World's strangest monuments

Travel and Leisure lists some strange monuments around the world.

But, in a major oversight, they don't list Australia's weird and amazing monuments, such as:

- The Big Banana
- The Big Potato
- The Big Pineapple

And, of course, the "Big Boxing Crocodile" in Humpty Doo, in the Northern Territory. Monuments do not come much stranger than that.

Cockney language ATMs in London

The Wall Street Journal covers ATMs in London which use Cockney Rhyming Slang (e.g. "Lady Godiva" for a fiver, etc).

How to dress when your're (not) doing business in Iran

This month's Conde Nast traveler has a useful pull-out booklet on recommended attire in the middle east. Although it has some missing pieces (e.g. Dubai is there, Abu Dhabi is not), I see that Iran is included. You can read online how to dress for meetings in Iran here. It's interesting because here in the US it's illegal to do business with Iran. So, for US readers the guide is more about "what clothes you're supposed to be wearing when you're not doing business in Iran".

Hyatt makes amends

OK this is better by Hyatt:

Hyatt Hotels & Resorts is extending the health care benefits of the 98 housekeepers who were fired from the three Boston-area Hyatt hotels last month, according to a statement from the company yesterday.
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/09/22/hyatt_hotel_chain_promises_health_care_job_search_help_to_fired_housekeepers/

(original post on this, where apparently Hyatt workers were tricked into training their replacements)

The "green" runway at Boston Logan Airport

Boston's airport will get a "green" runway this weekend. No mention on whether this new runway is colored green....

from: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jRxEXI1Z16hhdOZ4g18ZogzD5CXgD9AQJKAO0 :

This weekend the airport expects to nearly finish the first runway in the nation repaved with an environmentally friendly material called warm-mix asphalt.

The asphalt is heated to a lower temperature than normal, burning less fuel and emitting less carbon.

Airport operator Massport says on this project that means a cut of 4,000 tons of carbon dioxide and 400,000 gallons of diesel fuel.

Real Classy, Hyatt

As a commenter on this Boston Globe story says, "Real Classy, Hyatt":

When the housekeepers at the three Hyatt hotels in the Boston area were asked to train some new workers, they said they were told the trainees would be filling in during vacations.

On Aug. 31, staffers learned the full story: None of them would be making the beds and cleaning the showers any longer. All of them were losing their jobs. The trainees, it turns out, were employees of a Georgia company, Hospitality Staffing Solutions, who were replacing them that day.

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/09/17/housekeepers_lose_hyatt_jobs_to_outsourcing/

My colleagues and I have been staying at Sheratons recently and I think it'll be staying that way unless this one has a happy ending. I'll keep you posted...

Why not to sit up at the front of cabins on Aer Lingus flights....

... because that's where they put families with kids. I realized this last week after taking care to choose a seat right at the front of the main cabin.

Nice flight and friendly staff as usual, though.

Ryanair increases its baggage fees

70 euros (more than 100 dollars) for the second checked bag - ouch....

Though, if you just take carry-on, their fares remain very good.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0904/breaking57.htm

On Fire

Check out this amazing photo of the La Cañada Flintridge "Station fire" as viewed from Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles.

Frankincense in Oman

Whenever I am in Oman, I try to bring frankincense back. I often wonder how frankincense harvested. Turns out the BBC has covered the Omani frankincense harvest this summer.

McDonalds in Dubai

Rush hour at McDonalds in a shopping mall in Dubai