.airtech.com ]]> http://www.airtech.com/airtechblog/?entry=entry080102-080128 mike@airtech.com Wed, 02 Jan 2008 13:01:28 GMT http://www.airtech.com/airtechblog/index.php?entry=entry071226-202926


http://www.airtech.com


1) Houston to Belize $199 either direction incl tax.

2) Houston to Roatan Islands, Honduras $189 either direction incl tax

3) Miami to Roatan Islands, Honduras $189 either direction incl tax



Tickets to and from Belize and Roatan Islands are reserved 24 hours or less before travel.

Prices are valid from 2/2 to 4/30 and prices subject to change without notice.



http://www.airtech.com ]]> http://www.airtech.com/airtechblog/?entry=entry071226-202926 mike@airtech.com Thu, 27 Dec 2007 01:29:26 GMT http://www.airtech.com/airtechblog/index.php?entry=entry071221-215651 the President....

Hey Techies,

Peace to you and the whole airtech family..the new superblog site is set to launch
in January and It will be a great place to explore all of the alternatives of the
travel world..Travel safe and thank you for choosing www.airtech.com in 2007

below is a round-up of our product line and featuring our newest flight Boston to
Mexico and Caribbean at the 1990's style price of $325 Roundtrip incl tax!

Call to book! 212-219-7000 x 2 or at www.airtech.com

Boston to Aruba, Punta Cana and Cancun $325 Roundtrip 7 nights 8 days, longer stays
possible for a small fee ($25)

Fly from Boston, New York, Baltimore, Orlando or Minneapolis to Europe, $219 One
way incl. tax (after xmas high season) Europe to the USA $185 plus 125 Euros (about
160 dollars) till 3/31

LAX to Paris $325 ends 12/31/07

Flights to and from Hawaii start at $179 each way incl tax. Due to fuel costs prices
will be changing from time to time...


Call to book! 212-219-7000 x 2 or at www.airtech.com
]]> http://www.airtech.com/airtechblog/?entry=entry071221-215651 mike@airtech.com Sat, 22 Dec 2007 02:56:51 GMT http://www.airtech.com/airtechblog/index.php?entry=entry071220-092355

Hey Techers,

It is cold here in the Northeast, my mountain cabin is buried under two feet of snow! So my thoughts turn to warm and sunny places...

We are happy to re-start our mexico/caribbean program with our first flight out of Boston on December 29th for 7 nights to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, this is a great jumping off point to see the whole island and the alternative traveler can find great bargains in hidden seaside towns and mountain villages all over the DR. The price is $325 incl tax and this is NOT on the website, so call me if you want to go at 212-219-7000 x2. There are plenty of seats but final bookings wont occur until a day or so prior to travel, longer stays are possible with a fee of $25 payable in resort. There are will also be flights to Aruba and Cancun all winter and spring, we should get these on to the site soon. If you can beat these prices start your own damn airline!!
Peacehttp://www.airtech.com 212-219-7000 x2 or mike@airtech.com

Peacehttp://www.airtech.com ]]> http://www.airtech.com/airtechblog/?entry=entry071220-092355 mike@airtech.com Thu, 20 Dec 2007 14:23:55 GMT http://www.airtech.com/airtechblog/index.php?entry=entry071208-155742
Hey Techsters,

Here is a list of dates when there are open seats. Take a look if there is a date you want purchase at 212-219-7000 x1 or
http://www.airtech.com these wont last! call or stop by
http://www.airtech.com today! Prices start at $179 incl tax each way, prices go up after 12/14 and then go down again after 1/10/08 to $149 each way incl tax..212-219-7000 x1 call now!

LOS ANGELES:
To Maui: 12/7, 12/8, 12/9, 12/11, 12/12, 12/13, 12/14, 12/16, 12/18, 12/24, 12/26,12/27, 12/28, 12/29, 12/30, 12/31, 1/1, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4

To HNL: 12/7, 12/8, 12/9, 12/10, 12/11, 12/12,12/13, 12/14, 12/15, 12/16, 12/17, 12/18, 12/28, 12/29, 12/30, 12/31, 1/1, 1/6

From Maui: 12/7, 12/9, 12/10, 12/12, 12/13, 12/14, 12/15, 12/16, 12/17, 12/18, 12/19, 12/20, 12/21, 12/24, 12/25, 12/26, 12/27,12/28, 12/29, 12/30, 1/7

From HNL: 12/7, 12/8, 12/9, 12/11, 12/12, 12/13, 12/14, 12/15, 12/16, 12/18, 12/19, 12/20, 12/21, 12/23, 12/24, 12/25, 12/26


http://www.airtech.com
212-219-7000 x1

SAN FRANCISCO:
To Maui: 12/7, 12/9, 12/10, 12/11, 12/12, 12/14, 12/16, 12/17, 12/18, 12/24, 12/25, 12/29, 12/31,

To HNL: 12/8, 12/9, 12/10, 12/11, 12/12, 12/14, 12/16, 12/17, 12/18, 12/19, 12/28, 12/30, 12/31, 1/1, 1/8

From Maui: 12/7, 12/9, 12/11, 12/12, 12/13, 12/14, 12/16, 12/17, 12/18, 12/19, 12/20, 12/21, 12/23, 12/24,
12/25, 12/26, 12/28, 12/29, 12/31 From HNL: 12/7, 12/8, 12/9, 12/10, 12/11, 12/12, 12/13, 12/14, 12/15, 121/16, 12/17, 12/18, 12/19, 12/20, 12/21, 12/22, 12/23, 12/24, 12/25, 12/26, 12/29, 12/30


http://www.airtech.com ]]> http://www.airtech.com/airtechblog/?entry=entry071208-155742 mike@airtech.com Sat, 08 Dec 2007 20:57:42 GMT http://www.airtech.com/airtechblog/index.php?entry=entry071203-182004
Hey Techsters,

A quick hello and a note to all that there are still open dates with many seats between now and Dec. 13th when low-season to and from Maui, Honolulu, SF and LAX, ends. You can view our website here airtech or call the always-amiable Steve, this week at 212-219-7000 x 1, he can check out dates and make bookings right then and there, no messy pay-pal to contend with!

We also will have some availability from LAX to Paris between now and the end of the year.
Go to www.airtech.com for details click on LAX to Paris link

Also for all other flights, hotels, cruises, cars, packages all at dirt cheap prices and more see the "LOWEST AIRFARES" LINK @ airtech

remember the airtech advantage:
Guaranteed price
NO HIDDEN COSTS!!! Our prices include taxes & fees.
No advance purchase required
No Shipping of tickets, it is all electronic you only need your ID One way tickets no problem Frequent Flyer Miles Real Human being talking to you on the phone Book a day in advance or up to 28 days in advance (not valid for all fares) Small, fun family owned business based in Woodstock NY!


airtech ]]> http://www.airtech.com/airtechblog/?entry=entry071203-182004 mike@airtech.com Mon, 03 Dec 2007 23:20:04 GMT http://www.airtech.com/airtechblog/index.php?entry=entry071127-183429
The Euro is high, so we fly low!

Cheap flights to and from Europe and USA!!

Here are some new lower fares to and from Europe...to book these immediately call 212-219-7000 x 2 these are insider deals and won't go online for another day or two.

http://www.airtech.com

The http://www.airtech.com advantage:

-No advance purchase required, and you can -keep your return open for one year or longer (longer than a year requires a $50 fee) -No penalty for buying one way tickets.

Low season Travel to Europe:

DEPARTURE CITIES IN USA: NYC/Baltimore/Boston/Minneapolis/Sanford (near Orlando)

DATES: 11/27/07-12/19/07 and 1/8/08-3/31/08

TO: Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, London, Glasgow, Helsinki, Oslo, Copenhagan, Stockholm Paris..............

PRICE: $219 one way including tax CALL TO PURCHASE 212-219-7000 X2 OR http://www.airtech.com

NOTE: There will be NO FLIGHTS out of Baltimore during the period of 1/13/08-3/10/08

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XMAS Holiday and Spring/Summer travel to Europe:

DATES: 12/20/07-1/7/08 and 4/1/08-10/31/08

FROM: Jfk/Baltimore/Boston/Minneapolis/Sanford(near Orlando)

TO: Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, London, Glasgow, Helsinki, Oslo, Copenhagan, Stockholm Paris......

PRICE: $269 one way including tax call to purchase at 212-219-7000 x2 or http://www.airtech.com

IMPORTANT NOTE: Beginning in May and June 2008 till late August and September 2008 we will add the following destinations: Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, Munich, Milan, Gothenberg and Bergen


NOTES: prices and destinations for Fall Winter and Spring till 3/31/08 one way flights to Europe are not standby, rather they are booked last-minute if available they are reserved 24 hours before travel. You will be issued an e-ticket before flight.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

FLIGHTS FROM EUROPE TO USA

FROM: Amsterdam ONLY

TO: NYC, Boston, Baltimore, Minneapolis, Sanford (Orlando), Halifax and Toronto Canada

NOTE: There will be NO FLIGHTS to from Amsterdam to Baltimore during the period of 1/13/08-3/10/08

PRICE: $173 plus tax (approximately $185 dollars paid at airport in amsterdam at time of departure)

Dates: 11/27/08-3/30/08

Fares Europe to USA starting 4/1/08-Summer/Fall 2008 TBA

To purchase call 212-219-7000 x2 or http://www.airtech.com

Flights from Europe to the USA will require a Paper Airtech flight pass so leave time for shipping, or for an additional fee of $25 dollars we can arrange to have your name at the airport in Amsterdam. Please note that flights back to USA are unreserved walk-up basis only and ONLY depart from Amsterdam.

NOTE: for flights after 3/30/08 for spring and summer season stay prices will be announced in February.

NON-USA/Canadian citizens must have a valid ticket that shows proof of return to Europe (or leaving the USA) at time of departure an airtech E-Pass will not be accepted as proof, USA and Canadian citizens do not have to a return ticket to Europe and may fly one way from Europe to the USA and Canada.

All for now, remember to take a look at our link 'lowest airfares' on the http://www.airtech.com home page for all non-hawaii and european fares.

Have a good one,

Mike Esterson
President, airtech
212-219-7000 x2
http://www.airtech.com ]]> http://www.airtech.com/airtechblog/?entry=entry071127-183429 mike@airtech.com Tue, 27 Nov 2007 23:34:29 GMT http://www.airtech.com/airtechblog/index.php?entry=entry071126-144005
i am excited about our latest Guest Blogger here a few details about him.

Miquel Angel was born and raised in Peru and currently resides in Oakland California. When he isn't leading Tours to Peru.

He has a degree in Tourism from Instituto Superior Tecnologico, Tupac Amaru – Cusco. and Instituto Superior Antonio Lorena – Cusco.

He is a veteran tour leader on The Inka Trail and focused on the Salkantay, Vilcabamba, Chokekiraw, and Ausangate-Carabaya hikes.

Miquel is an expert on all things Peru and encourages you to contact him at his contact info below with any questions about travel in Peru'



A MAGICAL JOURNEY FROM THE LAST STRONGHOLD OF THE INKAS TO TO THE SACRED
CITY OF MACHUPICCHU.

PART 1.

The trail that climbed up the mountains of Vilcabamba had thousands of stories to be told. It was in this place where the last Inka kings resisted the Spanish invasion. As we walked along the river following an ancient Inka path we stared amazed at the stunning height and beauty of the Andean mountains. The steep slopes that formed dozens of rivers and waterfalls made the landscape so unique and magical that our own bodies responded to it with a rare tiredless feeling.



The day became dry and warmer. As we went down the Urubamba Valley on our way to Machupicchu the sacred city of the Inkas we stopped by a massive Inka site that screamed the silence of its buildings. Our tour guide, eager to let us know the music of its past spoke out loud to made sure that everyone was listening. He said something like' PACHAMAMA " (Mother Earth) was worshipped in this place by my ancestors. The Sun, the moon, the water and everything else that you see in the world was revered as sacred in this temple. As part of his cultural legacy he spread Coca leaves and poored Chicha (home brewed corn beer) over the main altar while some cups were erved to the participants of our tour . The wind carried his words through the streets and compounds of this magical arquelogical site. Hummingbirds hovered the orchids and bromelias clinging from the walls while the trail of llamas and horses marked the location of our campsite. The next day we would meet the PAQ’O (Andean priest, keeper of the ancient practice of worshipping PACHAMAMA) . Above, in the sky the first stars twinkled the way the sunset would soon bring the enchanted night.

For more Info about this tour please contact :

MIGUEL ANGEL GONGORA
info@peruvianexplorer.com

WWW.PERUVIANEXPLORER.COM
6633 EXETER DR.
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA
USA
http://WWW.PERUVIANEXPLORER.COM
Phone in USA: 510-4727474]]> http://www.airtech.com/airtechblog/?entry=entry071126-144005 mike@airtech.com Mon, 26 Nov 2007 19:40:05 GMT http://www.airtech.com/airtechblog/index.php?entry=entry071121-224956
thanksgiving eve here in woodstock NY, and i want to give thanks but i find it hard this year, with war, global climate crisis and our constitution in tatters I look for a glimpse of hope, that true ideals will replace the lizard brain mentality that has run our country nearly to ruin..but dont give up the faith, love conquers fear, love conquers hate!

Viva the joy, Viva the peace.

Mike Esterson 11/21/07
Woodstock, NY

President airtech ]]> http://www.airtech.com/airtechblog/?entry=entry071121-224956 mike@airtech.com Thu, 22 Nov 2007 03:49:56 GMT http://www.airtech.com/airtechblog/index.php?entry=entry071121-224608
That’s the answer, so what is the question? I was pretty busy for a good 36 years (I guess I’m still busy) bringing up a family, trying to be both a perfect parent and wishing I was a highly regarded professional without the benefit of old age to give a bit of perspective and with lots of perceived social assumptions. However, a part of me has always tried to make the welfare of those less fortunate than myself a part of any calculations. The foremost question has always been “how should I live? “How should I live on the Earth as a cell in the great body of humanity, as a cell in an organ of the whole body of life?

A problem that has been running in the background of all of this pondering is my inability to accurately envision what it actually means to be, for instance, hungry without a clear idea of how to change the situation, to be hiding from other people who want to cause me harm, to need to learn about an alien world that is ever more encroaching on my way of life and making the lessons of my forbears seem naive and irrelevant.

When I was given a tentative invitation to join a friend for a few weeks who was going to spend 3 months in a Guatemalan resettlement village I snapped up the chance. Something deeply felt spontaneously sprang forward. I wanted to know, to touch another world more unlike my own than I could imagine.

So I went. To detail my personal struggles as I confronted my ignorance and shortcomings would be an exercise in embarrassment, which I don’t need to expose at this juncture, However, the experience was even more fulfilling than I had anticipated.

The setting, - a kitchen constructed of available materials - like poles collected in the surrounding forests and palm leaf thatch gathered in the hills, an open fire on a raised hearth, smoke curling up and out through the open spaces in the walls, cats and chickens coming in and out of the room with the little children at will all were very different from my own comfortable house on a paved street in a medium sized town in California.

It was little ordinary things - being in normal conversations with other women about our children, our hopes and fears for them, the struggles we have had in doing the best we knew how for them; the daily tasks, - baking bread, cooking beans, collecting vegetables from our little garden plots, disagreements with our spouses, and neighbors and how we resolved them. While I was there I learned to wash my clothes and bathe in the river surrounded by my neighbors. I walked 16 miles round trip in 100 plus degree heat one day with a woman and her son so she could tend to her parcel of land. I woke up at four am to sit in a neighbor’s dim kitchen as she prepared dough for rolls she would sell in her small store attached to her house. A number of times I rode standing up in the back of a packed pickup truck full of not only people on their way to the weekly market in the nearest town, but their baskets of produce, chickens tied by the feet, and little piglets in a sack.

Are they poor? Are they suffering? Do they have hope? Is life worth living? Well, yes to all. Were they unhappy? I don’t think so. Perhaps less so than I am sometimes when I feel sorry for myself. Mostly, the questions I went with ended up not being the source of the important answers I received. People are wonderful, human life is natural, love and kindness is endemic, and we can overcome great difficulties and live for another day.

The question, of course, to the answer is why did I go? I went to make it real.
Airtech ]]> http://www.airtech.com/airtechblog/?entry=entry071121-224608 mike@airtech.com Thu, 22 Nov 2007 03:46:08 GMT