What's Hot What's Not - Beam me up Scotty

The next step in the evolution of sky travel seems to have resulted in the partial dispensing with the check-in staff.

Booking online, checking in online and printing out your boarding pass at home, to avoid the queues at the airport, has become standard procedure for most people, but at Schipol Airport they've taken it one step further at the baggage drop.

I am ushered by KLM ladies, impeccable in their bright blue uniforms and practiced smiles, to an area with a series of short queues of fellow travelers. It is here we wait for our turns at a row of waist-height white and silver cabins, each with automated, latticed metal mesh fronts that open and shut at intervals, like hungry mouths.

My first reaction is that I’m about to be enjoy a new kind of treatment at a wellness spa, but the surroundings quickly put that idea to rest. The cabins look reminiscent of the decor from a set of the popular sci-fi series, Star Trek of the 70’s, and, as I suppress the urge to shout “Beam me up Scotty” at the top of my voice, I can’t help wondering if they have finally mastered the art of moving objects from one place to another, through space and time.

I realize I’m not the only one who’s new to this procedure, as I listen to the whispered anxieties of the Australians behind me, who then proceed to watch what I do, eagle-eyed. Blind leading the blind, I’m afraid, but, when the illuminated screen to my left requests that I heave my suitcase into the cabin, handle upwards, I oblige. A quick scan of the boarding pass and all your details appear along with the suitcase’s weight, and your allowance of 23kg. You are then asked, if this is you - ‘Press yes’. Momentarily, I wonder what kind of devilish chaos I could create if I chose ‘No’, but decide not to piss-off my fellow travelers by holding them up for my own amusement. ‘Did you pack your bag yourself’, is smile-worthy, but the potential ensuing sarcasm would be lost on a machine, at least in this century. And yes, I did omit: sharp objects, bombs, and nerve gas…this time!

All correct so far, the baggage label is printed out with the idea of being attached to your bag’s handle. Seen it done a million times, it should be easy you’d think. It’s not - the sticky part is very sticky indeed, and if you don’t get the ends attached to each other in one go, you run the risk of adding long tresses of hair, the machine wall and any rogue small children into the equation.

Final ‘Yes’ pressed and the metal mesh descends, partially obscuring the visibility of the luggage.  When it opens again, abracadabra! The suitcase has vanished. Good to go, I turn on my heel and throw a parting comment to the queue behind me: ‘And, your luggage is never seen again!’

Ok, now to spoil the magic. It does not de-materialize, the floor does not open up and swallow it, nor is there a vertical wind tunnel to dramatically suck it out of sight. If you peer through the mesh, you will see the floor rise to an incline, knock over the case onto a conveyor belt, which then carries it off (hopefully) to the loading bay.

With time to spare I trot through passport control, and decide to opt for a drink at a bar and a spot of people watching. A different one to last time’s rip-off experience, where to my surprise a glass of white wine cost me € 9,25; gob-smacked, I gave the woman behind the bar ten euros, and said ‘Keep the change’. This time, however, a glass of cold Heineken and bag of Doritos came in at a saner cost of € 5,60.

So, with this new development in sky travel, and avoiding scary scenarios like the one out of the 1986 film, ‘The Fly’ (David Cronenberg), in which Jeff Goldblum accidently merges with a housefly during a teleportation experiment; I wonder how long it will take before I will be able to step into the cabin too and be ‘beamed’ to my destination. 

Hear an excerpt of the story read my Alison Day: HERE

First published in the Connections magazine, Spring issue #35, 2012

© Alison Day Designs

What's Hot, What's Not! - KATJEE Art Market

Isn’t it funny that sometimes when you actively pay more attention to certain areas of your life, it’s as if they come alive upon request. If you’re lucky, possibilities can offer themselves like locusts, and seemingly unlock like magical doors from an Alice in Wonderlandrian world, as they creak temptingly ajar. From this initial glimpse, it is your choice of follow-up action; do I push it open further and see what lies on the other side, or do I turn on my heel and choose again?

It is with this in mind, when my mobile phone went off recently, and whilst weighing up the pros and cons of picking up yet another unknown number in the display, that my intuition told me to “pick it up.” As a rule, I find being totally accessible to all and sundry by mobile exasperating, and the ensuing lottery as to whether I will pick up or not, is generally based on whether I feel like ‘playing the game’ that day with the over-motivated, opinionated, sales person or purveyor of nonsense at the other end. In this instance, I’m glad I did, as it turned out to be from one of the organizers, Martin Dölle, of the KATJEE Kunstmarkt (Art Market) in Groningen, asking me if I would like to take part in one or all of the five Art Markets, which run from May – September every year.

After a very interesting conversation, blind panic replaced euphoria; I had nothing I wanted to sell, no clue of what was required, or how much to charge, and May was far too early for me! Once I had regained my composure, I decided that it would be a smart idea to go to the May market, to answer my questions, and with a view to taking part in the September market.

Sunday 8th May turned out to be a gorgeous day for the Art Market, and I probably would have appreciated it more if I hadn’t been out dancing into the small hours the night before. Little stalls were lined up in rows like soldiers under the protective shadow of the Aa-Kerk, sporting the creations of the artists: brightly coloured canvases, creative jewellery, black and white line drawings as well as the currently hip, fused glass jewellery. Artists sat on little stools behind their stalls, or mingled with potential clientele. Prices from what I saw were reasonable, and the work would make great any occasion presents.

If you would be interested in going to one of these markets, the next Markets will be: 12 June, 10 July, 7 August and 4 September. (A little tip…I will be at the September one, as Alison Day Designs!)

For more info: www.katjee.nl  (Dutch). If you’d like more information contact, Martin Dölle.

© Alison Day
First published in the Connections magazine #32 Summer 2011

Alison Day Designs

Webstore

What's Hot What's Not - Entrepreneurs

A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts. - Richard Branson, founder of Virgin

The word “entrepreneur” is believed to have come from the French economist Jean-Baptiste Say, in the 19th century. His definition was: "one who undertakes an enterprise, especially a contractor, acting as intermediatory between capital and labour."

Entrepreneurs are often gifted individuals who, seeing a new idea or recognizing a gap in the market have the talent to turn it, more often than not, into a viable business. From the onset they are willingly accountable for all the risks, as well as the final outcome, when it comes to making their idea or dream a reality.

Those who possess real entrepreneurial spirit will enjoy the successes and be undeterred by the failures; oftentimes, the latter only serves to fuel the drive to succeed and be independent, in what is an increasingly competitive world. In the immortal words of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five (1980’s): ‘It's like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under…’ In their heyday they were entrepreneurs too; they pioneered the start of a musical revolution known as ‘hip-hop’, and were the first popular music band to use a line up of one DJ and five rapping MCs (Master of Ceremonies). The latter idea, they took from the Jamaican dance halls, where the different musical acts were introduced by toasting in rhyme, which was directed at both the audience and the performers.

So, are entrepreneurs born or can you learn to become one? Opinions differ; some say that people are born entrepreneurs, whilst others believe that the qualities can be learnt and all you need is the sheer determination to succeed. Interestingly enough, psychological tests show, when it comes to gender, that both sexes are equally matched and equipped when it comes to entrepreneurial qualities. Any thoughts to the contrary are generally a result of stereotyping. That said, more economically secure countries have a higher proportion of opportunity-driven, as opposed to necessity-driven, women entrepreneurs.

Should you want to test the waters and see if you’ve got what it takes character-wise, before launching head long into the world of the entrepreneur, why not take the assessment test on this website:

The Entrepreneur Next Door.

Then there is the question as to why people become entrepreneurs? Certainly it’s a less secure lifestyle and a lot more work, but what could be more satisfying than seeing an idea grow, being one’s own boss and reaping the rewards? Plus the fact that after recent world affairs, a job for life is no longer assured.

An entrepreneur of note and my personal favourite has to be Sir Richard Branson. From the humble beginnings of a music mail order to the multi-national Virgin company. I admire his ceaseless energy, the get-up-and-go spirit, yet all the while remaining himself. Also, the amusing story he told in an interview of how at the end of the month he and his then partners invariably had to hide (on their premises) from those they owed money to, in order to buy for time. These days he has the financial freedom to be able to pick and choose his entrepreneurial enterprises.

A little closer to home and we come across the ever-increasing availability of groups of like-minded entrepreneurs to join. Seeing as these days most self-employed work from home, which although great can prove to be isolating, it is useful to be part of a network. With a network you have the possibility to meet people, make contacts, exchange ideas, and use others as sounding boards for support and any problems encountered.

One such group, which I am connected to, is CRAVE; entrepreneur Melody Biringer started it in the United States and it is now taking The Netherlands by storm; this is a network of entrepreneurial women. The Urban Girl’s Manifesto for Amsterdam came out in 2010, and features over 150 women in the Amsterdam area alone that you really should know. They offer a diversity of products and services via their businesses. There will soon be one for the Den Haag ladies, as this is still in the making. Crave is proving to be a very interesting but also invaluable network.

For more information: 

CRAVE Amsterdam. Should you wish to purchase a copy of the book, please contact me. Other interesting and informal ZZP groups of note in Groningen, in Dutch: Zelfstandig Zonder Personnel (Self-employed Without Personel) include, The Groningen Open Coffee Club, and The Societe de Pudding Fabrique. Both websites are in Dutch.

And finally, should the entrepreneurial assessment test turn out positive and you decide to dive into business, don’t forget to heed the laws of Karma whilst doing business: ‘What goes around comes around.’ Unlike the famous American entrepreneur, P. T. Barnum who posted signs in his museum, which said “This Way to the Egress!” Excited visitors followed the signs and ended up outside the museum. In order to re-enter and continue their tour they had to pay another entrance fee. He may well have had a sense of humour, but someone else had the last laugh, as the museum burned to the ground in 1865!

If you would like to learn more about the rules and regulations with regard to starting a business, why not read the article on page 13 of this issue?

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

sbinfocanada.about.com

entrepreneur.com

www.answerbag.com

© Alison Day Designs

First published in the Connections magazine, Spring issue # 31 2011

What's Hot, What's Not - Rainbows

Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high.
There's a land that I heard of, once in a lullaby

Rainbows are an occurrence of optical beauty and a meteorological masterpiece, caused when the sun shines on droplets of moisture in the atmosphere. It is no wonder then, that this natural colourful phenomenon creates pleasant and positive mental associations in all who view them.

Aside from the natural world, it was the English physicist, Sir Isaac Newton, who developed the theory of colour, when he found out that if white light was shone through a prism, its refraction produced the colours of a rainbow, particularly those of the colour spectrum visible to the human eye. Clever chap for sure and that discovery was but one string in his masterful bow.

As a symbol, a rainbow has always had positive connotations, from the pot of gold at the end of every rainbow, the rainbow that was supposedly seen after the great flood (symbolizing God’s promise not to throw a wobbly again - Christianity and Judaism) and a jolly children's’ TV show from the early 1980’s (GB). by the same name.

As far as mythology is concerned, the world over, the rainbow is seen as connecting heaven and earth and in the Dreamtime of Australian Aboriginal mythology, the rainbow snake is the deity who governs water.

In the film of The Wizard of Oz (based on the tale written in 1900 by L. Frank Baum), the rainbow becomes a central theme when Judy Garland sings the unforgettable song ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’, during which we are led along a road of fantasy and colour as the characters each search for their heart’s desire and ultimately their destiny, ending at the Wizard's castle.

Finally, if you look around you, these days rainbows can be found on a multitude of things. Rainbow flags for example, have been around for quite a while. Many cultures around the world use a rainbow flag as: ‘a sign of diversity, inclusiveness and of hope and of yearning.’ Rainbow flags of past and present include South American (Inca origins), Buddhist, Co-Operative and Peace movements as well as Gay Pride. In the case of the Gay community (LGBT), it is also known as the ‘Freedom Flag.’ Established as a symbol by artist Gilbert Baker in San Francisco in 1978, the different colours symbolize the diversity present in the Gay community itself.

Source: Wikipedia

© Alison Day
Alison Day Design 

First published in the Connections magazine #29 Autumn 2010 

What's Hot, What's Not! - CRAVE

Crave * v. 1 feel a powerful desire for. 2 dated ask for: I must crave your indulgence

ORIGIN: bef. 1000; ME craven, OE crafian (‘demand, claim as a right’), of Gmc origin;
akin to ON krefja to demand, lay claim to

Early February, when the mornings are still too dark to be enjoyed by any stretch of the imagination and feeling as though I have a starring role in the movie Ground Hog’s Day, I crawl behind my computer, backed up by a pot of tea, with the idea of finding something for the ‘What’s Hot, What’s Not’ spot in the Spring issue of the Connections magazine.

Yes, it would be easy to take the low road and continue on the traditional negative downward spiral of Monday morning that I so often suffer from, but I decide I should make a concerted effort to lift my spirits, after all I am writing for the spring issue of the Connections. This is a time of re-birth, when everything comes back to life again. The infernal snow and permanent living in ugly walking boots (party shoes in a bag) scenario, has come to an end and attractive footwear rules once more. Crocuses and snowdrops emerge, wagging tailed little lambs and fluffy chicks are born and yet, I crave something… My permanent bar of big chunk chocolate in the fridge is temporarily gone and I can’t lay the blame on anyone but myself, as my son is at school and I have yet to see a cat eat a piece of chocolate, let alone open a fridge door; although I must say I used to own a very clever large black tom cat who could open doors, but I digress.

So, I turn my attention to the Internet and tick in the word crave. The search offers up a variety of sites, which cover edibles, games, sexy videos, a perfume by Calvin Klein, as well as a hospitality public relations and marketing services firm. That’s all very well and good, but it doesn't hit the spot. How about Wikipedia? That presents, of course, a definition in much the same way as my trusty Oxford dictionary, some music, a band and a brand of cat food. With the party (Soul Train) from a previous weekend still playing clearly in my mind, I idly tick in crave and party, well nothing ventured as they say… and so I come across The Crave Company. I enter their website hoping to be pleasantly surprised.

© Alison Day
Alison Day Design 

First published in the Connections magazine #27 Spring 2009 

What's Hot, What's Not! - Sky Cars - The Only Way is Up

Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly,
but the bumblebee doesn't know that so it goes on flying anyway.  

~ Mary Kay Ash

Mid-flight to England this summer, trying to take my mind of the nausea provoking turbulence, I noticed in the in-flight magazine an interesting addition to the gadget section. Nestled on the page in between this years ‘must haves’, of a pair of Skull-crusher headphones, a weird USB stick and an ugly suitcase cover was a cherry red PAL-V (Personal Air & Land Vehicle).

For one horrible moment, I thought that the makers of the Reliant

Robin (a 3-wheeled car from the 70’s, infamous for toppling over whilst cornering) was trying to make a 21st century come back. Upon further inspection, it became apparent that this is far more superior. Intended to be the world’s first practical ‘flying car’, the PAL-V is a single seated, three-wheeled vehicle that can fly as a gyro-copter, drive as a regular car and handles with the diversity of a motorbike. Now how cool is that, in these days of increasing gridlock and road rage! Its fold-able rotor means that it can be driven from your doorstep and then flown to your destination of choice. This could revolutionize personal air travel, as just getting to the airport and one’s flight is a nightmare these days.

The PAL-V is due to appear in 2012. Conceived by John Bakker working with Spark design (amongst others), it has taken 6 years to develop a vehicle concept that can fly as well as drive. The PAL-V has a possible speed of up to 125 mph on land and 120 mph in the air, as well as being able to soar to heights of 4,000 feet.

With transport going vertical, our highways may soon look like something out of the film ‘The Fifth Element’, with Bruce Willis. But it’s not all plain sailing or should I say flying? In order to be able to drive/fly one of these you will need a plethora of licences. For starters, an aircraft certification: “Small Rotorcraft”, road certification: Three wheeled Motorcycles, Class L5e, car drivers license, 20-40 hours of flying experience and approximately $ 7000 to pay for it all! That’s all before you have bought the aircraft, which will only set you back a paltry $75,000.

The PAL-V on the other hand is ‘cheap’, compared to the middle of the range priced, Terrafugia at $194,000. This one looks rather like a plane and has been dubbed ‘not a true skycar’, by its critics. Then there is the top of the range (not on sale just yet) Moller Skycar M400 at $526,634.35. This can comfortably seat four people and travels up to speeds of 380 mph.

Of course in order to fly with the happy abandon of a Jetsons cartoon, (Hanna Barbara), a foolproof GPS navigation system will also have to be implemented for transport that is going to be land-air, at a moments notice, otherwise it could be disastrous. But all said and done, I must admit I like the idea of this mode of transport and should I decide to invest in one, it’ll land nicely on the roof of my vertical garden!

Sources: Pal-V   Moller   Terrafugia

© Alison Day
Alison Day Design 

First published in the Connections magazine #25 Autumn 2009 

What's Hot, What's Not! - Geocaching

Geocaching is a way to take a walk in the countryside, which is a combination of both sport and game. If you are tired of just looking at flora and fauna whilst listening to the trudging sound of your footsteps on a walk, why not take a walk with a purpose that will keep your brain as well as your body fit?

With Geocaching, the idea is that with the aid of a handheld GPS receiver (using co-ordinates obtained from the Geocaching website), you follow what is rather like a high-tech treasure hunt. At the end of the hunt, hidden somewhere in the world, you will find a cache. The cache is generally a watertight box complete with logbook (the finder can document finding the cache), and ‘treasure’ inside, with which items can be swapped or added. Anyone can hide a cache and the location is made common knowledge via Internet. Once found the cache is returned to its original hiding place and your Geocaching stories and photos can be shared online at various forums.

So, it is also possible to choose the type and grade of difficulty of the Geocache; whether it’s a normal, earth, multi or mystery cache. The earth cache for example is educational, whilst with the multi cache a point has to be reached before the co-ordinates of the final hiding place are given. Another popular variety is the collation of information found at given points in a hunt, which lead to the end destination and, you guessed it, a cache.

The game has been around since May 2000; Dave Ulmer hid the first cache on 3rd May. In order to play the game one has to create an account and become a member, which is free. Currently there are Geocaches placed in over 100 countries around the world and on all seven continents including Antarctica.

So, dust off those walking boots and take your brain for a jaunt!

For the official Geocaching website: Geocaching. For the Dutch website: Geocatching (NL).
Sources: Wikipedia

© Alison Day 2018
Alison Day Design 

First published in the Connections magazine #24 Summer 2009