(Photo opposite: Hobbit Holes) After traveling around New Zealand for nearly two months with Stray, www.straytravel.co.nz, my trip is about to come to an end. I’ve just finished doing Lake Taupo and I have two major destinations on my list before I say good-bye to paradise. Both of these places are Lord of the Rings related, and although I’ve read all the books and seen all the movies, I’m not a crazy, overly obsessed fan of the trilogy. A fan, yes, and perhaps even more so now that I have experienced the scenery that makes the movies so spectacular.

HOBBITON

I am one of those movie making obsessed fans though – I love to go behind the scenes and see how movies are made. So before leaving the Taupo area, I have to make a visit to Hobbiton. www.hobbitontours.com The farm used for the Hobbiton set is near Matamata, a small town about one and a half hour from Taupo. I’ve dragged my mom along for this tour, even though she’s never seen the films or read the books.

Within a few minutes of the tour beginning, I know that my mom and I are going to enjoy the experience immensely. I don’t think it’s going to matter that she’s not familiar with the series; even if you’ve never seen LOTR, the info that our guide starts off with would likely blow your mind. Imagine simply being at home one day when New Line Cinema knocks on your door and asks if you would mind if they used your farm to film part of the greatest movie trilogies of all time.

During the short bus ride that brings us to the Alexander Farm, the guide continues to tell us facts that I find fascinating. LOTR is a big deal, and the way the filming was approached only highlights this. The Alexanders had to sign a confidentiality agreement, no one could know what was going on at the farm even though it took nearly ten months of preparation to get the “set” looking just right. The government even elected the area a “no-fly” zone so that curious onlookers couldn’t find out what was going on.

As our guide is chatting, I’m so enthralled with what he has to say that I nearly forget to look outside at the magnificent landscape. I can see rolling green hills for miles; it looks as though they’re covered with green carpet. The vibrant grass hardly looks real. In the distance, small mountains meet fluffy clouds that eventually lead to the stunning blue sky. I can see why Peter Jackson wanted to film his movie here. The land seems untouched; it’s pure Middle Earth.

When we pull up to the farm, we’re on a hill, which gives us a bird’s eye view of the area. The farm is still running today and is home to about 12,000 sheep. They dot the green hills and remind us that we are not just visiting a movie set, but a genuine New Zealand farm. Our guide points out a few locations where pivotal scenes in the film were shot, and then we’re off to explore what remains of the set, up close and personal.

The majority of the set has been dismantled, but 17 of the 37 Hobbit Holes still remain, and we spend a good deal of time popping in and out of the holes and posing for photos. If you’re not familiar with the series and its characters, Hobbits are a small people, and everything was designed to make the normal sized actors appear smaller. As wander about Hobbiton, our guide keeps us reeling with stories from the set. He tells us how the plants and vegetables in the gardens were injected with hormones to make them grow larger than normal, dwarfing the actors. He explains that beeswax was kept burning in the Hobbit Holes to make it appear as if a fire was keeping the inhabitants warm. In reality, the interior scenes were filmed in a studio and the Hobbit Holes are empty.

One of the most memorable scenes that takes place in Hobbiton is Bilbo Baggins’ birthday party. In this scene, a huge tree, nicknamed the Party Tree, stands tall and proud next to the lake where the partygoers frolic. Today, on a branch halfway up the massive tree, a lone red ribbon flaps in the wind. It’s still there from the filming of this scene. Our guide encourages us to dance on the field beneath the Party Tree and my mom and I happily oblige as the others look on. Pass up a chance to dance on the very soil where Bilbo Baggins celebrated his birthday? Never. It’s worth the few odd stares.

(Photo opposite: Party Tree) The Hobbit Holes that remain are definitely the most photographed portion of the tour, but photos of what the set looked like are posted around to help you imagine what things would have looked like. Where parts of the set have been torn down, such as the bridges, markers stand to inform you where they stood. It’s easy to close my eyes and imagine the Hobbits rushing around me. I don’t want to give away all the secrets they used in filming here, but trust me; this is a tour worth taking. Even my mom agrees. And it’s not necessary to know anything about the trilogy to enjoy the tour – the scenery and the stories and secrets from the filming transform the Alexander Farm into a magical place.

THE TONGARIRO CROSSING

I wish I could take credit for planning my trip around New Zealand to end with the Tongariro Crossing, but it’s just pure luck that I finish my tour here. Without knowing it, I’ve saved the best for last. Granted, this particular one day hike is all I’ve been hearing about on the backpacker circuit, but you never really know how good something is until you’re able to see for yourself.

The Stray Bus drops us off at the beginning of what is considered New Zealand’s finest one-day walk. I’ve got my backpack jammed full of goodies – food, water and extra clothing, as you never know what sort of weather you might encounter. Luckily, we’ve got clear skies and the sun is shining on my face as I begin the 17-kilometer tramp. (The Tongariro National Park can be closed if the weather is bad).

I’ve been traveling with Stray for my entire two month trek around New Zealand, making new friends, but today, I’ve decided to walk alone. There are plenty of other trampers on the path, so I’m not completely alone, but it seems kind of fitting to take this time to reflect on the amazing experiences I’ve had in this country, and to truly enjoy the remoteness that nature offers. I’m in pretty good shape, but you don’t need to be to complete this walk. It’s classed as medium, and there are a few steeper parts, but most people can complete this walk with little effort.

The hike starts off quite flat as I trek through a vegetated area and even come across a small waterfall. The scenery is stunning, but I know there are much greater things to come so I don’t dawdle. I have a full day’s walk ahead of me, and I’d like to take some time to appreciate the views when I get to the top.

In the distance, I can see the top of Mt. Ngauruhoe rising in the distance. It’s instantly recognizable as the volcano used for Mt. Doom in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. It’s hard to associate such a dark scene with this incredible landscape; with the sun shining all around the trampers, I feel like we’re closer to paradise than doom.

Just before I reach the base of Mt. Ngauruhoe, I change my mind about this self imposed state of bliss. The Devil’s Staircase, definitely the steepest part of the entire walk, has me feeling like I’m in hell, rather than heaven. It’s steep; I feel like I’m climbing up a sheer wall and the volcanic rocks and loose earth cause me to stumble and slide more than once. I take my time though, and when I finally emerge onto the flat land surrounding the majestic volcano, I realize that every step was worth it.

(Photo opposite: Red Crater) The volcano is conical in shape, with a flattened, uneven top from its last eruption in the late 70’s. White lines run down the side of the gray volcano, flowing from a white patch near the top. Red splotches on the left side give the volcano an otherworldly feel; I imagine that it resembles the surface of the moon. You can climb this volcano at this time of year, December to March, but we don’t have time for the side trip. And, at this point, I’m not sure I have the energy!

I turn left at the base of Mt. Ngauruhoe and head for the Red Crater. My climb isn’t over yet, but even I can see from here that nothing is going to be as challenging as the Devil’s Staircase. After a nice flat path, I reach the next climb, and it’s easy as pie compared to the last steep stretch. The views keep getting better and better too, so much that I hardly notice that I’m out of breath and that my leg is still bleeding from a nasty slip on the Devil’s Staircase.

Every once in a while I look back and get a different view of Mt. Ngauruhoe, but what I see in front of me takes my breath away. As I get higher and higher – both literally and emotionally, I can see what looks like nearly of all New Zealand spread out below me. Looking down and to my right, I’m rewarded with a bird’s eye view of the Red Crater. I don’t get too close to the edge, as the crater drops off suddenly from the walking trail.

A mountain could easily fit in the Red Crater, that’s how huge the hole is. The top of the crater looks as if a million liters of red paint have been dropped onto it. It’s easy to see where the crater gets its name. In the distance, I can see clouds below me, and bits of far off mountain ranges poking up into the sky. New Zealand stretches on forever, and I love every inch of it.

There is still a bit of an incline left, so I stop for some water, snacks and a short rest to restore my energy before I push on. When I arrive at the top of the Red Crater, I’m greeted with a view that I will never forget. It’s so spectacular that it brings me to tears. I’m not embarrassed to tell you this; it’s just that I have never seen anything so beautiful before, and I doubt I ever will. I think it helps that I’ve had to work hard to get here; this view is nature’s ultimate reward.

Behind me is the Red Crater; from here I can see where the red earth meets the bottom of the crater. To my right is the Blue Lake. A perfectly flat lake of blue water sits nestled in a ridge of rising land. It almost doesn’t belong; it looks too balanced here in this rocky uneven paradise. In front of me, the land dips down steeply to where three shining green lakes lie in wait for the multitude of trampers to descend upon them. I’ve never seen a green like this before; The Emerald Lakes stand out so much in this barren land of brown and gray that I’m slightly worried that they may be a mirage.

(Photo opposite: Emerald Lake) It’s this last view of The Emerald Lakes that brings me to tears again. I sit at the edge of the Red Crater for what must be 30 minutes before I’m ready to move on. My next steps will lead me closer to the magnificent lakes, but up here, looking down on them, I feel like I’m standing on Cloud Nine. Beyond the lakes, the mountains jut up sharply, and again I can see New Zealand reaching out its arms to cover the earth. I’m still up above where the clouds sit, and it’s hard for me to move on. I want to stay here forever.

If I thought going up was tough, I’m in for a severe shock as I start to make my way down towards the Emerald Lakes. It’s steep, and the loose scoria, or volcanic rock, moves underneath my feet. In the end, I find it’s easier to sit on my bottom on slide down. As I get closer to the green water, the smell of sulfur rises to meet my nose.

Up close, the lakes are just as beautiful, and I can see straight down to the bottom through the clear water. I’m nearing the end of my incredible day, and fresh tears fall as I look behind me for one last glimpse of New Zealand’s exemplar of perfection. I can see The Red Crater with Mt. Ngauruhoe in the distance. I have to take a deep breath and force myself to look away.

The rest of the walk is rather uneventful. I have a great view of Lake Taupo and slowly prepare myself for the return to civilization. I feel completely at peace with the world and myself. Only one dismal thought crosses my mind; there are many other walks in the national park, and I wish I had more time to explore. But I will take this experience with me wherever I go. I will never forget coming up to the summit of the Red Crater and taking in the view of the Emerald Lakes. The Tongariro Crossing had surpassed all expectations. I feel blessed that this is how I am going to end my trip around this astounding country. It’s the perfect good-bye.

For a closer look at life overseas, check out my e-book, Watching Clocks Sing in Turkish, detailing the adventure-filled year I spent teaching in Turkey!

Real Estate In Tonga

Brand New Waterfront Island House

50 sqm area kitchen/living room, with big in-build kitchen. Wood-panneled high ceiling over this area. Bedroom with direct acces to tiled bathroom (sunk-in bathtub for 2 persons). Guestroom with private tiled bathroom (shower), separate toilet, own hallway and own entrance in hallway of house. The bathroom has a washing-mashine.–more–

(Photo opposite: Lago Maggiore) Italy demands your attention with so much to see and do from ancient ruins to breathtaking vistas and wine - it has it all.

Our destination was northern Italy, starting in Piedmont at Lago Maggiore, one of the country’s most picturesque lakes.

We had driven in from Germany via the San Bernadino pass. The roads were all good but in Germany, Switzerland and Austria be prepared for toll payments. In Switzerland, motorway fees are levied simply by vignettes which are available directly at the border or can be bought and paid simply via Internet. Motorists without vignettes (it must be displayed on the windscreen) can incur hefty fines.

Our climb through the Alps took us across the headwaters of some major rivers - glacial green from early spring melt water. The weather was stunning (prior research had shown May and June were the best months in Northern Italy). En route we stopped at garage/restaurants to refuel or have a break and noticed the subtle change from the more sedate establishments on the German- Swiss side to the casual grab a coffee and croissant approach of the Italians.

The Alpine meadows were a verdant green with neat Swiss style houses perched on the slopes. We crossed the Ticino River and began our descent passing through scenic valleys, the farms more rustic and less orderly than in the Alps.

The road along Lago Maggiore was narrow and winding, the air heavy with an afternoon haze, the result of temperature differences between the air and water. Its effect softened the lines between the distant mountains and far shore into a blur of blue. Maggiore is famous for its Borromean islands all but one of which can be visited. Both the Palazzo Borromeo on Isola Bella and the 16th -18th century Palazzo Madre on the isle of Madre provide examples of Italian architecture at its best.

(Photo opposite: Alpine Meadow) We were destined for simpler things and headed for Oggebio, where I had hoped to look up distant relatives. As it turned out Morisetti was a common name in the area, and the one I thought the most likely was out, so we found a parking spot the and sat under the lime trees at the Hemingway café where we soaked up the beauty of the lake and watched Italians at play on the beach below.

Our overnight destination was a little further along in Stresa - busy and very touristy with a string of major hotels overlooking the lake and islands. It was great, beautiful evening light, cobbled streets with al fresco eateries but the service from the tourist bureau and at the restaurants was both unfriendly and slow.

We found a small hotel, Hotel Residence La Luna Nel Porto which I would highly recommend for friendly staff and great accommodation. We even had a small balcony with a view of the lake.

Our next stop was Liguria and the Cinque Terre (5 small villages that cling like limpets to the steep cliff sides). We went via the autostrada to the outskirts of Genoa from where we headed for the coast road. This was extremely narrow, with space for only one car in some sections. We were rapidly finding out that driving in Italy is a sport, and that parking in Europe is a rare commodity.

Surrounded by olive groves, the little town of Zoagli at the water’s edge was our lunch spot. We found a lovely rustic restaurant with outdoor seating and indulged ourselves along with the locals in spaghetti and pesto.

The main piazza was dominated by a railway bridge the arches of which spanned the town and separated it from the beach. Originally constructed in 1865 it was destroyed during WWII and subsequently rebuilt.

Its pebble beach was popular with families but for those who wanted to find a quiet inlet there was a coastal walkway with access to little rocky coves, where crystal clear waters beckoned.

We spent two nights at the B&B Giardino Degli Angeli, a delightful establishment run along eco friendly principles by aromatherapist and author Luciano Cognola.

The rooms were restful and equipped with aromatic dispensers. Breakfast was served on the verandah – it was great and ideally placed for exploring the Cinque Terre.

Dinner comprised salami and cheese from the village and a bottle of chianti. Luciano brought out a tray of expresso coffee to round off the meal.

(Photo opposite: Manarola) Next morning we headed for Monterossa the first of the Cingue Terre villages from where it was possible to buy a day pass (€12.50 pp) for the ferry which sailed between the towns. The alternatives would have been the train or the walk across the top of the cliffs between the villages.

The boat trip was a good option as temperatures were in the mid 30s, also there were great views of the villages from the sea. First stop was Riomaggiore so named because the river Maggiore runs through it. Narrow streets led from the harbour boxed in by terracotta, pink and orange multi-storeyed homes with washing hung on verandahs and window boxes adding an additional splash of colour.

Although out of school holidays the streets buzzed with tourists. Fortunately there were not loads of souvenir shops, as Cinque Terre is a World Heritage site. What makes the villages and surrounding landscape so unique is that it was crafted not by nature but by humans, who over a thousand years or more have transformed the steep mountainsides into cultivated terraces. They physically carried rocks up the hillsides on their shoulders to build thousands of kilometres of dry stone walls.

The beauty of Cinque Terre is without a doubt its history, being able to ditch your car and walk (or take the train or ferry) between the villages and drinking the DOC wine of Manarola a blend of local varieties vermentino and albarola. It was gold in colour, crisp and quite delicious.

Travel Tips:

Useful website: http://www.travel-swiss.co.uk/passes-motorway-vignette/vignette.html

If you want fresh bread buy it early in the day or you will have to wait until the second batch (in our case around 4.30pm)

Ricardo Martinelli, President-elect of Panama, has been quoted as supporting a reassessment of the traditionally strong Panamanian-Taiwanese relationship that has existed since 1954. The reassessment is certainly due to mainland China’s interest in furthering Taiwan’s diplomatic isolation with the outside world; isolation that will eventually contribute to the annexation of Taipei to Beijing. Presently, Taiwan has official diplomatic relations with 23 states; twelve of those states are in Central and South America and the Caribbean. The other 11 are in the South Pacific and Africa. All 23 states recognize the government of Taiwan as the true government of mainland China - an obviously surreal position given the current state of world affairs and mainland China’s growing power in all areas.

Of the 23 countries that have relations with Taiwan the most important is Panama. Panama is a very important ally for the Taiwanese because Taiwanese businessmen have for decades used the Canal and the Colon Free Zone as centers of international trade. Panama has also provided Taiwanese businessmen with an offshore tax shelter from high taxes back home. To strengthen their position in Panama, Taiwan has given large aid packages to the Panamanian government. Much aid has been funneled into wet rice agriculture, education, road building and gifts. Panama’s political elite has made many trips to Taiwan where they have been treated as heroes, especially under presidency of Chen Shui-bian – 2000-2008 - who supported Taiwanese independence and railed against the one-China policy. Chen Shui-bian’s Vice-President, Annette Lu, was a strong supporter of strengthening ties with Panama; both visited Panama, Chen 2004, Lu in 2003.

For Panama the strong relationship with Taiwan goes back to 1954. After the relationship was formalized, many Taiwanese migrated to Panama where they set up businesses and began trading. During the military years in Panama, Taiwan was a friend of Omar Torrijos and Manuel Noriega. Noriega was trained in counter-intelligence by the Taiwanese. During the cold war Taiwanese intelligence officers traveled on Panamanian passports. The selling of Panamanian passports was big business during the Noriega years and the Taiwanese were some of the best customers. Taiwan has also been home to a large percentage of Panamanian agricultural exports like shrimp and beef.

Mainland China, like a sniper, has been trying to pick off the countries that still have official relations with Taiwan. They’ve been doing it by offering countries huge aid packages, or threatening to cut countries that have diplomatic relations with Taiwan out of the China market. Costa Rica switched relations to mainland China after Oscar Arias was elected president in 2006. Under the Costa Rican presidency of Abel Pacheco – 2002-2006 – Taiwan invested huge amounts of money in the building of the Tempico Bridge and highway; it was a huge loss for the Taiwanese when Costa Rica decided to switch allegiances after the project was completed. With the switch Costa Rica received $130 million in nonrepayable aid and mainland China used its huge foreign exchange reserves to buy $300 million in Costa Rican bonds.

If the Chinese were willing to pay off Costa Rica for recognition they certainly will do the same with Panama. Expect the aid package to be even greater with Panama which is diplomatically much more important than Costa Rica.

Most Taiwanese are recognizing that Panama will eventually shift its recognition to mainland China; they are moving to the few remaining countries available to them. Paraguay’s Ciudad del Este has a large Taiwanese presence and Haiti has also been an important recipient of Taiwanese aid, but neither Paraguay nor Haiti have the dynamic economy of Panama.

To save itself from absorption by mainland China, Taiwan has taken the democratic path while the mainland has remained a one-party state. Beginning with the normalization of relations between the U.S. and China in January 1979, the Taiwanese embarked on a slow process of democratization as a way of keeping their diplomatic relations secure. In 1996, Taiwan was the first ethnically dominant Chinese society to hold a presidential election. But as Taiwan systemically democratized itself, mainland China systematically opened its economy and became a world economic power: democracy versus the huge China market. Most countries have chosen the China market.

In 2000 and 2004 the pro-independence Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian was elected, but his presidency ended in corruption and scandal. The current Taiwanese president, Ma Ying-jeou , who will be in attendance during Ricardo Martinelli’s inguration, is in favor of the one-China policy – in other words of a union between Taiwan and mainland China.

The political model for such a union will be the one country, two systems model laid out by Deng Xiaoping during the 1984 unification talks between the UK and China over the return of Hong Kong. If Panama does switch its allegiance from Taiwan to mainland China, one-China will most certainly be one step closer to reality.

(Photo opposite: Kenji Chida) After having lived and worked outside my country of birth for several years I felt it might be useful to continue my education in some form or another. When I first left the U.S. back in 1998, the idea of distance education was not far from filling out the back of a matchbook but by the early 2000’s even Oxford University offered a distance learning degree. I wanted to pursue a second Master’s degree and looked for affordable programs around the world. It turned out that “affordable” meant that Europe, North America and Australia were out. So I focused my attention on Asia. I wanted a respectable program where I could take courses in English and the obvious choice was the Philippines. I was familiar with the country and the quality of graduates it produces from various fields who fill positions around the world. I decided on the University of the Philippines because it is the nation’s flagship institution and has produced world class graduates. I requested an application for UPOU (University of the Philippines Open University). The concept of an open university began in the U.K. and aims to provide flexible study opportunities for students who would have difficulty studying under more formal circumstances.

After several weeks I was accepted upon a review of my credentials and began a course of study in education that would last three years. Tuition was about $1000 per course and I took seven in all. Most of the courses required that I hand in papers by mail or over the internet. I found myself traveling to Osaka to take final exams with a UPOU representative. As I got close to graduation the procedure for completing the program became vague and turned into “Philippine time”. The courses were good but it was not easy to graduate because of an elusive schedule. One requirement for graduation was a comprehensive exam which I could not arrange to take in Japan so I returned to the Philippines for the first time in seven years. I took the four hour exam at UPOU’s learning center in Cebu so I could stay with my wife’s family. Wow, had Cebu changed! It was even more like Hong Kong than it had been when I first arrived there in 1997. There was a new highway overpass that gave you a high speed birds-eye view of the city that did not exist ten years earlier. Just being there, I realized that distance learning is a good alternative to traditional education for those who want to advance their careers but having the chance to visit the institution and interact with it adds to the experience.

I decided to continue my studies to the doctoral level and looked for another institution. I came across The Open University of Hong Kong. Partially funded by the government, OUHK is a respected university with international relationships with other educational institutions. I went through the selection process and was offered a place in the Ed.D program. Unlike the University of the Philippines, distance students have to go to Hong Kong once a year for exams and thesis defense if at that stage. If you are from a major city in the world Hong Kong just makes sense. It has everything you need and is not so expensive. The English level is good but not as good as I thought it would be. It seems you can’t get around learning some of the native language of the country you are in.

My first exam trip to Hong Kong had me economizing by staying in a Chung King Mansion and being really uncomfortable. I had to wait in line at the elevator to get to my room. My second trip’s memorable moment was trying to find out where my exam was and ending up taking a taxi to a high school in the New Territories. I was late but completed a surreal exam in a high school gymnasium that could have been in any country, but happened to be somewhere in Hong Kong’s New Territories. That’s when I realized that distance education is still about people and places, those on the other side of the e-mails and the letters.

(Opposite: Lakes of Uganda) Over the past week I got around to correcting and grading the end of semester exams for my lecture in company law. The exams revolved around a newly set up company. When reading the exams, it was quite evident who the professor of these students in company law has been. They largely set up gold mining companies and oil exploration firms. One of these firms explores for oil in the Lake Albert region.

It’s reminded me of what I recently read. Oil fields have been discovered in the Lake Albert region. Lake Albert is one of Africa’s great lakes, situated on the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. As far as I can get a handle on things there, the oil fields discovered in the Lake Albert region seem to make the cut for quite a substantial discovery. Soft commodities have characterised my present spot of residence Uganda so far. That seems poised to change.

It remains to be seen whether the oil story signifies good or bad news for Uganda. The United Arab Emirates, for instance, have wisely used their dough to diversify. Dubai as a financial hub these days pretty much stands on equal footing with Singapore. My former stomping ground Mexico, however, has squandered its oil revenues. On top of it, in a few years’ time the country is expected to cease oil exports. Mexico isn’t going to have a nice day.

Quite a few people reckon that they can have a nice day at casinos. I’ve been to two casinos so far. During my first spell in Africa a few cronies of mine and I spent an evening at the casino in Victoria Falls after doing whitewater rafting on the Zambezi. Whilst living in Auckland, you could bump into me at the casino there every now and then. Yet neither in Victoria Falls nor in Auckland did I ever blew a buck on gambling. Gambling just isn’t my truck.

Instead, I just sipped a couple of drinks at the casino in Victoria Falls. It came down to the same sort of thing in Auckland, unless I was there to eat something. When spending a few hours at the casino in Auckland, it was quite interesting to watch people gambling. I often couldn’t avoid the impression that the majority of them were well to do Asians as well as Maoris and retirees. You knew by glancing at the latter two that they weren’t well to do. They blew their dough on gambling, even though they couldn’t afford doing so.

It evidently didn’t dawn on them that gambling resembles catching a falling safe. After all, you can’t make a bundle through gambling or get rich quick schemes. Be that as it may. Even though I enjoyed having a drink or a meal at the casino in Auckland at times, it would be a little far - fetched to assert that I immensely enjoyed the atmosphere there.

A sports bar at the Victoria & Albert Waterfront in Cape Town projected quite a different atmosphere, in particular on Saturday afternoons. That outfit was then packed out. Whites there were watching rugby whilst Blacks were watching soccer. All the while, you could admire Table Mountain, which dominates the whole of Cape Town. Which provides the right sort of backdrop to kick up a flirt. That sports bar is likely to be still in business at present.

Let’s revert to where we set out. Apart from correcting and grading end of semester exams, I too read the novel “The Chamber” by John Grisham. The plot revolves around a lawyer rookie who works for a big law firm in Chicago and endeavours to save the life of his client on death row in Mississippi. At the end of the day, the lawyer rookie goes for a career transition. He infers that he’s not cut out for a big law firm and ultimately makes the transition to a quasi - federal agency in Jackson, Mississippi specialising in death row litigation.

That’s precisely what draws me to John Grisham novels. Aside from spinning good yarns, he at times portrays lawyers who head off in a new direction. I can marvellously relate to them. All in all, dazzling university students with my brilliance signifies a pile of more fun for me than practicing law. Find your niche and it boosts your quality of life.

Real Estate In Honduras

Mansion in the Caribbean

LS-04-186- One of the most spectacular homes in the Caribbean ! For those of very discerning taste this 19,000 Sf 7Bd/7Ba Mansion is all anyone could ask for. On a 26 acre estate with 400 ft of protected ocean frontage this home is nothing short of spectacular. Separate caretakers quarters, several garages, large swimming pool, and much more than can possible be listed here. But pictures are worth a thousand words so we will say it with them. –more–