by M. Y. Mim To celebrate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, a motley group of pets and their human companions gather on the lawn outside the exquisite Santa Barbara Mission. Although fall means crisp temperatures in other parts of the country, Santa Barbarans stand under clear blue skies in short-sleeve weather, overlooking the…
We love Halloween! Nothing is better than dressing up like a fantasy and eating candy. And my favorite place to celebrate Halloween is at the Clift Hotel’s private masquerade ball in San Francisco. The A-listers are invited to dress up, drink Veuve champagne, and enjoy crazy vodka cocktails, while dancing to the hits of the…
“You want me to go down where?” I asked, peering into the deep, black hole descending before me into the ground. I shaded my eyes against the sun and squinted some more, hoping in vain that I’d see the bottom a bit more clearly. But I couldn’t—it was too dark and too deep. The light…
by Swapna Dutta I had always wanted to visit Nainital, a popular summer retreat in north India. Located in the state of Uttaranchal at an altitude of 1,938 meters, it was not too far from Delhi where I lived. So when an official job required my presence there I jumped at the chance. Though said…
by Jennifer Anthony The Princess of Wales waits at the harbor early in the morning on an uncharacteristically warm March Saturday. After a week of rain and dreariness, it is 52 degrees, and sunny. A cerulean sky gazes down at the brigade of boats bobbing in the water. Chunky cumulus clouds bumble around the horizon,…
by Willard Manus The first thing to remember about the Edinburgh Festival is that it’s a misnomer. The annual August arts jamboree in Scotland’s capital city should really be called the Edinburgh Festivals, if only because there are eight festivals taking place concurrently. The prestigious one is the International Festival, which, being heavily subsidized by…
by Cheri Eplin Envision a world without television, cell phones, computers, or commuter lanes. Imagine floating almost effortlessly suspended, where your only neighbors are a sea otter, a bat ray, or a rockfish, and—hopefully—your diving partner. If you can picture that scene, then perhaps you can conceptualize the sport of scuba diving. Scuba diving might…