Changes of Gauge

Delta flight 160, Denver to Amsterdam, landed today (December 1, 2014) in Amsterdam with no Denver passengers on board. This is not uncommon: it also happened with DL160 on November 13. The explanation starts with a “change of gauge,” a term rooted in railroads.Track gauge is the distance between the inner faces of the two… Continue reading Changes of Gauge

Gas

It was breakfast at the Granvia Okayama Hotel. The tour group at the next table murmured in agreement as the colonel railed against typographical errors in the itinerary. I pegged him as “the colonel,” now a paper-pusher, close to retirement.  It was impossible to tune him out as he recalled his first encounter with the… Continue reading Gas

Walking into Forbidden Places

We were riding the Delhi metro when we became aware of dirty looks, and, oddly, all the other passengers were female.  Then it dawned on us we had stumbled into the women-only coach. The fine for this infraction was higher than for riding on the roof, and it was being regularly enforced.  The subway train was moving, we… Continue reading Walking into Forbidden Places

Artful Living

Where your stay is part of defining who you are.You can join the crowd, or you can leave it behind.Eat. Shop. Sleep.Own Chicago. Know the right people.Make a statement with every second.“I never thought I would receive so many compliments every day.”As unique as you are. Who needs this stuff?All 1 pound 2 ounces of… Continue reading Artful Living