SINGLES FEST

Today I like to educate you about a phenomenon most of us have experienced before. I became aware of the description through an investment newsletter I receive. In it Jeff Clark describes it. It’s called the Puke Effect.

Don’t be mistaken. It doesn’t only apply to investing. It applies to many things and in some cases has become a behavior.

Look at your team meetings:
Have you put meetings on your schedule that you feel are totally redundant or unnecessary, and only waste your time? Ask yourself how many of these meetings just get created because one person wants to impress another person in the hierarchy.

How often do you think it happens because nobody wanted to make a clear decision, so it was elected to have another meeting about a subject?

Here is how Jeff describes the Puke Effect:

“The cruise was going along just fine.”

Captain Bill was describing the worst sailing trip he had ever chartered. “We were about halfway to the island when one of the passengers started to get sick…”He didn’t quite make it all the way to the railing and he threw up on a bunch of the passengers who were sitting right there on the starboard side of the boat.”

Captain Bill then went on to describe how the passengers who had been puked upon started vomiting as well. Some of them managed to vomit over the side of the boat. But they were throwing up into the wind, and a good portion of “breakfast shrapnel” blew back into the boat, soaking the clothes, hair, and faces of anyone standing nearby.

“Pretty soon,” Bill continued, “everyone was puking. The stench was so bad, even my crew members were blowing chow.”

I first heard this story about 15 years ago, when I was learning to sail. I now recall it at the end of just about every quarter. On Wall Street, they call it “portfolio window dressing.” I call it the puke effect.

At the end of every quarter, portfolio managers dress up their accounts by purging stocks that haven’t performed well. After all, who wants to show shareholders they’ve been hanging on to the worst-performing stocks in the market? So, one by one, the portfolio managers jettison the equities overboard. As the selling pressure mounts and the losses deepen, more and more managers feel the need to purge. Eventually, even the most experienced money managers are throwing up stocks at bargain-basement prices. It happens every quarter.

Jeff Clark

If you are wondering how this applies to leadership, management, and success, think about this scenario:

You are in a discussion. Can you recall the times where a discussion about a topic got controversial? One person came up with a totally ridiculous idea, somebody made a flip remark, and then you get the Puke Effect into full swing and everybody begins purging ‘niceties’ about
ideas and individuals. It all ends in a shouting match, and if nobody stops it, it can lead to real harm, and hurt feelings.

What’s the cure for the Puke Effect?

It is rather simple:

You need honesty, confidence, and communication skills.

If you are confident to voice your opinion in a clear, non-threatening way, and communicate convincingly, you will avoid meetings that nobody needs. You will be able to make decisions when all aspects have been discussed. You will be in a role that keeps discussions from escalating into a Puke-Fest.

Best of all, you will be respected, maybe even adored, and people will want to work with you and seek your advice. One way of learning to have the required combination of confidence, honesty, and communication skill is coaching. You might want to try it for 3-6 months and see how much you can gain in a fairly short amount of time. This is especially recommended if you find yourself in a position of power and responsibility and recall events that qualify for the Puke Effect.

On a lighter note, I like to suggest watching the video (link below) and getting a clear perspective on where time has gone - in case you have days you ask yourself: “I did things all day long, but it appears as if nothing got done - other than that stupid meeting with the Puke- Fest in the middle. Where did all the time go?”

http://youtube.com/watch?v=4P785j15Tzk

Labor Day weekend in Austin this year promises every imaginable kind of activity, with something for everyone, young and old, in the works. Some choices for end of summer fun locally include Texas Longhorn events, the Austin Bat Fest, and a day of yoga, among other celebrations. If you’re a sports fan, the Texas Longhorns are playing a home game the Saturday before Labor Day, and the game will be held in Darrel K. Royal Memorial Stadium, as usual.

The beginning of Longhorn football season in Austin is always a day filled with excitement and anticipation, and this year is no different from any other, so get out your burnt orange and white clothing and head to the U.T. campus for a day of competition and rivalry.

Another popular event is being organized for its fourth year this year, the 4th Annual Austin Bat Fest, which will be held on and around the Ann Richards Bridge Saturday and Sunday prior to Labor Day. This event promises various activities, musical performances, a diverse choice of food and drink, and many other family-oriented arts, crafts, educational displays, and other bat-related festivities.

The estimated attendance for BatFest is about 40,000 spectators and participants, so come early to see and hear thirty different musical acts perform on two different stages and watch as over 1.5 million Mexican free tail bats soar over the clear waters of Lady Bird Lake and the Austin skyline. This event partially supports the bats and their colony under the downtown bridge and admittance is just $5.00, so come out and see what all is being offered at the 150 different booths which will be set up in the festival area, on the Congress Avenue Bridge, which was recently renamed to honor former Texas Governor Ann Richards.

While there, you can sample the different cuisines or enjoy shopping among the numerous offerings of stained glass, pottery, art objects, photography, jewelry, fine art, and other eclectic goods being sold at the festival. The event will remain open until midnight Saturday night and ten p.m. Sunday night, so there will be plenty of time to shop and celebrate during this event.

Another sporting event being held over the Labor Day weekend in the Austin area is the 7th annual Labor Day Cup, which is a soccer tournament for children which serves as a kind of practice for the coming season, and this event is being sponsored by Nike this year and promises fun for all. The games are being played at fields throughout the Austin area and the tournament is being organized by the Lonestar Soccer Club. In addition to the soccer tournament, a tennis tournament is also being held over Labor Day weekend in the Austin area, and those interested in participating may sign up online for both the soccer tournament and the tennis tournament, which is affiliated with the U.S. Tennis Association.

A free day of Yoga is being held again this year on Labor Day too, as it has been since 1999, and this event is the perfect opportunity to learn the different styles of yoga as well as become familiar with different teachers and studios, at an inviting price: free! The classes are being held at studios across town, and some individual studios are offering food and drinks after the classes as well, and participants are invited to stay, relax and enjoy the day.

Many water-related parties are also on tap, and one of these events is the Splash Days event which celebrates the gay community and includes an “adult swim” party with D.J.s and a dance. Some of the related activities will be held at a downtown hotel and a schedule is available online for this event too.

There are many other smaller events being held, and many celebrations on and around Lake Travis as well as Lake Austin, with cookouts being planned in local parks and other facilities. However, it is important to remember that motorized water c rafts are prohibited on some area lakes during the holiday, and the waters of Lake Travis are very low this year, so boaters are being advised to use caution when boating in area lakes at this time. There are many other choices of activities in the Austin area, and since the Labor Day weekend marks the end of the lazy days of summer and a return to school for the kids, use your time wisely and enjoy the day relaxing, celebrating, and having fun, since you won’t get another chance until next year!

Summer festivals are the Canadian way of celebrating the season and truly enjoying the best of the glorious sunshine and all round good cheer. Across Canada, summer festivals add an air of festivity with a wide range of entertainments and exciting events.

The Fringe Festival represents the spirit of summer festivals in Canada. This is where anyone can perform and get away with appreciation. These perform or perish events grant the performers one whole minute to win the audience or retreat. Events include dance, music, comedy shows, drama, musicals, theatre and more. Audience can use the festival guide to help decide what to watch from the literally hundreds on show. Fringe Festivals can be found in cities including Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Victoria, Ottawa, London and many more.

Canada’s summer festivals celebrate music like none other. The Cisco Systems Bluesfest in Ottawa, Ontario is a perfect example. Anything from Cuban music to jam bands can be expected at this extremely exhilarating music fest. To add to the melee there are the side shows and the overall festival atmosphere.

Here’s one for the funny bone. Canada’s summer festival celebration sets great store by comedy shows. The Funnyfest Comedy Festival in Calgary, Alberta is where the good humor spreads good vibes all around. Hilarious comedy shows, stand up comics that make you double over, and plenty of laughing matter is on for about 16 nights incorporating over a hundred performers. It’s a punch line a minute attack that will have you ROFL.

Montreal of course has the Just for Laughs Festival and the Giggleshots-International Comedy Short Film Festival in Toronto is the largest of its kind in the world and everything you’ve heard about it is true. This major event is now all set to be staged in the UK.

The Canada Dance Festival in Ottawa began in 1987 and is growing stronger by the year. It is now the primary showcase for professional dancers to strut their stuff. Get ready to witness an awesome range of performances that will have you entranced. The Toronto International Tango Festival is another venue where dancers from all over the world come to stage their passion for tango.

Folk Festivals are held as part of summer festivals in Canada in Ottawa, Calgary, Winnipeg, and Edmonton among other places. All sorts of music from all over the world including Celtic, aboriginal, country, swing, and anything else you can think of are performed with gusto, and uninterrupted for four days.

No celebration can be complete without wine and beer. Canada’s summer festivals celebrate this in style at the Great Canadian Beer Festival in Victoria, BC. Contrary to conclusions one may jump to, this is not a drink all you can fest but rather an upmarket venture where the quality of the beer has to be irreproachable as does the integrity of the brewer. It’s more a celebration of the craft of beer brewing and its artistic aspect. The Niagara Wine Festival is a magnet that draws visitors in their thousands to the area. It runs in a series including the Ice-wine Festival, the New Vintage Festival, and finally the Niagara Wine Festival.

I have found when corresponding with many gym goers and fitness enthusiasts, that there is a massive disconnect in what they say and practice depending on the day of the week 

 

These are people who train hard, eat right and do all things they’re supposed to do to the point that they’re on auto pilot, soaring towards their goal.  Then, something strange happens.  One day, usually on the weekend, all of these habits seem to walk to the back of the plane, kick open the emergency exit door, and jump out without a second thought.

 

The specific day I’m talking about is better known as their “cheat day.” 

 

Why do people do this?  

 

Because many magazine, writers, and even experts, tell us that it’s ok to have a complete snack attack one day of the week.  There is no mention of whether or not it will cause a lasting effect on the progress that you worked so hard for

 

The idea of eating a whole days worth of junk food is very attractive to many people.  Many complain about having to eat 5 or 6 healthy meals a day, but on cheat day you’d be hard-pressed to catch them without food in their mouth.

 

The reality is that cheat days, also known as stuffing your face with garbage one day of the week, is a great way to get fat.  The following will make what I’m saying very clear. 

 

Many junk foods contain a ridiculous amount of calories.  One Burger King Double Whopper with cheese has 1020cal, and Boston Pizza’s Spicy Italian Penne has 1350 calories!  For every 21 Doritos chips you’ll be receiving about 250 calories.  If you think you can get away with “healthy choices” think again, The Thai Chicken salad at Boston Pizza will only set you back an even 1000 calories. 

 

Let’s take a look at the “Activity cost” of these extra calories.

 

A 200 pound person has to run at 5.2 miles per hour for 2 straight hours to burn up 1473 calories!  Cycling at 5.5 mph would take him 4 hours to burn up 1396 calories.  Get ready for this, that same person would need 5 hours of walking at 2mph to burn those calories up.  5 hours!!  That’s like one weeks worth of walking on the treadmill for eating one of meals mentioned above!

 

If, depending on your weight, it requires 5 hours of walking to burn off an excess 1400 calories, and one of the meals above easily provides over 1000 calories, what do you think would happen if you had an entire day’s worth of eating junk food?  What would happen is you’d need to spend the next few weeks burning up the calories from your food fest just to get back to where you were before the Food Fest. 

 

If you have a cheat day every week, and some do this over the weekend, as in two days of unbridled mastication, you would never be able to burn up the excess calories.  You would start each week so far behind the ball that there wouldn’t be a snowball’s chance in hell of catching up. 

 

People in this situation eventually give up and stop training.  They say “that training stuff doesn’t work.  I did everything I was supposed to, I even tried working out everyday, and I still put on weight!”   They may even believe that it’s their genes,”it runs in the family,” or ”I’m supposed to be weak or fat. ”

 

Looking at the amount of time you need to spend exercising and you can easily see how a day filled with meals like this will totally nullify the progress you made the week before.  Knowing all of this makes it hard to believe that some so called experts recommend “taking the weekend off.”  Good advice if you’re looking to make your belt useless and would prefer suspenders.

 

Don’t let this scare you.  You can still eat the foods you love, and even eat some foods that are high in calories once in a while. 

 

The whole idea of eating some “junk food” to keep your cravings in check is another good idea gone bad.  The whole point is if junk foods were a regular part of your diet in the past, simply cutting them out wholesale can cause some to have uncontrollable cravings.  If these cravings aren’t attended to, they’ll eventually cause the person to go into a blind eating frenzy, only to come to days later with an ice cream bucket over their head and mounds of empty food packaging everywhere – or something similar.  All joking aside, there is some merit to this.  However, the point is to keep cravings under control while you gradually minimize junk from your diet

 

The good thing is if you’re trying to trim up and burn fat off your body, an occasional day that has you eating a little more calories than usual will trick your metabolism into burning faster.  It helps minimize the chance of your metabolism adapting to your lower caloric intake, which means continued fat loss.  However, let me say it again, over do it and you start to plump up.  I believe if you’re going to eat calorie dense foods like this, you should keep it to a, as in one to a max of two, cheat meals a week.

 

The idea is not to over indulge in all the crap food that is offered today, and instead to start getting used to living healthy and adopting a full time nutritional plan into your diet.

 

Just because it’s called a cheat meal, it doesn’t mean you automatically stop using your head.  You can minimize the “caloric impact” by splitting the meal up into a quarter serving of your favorite “healthy food,” and the rest of your dish made up of your favorite “cheat meal.” 

 

This also works for switching the “staples” in your diet.  You can go from a fattier and unhealthier type of hamburger, like medium ground beef, and slowly mix it with extra lean ground beef  until you’re eating only extra lean.

 

You can mix your salad dressing with healthier olive oil bit by bit until you’re only using olive oil.

 

You can also start adding vegetables to your eggs, essentially making an omelet, by adding a few pieces of whatever veggies you want, until you get the desired serving amount.  As time goes by you can slowly increase the ratio of healthy to junky, and before you know it you’ll be eating less and less junk.

 

Don’t limit yourself by thinking you need to keep eating junk foods to stay sane, it’s a load of bull.  Your taste buds will eventually adapt to the new foods and dishes you eat, and the truth is you’ll eventually start to crave the healthier foods, especially when you feel the difference they make, inside and outside the gym.

 

Also, if you currently don’t eat much junk food that’s great. You don’t have to eat junk food if you’ve never ate it or cared for it to stay on track nutrition wise.  As a matter of fact, the longer you eat a certain type of food the more and more your taste buds will become used to it, regardless of whether or not it’s junk food or health food.

 

 

 Eating Time!

 

Remember it’s “Cheat Meal”, not “Cheat Day”- Limit indulgences to once or twice per week max.

 

Slowly reduce, and preferably eliminate, processed foods

If your current diet is loaded with unhealthy foods, don’t try to eliminate them all at one time.  Gradually phase out the junk foods with healthier choices by using the mixing method mentioned above.

 

Junk foods aren’t limited to unhealthy processed foods, fried foods, candy etc. 

One of the keys to a healthy nutrition plan is balance.  Over consumption of any of the three macro nutrients results in an unbalanced meal.  Olive oil is great for you when used appropriately; using a cupful at a time, not so healthy.  Same thing goes for most “healthy” foods.  Keep to a healthy amount and eat balanced meals.

© Raymond Toulany

 

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), along with the Thai government, concentrated on making Songkran 2008 more safe, peaceful, and yet fun, and still managed to successfully retain and exemplify the values of the customary Songkran. The participants, due to the prior arrangements, could enjoy the event to its full extent while avoiding all the ugly raucousness. The success of the event can be attributed largely to a set of new rules that were implemented this year.

 

This year, the risky water guns and PVC water pumps were notably missing. The retailers were prevented from selling them by the authorities. Hotline numbers were displayed so that people could report to authorities if anyone was found selling the banned items. The trend of roaming around the streets in big cars or pickups that carried big water containers and too many people was banned too. It may sound unusual for those who haven’t witnessed a typical Songkran in Thailand. These big cars and pickups literally roam the city streets hunting for people to drench in water and color. This is quite fun, but very risky too, and has been rightly stopped.

 

Although many old trends were banned, the event was still as much fun, more so, with many of the safety regulations being followed. Along with the usual water splashing bashes, this year had the feature of a special nine temple tour. Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Pho, Wat Suthat, Wat Saket, Wat Bowonniwet, Wat Chanasongkram, Wat Rakung, Wat Arun and Wat Kalayanamitr were the temples included in the tour.

 

The famous Khao San road in Bangkok was where a great part of all the intense action and fun took place during Songkran 2008. This year, with some efforts, the Thai government and the local businesses tied up to follow the new regulations and many diverse entertainment activities were offered to visitors. This included the traditional Thai dresses and celebration of the event in the customary Thai manner.

 

The Siam Square, Silom road, and the Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok also witnessed huge crowds of visitors and many celebrations. This year even the bigger departmental chains also took an active part in the Songkran 2008 festival. Notably, the Central World on the Ratchadamri Road had a special campaign, “Splashy Songkran FEST”. The Bangkok Songkran Music fest at Siam Paragon was a hit too with large crowds.

 

Bangkok is a multifaceted city and visiting the city can be a remarkable experience for anyone. Bangkok serviced apartments are available for visitors seeking convenient accommodations in the city. No matter why or when you visit there are several convenient such as Royal President suitable for tourists, businessmen, families and groups.

 

Vacationing in Florida is on the longing roll for many families. Whether you’re looking to expend time in Disney enjoying the many theme parks, or you want to waste a relaxing leave on the beaches of the Florida Keys- Florida offers a finicky strain of trip options for every lifestyle and resources.

Florida Panhandled: Many general destinations lie within the sphere known as the Florida Panhandle, plus Panama City Beach, Santa Rosa, Destin, and Pensacola Beach. You can find a polite form of escape rentals that are right on the coast, as well as rentals located more in the city limits. Florida Panhandle trip rentals are year-globular destinations. In Destin you can have over 24 miles of dirty fair beaches, water activities plus snorkeling, booming-sea fishing and diving, and dolphin study.

In Panama City Beach, current holiday rentals include condos and houses on Shell Island and M.B Miller County Pier. There is no shortage of activity in Panama City- from water sports to hide-sea fishing to amusement parks and the ever-standard, wineglass foot boat tours, you will forever find exciting effects to do while on retreat. If you’re interested in aquatic life, outing the Gulf World Marine Park while staying in your leave rentals, for shows and encounters with lively dolphins.

Orlando: The most current holiday destination in Florida, Orlando boasts hundreds of theme parks, amusement and water parks, and family fun centers. Rentals can be found right in the spirit of trip activity, or a little extra away from it all depending on your preference. Home to Walt Disney World, Sea World, Universal Orlando and Daytona Speedway, it’s simple to overlook everything also Orlando has to suggest vacationers. Orlando also home to some of the most superb botanical gardens and makeup trails. You can find abundance of biking trails, as well as ordinary springs. Vacationers sans relaxation rather than nonstop action can like many of the areas crude attractions instead of the amusement parks that disclose the geographical position.

Miami: A gorgeous Florida holiday destination, and the only avow to have two citizen parks. The Everglades National Park is considered a feral network that cannot be found anywhere besides on earth. The Biscayne National Park boasts the only living sultry reef in the United States. There is a nice class of trip options within Miami. Speedways and amusements for the active types and steamy relaxation for those looking to get away for some, much desirable “R and R.” You have a swarm of options in your strain of rentals also, from beachfront resorts, to art deco boutique hotels in the city, to reserved homes along the coastline.

Florida Keys. The keys are actually some islands that are part of Florida. Key West home to the renowned “Duvall Street.” Many popular establishments have a Duvall Street Address, including “Sloppy Joes Bar,” which was a preferred pause for Ernest Hemingway when he was living in Key West. The avenue also boasts numerous art galleries. Each night, both tourists and locals pick in Mallory Square to enjoy what is known as the Sunset Fest. The Sunset Fest allows people to enjoy one another’s crowd while scrutiny the beauty of the evening and listening to narrow musicians and scrutiny Key West Carnival acts. Key West holiday rentals include cottages, motels, hotels and homes. Key Largo is the diving capital of the world! Whether you are new to the undersea world or are a veteran diver, Key Largo offers exceptional worth diving vacations. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, a favorite underwater park, is located in Key Largo. Even if you are unable or unwilling to try diving, you can enjoy the beautiful coral reefs by charming a pester in one of the beaker-floor boats. Key Largo is the flanking island to Miami, located about an hour and thirty notes from Miami International airport, which makes the destination improve for day visitors from Miami, or for complete holiday stays in a variety of rentals.

Whether you’re looking for an action packed holiday, or one that allows you and your family to relax on sandy beaches- Florida has many locations to meet your wishes.

Akbar Khan’s Taj is back and wow! After winning accolades and critical acclaim at the Damascus Film Fest where the Director’s Cut of Taj Mahal – an Eternal Love story was showcased at the opening ceremony of the ‘Special Indian Night’, Akbar Khan’s magnum opus is all set to make waves at the IFFI – India and  the Cairo International Fest this month.

“The Taj Mahal is considered to be the greatest wonder of the world and has become the focus of innumerable romantic stories. It has inspired kings, queens, commoners, heads of states, artists, poets, photographers; connoisseurs of beauty ever since it was build 350 years ago. It is with this inspiration that I dared to produce and direct the magnum opus on the eternal love story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal,” said an emotional Akbar Khan. “And  am proud Taj is getting back the glory it deserved,”

The film was also recently invited by the Govt. of Abu Dhabi for a special screening at the Al-Dhafra Theatre of Authority for Culture & Heritage, besides being selected by Dubai International Film Festival committee for a world premiere on Dec 11. Earlier, The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh who saw the film with his family presented a print of this film to the former President of Pakistan Gen. Parvez Musharraff for his viewing, as a gift from India. Taj has also been adorned by two Indian National Awards for best costumes and art direction by Hon’ble President of India Mrs. Pratibha Patil.

Besides Pooja Batra, Shawar Ali, Bunty Grewal, Ali,  Praveen Sirohi, Yusuf Lakdawala with hosts Mariam Khan and Akbar Khan had a whale of a time. 

You may think that many of the Los Angeles events that take place throughout the year are strictly for the Hollywood Crowd and that you will forever be behind the velvet rope. Not true. You can find a lot of events that take place in Los Angeles each year that are open to the general public and will make your visit to the City of Angels even more enlightening. Some of these Los Angeles events include the following.

Shriner’s Circus

The Shriner’s is a public service organization that hosts an annual circus to benefit children at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Center in downtown Los Angeles. The Shriner’s Circus is held the last weekend of January every year and can be a good way for you and your family to start off the New Year. There is a fee to get in, but the circus is something that your kids will remember forever. This is a circus that caters to kids and also helps a good cause.

Los Angeles Jazz Festival

There are jazz festivals throughout the country but the Los Angeles Jazz festival is one that is held indoors and in the winter months. Although Los Angles is usually sunny and warm throughout the year, the jazz festival gives a whole new meaning to the term “cool jazz” as it is held inside the Laemmie Music Hall. You can check out the Los Angeles Jazz Festival every year during the first Saturday of March. The festival goes on throughout the day and features local and often undiscovered acts.

The Los Angeles Hot Air Balloon Festival

The annual hot air balloon festival features balloons from around the world that ascend into the sky for a grand spectacle from Echo Park each year. The Los Angeles Hot Air Balloon Festival takes place the second weekend of March each year and includes a fair with food and rides for the kids. Hot air balloon festivals are something that most people enjoy watching and your family will be no different. Best of all, this event is not only open to the public, but it’s free.

Los Angeles Taste Fest

You can get a taste of the cuisine in and around the Los Angeles area if you go to the Los Angeles Taste Fest at Griffith Park located along Crystal Springs Drive in Los Angeles. If you have always wanted to sample some of the cuisines of the restaurants that you have hard so much about and perhaps those that you have heard your favorite stars attend, you can do so when you attend this annual festival that occurs during the last weekend in June.

Los Angeles Book Fair & Sale

The Los Angeles Library system is one of the largest public library systems in the world. Millions of donations make the annual Los Angeles Book Fair and Sale a huge annual event. The Los Angeles Book Fair takes place at all of the Los Angeles libraries including the Echo Park branch, the Montbello Library and the Pasadena library. If you like books, you will want to come to the largest library sale of books in the country during the last weekend of September every year.

You do not have to be a movie star to have fun at events in Los Angeles. In addition to the many trade shows that you can attend as well as the fine dining and shopping, you can enjoy quite a bit of family fun without it costing you a lot of money in Los Angeles so do come and visit!

Seattle is one of the most beautiful cities in the United States and offers mild weather all year long. There is a bit more precipitation in this city in the Pacific Northwest and many of the annual events take place indoors or in areas that provide a covering, just in case. Some of the events that you can expect to enjoy when you visit Seattle, Washington include the following:

Pike Place Market Food Tours

If you are looking for some of the best food tours in the country, you can find them at Pikes Place Market, which is pretty much the food capital of Seattle. One of the best food tours that you can take is the Savor Seattle Food Tour that takes place during the first week of February each year. If you like sampling different types of food, you will enjoy this Seattle Food Tour.

Irish Week Festival

During the weekend that precedes St. Patrick’s Day at the Seattle House Center, you can enjoy the Irish Week Festival. This includes not only foods and drink native to Ireland, but also traditional Irish Dance. This is a different way to spend St. Patrick’s Day weekend and you can have a lot of fun at this unique festival.

Olympic Music Festival

Each June, the Olympic Music Festival begins at the farm on the Olympic Peninsula. The Olympic Music Festival features classical music from some of your favorite composers. The Olympic Music Festival is something that has been going on in Seattle for the past 25 years and offers a tranquil festival of classical music.

Bastille Day Celebration

Bastille Day honors the gift of the Statue of Liberty which was presented to France in 1886 as a gift of friendship and to honor over 100 years of independence. Bastille Day honors our French friends with music and food and is held on July 13th of every year at Center House in Seattle. Bastille day celebrates the democratic origins of France. This is one of the most celebrated events in Seattle.

Cambodian Cultural Heritage Celebration

The second Tuesday of August is reserved for the Cambodian Culture Heritage Celebration. Seattle is a multi cultural hubbub and the Cambodian Culture celebration is just one of many cultures celebrated throughout the year at the Center House. You can experience dance, art, music and food of Cambodian culture. There are many people from Cambodia living in the Seattle area and this annual event gives you an insight into their culture.

Labor Day Celebration Fest

Seattle has a large Labor Day festival at the Pike Place Market. If you are looking for a traditional festival with all of the trimmings, you will find it at the Labor Day Celebration Fest at Pike Place. This includes craft booths, games, entertainment and food. If you find yourself in Seattle during Labor Day weekend, head over to Pike Place Market to join in the festivities.

Seattle is a cultural city with a mild climate all year long. You can find many annual events that take place throughout the city to enjoy. When you visit Seattle, you will find culture, beauty and music just about every where you go. Center House, Pike Place Market and Olympic Peninsula are just some of the places that you will want to visit to catch up on annual events in Seattle. So do drop by!

It’s not a secret that female fitness models are the hottest girls you can parade in town. Who can’t help but lust over their toned physique and tight booties? You surely want to date one of them but how do you spot them? I do have few solutions for you:

Hit the gym

Going to the gym will give you the highest probability that you will find one. If you need some boost in the physical department, be a regular in the gym and chances are, you might bump into a pretty fitness model. I am sure, as a guy, you have few effective pick up lines in mind. You may want to begin the conversation by asking how long had she been working out. If you’re more confident ask her what routines does she apply to tone her abs and her arms (Do not mention about her ass!). How about asking her some pointers on becoming more fit? At least you will have something in common.

Do not hint that you’re only there just to spot a sexy girl who you can ask for a date. Pretend to be very interested and dedicated on the treadmill. Don’t give out your primary intention of going to the gym by going near every lady in the room. Choose the one you like most and apply your “hook up” strategies.

Visit a friend in the gym

If you do not like the idea of being in those sweat pants and plain shirts, you can still go to the gym and visit someone there whom you know. Of course, you would look more polish than the rest. Be aware with the people inside the room. If your eye caught a gorgeous girl who looks like a fitness model, ask her if she had seen that person you’re looking for. Yes it’s a lame excuse but at least you were able to start the conversation.

Join any sports-related club

Don’t limit yourself into thinking that these women are only found in the gym whole day. They may be in the tennis club near you or having fun in the volleyball court. If you will be able to impress them with your moves, you get a good chance here. Girls like guys who appear to be strong, someone who exhibits strength and stamina. During the break, approach one of them and sport your sexiest smile.

Try your luck on any seasonal sports fest

They are actually everywhere clad in their skimpy sports attire especially on summer sports fests and maybe spring break. Show them your sporty side and more likely they will permit you to get to know them better.

On the Date

They may appear to be strong with their hard-earned great physique, but like most girls, these fitness models would also want to be pampered. Think of a romantic dinner. Be unpredictable. After trying something posh, go sporty with her by asking her to try sports she did not have a chance to do before. (My tip: Go rock or wall climbing. It’s fun plus you get a good view of her ass when she’s ahead of you)

If you want to find one, get your ass moving. You may be able to spot the fitness model of your dreams but since these girls are health and body conscious, I bet they will prefer someone who has the abs as well. So to avoid further disappointment, trim down and look good before you ask them out.