movin’ on

to anyone who stops by this blog: if it seems deserted, it is. The address to my new blog is:

www.pkafka.com

Thanks. I hope you guys enjoy my new blog as much as I have enjoyed working with WordPress on this one.

-pk

austin – in retrospect

Summer is never complete without a trip down I-35 to good ole Austin, Texas. Since graduating high-school in 2005, a weekend in Austin with my Dallas buddies has been a summer staple.

The average Texas capital trip usually consists of a caravan of cars heading from Dallas to Austin; six, seven and sometimes even eight Greenhill (my highschool) grads travel down with hopes of tasty tex-mex  and good fun.

This most recent trip, unlike most, was a smaller, more manageable  group, consisting of three others besides myself. My usual host, Josh Ernst, who I previously wrote about in “jet-setting Joshua” played the part of the gracious host, which he continually does so damn well. However this trip, his promises and predictions of a great time were finally achieved.

Although my trips to Austin are usually enjoyable, it is not the city that makes the get-togethers great, it is the people. I love seeing old friends and making new ones too; however the females that frat parties usually provide are not the type that “will make my weekend.”

This short stint in Longhorn nation did contain a night of foam at the perfectly coined “cool, Jewish frat,” ZBT, however, the crazy party was far from being the best part of the weekend.

I would have to say that the small group played a key part in making this Austin weekend my favorite …ever. Our meals and down time tended to be the most fun of all: whether it was sipping Mexican Martini’s at the best frigin Tex-Mex place ever, Trudy’s, or the four of us trying to take an afternoon siesta to get ready for Saturday night; when we were together, we were having fun.

Even though what Austin had to offer did not make the weekend, there were certain “Austin specific” aspects of it that were integral parts:

First, I really enjoyed spending time with two of my other good high-school buddies, Rob and Colby, who are both residing in Austin for the summer. These enjoyable guys never seem to lose their luster. Although they both contain touches of Texas frat tradition that I am not accustomed to, these guys always help me realize that the average Jewish guy is a much better man than me. Whether I am trying to pick up women with Rob, or making fun of Colby trying to do the same, a good time is always obtainable as long as these guys are in the picture. Their friends are good guys too… as expected.

Second, instead of  sticking to the plan and going to the Saturday day-time party entitled “Fiji Island,” Mickey, Josh, Sam and I headed down to the Barton Creek Greenbelt . In our new-found appreciation of nature, my friends and I truly enjoyed buying some three dollar inner-tubes and giving floating down the river an honest chance. Although our 36″ tubes, were not properly equipped to handle the rushing rapids (due to all the rain) they served us well for the two hundred feet we floated.

Along with going with the tide, watching Josh struggle with the muddy river bank was quite a sight to see. I think he slipped five times and fell three; some quality entertainment.

Anyways, yes, Austin was great. Being joined by only three other people probably made the experience as nice as it was; our ability to agree on activities quickly helped us have a nice itinerary; and the heaping amount of alcohol that Trudy’s puts in their Mexican Martini’s (I was talking to any and every woman  after only one) and that Rob, Colby and the rest of ZBT provided us with Friday night helped us avoid what could have been a disastrous day of drinking at Fiji Island on Saturday.

All in all, the way I do Austin is changed forever. I will no longer go hoping to enjoy the fun but always regrettable times I have at the Frat parties. I will now venture down south seeking outdoor adventures with the right amount of company.

-pk

austin for the weekend

To my few faithful readers: I will be in Austin for the weekend. I am heading down there with my good friends Josh, Mickey, Sam and Rook – a guaranteed good time.

I will update you on the outing when I return. Have a nice weekend.

-pk

south america – for the adventurous spirit

As some of you know, I am currently preparing to venture down to South America. The specifics of the trip are as follows:

1. I will be joined by my good friend Mickey Ashmore

2. We will be spending 3 days at a winery outside of Santiago, 2 weeks (all expenses paid) at a Starwood hotel in Buenos Aires and 2 weeks (all expenses paid) at a Starwood hotel in Rio.

We will be traveling with many hopes, goals, expectations and desires, however, other than the two items mentioned above…we have no plans.

As such, we have been working moderately hard to try and figure out some specifics. We both enjoy active exploration (activities that incorporate some sort of physical exertion and a lot of scenery, ie hiking).

Anyways, trying to hold up my end of the “come on, we need to find stuff do to!” bargain that Mickey and I both agreed upon, I began searching for people that might be able to introduce us to places of interest.

The editor of the publication I work for (Modern Luxury Dallas) recommended I contact one of her ex-cowriters, who is currently a freelance writer/photographer in Lima, Peru. He is an awesome guy and has offered much advice (his website). As he puts it, he is going to try and help us manufacture a trip that includes “weird adventures and finding the South American loves of our lives.”

He lead us to the South American Explorers club. I have been surfing their website and found a very useful section; if anyone is planning a trip to SA they must check out the Trip Reports.

If you are a seeking unique travel experiences – interesting people have posted theirs in that section.

Happy exploring!

-pk

banksy – written up

My dad, an avid art fan with impeccable taste, recently introduced me to the work of Banksy, a British graffiti artist. Similar to the type of art my father usually collects, Banksy’s art is cutting edge; however contrary to my fathers taste, his art is abstract in meaning, not method.

Like most artists, Banksy is not well known; on the other hand, unlike most artists, Banksy prefers to remain anonymous. With the majority of his followers reporting that they don’t know who he is or what he looks like, it is safe to say that Banksy is an enigma.

Although he specializes in attractive and welcomed public vandalism, he also produces pieces for private collections. In April of 2007 one of his creations, entitled Space Girl and Bird, was auctioned by Sotheby’s for £288,000 ($576,000); unlike most people, Banksy refuses to embrace fame. A day prior to the sale of this work, Southeby’s succeded in auctioning off more of his pieces. In response to the absurd prices people paid, Banksy produced this work of art and posted it on the front page of his website. Be sure to check his website out.

Explore his collection, do some research, all his masterpieces rely on their location for much of their meaning. Here are some of my favorites (click to enlarge):

-pk

m cafe de chaya – miracle food

Like most people, I have a love/hate relationship with healthy eating. Flavors from fatty foods often sound appealing, but usually lead to a substantial amount of regret.

As a person who tries to keep my tongue as happy as my body, I am constantly looking for places that provide sinfully healthy food. Last year, as an inhabitant of LA, my goal was easy to accomplish.

On my search, I came across a lot of prime spots. However, my quest ended up leading me to one of the most amazing culinary experiences of my life.

M Cafe De Chaya is more than your average organic sandwich shop. With a kitchen that exclusively serves macrobiotic dishes, the restaurant swears that their food helps their customers find an inner peace and outer glow.

Their menu is awesome. After a once over, the average “non-healthy” eater might feel intimidated and even over-whelmed, but after asking a couple of questions and taking a minute to collect oneself, there is no way that a hungry person won’t be excited.

Honestly, nothing is good at this place; everything is great. Since the restaurant is macrobiotic, they do not serve meat or dairy products… But I swear that their veggie burger on whole-grain bread is better than any beef product on any white-bread bun.

Try the Madras Tempe wrap, and anything else that strikes some intrigue. The place uses top quality ingredients and even serves my favorite whole-grain, Quinoa.

M Cafe is healthy, yes; but it is also amazingly tasty… Even my fat friends like it.

-pk

jet-setting joshua

My good friend, actually one of my best, Josh, just returned from what seems to have been a very unique travel experience. His journey began in Vail, where he frequented the wedding reception (but not wedding), of one of his unconventional cousins. He actually missed the wedding because he had to catch a flight to his next destination.

He was joined in the Gatwick (or Heathrow, not sure) airport by his girlfriend (don’t get too excited yet)… and her dad. I assume Josh was respectful and simply gave her a small-sized, impersonal, almost business-like hug, rather than what the nature of their relationship usually asks for in a much-awaited greeting. From there, the jet-setting trio excitedly hopped on a plane to land in none other than Ethiopia.

While in Africa, the three helped treat tuberculosis, maleria and even dabbled with AIDS. Based on his past, I’d always imagined Josh spreading AIDS, not trying to cure it. Either way, he did what he could.

I would introduce you to some of the gruesome details, but the essence of my blog is prompting me to showcase the nice kicks he got in Paris after his Ethiopian excursion.

I do not know the name of the model, but I wanted to just say that the color scheme is pretty smooth. If any readers have any details, please let me know. Here they are:

Those pics were taken by me on Josh’s Samsung BlackJack (pretty slick as well, more to come on that later). If the shoes look small, the pictures are true to reality.

-pk

Hi-Tech Hotels, the Spanish Savior

Sharing stories from European adventures never gets old, the subject matter that creates them might. Every adventurous person loves the idea of staying in a hostel: public spaces filled with fun people, sleeping a few feet from someone you just met, being greeted by people just as drunk as you at five am – the list could go on…but not forever. Although the experiences that these unique quarters create are memorable, the paper-thin sheets, slimy showers and invasion of privacy do, inevitably, need a break. And as expected, Europe has a solution; well, Spain in particular.

High-Tech hotels, a Spanish chain, is every bit as exciting as any hostel, but with rooms that provide modern design, personal laptops, luxurious showers and missed most of all, plush pillows, they become the perfect place for someone that won’t compromise coolness for comfort.

With floor-plans that can accommodate two, four or six people, very comfortably, for a price that can become as slim as about thirty Euros per-person a night; these hotels are not only a great option for style conscious hostel dwellers, but also suit design driven couples, and any one else that appreciates modern surroundings at moderate prices.

see what i’m talkin about:

www.hthotels.com

-pk